Tacoma towing a Caravel 22fb

[buttnerd]

I had a 2015 Tacoma V6 that I towed my 16' Bambi, somewhere in the 3,000lb range. There was no noticeable sway, even during a horrendous sandstorm in Lancaster/Palmdale, Ca. However, the Tacoma was quite powerless on hills and headwinds. Coming across New Mexico and Arizona with a moderate headwind it struggled to keep 60+/- mph. I have replaced it with a 24 Ranger with the 2.3 ltr engine. I don't push it hard but the speed limit is way easier to maintain in most all situations.

[PB_NB]

Originally Posted by Dandyburger

2013 Tacoma LMT and a 22' Bambi. Equalizer hitch with WD. Truck is stock, no lift kit, and has factory tow package and Tekonsha brake controller. No problems at all pulling the Bambi, which is the narrowest and lightest of all Airstreams, I believe. Many tell me the truck is too light but I've had no issues crisscrossing NM, AZ, CO, SD and Utah. So far. But I keep it at 65 max. I've heard several times not to add a bike rack to the back of the trailer- too much weight hanging off the back could be the issue.

I have a 2019 22FB (the last year of the narrow body). It does make a difference when towing it also has a GVWR of 4,500 lbs. When we had the Ridgeline, the towing experience was great and no need for tow mirrors!

The OP's Caravel is based on the 8' width platform and has a higher GVWR of 5,000 lbs. It probably has a tongue weight of at least 600 lbs but when you stick things like bikes and racks on the back, the weight of the tongue goes down which is probably the root of the swaying that is being experienced.

The new Tacomas have a multi link and spring rear suspension and it wouldn't have been lifted by 3" without some major modifications. The challenge is that there are no leaf springs and this offers comfort but it will squat quite a bit with the Caravel on it. Our Tundra with a similar rear suspension squatted about 2" with our 500 lbs tongue weight. The Blue Ox should eliminate some of the squat as the chains are tightened.

I would check to see if the Blue Ox has sway control built into it. Some of these hitches have it designed into the mounts where the bars are pinned.

[LNBright]

Originally Posted by dpreston

We purchased a new 2025 Caravel 22fb with a Blue Ox hitch to pull behind our 2024 Toyota Tacoma. We had the dealer install a 2" receiver and 3" lift kit before picking it up. On our first trip we attached the bike rack and two bikes for a total weight of 120 lbs.
The trailer weight was about 4600lbs with over 1/2 tank of fresh water in the tank in front of the axle.

The trailer sway was terrible, scaring us and other drivers on the interstate. We had to stay below 60mph. Changing settings on the Blue Ox hitch did not make much difference. That night I put the bikes and rack in the back of the truck. After that I could get up to 65mph but had to use the manual button on the brake controller frequently. An uncomfortable drive. The dealer has not come up with useful suggestions.

I will remove the lift kit and test drive with no bikes. Then I will remove the 2" receiver and test drive.

Is the Tacoma an unsuitable tow vehicle? Its towing capacity is 6500lbs. I do not wish to replace it.

I have read posts about other more expensive hitches but I dont want to go down that road if the Tacoma is unsuitable.

I would love to hear from other Tacoma owners but anyone experienced in these issues would help.

IMO, sounds like the BlueOx needs to be dialed in. The lift won't be part of the equation, removing it won't change anything. (The bikes on the back, that may actually be a contributing issue, though, we'll come back to that.)


I had a 4Runner, loved it, but, given the 20FB (with a 3" lift), we were getting is right at the max for it, we traded for a Sierra. The dealer's tech spent a good bit of time setting up our BlueOx. He really ensured it was dialed in to match our vehicle, as far as getting the camper to be level, the right amount of drop for the hitch, the best number of links to count up for getting the sway to work correctly. I arrived early one morning, and it was mid-afternoon before I headed home. Several test drives around the shop, then driving around the block, then a larger loop, making adjustments to get it 'right'.

