New Imagine XLS 17MKE Owner from MN

[RickinCalgary]

Rick, do you know how wide the Imagine is? I can find length and height but not width.

Hi Julie, I just measured our 2600RB and it is 8 feet wide. The awning adds another 3 inches. Hope this helps!

[ThePowells]

Welcome to the forum and enjoy your new toy!

[GaryS1964]

I'm a little late in responding because I missed the email that notified me to look at this thread.

I do now have my 17MKE. To be honest I would have preferred the 22MLE but while my truck would handle the additional weight the wife wanted a shorter trailer. It's important to keep the wife happy and it saves me about $15/mo on storage over the 22MLE.
I picked it up in July but other than driving it around to see how it handles and break in the trailer brakes I haven't taken it on a trip. There are a couple of reasons for that. First we travel with my sister in law and her husband and they are still waiting for their trailer to be delivered. Second is I wanted to add solar, EMS, inverter, water filter, MicroAir EasySart, and an awning over the slide out. All the RV places that do this stuff are swamped and I wasted about a month dealing with a guy who ultimately stopped responding to my calls. Guess he didn't want the work. As I type the trailer is in the shop and all the work is done except for the EasyStart which should arrive and be installed this week. Then it will be off to a CAT scale to weigh it to see how much cargo capacity we have before we load it up with all the stuff we want to take on our trips.

I'm looking forward to our first few trips which will be short trips to nearby campgrounds with full hookups where we will spend a few days testing everything. All systems worked when the trailer was delivered but the first few trips will be a real world test of the trailer. It will also help us figure out what we actually need and don't need before we take off on a week or longer trip probably to Oregon early next year. Oregon in the winter will test the "all season" capability of the 17MKE.

BTW - The GD website for the 17MKE says the tongue weight is 480 lbs. I weighed mine as it was delivered from the dealer with one 12V battery and full propane tanks and it was 590 lbs. I'm sure it will be more when I weigh it again with the extras I'm having installed.

[zygmunt]

Can you tow a 17MKE with a Tacoma? Are you pushing the limits? I am in the process of looking at 17MKE and buying it. I would like to know if I can tow? Thanks! Zig

[NB Canada]

Can you tow a 17MKE with a Tacoma? Are you pushing the limits? I am in the process of looking at 17MKE and buying it. I would like to know if I can tow? Thanks! Zig

I would
Should be a perfect trailer for it if it has the towing pkg


2021 Imagine 2400 BH
2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew

[zygmunt]

Yes, I have the towing package on my 2017 Tacoma 4x4. Thanks for the quick turn around.

[GaryS1964]

I've taken a few trips since I first posted to this thread. I had a 2020 Tacoma V6 4x4 Sport which comes with the trailer towing package. If memory serves the tow capacity rating was 6400 lbs. My 17MKE has a GVWR of 6395 lbs according to the weight information sheet that came with the trailer. That's pretty much at the max for the Tacoma. I did a lot of research on Toyota forums and found people pulling similar and even larger trailers with their Tacoma. A common theme was that the Tacoma will pull the trailer fine on flat terrain. It will even pull it up fairly steep grades if you don't mind doing 25 MPH. Another consideration is the hitch weight. Again according to the weight information sheet that came with my trailer the hitch weight is 600 lbs not the 480 lbs listed online. Actual hitch weight of my 17MKE is 960 lbs when loaded for a trip. If I'm not mistaken that exceeds the maximum tongue weight of the Tacoma. You also have to take into consideration maximum payload and you have to subtract the trailer tongue weight from that number.

I towed a single axle cargo trailer loaded with camping gear to Death Valley with my Tacoma. My guess was the trailer weighed around 1000 to 1100 lbs. It did fine on flat terrain but it would not even maintain the California trailer speed limit of 55 MPH going up some of the steeper grades on highway 395 and on the road from Lone Pine to Death Valley. 40 to 45 MPH was the best it would do on the steeper grades.

