Tow Capacity ?s

[RollingStones]

Hi Everyone,
:new_newbi

Thank you for this wealth of info. We are long time tent campers who are delving into RVland. After freezing our toshies off this NYE we have been looking into all types and narrowed it down to the TM 2619. We have been reading the threads, (albeit not all) and wondering about towing capacity. Our '05 Kia Sorrento has a 3500lb tow limit. Will this suffice? The funny thing is, the same engine in the UK offers a 4100 lb tow limit. Of course we don't want to blow our tranny. When we call around for hitch estimates, they ask if we need the 'weight distribution pkg'. Being that the TM folds down, not sure. Any input appreciated.
By the way, spoke to neighbours today who just bought an '07 2720SL and couln't be more pleased with it.

Can't wait

[crawdad]

RollingStones
I am towing a 2007 TM2619 with a 2006 Ford Freestar with a 3500lb. tow limit.
So far so good. You will need a weight distribution hitch to level it all out. Recommend you also install a transmission cooler. Otherwise you should be good to go.
crawdad

[RollingStones]

Thanks Tex.
Why did you dump the sway bar? Due to the weight? (600 lbs I think). Does this affect the safety when towing or is it used to simplify moving/ parking?

Should anyone come across any problems w/ towing TM 2619 on a 3500tv pls keep us updated.

thx again,
Kristin in San Diego

[Bill]

Kristin -

I think you've got a couple things mixed up. The sway bar is a little thing - often a flat metal bar, about 2" wide by 16" long, weighing maybe 5 pounds. Leon will probably tell you that he ditched it because it is an extra thing to hook up, and it is not needed with most tow vehicles (because of the TM's design). By the way, if you use a sway bar, it is supposed to be removed when moving or backing.

The WD (weight distributing) hitch is the heavy part - maybe 50-75 pounds of steel. Most of us, including Leon with his Trailblazer and myself with my Explorer, use one. Unless you have a BIG truck (Ford Expedition / Chevy Tahoe / etc), you need one.

Bill

[RollingStones]

Ah Ha. Yes. I have been known to be mixed up. The above mentioned neighbour mentioned what I thought was a sway bar, but obviously not. It is the bar in front of the TM that hooks to the hitch; it sways to the right or left and takes a few feet off for garage storage. I don't know what it's called but it does add extra weight and it's optional. Any thoughts?
thx,
kristin (who still has alot to learn)

[Bill]

Aha! That is the special TM swing-away tongue. A wonderful invention for those who need it, including me. On the other hand, it is kind of expensive, and adds some weight. My feeling is that if you don't need it, don't get it. Others will disagree, however, using a valid argument about resale value. When you go to sell your TM a few years down the road, you'll have a slightly larger group of potential buyers if you have the swing-away tongue. Your choice.

Just to round out the story, the thing we usually call the "hitch" is the BIG steel thing that slides into the "hitch receiver". The receiver is the 2" square steel tube that is permanently mounted on the back of your tow vehicle. The hitch ball is mounted on a part of the hitch called the "ball mount". You can see pictures of all these parts by rummaging around at http://www.drawtite-hitches.com/WD/weight-distribution.htm.

Finally, at the very front of the trailer, the cup that drops over the ball is called the "coupler".

Bill

[Hejeharger]

Hi Rolling Stones,
We towed an 1987 2619 with a 2002 Kia Sedona for 4 seasons with a small hitch and had no problems. The Sorrento is the same base car. We did have to slow down to 45 mph the last mile of the Leveta Pass in Colorado heading west. This fall we purchased a 2006 Kia Sedona that is a little larger and has the 240 hp engine - the 2002 was about 200hp. I don't know what engine comes with your Sorrento. I posted quite a bit more info about using the Sedona here if you search Kia or Sedona, it should show up. We did not use an equalizer hitch on the 2002, but I plan to put one on the new one when I install the hitch and brakes for more flexibility and more weight on the drive wheels. I kept the tongue weight at a little over 300 lbs - we grossed out at 3100 lbs when we headed to Colorado according to our local weigh station. I know the newer Trailmanors weigh a little more than ours.
have a fun summer!
ps. as I am not on this site a lot you can also send questions to [email protected]

[Bill & Lisa]

if your hitch is rated class 3 and you have a 2" reciever you are good to go for every WDH that I am aware of on the market.