Some things to check: if set up correctly, your camper should be pretty much level, but perhaps just a tad low at the ball: you do NOT want the camper with the nose up. The tongue weight target is 12 to 15% of the camper's total weight. If you're under 10% on the tongue, it's light, but if you're over 20%, you're putting too much weight onto the rear of your TV. Too light, or the nose up, can lead to waggling.

Airstream doesn't recommend putting receivers on the back. The only officially approved bike rack is the Fiamma, which mounts above the bumper to the body, as it carries the weight differently. When putting bikes on a bike rack sticking out the back of a receiver under the bumper, you're changing the physics at play. Yes, there are people that have successfully done such: but there are also people that put a receiver on, tried it, then removed it because of the change in behavior that it caused.

I think your Taco should be able to handle a single-axle camper. I might have doubts if it was a larger dual-axle, but yours, 'should' be okay, I think.

FWIW, I like the BlueOx. Once dialed in, it works. But, there are other systems out there, that also work. I suggest going back through your setup, take your truck and camper to a CAT scale and get your numbers, how much weight you're returning to the front axle, etc.

Good luck figuring it out.

[GettinAway]

We pulled our 19’ Bambi with a Tacoma. No problems. When we switched to a 23FB I switched to a Tundra. I could feel the 23 wanting to sway more than the 19 ever did. I’ve always thought that it was just the trailer configuration. Just a smaller percentage of total weight on the tongue. When I towed the 23 with a full fresh water tank it helped.
Possibly towing with a half tank of water isn’t helping. As it can shift weight within the tank. I wouldn’t think the lift on the trailer would make a lot of difference, but it might with a narrow body single axle.

[AldeanFan]

A Tacoma can be a great tow vehicle but it will take some effort and time to perfect the loading and hitch set up.
Tacoma is a relatively small truck so you are near its limits. This means you will have to get everything pretty much perfect to tow comfortably.

Unlike my dad’s 3/4 ton diesel truck where you can drop pretty much anything on the ball and roll, a smaller truck will be more sensitive to loading.

Even with my Tundra I can feel small changes in my load. For example my fresh water tank is just infront of the axles and the waste tanks are at the very back of the trailer. On the way to camp with a full water load and empty waste tanks feels much different than an empty fresh tank and full waste tanks on the way home.

A few heavy items strategically placed inside he trailer can make a surprising difference in tongue weight when you are near the edge.

[AlbertF]

Originally Posted by dpreston

To clarify:

The lift kit and 2” receiver were installed on the trailer, not the truck.

The Tacoma is a Limited - not an off road model.

750lb bars on the Blue Ox hitch.

Again, it would be good to see photos, but I think I know enough now to speculate.

FWIW, I tow a narrow body 22FB with a Volvo V60 (2015). It has a precisely set up Eaz-Lift hitch with 1000 lb bars, with plenty of tension on them. The car and the trailer are almost perfectly level. The combination is perfectly stable at highway speeds; two fingers on the steering wheel stable. So it's not that your tow vehicle is too small.

You have a heavy bike rack and/or heavy bikes; 120 lbs is a lot of pendulum. Get rid of all that first. You might be able to use it later, but you need to eliminate that issue for now.

Second, 750 lb bars are probably too light for full weight transfer. You should have about 600 lbs tongue weight when loaded; you probably want to see 200+ on the front axle, 200+ on the rear, and close to 200 on the trailer axle. The Tacoma probably has relatively soft springing, so set the hitch up like you're setting it up for a passenger vehicle.

Another point; ensure that the ball mount is tipped back about 15 degrees to get maximum travel out of the spring bars.

Finally, take this as a learning opportunity. Understanding how to set up your own hitch is a major advantage.

