Grand Design Reflection 297RSTS - towing with a Toyota Tundra thoughts

[JBrady1]

Hello,

I have a 2015 4WD V8 5.7L (engine model 3UR-FE) Double Cab w/ a tow package. Looks like this travel trailer is close to my towing limits. Has anyone towed this camper or one with a similar weights?


Thanks!

[Calbar]

Hello,

I have a 2015 4WD V8 5.7L (engine model 3UR-FE) Double Cab w/ a tow package. Looks like this travel trailer is close to my towing limits. Has anyone towed this camper or one with a similar weights?


Thanks!

I towed this trailer for 8000 miles with a 2009 Tundra CrewMax with the 5.7L engine. The setup towed very well for the most part and the Tundra is an excellent tow vehicle. I would not hesitate to tow this trailer with a Tundra. You are at you limits or slightly over and you will find that heavy cross winds will push you around a bit. Obviously a bigger truck like a 2500 or 3500 is more stable but the Tundra will tow this trailer well using a good WDH with sway control such as a Reese Straighline or Hensley Arrow. I will really depend on your comfort level. I had towed a 32' trailer for 10 years prior to purchasing the 297RSTS. I personally would not buy a new truck until you try the Tundra and see how comfortable you are as towing is a very personal experience.

Rob

[xrated]

The 297RSTS has a GVWR of 9995 lbs....let's just call it 10,000 lbs. If that trailer is loaded up to the GVWR or close to it, it will produce a tongue weight (based on 10,000 lb x .13) of 1300 lbs. That is "worst case scenario" tongue weight, but that is always how I calculate the possible load on any truck....using the GVWR of the trailer....whether it's a tow behind or a 5ver. Using the GVWR for the calculation and then sizing a truck to be able to handle "worst case scenario", pretty much assures you that you will not get into an overload situation because you have enough truck payload to handle it.

So let's look at your numbers....The very first thing to check is the Payload capacity of YOUR truck, as it is located on the driver side door post. What does that number say as far as payload capacity. Next thing to look at is anything and everything you add to the truck when towing. The payload capacity number that is on the truck is the available payload on the day that truck was built. If you've added anything to the truck since it was built, you have to deduct the weight of the added items from that payload number. An example might be....you've added a toolbox in the bed of the truck and with the box and loaded full of whatever tools that normally reside in it.....200 lbs. Deduct 200 lbs from that payload sticker number. If you carry two or three passengers in the truck that weight let's say 400 lbs, deduct that weight from the payload sticker number. Firewood, extra fuel, bicycles,.....anything and everything that is loaded in/on the truck has to be deducted from that original payload number on the sticker. How about the weight distribution hitch...maybe 75 lb...deduct it too. So when you get done adding up all the weight that the truck normally has on it when using the truck to tow the camping trailer....lets say 700 lbs in this example....toolbox/tools, passengers, hitch, etc, that total amount of weight has to be deducted from the original payload number on the sticker! After deducting all of that weight, the remaining number is what you have available for tongue weight to be added to the truck. As I stated, the worst case scenario of that trailer tongue weight is right at 1300 lb. Do you have enough available payload after all the deductions that I mention to be able to put another 1300 lbs of tongue weight on the truck and still not weigh OVER the number that is on the truck payload sticker?
Very likely you do not, but that is up to you to figure out all those numbers....I've shown you the way to do it, but I cannot possibly know the numbers that you have, or will have when going camping.

[mcl1jw]

X-rated, good writeup. Should you also deduct the weight of gas in the fuel tank and weight of propane in the trailer?

[larry0071]

X-rated, good writeup. Should you also deduct the weight of gas in the fuel tank and weight of propane in the trailer?

Advertised tongue weight on your trailer is NOT including the 2 x 38 LB (20 lb advertised product) propane tanks nor does this include the flooded lead acid battery(multiple?). So assume immediately about +120 lbs for the tanks and battery.
Next, you go buy that nice WDH with integrated sway control. Your spring bars, ball, hitch head and all is going to be around +100 lbs. So your at advertised tongue weight + 220 or more before you put a pillow into the camper.

Now go start tossing your beer, water, foods, bedding, clothing, televisions, games, pots/pans, emergency tools, power cables, hoses, bottle jack, electric impact, camp chairs... and more....

