Abby gets all the attention

[bwoodtx]

Nice trip!! Did you scout out the rock formations in Utah? I am currently in Las Cruces-plenty hot here.

Safe travels

[Lance M]

Yes, Bruce. That is about all we've looked at for the last two days. Rocks! Lol

I'll post the professional grade pics when we get home.

[Lance M]

Lunch at the "Middle of Nowhere Cafe'"

[Lance M]

Duh. Picture.

[wasagachris]

Hey Lance do you know what's in the middle of nowhere?

[Lance M]

Yes Chris. I think I do.
We're looking for aliens in Roswell. All we've found so far are souvenir stores.

[wasagachris]

The answer is the letter H.
I think all the aliens are cutting grass. Oops sorry wrong aliens. LOL.

[Trex]

Originally Posted by Top

Yes Chris. I think I do.
We're looking for aliens in Roswell. All we've found so far are souvenir stores.

Now that looks like good fun..... I want to camp out that way someday. How was the smoke....stay up wind my friend

[Lance M]

Originally Posted by Rex Crabtree

Now that looks like good fun..... I want to camp out that way someday. How was the smoke....stay up wind my friend

No smoke. We saw a new fire getting started in NW NM after some serious lightening rolled through.

I found the aliens. They were at Wallmart.

Silver duct tape works great in so many applications.

Back to Texas tomorrow. One hour to get to Texas, then nine hours to get to the house.

[Melody Ranch]

You should stop by the Ray Roberts state park. The kids can do Six Flags, Ball Park in Arlington, Cowboy Stadium, swim in the lake. Two hours to home from here...I have cold beer.

[Lance M]

Originally Posted by Melody Ranch

You should stop by the Ray Roberts state park. The kids can do Six Flags, Ball Park in Arlington, Cowboy Stadium, swim in the lake. Two hours to home from here...I have cold beer.

Thanks Melody!
We'll have to take a rain check. My daughter's friend is with us. She has a flight to catch on Sunday evening. We'll be up to visit you soon though.

[Lance M]

Originally Posted by REDNAX

What sort of fuel mileage at what speed? Scale weights yet?

Here are the numbers from the CAT scales.

Gross weight - 12,480
Toyota front axle 2,740
Toyota rear axle 4,080
Abby front axle 2,800
Abby rear axle 2,860

The Sequoia data plate lists the axle weight ratings as:
Front 3160
Rear 3550

Looks like I need to move/transfer 530 lbs from the rear axle somewhere else.

This is fully loaded for camping with two adults and four teenagers. Fresh water tank 3/4 full. One full tank of propane and one half full. Toyota full of fuel. Black and gray holding tanks empty.

[slowmover]

(Some time to kill while BBQ smokes, the sprinkler travels, and NPR features the Chicago Lyric Opera this Sat p.m. 93F and a breeze in the shade.)

The following is my take on what the above weights "reveal", and were I contemplating this TV & TT combination for my own use. Having some fun thinking out loud, in other words.

I think that fully I-S vehicles are the TV of choice. Especially with a turbodiesel.

2002 SR5 2WD TOYOTA SEQUOIA
4-Whl Disc plus fully I-S [?]
118" Wheelbase

5070 Ship weight
6500 GVWR
1430 Payload

Max TW 650
Max TT 6500
GCWR 11,800

The GCWR will be "over" a few hundred pounds once some proper WD takes place. Any info out there in TOY enthusiast land about axle ratings? (beyond published ratings)

I can make, and have, the weight police argument; I have also made a living behind the wheel of a Dodge 1T pulling an 8k trailer with 16k on top of it, a truck with 300k+ miles on it. So, IMO, it behooves us to work "the formula" first, and see how things are and continue experimentation. With a few thousand miles you know have an idea of how it feels (and perhaps have taken temp readings of hubs/tires; or, have a TPMS to tell you). One is on one's own, but I think that the rig here is close enough to satisfy just about everyone.

Squat may be unavoidable no matter how the hitch rigging works out, thus:

Seq Load Level (click all links)

The hitch may not be up to the task:

Can Am welded reinforcing bars to the OEM TOYOTA hitch to take out hitch flex.

" . . Factory hitches are "on the light side," says Andy Thomson at Can Am RV, a Canadian RV specialty outfit. "A lot of hitches are made to ship cheaply and bolt on easily," he says, so they make towing capacity a secondary priority. "We think about 5-percent of the trailers on the road today are really hitched up well," he estimates. According to him, when a tow vehicle, car, or truck does not tow well, it's not always the fault of the vehicle.

"People assume it's the vehicle, but more often, it's the hitch. A lot of crossover SUVs are really very good tow vehicles. They have independent suspensions, which gives them a wider stance for stability and, with a unibody, a lower center of gravity.

At Can Am, custom hitches are designed to spread loads over a much longer distance, moving the load toward the center of the vehicle. Careful attention is paid to the distance the hitch ball is from the vehicle, so that unwanted leverage is kept to a minimum.

