Quote:
Originally Posted by Geoffrey Card
I would add the following points to the comment that I made earlier this morning: 1. I cannot imagine having a 40 gallon water tank, we have a 20 gallon tank and never leave home with more than 10 gallons. Even when camping on remote sites in Alaska we were always able to get a good water supply even though some of these were from hand operated pumps.
2. Why take the grey water away from the camp site? We have always found a dump site on or near even the most remote sites.
3.You do not need to carry gas even when traveling through the Yukon provided you fill at each opportunity.
4. Do not pack a lot of food, buy fresh as you travel and just take a few cans and some powdered milk for emergencies. All these add up to a big weight saving.
5. I do not believe in the 80% rule. You can be sure that when setting towing weight limits the manufacturers will have included a large percentage safety factor in their calculations as is standard  engineering practice. You are only heeping safety margins on top of safety margins.
Geoff Card |
1. This depends a lot on where you want to go. I have found that *SOME* of the time the water at US forest service campgrounds and County parks requires boiling before you can drink it. I prefer to carry my own water so I don't have to boil it. When traveling dry, always have a backup plan in case your destination has no water.
2. The places that I go do not have a dump station. The nearest dump station is sometimes 60 miles down the freeway. So I have to haul the gray water some distance. This is a function of where you are staying. I don't stay in commercial RV parks that have hookups.
3. Where I camp the nearest gas station is the same 60 miles away. If I will be in the campsite for several days and driving around site seeing then I need to fill up my 31 gallon gas tank at the last gas stop.
4. The quickie mart at the gas station 60 miles away does not carry fresh produce. I take food for 6 people for the duration of the stay with me. 120 miles round trip to buy another carton of milk is not very convenient. I am self contained.
5. Sorry to be a little harsh on my reference to the 80 percent rule. I studied engineering once upon a time. I apply the rule. I do not have an advanced engineering degree. Do what is comfortable for you, but do it with knowledge. If you weigh your rig you will know how much over weight you are, or under weight. I weigh 215 pounds. When I bought my step ladder I bought one rated for 300 pounds instead of the one that was rated for 200 pounds. I doubt that my 15 pounds of flab would have resulted in my death, but when I am 12 feet in the air I just feel better on a ladder designed for my intended purpose.
I jumped to the conclusion that Alaska was sparsely populated. Apparently there are more gas stations in Alaska than there is in California. I have to plan carefully so I don't run out of food, water and gas.
As long as you stay under the 3500 pound rating for your vehicle you should be fine. According to the Toyota web site for the Sienna specs, it says:
The maximum you can tow depends on the total weight of any cargo, occupants and available equipment.
Make sure you understand that there is a total weight for the TV and the trailer and all cargo and passengers. If you fill up the TV with passengers, pets, and additional cargo this is part of your total weight limit for the TV. You have several weight limits to be aware of so that you do not unknowingly exceed them:
1. weight of loaded trailer.
2. tongue weight of loaded trailer.
3. total combined weight of TV plus trailer as it rolls down the road.
Before installing a WD hitch check with the manufacturer. Some small SUVs and mini vans with unibody construction are not designed for use with a WD hitch.
The Sienna is limited to a tongue weight of 350 pounds. I have not weighed my tongue weight for my 2720, but I think I am at 400 pounds.
My research on the Sienna shows that when towing a 3500 pound trailer you can still have 900 pounds of passengers and cargo in the van. Six adults weighing 150 pounds or more would exceed the limit of the Sienna when towing 3500 pounds. Any guests will just have to drive their own car. Leave the rock collection at home.
The following web site is pretty good if you are new to this towing limit topic:
http://www.rvtowingtips.com/
I am not trying to put you down. I am trying to be a little helpful. Bottom line is don't trust the salesman when they say what can tow what. Do your research and understand the limits of the setup.
Towing is not just an issue of will the engine tow it up the hill. Frequent towing at the limit will put a strain on the drive train which will shorten the life of the TV. If you only tow for one week a year then I would not worry about it. If you go camping every weekend then it might become an issue.
When going down a hill there is the risk that you may need to make a panic stop while negotiating a turn. Sure the trailer has its own brakes, but there is still a lot of push happening at odd angles. I had to lock my brakes once while going down a modest grade at 45 mph. I was pleased with the performance of my equipment. The TV needs to be able to control the TV and trailer. Long wheel base is helpful, but that does not mean a short wheel base is dangerous. If you will never drive on mountain roads and will mostly be on freeways then braking ability and wheelbase are not as important as it is for me where I drive very steep mountain roads that are so narrow that they don't bother painting a line down the middle of the road.