TrailManor Owner's Forum - View Single Post - please help! head is spinning. new to towing & the more I read the more unsure i am

05-03-2011, 06:12 PM

I once did a panic stop while towing the TM at 45 mph on a straight expressway.

I am happy to report that it stopped in a straight line and it was my impression that it stopped in the same distance, a bit more or less, that I would have stopped if I was not towing.

My worst case scenario is:

going downhill
around a blind turn
turn is off camber
road has sand/gravel or other loose debris
for some unpredictable reason, I need to make a sudden stop that I had not planned on

Driving slower would certainly help. So would not drinking coffee and not changing the CD or changing radio channels. So would not talking with my wife, but I have no real control over that one.

If you do not have enough towing power, the worst you can do is blow the engine and/or transmission.

If you do not have adequate braking capability and proper weight distribution the worst that can happen is an accident, the severity of which is unpredictable.

I will second the previous suggestion to get a better brake controller. Prodigy is high on the list, but there are others.

My 2005 TM 2720 weighs 3380 on the TM axle when I have it fully loaded. The rest of the stuff is in my truck. I estimate total weight to be 4,100 pounds.

I take a lot of stuff. But I can not image what I would have to remove to drop 600 pounds of weight. The 40 gallons of water is 333 pounds. That is the easy part.

I carry two propane tanks and two batteries. For dry camping those are mandatory, but if you stay in RV parks then you do not need propane (use electric appliances and heater) and you only need one battery (for the TM electric brakes while towing). Buy all food and drinks at your destination. Better yet, eat out so you don't need to have any dishes.

I have a sticker on the inside of my under sink doors. It lists the weight of the TM as shipped by the factory, including all factory installed options. I do not recall what mine is. But my rear hitch receiver, microwave drawer, over sink drawer, and awning are not included in the factory specification of 2,742 pounds.

Until you weigh a loaded TM you are guessing at what it weighs. Next trip out, find a CAT scale and weigh it. That is what I did. Then you will know how much stuff to remove or that you can add.

I have no doubt that it can be done, and safely. But you need to pay more attention to weight than I do.

05-03-2011, 06:12 PM	#9
PopBeavers Guest Posts: n/a	I once did a panic stop while towing the TM at 45 mph on a straight expressway. I am happy to report that it stopped in a straight line and it was my impression that it stopped in the same distance, a bit more or less, that I would have stopped if I was not towing. My worst case scenario is: going downhill around a blind turn turn is off camber road has sand/gravel or other loose debris for some unpredictable reason, I need to make a sudden stop that I had not planned on Driving slower would certainly help. So would not drinking coffee and not changing the CD or changing radio channels. So would not talking with my wife, but I have no real control over that one. If you do not have enough towing power, the worst you can do is blow the engine and/or transmission. If you do not have adequate braking capability and proper weight distribution the worst that can happen is an accident, the severity of which is unpredictable. I will second the previous suggestion to get a better brake controller. Prodigy is high on the list, but there are others. My 2005 TM 2720 weighs 3380 on the TM axle when I have it fully loaded. The rest of the stuff is in my truck. I estimate total weight to be 4,100 pounds. I take a lot of stuff. But I can not image what I would have to remove to drop 600 pounds of weight. The 40 gallons of water is 333 pounds. That is the easy part. I carry two propane tanks and two batteries. For dry camping those are mandatory, but if you stay in RV parks then you do not need propane (use electric appliances and heater) and you only need one battery (for the TM electric brakes while towing). Buy all food and drinks at your destination. Better yet, eat out so you don't need to have any dishes. I have a sticker on the inside of my under sink doors. It lists the weight of the TM as shipped by the factory, including all factory installed options. I do not recall what mine is. But my rear hitch receiver, microwave drawer, over sink drawer, and awning are not included in the factory specification of 2,742 pounds. Until you weigh a loaded TM you are guessing at what it weighs. Next trip out, find a CAT scale and weigh it. That is what I did. Then you will know how much stuff to remove or that you can add. I have no doubt that it can be done, and safely. But you need to pay more attention to weight than I do.