[Ironsinker]

My experience is most trailer sway happens when you're loaded too much in the rear or you’re going too fast, or your tow vehicle isn’t able to control the trailer. It seems to me you know the answer already…you need a different tow vehicle. I say this because you’re not asking if this will happen you’re saying it is happening and it’s scary. Make sure the trailer is loaded properly and not have too much weight in the rear. Make sure you’re not speeding. Make sure the front of your tow vehicle isn’t floating from the tongue weight of the trailer you may need weight distribution set up by a pro. If it’s still scary then there ya go.

[waninae39]

we pulled our last sport 22fb with our audi Q5 3L suv no issues
we have upgraded to an FC 25FB , our audi q5 is just fine

andy at canamrv.ca has upgraded the suv hitch and we have had no issues.

last year we towed our 25fb out west and did 19,000 km through flat and very hilly mountains out west. never an issue

[Drgsmiles]

We're pulling a 23' Flying Cloud (dual axle/3" lift installed) with our 2024 Tacoma Limited using an Equalizer WD/anti sway hitch recommended by the dealer. Only a few trips so far but no issues with sway on the highway (60-65 mph)

[franklyfrank]

Originally Posted by dpreston

We purchased a new 2025 Caravel 22fb with a Blue Ox hitch to pull behind our 2024 Toyota Tacoma. We had the dealer install a 2" receiver and 3" lift kit before picking it up. On our first trip we attached the bike rack and two bikes for a total weight of 120 lbs.
The trailer weight was about 4600lbs with over 1/2 tank of fresh water in the tank in front of the axle.

The trailer sway was terrible, scaring us and other drivers on the interstate. We had to stay below 60mph. Changing settings on the Blue Ox hitch did not make much difference. That night I put the bikes and rack in the back of the truck. After that I could get up to 65mph but had to use the manual button on the brake controller frequently. An uncomfortable drive. The dealer has not come up with useful suggestions.

I will remove the lift kit and test drive with no bikes. Then I will remove the 2" receiver and test drive.

Is the Tacoma an unsuitable tow vehicle? Its towing capacity is 6500lbs. I do not wish to replace it.

I have read posts about other more expensive hitches but I dont want to go down that road if the Tacoma is unsuitable.

I would love to hear from other Tacoma owners but anyone experienced in these issues would help.

Your tow vehicle is way undersized.
I will never understand why folks looking for the smallest and lightest TV to tow with instead of slightly oversized for safer towing to begin with. For your setup I wouldn't consider anything under a 1/2 ton pick up with a heavy duty tow package.
The more weight front of the Trailer is the better and safer way to tow.

[Steve Perry]

I agree with the others - it's likely too little weight up front and too much in the back.

However, a smaller vehicle can sometimes be a challenge too.

I've towed with short wheelbase vehicles for a long time - two LC 200 Toyota Land Cruisers and more recently a Lexus GX - all very short WB. Although I can get by with those vehicles with a traditional hitch, I switched to a Hensley - best decision I ever made. No sway, even in crazy heavy winds, going past semis, you name it. It just doesn't move. It's a pain to hook up at first, but once you get the hang of it, then I think it's actually easier than a Blue Ox. Just soon food for thought.

[Peraudjp]

I have a 2022 2WD Tacoma, we pull a 2023 Caravel 22fb. Using a blue ox (BXW0750) SwayPro hitch and a Redarc brake controller. I set the chains at 9.
I have no problem towing. During excessively windy conditions, or sometimes semi-truck induced situations, I need to activate the brake controller.
I pulled with three adults and a bed full of gear from Chicago to Maine and back without a problem.
I agree that you should get it weighed at a truck scale. This would really aid in the diagnosis. It may be a combination of the weight distribution and the lifted trailer. I would also check the hitch installation if it was done aftermarket. It's pretty hard to screw it up, but .......
The 22 Tacoma is different than the 24, but I think the towing capacities are the same. 2WD also has a slightly higher towing capacity on the 2022.

[Hilljeman]

I think your chosen configuration is going to be a challenge going forward. You have a shorter wheelbase TV and a single axle trailer. The stability is going to depend very much on the way your trailer is loaded. I believe you want to have as much weight on the tow vehicle hitch as possible up to it limits. Weight on or in the rear of your trailer will accentuate sway. Does your Tacoma have electronic sway sensors/controls? If I were you I would look for away to control sway at the rear axle of the truck.