Bill

[Mr. Jan Rooks]

Minivan and a TM3023 from Michigan to Florida

A minivan can still do the job of being a tow vehicle for a Trailmanor 3023 if one keeps fuel economy and low tow vehicle cost in mind. What other reasons are there for buying a Trailmanor? My issue with a larger tow vehicle is that it gets POOR gas mileage ALL the time; to and from work and on vacation. The worst the Toyota Siena did on the trip was to slow down to 60 mph in third gear going up a very long (4 mi.) hill in the Kentucky Mountains. This slight loss of time is off set by the 21 mph without the trailer and around 15 in the hills of Tennessee and Kentucky and 17 on the flats of Florida. The Toyota Siena towed the trailer best a 70 mph. without jumping out of overdrive except on the hills. The Toyota Siena does have a 194 hp, 24 valve DOHC engine with fuel injection and a 4 speed automatic trans with overdrive as well as a transmission oil cooler and electric brake controler. It out performs my previous van, a 1989 Plymouth Voyager with only 12 valves and 3 speed trans.

I did add a Drawtite single arm weight equalizing hitch that is meant for a 400 lb tongue weight. It worked great and only adds 53 lbs to total vehicle load instead of 90 lbs for a 2 bar equalizer system.

The trip was from Troy, Michigan to St. Petersburg Beach, Florida. 1225 miles down I-75. The Trailmanor 3023 is a 1996 that was used only a few times be the previous owner. It still had original tires on it that looked unused. I replaced one of them for $64 ever though it did not have any cracks in the side walls. The trailer made it to Florida and back without blowing the older tire.

J. Rooks

[Bill]

Jan -

I understand and respect your concern for the improved gas mileage of a Sienna vs a "larger tow vehicle". And there is no doubt that you are right - up to a point. But it is important not to value this factor above all others.

Consider this. If you drive 12,000 miles a year, as most people do, then:

A Sienna with 21 mpg all the time will burn 12,000 miles / 21 mpg = 571 gallons of gas.

A "larger tow vehicle" with 15 mpg all the time will burn 12,000 miles / 15 mpg = 800 gallons of gas.

The difference is an extra 230 gallons of gas per year, which will cost you an extra $575 per year at $2.50/gal.

So if you buy a larger tow vehicle and spend that extra $575 for gas, what do you get in return? Well, if you save gas money with the smaller vehicle, but you need a tranny rebuild because the vehicle is overstressed while towing, it costs a lot more than $575. Same if you burn out an engine. Or a rear end, for that matter. These other factors need to be factored into your choice. There are others (such as tire life on the tow vehicle), but they are smaller. Drivetrain considerations are most important, I think.

I'm not saying that you have to have a huge tow vehicle. I AM saying that if you opt for a smaller tow vehicle, you need to be really careful about how you use it. I have heard of people who run the engine up to 6,000 RPM so that they can maintain speed going up a grade. Macho? Oh yes you bet! Smart? Maybe not. If you need to drop the road speed to 35-40 mph, then do it, and let people honk and pass you by. The embarassment beats an engine rebuild.

Just my opinion - many may disagree. But I am reminded of a friend who bought Prius and bragged for 2 or 3 years about the 50 mpg he got. Then, after the warranty expired, the battery in his Prius failed - as it was expected to do. Replacing the battery cost him FAR MORE than the amount he saved on gas over those same years. I am all for savings - but they need to be REAL savings, not flashy up-front stuff.

Bill

[pinay10]

Okay, newbie here and need to know straight up. My husband thinks that we can't get a TM 2619 or 2720 because we have a regular Town & Country minivan with V6 (i.e. no towing package included when we bought the darn thing - did not know 6 years ago that I will delving into RV land). Anyway, please advise to:

1. Could we get the above TM after we get the hitch installed on the minivan. He thinks that our van will always die on us because somebody who had a pop-up told him that they were always at Jiffy-lube etc fixing the van up somewhere in Timbuktu each time they travel up some mountains. I did not have the heart to tell him that maybe it's the other person's van.

2. What kind of hitch should we install on the minivan

3. Should we spend the extra money to request a towing package (p.s. one member was right, dealers don't want to bother with your existing van for installation - they would prefer to sell you a new van!)


Any suggestion will be much appreciated - I really don't want to buy another vehicle to tow the TM - it's not in our budget. Help!

[RollingStones]

Hi Pinay, I posted the original "OMG What to do?? " post. We knew we wanted a TM 2619, but didn't have anything on our TV. I called around and found a locally owned garage who installed the tow pkg and the prodigy brake for less than $500, I think it was about $430ish. You have to buy the ball separate, it is about $35. We shopped around for a used TM, as we knew we couldn't afford a brand new one. On this forum, we found exactly what we wanted for our price and drove from San Diego to San Fran to pick it up. It is the best purchase we have ever made. Since our boys are finished w/ soccer, we now use it every other weekend. The 2619 offers plenty of room for 2 adults and 2 monkeys. The shower is FAB and my 4 yr old has a bath! I am so so so glad we did not impuslively buy something cheaper. If your vehical tows at least 3500 you're all set.
Also, for all the recommendations for a transmission cooler, when I took the car it to get one installed, they told me I already had 2! It must have come with the car.

Ok, enough rambling. I just wanted to offer words of encouragement. You won't regret it one bit.

cheers,
kristin