I found that my old unit had a sticker tongue weight of 780 LBS, and fully loaded I hit the cat scales and saw just under 1,600 lbs tongue weight. I was somewhat in shock and awe as I went through the CAT scale print outs and started to understand what all was going on.

[larry0071]

X-rated, good writeup. Should you also deduct the weight of gas in the fuel tank and weight of propane in the trailer?

Oh, trucks today are shown on the yellow door jam sticker with the payload assuming a 150 LB driver and a tank of fuel.

[xrated]

X-rated, good writeup. Should you also deduct the weight of gas in the fuel tank and weight of propane in the trailer?

None of that is necessary if you use the GVWR of the trailer for your calculations....

[xrated]

Advertised tongue weight on your trailer is NOT including the 2 x 38 LB (20 lb advertised product) propane tanks nor does this include the flooded lead acid battery(multiple?). So assume immediately about +120 lbs for the tanks and battery.
Next, you go buy that nice WDH with integrated sway control. Your spring bars, ball, hitch head and all is going to be around +100 lbs. So your at advertised tongue weight + 220 or more before you put a pillow into the camper.

Now go start tossing your beer, water, foods, bedding, clothing, televisions, games, pots/pans, emergency tools, power cables, hoses, bottle jack, electric impact, camp chairs... and more....

I found that my old unit had a sticker tongue weight of 780 LBS, and fully loaded I hit the cat scales and saw just under 1,600 lbs tongue weight. I was somewhat in shock and awe as I went through the CAT scale print outs and started to understand what all was going on.

None of that is necessary if you use the GVWR of the trailer.....it includes anything and everything that the trailer is rated to be...weight-wise.

[larry0071]

But many folks look at that advertised tongue weight and think that the camper will be somewhere near that weight on the truck. I've had the same conversation many times now.....
my trailer dealer showed me the yellow sticker on the outside wall, I'm around that 900 lbs (or whatever it shows).....

Then I tell the story of my 900 lb advertised tongue weight and how it's actually near 1,600 lbs in the CAT scales.

Heck, I've got a couple buddies that rent mini excavator/skid steer often and use 2500 diesel trucks. When you show them the yellow door sticker they get upset as if you punched their mother.... "What do you mean? My Duramax/Cummins/PowerStroke can pull 30,000 lbs.... I saw it on the television!"

And ask any of the 3.79 million contractors out there renting and hauling equipment around what the tongue weight is.... They don't know and they don't care. There is a job to do... if it fits, it ships....

The gross amount of overloaded hauling/towing by the 2500/F250 class trucks up to the 5500/F550 class trucks out there in every town, every day is plain staggering.

I tend to see contractors get a little smarter about this when you move into the 10 Ton to triaxle trucks... But just a bit. I hear often that a dual axle or triaxle is loaded "real heavy" to get this load out for the day.... It's everywhere.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[Calbar]

Advertised tongue weight on your trailer is NOT including the 2 x 38 LB (20 lb advertised product) propane tanks nor does this include the flooded lead acid battery(multiple?). So assume immediately about +120 lbs for the tanks and battery.
Next, you go buy that nice WDH with integrated sway control. Your spring bars, ball, hitch head and all is going to be around +100 lbs. So your at advertised tongue weight + 220 or more before you put a pillow into the camper.

Now go start tossing your beer, water, foods, bedding, clothing, televisions, games, pots/pans, emergency tools, power cables, hoses, bottle jack, electric impact, camp chairs... and more....

I found that my old unit had a sticker tongue weight of 780 LBS, and fully loaded I hit the cat scales and saw just under 1,600 lbs tongue weight. I was somewhat in shock and awe as I went through the CAT scale print outs and started to understand what all was going on.

On my 2009 Tundra I was 300 lbs over payload with my 297RSTS and it had a payload of about 1300 lbs. My 297RSTS runs between 1300 to 1400 lbs and that is with 2 batteries and full propane tanks. Trailer weighed in loaded for camping at 9495 lbs give or take. This is with no water in the tanks. All my weights are from the CAT scales. With the OPs Double cab he will have about 1600 to 1700 lbs payload so it can be done within the ratings of his truck based on my 297RSTS.

Rob