[SteveandNita]

I’m a 2019 Bambi Sport towing with a 2021 Tacoma with a tow package. We have an equalizer hitch. We just added a rear hitch receiver and tried it out with our Kuat bike rack for the first time this weekend. Carried about 50lbs of bikes and didn’t notice any sway. I did fill the fresh water tank as that sits in front of the axel and would add some tongue weight. I don’t drive much over 60 mph.

This is only my anecdotal experience, but it seemed to work fine.

[-Dan-]

The only time I’ve had sway like you’re describing is when I loaded a trailer aft of the axle. It was almost uncontrollable.

If your center of mass is behind the axle, that aft mass keeps trying to get in front of the axle which causes the sway. Same principle as why an arrow is weighted towards the tip, not towards the feathers.

Troubleshooting is a process of elimination, so go for the easiest low-cost solutions first:

Remove mass from behind the axle. Drain all tanks, remove everything from the bathroom and closet, remove everything from the rear bumper (if you have one) then take it for a test drive.

If it’s still swaying, then maybe it’s the tow setup. Make sure your trailer is more or less level when it’s hitched up, and double check that the tension on the Blue Ox is distributing weight properly. There should be detailed instructions on how to do that. Once that’s all good, test drive again.

I really doubt that it’s the trailer lift kit, we have a 2019 22FB with 3” lift kit and it tows great. If you’ve tried all of the above and it’s still swaying, the only thing I can think of is that maybe the axle might be out of alignment, there’s a tire/wheel issue, or maybe bolts are loose on the lift kit. But before you go and remove the lift kit, test the trailer on another tow vehicle.

Swapping vehicles will tell you if the Tacoma hitch setup is at fault: usually the tow vehicle is more about horsepower and gearing than anything else.

Hope this helps!

[northfayston]

We tow our 24 foot 1965 Tradewind, when fully loaded weighs 4400 pounds with our 2015 Toyota Tacoma. We have ebikes that together weight 100 pounds plus the 50 pound rack.

The bikes ride inside the trailer where they are dry and free of road grime. The rack rides on the back of the trailer, which we can move to the truck when we need to ride to a bike path.

We have towed a short distances with the bikes on the back of the trailer. We make sure the 20 gallon water tank which is up front is full of water to counter the weight in back. It's not squirrely, but we sense some movement if we are going over 60 mph.

I suggest you try towing without the bikes on the rear of the trailer and start with adjustments there. I second that you talk to Andy Thompson at Can-AM in London, Ontario.

[NWBoondocker]

The Tacoma should tow your trailer just fine. I agree with what many others have said...

• Go find a CAT scales and double-weigh your truck and truck+AS using the recommended method (e.g., like in this video and others on YT)
• Make sure you have at least 10-12% of the AS weight on the tongue. Hanging some bikes off the back of the trailer is asking for sway if your tongue weight is marginal.
• If you move things around inside the trailer, add remove water in your fresh or dirty tanks, etc, then you should do a "spot check" on your tongue weight using a Simple Weigh device or Sherline scale (or equivalent) before towing

[Greenjeans]

I'm towing a 16ft Caravel with a 2017 Tacoma TRD 4X4. Perfect match, straight to the hitch, no sway. Towing 6 months out of the year, mostly mountainous west to Canada, Gulf of America, Texas to Florida.


If you towing close to home, mostly flatlands it would work just fine with a lot of tweaking. I assuming yours is the 6cyl 3.5 engine, like mine.

You got to be close to the line on tongue weight, sway is going to be an issue. Take the scales out and check it out. I've had other trailers, pulling another one with an earlier model Tacoma. The high profile of AS, short wheel base of the truck, along with that 22' trailer length to me is just not a good combination. Also, mountains, hills, head-on wind, side winds, with the extra weight, & length, you'll spend a lot of time in 3rd, horrible for gas mileage. I just not sure how happy you'll be.


