Towing Question

[Joey]

D1 - '97 Disco.

I know a little bit about towing, so please I don't need the you shouldn't tow a camper thing.

I am looking at a 28 foot (total length tip to tail) camper. Gross Trailer Weight would be 5200lbs (it is a lightweight trailer).

I am looking at sway control and weight distribution hitch.

I know this will be a slow haul, but has anyone on here done this and what was the results.



Please don't reply with stuff like you should tow that or are you nuts.... my signature says it all.....

 

[garrett]

i have towed several different types of trailers with a few different D1s i have. nothing really long distant though. but regardless i was not real thrilled with having to do it.
like i have said before these are not good towing vehicles. 100" wheelbase and small V-8 do not lend itself to being a good towing size.
is this D1 you are towing with stock? better if it is.

but regardless i would not feel all that comfortable towing that size trailer around for long distances. 5,200 is 200 lbs over the recommended weight limit anyhow. anything over that is mentioned in the manual for low range only.

i have towed several size horse trailers locally with my D1s. they all have 32" tires and 3" lifts on them too. this does not help.

it was just tough getting them to move and stop. and when moving the truck demands 110% of your attention. there loaded weight was around 4K with no trailer brakes. though i do have brakes on one of my D1s now.

 

[syoung]

A good and properly adjusted brake controller is most important. You probably knew that though.

I bought a Reese weight distributing drawbar assembly and I haven't tried it with the trailer loaded yet, but I noticed when towing it empty- much less sway. Using a stock height Disco is MUCH better as well- the lift really works against you. A couple times the trailer got to swaying and the back of the Disco started rocking so bad I thought we were dead meat. I'm hoping the new hitch will solve that and it should.

 

[parthog]

The tail will wag the dog.

I occasionally tow my 27' Haulmark with my D1. Getting it going and stopped isn't that big a deal, my E150 doesn't exactly jump off the line with a 4,000lb-8,000lb trailer either, ...

The problem I have is the constant corrections, truck wakes, wheel-rutted freeway lanes, crosswinds, and don't even consider mountain descents. I've towed with and without sway control (friction) and with-without load-distributing hitch (which I believe the manual cautions against), they do help, but won't change the basic bad dynamics of a narrow, tall, short-wheelbase truck hauling a long heavy trailer.

We used to notice that every time we take off for a long trip we'd see at least one SUV upside-down with trailer parts strewn around the road, too much trailer for the tow vehicle (and often inexperience too). Yes a sway-control will help, and if the sway gets away from you it might be saved by hitting the trailer brakes if they haven't faded from a mountain descent (NEVER HIT THE TRUCK BRAKES IN A SWAY SITUATION!!), but rest assured there will be white-knuckle times on your trip. We tow the Disco behind the motorhome, works better that way. Your truck is better suited to a pop-up.

- Jeff Miller

 

[Joey]

Fair enough, and yes I plan to get a trailer with brakes and was looking at both sway and weight distribution at the same time.

I just don't want to have to go buy another vehicle to tow with. Cheap I guess, but I have been towing things on and off since I got my DL. With the Disco I regularly tow a 1200lbs 18 foot utility trailer with out brakes, and I am not shy about loading it with a couple ton of whatever. Slow yes, but I get the job done.

I know that this will be a slow long drive hauling a trailer, but when I am camping I don't plan to be in any hurry anyways. The lovely thing about being on call 24/7/365... when you take time off, you want to relax and watch the birds fly and the trees blow and I just don't care how long it takes, as long as I get there.


Steve, did you get sway control as well? If so, let me know how it does. My dad has this on his 25foot trailer, and he loves it, but that was with the tahoe as a tow vehicle.... now he has the F150 supercrew and he doesn't even use it any more.... of course he averages around 16k+ every month driving tractor trailer as well.

 

[syoung]

I didn't get any sway control devices, but the weight distributor hitch seems to help sway a lot as well. After I get moved and MAR is over etc, I don't plan to tow an awful lot anymore- I hate it.