"It's not so much the weight of the trailer," Thomson tells us. "The weight really only matters on hills and acceleration."

Limiting factors? "Ninety percent of the time it's aerodynamic drag," Thomson says, adding that even slightly taller trailers can be much harder to tow at highway speeds." (From RVMag)

(The aero aluminum trailer advantage: better FE, and maybe some leeway on what constitutes a "limit").

It's possible that a factory hitch may torque over and not leverage the weight. I'm unhappy with my factory Dodge piece.



The reasons for restoration of front axle load:

J2807


From the 2011 Toyota Tundra manual:

"If using a weight distribution hitch when towing, return the front axle to the same weight as before the trailer connection.

If front axle weight cannot be measured directly, measure the front fender height above the front axle before connection.

Adjust weight distribution hitch torque until front fender is returned to the same height as before connection.

Do not reduce front fender height below original measurement."

That's a start. I'm not aware of other TOYOTA published information. A CAT certified scale is next.


Visited-Cat-Scales-the-numbers-are-in . . . .


Here's a recent woodalls.net post featuring the inimitable "Ron Gratz" on WDH for a toyhauler. A few pounds here, a few pounds there and . . . .


These two constitute "consensus" these days, overall (with other examples applicable): 75-25 where the Steer Axle remains as per unhitched, and the TW is distributed by the above percentage to Drive -Trailer Axles (assuming a pickup or other live axle heavy payload TV.


I'm thinking that Andy Thomson's guidelines on setting WDH for I-S vehicles may be closer to the old 1/3-1/3-1/3 rule where the TW is distributed in that pattern to Steer Axle - Drive Axle - TT Axle[s]; and, and Inland Andy reminds us, that of the weight forward onto the TV the discrepancy between FF/RR is no more than about 10% and favoring the Drive Axle. I do know that ratings of power, braking force, etc, are measured wheel-by-wheel.

The "argument" at this point will have to do with loading the Steer Axle to higher than empty weight (as per above letter to editor). But J2807 has holes like a sieve.

Were this combination mine, I'd consult with Can Am. This platform is one that is bound to have been set up by them a number of times. With a 118" wheelbase I also think that a PRO PRIDE is an easy, cheap addition. The weights, alone, make it well worthwhile. There's a canyon between a sway-resisting and a sway-eliminating WDH's

A full set of empty and loaded scale readings for both TT and TV are needed. About eight [8] all told.


.

[Lance M]

Just pulled up in front of the house. 2,626 miles. Pictures to follow soon.

Rednax,
Thanks so very much for the very informative post! It will take me a while to fully digest all of that, for sure. I think I might borrow some digital platform scales and do some weight distribution adjustments.

[bwoodtx]

[QUOTE=Top;1015344]
I found the aliens. They were at Wallmart.

I found Aliens as well while in NM

[Baseman]

A truly awesome trip Lance! You have many happy miles ahead, I'm sure!

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by Top

Just pulled up in front of the house. 2,626 miles. Pictures to follow soon.

Rednax,
Thanks so very much for the very informative post! It will take me a while to fully digest all of that, for sure. I think I might borrow some digital platform scales and do some weight distribution adjustments.

Should have put all that in a PM. But you're quite welcome. Here's the rest. Your rig will be "outside" the official numbers. But it can be dialed in, and quite well, IMO.

New-trailer-for-sequoia/

Hitch Description

Sequoia plus PP Hitch

Can Am: How to Set Up WDH

Emergency Maneuvers

WDH the Old Way


CAT Scale: Exit 304 IH35, Temple

.

[Lance M]

Bruce! Nice Alien!

Thanks Baseman! I have started a new "travel" thread.

Home Sweet Abby

Rednax,
Wow! Thanks for all that great information to read. I guess as long as there are people towing 'Streams with VW Jettas, I won't be ridiculed too much!

[slowmover]

A Can Am Setup.

[Trex]

Originally Posted by REDNAX

Should have put all that in a PM. But you're quite welcome. Here's the rest. Your rig will be "outside" the official numbers. But it can be dialed in, and quite well, IMO.

New-trailer-for-sequoia/

Hitch Description

Sequoia plus PP Hitch

Can Am: How to Set Up WDH

Emergency Maneuvers

WDH the Old Way


CAT Scale: Exit 304 IH35, Temple

.

Mr. Red.... thanks for not posting as a PM, I learned some good pointers on "How to set up WDH"... Our last vacation, I had a 18 wheeler pass me going very fast, 70 mph. I was going down hill just north of Carson City. I let off the gas, just as he passed, which caused my trailer to sway...side to side, three or four times. Very scary!

Anyway, It will help me and many others make the right adjustments to our tow vehicles, and hopefully prevent our trailers from swaying, when that speeding Trucker comes flying by. Thanks again for your intel.