The big advantage you have is if your Tacoma is worth top dollar, has consistently one of the highest resale values. You'll sell it in a New York minute. Also new Tacoma's, 2025 have gone to a small 4cyl turbo charge engine. Pretty sure in 2025 the 6cyl 3.5 engine is long gone.

[SYC2Vette]

Kind of scratching my head wondering why your mid size Tacoma would be having such a hard time with sway when our mid size Canyon is absolutely rock steady with our 5,000 lb single axle 20 footer.

We have been through extremely strong wind conditions that had many other rigs swaying including big rigs, and never experienced even a hint of sway.

-Usually tow at or 5 mph under the speed limit. Watching tire temperatures.
-Static tongue weight around 650 lbs with full propane tanks, empty water and waste tanks.
-600-800 lb WD bars, set to keep front TV ride height no more than 1/2" above unloaded height.
-Simple friction type sway control bar.
-TV sway control has never "lit up"
-Tires are relatively low profile (compared to off road tires on 16" rims) 265/60 R18. Inflated to 35 psi cold.
-Careful to stay within RAWR and GVWR. (GCWR is easy).
-HD (Diesel) front springs
-Rear Airbags set at 50 psi, prior to setting WD bars.

Maybe something in the above list could help for comparison. Also our wheelbase on our CC Canyon is pretty close to the same as a Suburban, so if your Tacoma is a shorter version that could certainly affect stability.

The only reason we prefer to tow with our HD2500 vs the Canyon is no worry about payload which is always our limiting factor with the Canyon. Both are equally stable. Although I would not tow anything over 5,000 lbs with the Canyon.

[Dingy Harry]

Originally Posted by dpreston

We purchased a new 2025 Caravel 22fb with a Blue Ox hitch to pull behind our 2024 Toyota Tacoma. We had the dealer install a 2" receiver and 3" lift kit before picking it up. On our first trip we attached the bike rack and two bikes for a total weight of 120 lbs.
The trailer weight was about 4600lbs with over 1/2 tank of fresh water in the tank in front of the axle.

The trailer sway was terrible, scaring us and other drivers on the interstate. We had to stay below 60mph. Changing settings on the Blue Ox hitch did not make much difference. That night I put the bikes and rack in the back of the truck. After that I could get up to 65mph but had to use the manual button on the brake controller frequently. An uncomfortable drive. The dealer has not come up with useful suggestions.

I will remove the lift kit and test drive with no bikes. Then I will remove the 2" receiver and test drive.

Is the Tacoma an unsuitable tow vehicle? Its towing capacity is 6500lbs. I do not wish to replace it.

I have read posts about other more expensive hitches but I dont want to go down that road if the Tacoma is unsuitable.

I would love to hear from other Tacoma owners but anyone experienced in these issues would help.

Hi there,

We bought a 2024 Bambi 22FB last season, and towed from Maine to Branson Missouri, and then to south Florida. It towed like a dream. Dry weight was 3800 lbs,
but let’s call it 4k with baggage, half tank of water.

The truck was outfitted with a Blue Ox (integrated sway control, 1000 lb bars).
We had no lift kit. A couple of questions: How many links were engaged on the chains
for the hitch ? Also, is the trailer level when hooked up ? If not, that could be an issue. Obviously if payload in trailer is significant, and more aft, that would be an issue. All this said, I found that 4k lbs is about as much as I would care to tow with
the Tacoma. They are great trucks within there limits. I found that 2500 lbs of headroom against the 6500 lb tow limit worked fine, but engine did work hard going up even moderate grades at about 4k RPM. I always kept to 65 mph in 5th gear, and used the ECT (tow control button ?) set to on.

We just purchased the Superduty this year with plans to upgrade to a 25’ or 27’ Airstream. Just my .02…..your mileage may vary.

Safe travels!