Bottom line for me was the Tacoma was not enough truck to pull the 17MKE. It's a great off road truck and we had fun in Death Valley. It's small and maneuverable but it's not meant to pull a travel trailer. I traded it in for a Ford F150 which pulls the 17MKE easily and I can maintain the speed limit up the steepest grades I've encountered so far. Living in northern California pretty much everywhere I go involves going over mountains and I'm glad I bought the F150.

[zygmunt]

Hello Gary,

Thanks for the input. The trailer is order and I still time to consider trading the Tacoma, if I pick a smaller trailer, then I would have the comfort of the 17MKE, so I guess it is give and take situation. When I get the trailer, I am planning a trip the mountains in NC, that would be the deciding factor. I don't want to compromise with the trail, if I choose a smaller one or lighter one (non Grand Design model), then going RV will be as enjoyable.

Thanks Again!

[DouginSD]

Hi gang,
I have a 17MKE on order and just traded in my Tacoma for a Tundra last Friday. I had a 6,600 lb towing limit and 1,370 lb load limit on the 2WD long bed Tacoma but I was more worried about the tongue weight because it should be at 10-15% of the trailer weight, which would be ok if I kept the trailer pretty empty but could be up to 959 lbs at 15% of 6,395, plus throw on 100 lbs for the WDH. Plus I was worried about towing it in the mountains which are my favorite places to camp and the weight of the trailer is pretty high in percentage to the towing capacity. Oh, and max hitch weight for my Tacoma was 660 lbs, max hitch weight on my new Tundra is 1020 and towing limit is 10,200 so I shouldn't have any troubles.

I tried to get my wife to accept a lighter trailer but she (we both) wanted this one because it's so much nicer with a lot of cupboards and counter space. A couple weeks ago a local lot let us have a peek into one that another customer had ordered and was in, and we had to order it too.

Kind of a bummer, I'm not super happy about it. I really liked my Tacoma but driving the Tundra with the trailer load will be less stressful. I tell myself it's ok because I was only putting 3,000 miles/year on it, so it mostly sat in the driveway. Someone will get a perfect truck with zero parking lot dings. On the other hand, I'm excited to get the trailer and go camping. We used to do it a lot but haven't in the last decade.

[zygmunt]

Hi gang,
I have a 17MKE on order and just traded in my Tacoma for a Tundra last Friday. I had a 6,600 lb towing limit and 1,370 lb load limit on the 2WD long bed Tacoma but I was more worried about the tongue weight because it should be at 10-15% of the trailer weight, which would be ok if I kept the trailer pretty empty but could be up to 959 lbs at 15% of 6,395, plus throw on 100 lbs for the WDH. Plus I was worried about towing it in the mountains which are my favorite places to camp and the weight of the trailer is pretty high in percentage to the towing capacity. Oh, and max hitch weight for my Tacoma was 660 lbs, max hitch weight on my new Tundra is 1020 and towing limit is 10,200 so I shouldn't have any troubles.

I tried to get my wife to accept a lighter trailer but she (we both) wanted this one because it's so much nicer with a lot of cupboards and counter space. A couple weeks ago a local lot let us have a peek into one that another customer had ordered and was in, and we had to order it too.

Kind of a bummer, I'm not super happy about it. I really liked my Tacoma but driving the Tundra with the trailer load will be less stressful. I tell myself it's ok because I was only putting 3,000 miles/year on it, so it mostly sat in the driveway. Someone will get a perfect truck with zero parking lot dings. On the other hand, I'm excited to get the trailer and go camping. We used to do it a lot but haven't in the last decade.

**********

Hello,

You are correct. Me and my wife feel the same way toward the 17MKE. Technically, we can tow the 17MKE with our Tacoma, but if we ever go the mountains in NC, we would be pushing the it and pulling a lot stress on our truck. We are in the process of looking for a new truck (used or new) while we are waiting for our 17MKE. I appreciate the update and input.

Zigman v