What it Really Weighs

[Mr. Adventure]

TrailManor 3023 and Toyota Highlander (the Adventuremobile) Scale Results.

I decided some time ago that I often don't like reality very much. But over the years, I've learned to respect it. There's only one way to know exactly where you stand relative to your manufacturer's towing recommendations, and that's to take the rig to the scales and find out. We did this on the way to a 3 day dry camping adventure, about 150 miles round trip. This would be sort of a “worst case” for us, in that unlike most of our trips, we were planning to not be real handy to stores and restaurants and we had to generally have things along to get us through the trip without having a grocery store or Walmart handy every day.

Weights include Mr & Mrs. Adventure, full fuel and propane, no fresh water in the tank, full water heater, charged toilet, and an extra battery behind the passenger seat (25#). The rear seat was folded in the TV, with the TV load shifted forward for the weigh-in (not really necessary, it turns out). The trailer tongue battery was replaced with an Optima (sealed) battery in the rear TM compartment. Optional accessories include roof AC, awning, TV antenna, microwave, hanging cabinet, hanging shelf, electric tongue jack.


Hitched
Axle Rated Reality Margin
Front 2865 2540 325
Rear 2735 2340 395
Tow Vehicle 4985 4880 105
Trailer Axle 5080 3520 1560
Gross Combined 8485 8400 85


Unhitched
Front Axle 2865 2440 425
Rear Axle 2735 2020 715
Tow Vehicle 4985 4460 525

Tongue 506
Trailer axle 3434
Actual Trailer Gross Weight 3940 --- Trailer Gross Vehicle Weight Rating 4838, Margin 898

Tongue Weight Distribution by Weight Distributing Hitch
Total tongue weight: 506
Moved to Front axle: 100
Still on Rear axle: 320
Moved to trailer axle: 86

Gas mileage towing: 16-17mpg; Solo: 20.5 mpg overall, 25 highway

Comments:
- I'm pleased to report that we're within all axle weight limits and the GCWR. Still wondering where 1000# above the empty weight is in that trailer, it seems that the 2915# empty TM 3023 weight listed in the brochure is an optimistic number. Our stuff? Maybe 400#, max.
- The tongue weight is also a bit higher than I expected, but easily reduced still further, if I wanted to, by dropping one propane bottle, or pushing the trailer load further aft.
- The WDH nicely adds 100# to the front axle, a boost for braking and steering performance.


Summary:
I've owned RVs for 30 years+, and this combo is as solid and steady on the road as any of them (3 pop-ups, one 29' TT, a 37' Winnebago, and this TrailManor 3023). We haven't seen a hill with the Trailmanor yet where the cruise control couldn't hold the speed limit if we wanted it to, though I'm sure they exist. Braking is solid and reliable, without noticeable fade on the East coast 2000 foot descents we've been visiting. Power to weight ratios are substantially better with the Highlander/TrailManor than they were with either the travel trailer or the motorhome.

My own experience with the Toyota Highlander fully supports the following, as quoted from the TrailManor website:

“A few more notes about tow ratings:

Tow ratings for vehicles should be described as “general guidelines”. Actual towing limits depend on towing speed, highway grades, elevation, desired acceleration, miles towed per year, tow vehicle loading, frontal area of trailer, sway resistance of trailer, etc.

TrailManor provides uniquely easy towing per pound due to the very low wind drag and the very stable ride resulting from axle placement.

Light duty towing of a well-balanced trailer a few hundred pounds above the rating is much safer than towing a lighter, poorly balanced unit with a tendency to sway. Also, towing an upright trailer with large frontal area at highway speeds can damage a transmission even if the trailer weight is below the tow rating.

Adding options, batteries, gear, fluids can increase loaded weights as much as 1000 pounds above the base weight of a specific trailer. You should add 500- 1000 pounds to the base weights to estimate the actual towed weight.

Based on feedback from our owners, we provide the following model guidance:

MODERATE TOWING CONDITIONS
Mostly low altitudes, only occasional steep grades, part time service, normal highway speeds - Models 2619 through 3023 need at least 3500 pound tow rated vehicles and Models 3124 through 3326 need 4000 pound ratings.

SEVERE TOWING CONDITIONS
High mountain towing, full time service - all models will perform better with at least 4000 pound rated tow vehicles.”

That 5000# rated axle is nice.
I wish they had put one on my Elkmount and moved it forward a bit to reduce the tongue weight. The handling wouldn't be as good, but I wouldn't be exceeding my TV's GVWR as easily. Ah well, there are trade offs to everything ...

[Mr. Adventure]

Your comment sent me back to the specs because it seems like a lot. But, the label plate on the trailer shows an axle gross weight of 5080, and a trailer gross vehicle weight rating of 4838. Thanks!

I find it interesting that the axle weight of your 3023 is only 54 pounds more than my 3380 pounds for my 2720.

You don't take enough stuff!

Mr Adventure,
Thanks for the great writeup on the TM and Highlander. Just the other day I took our TM and Ridgeline to the public scales for a weigh. I have a post just above you in this section. My question is how did you get the Tongue weight?. I have axle weights and gross weights on the printout. They weighed both TM & TV, then the TM, then TV. But, I have nothing that would show tongue weight?. Do I need to figure out this myself by adding or subtracting something?. Appreciate any help on this and check out my post also. If you need more info let me know.
regards.

I measured both my TV+Trailer (which gives 3 axle weights plus total) and TV alone (2 axles weights + total). Subtracting the two totals gives your trailer's total weight or GVW. Then subtracting the trailer's axle weight from that will give your trailer's tongue weight.

Mr. Adventure, how's the third row in the Highlander? When we travel, I have two kids in the middle row of our Odyssey and one in the back. Anything we drive has to have a split third row that would be comfortable for an 8-11 year old. Thanks.

Never mind. I just some pictures of the 3rd row and they don't split. Alas, that won't work for us.

[cochise]

Originally Posted by brulaz

I measured both my TV+Trailer (which gives 3 axle weights plus total) and TV alone (2 axles weights + total). Subtracting the two totals gives your trailer's total weight or GVW. Then subtracting the trailer's axle weight from that will give your trailer's tongue weight.

A lot of people forget to ad the Ball mount to the tongue weight. I was surprised that mine weighs around 65 lbs plus the two weight distribution arm at about 15 lbs each for a total of 95 lbs added to the tongue weight. I had my Elkmont tongue weighed at a place in AZ. It was just shy of 600 lbs with the trailer empty, but with the two gas tanks full.

You are right Brulaz, it would have been nice if the axle had been placed just a foot or two further forward, that would have made for a better use of the truck bed for items brought along. I have my Yamaha gen., (75 lbs) on in the bed plus my grill, a tool box and a spare 5 gal can of gas.

Originally Posted by cochise

A lot of people forget to ad the Ball mount to the tongue weight. I was surprised that mine weighs around 65 lbs plus the two weight distribution arm at about 15 lbs each for a total of 95 lbs added to the tongue weight.

I always considered the tongue weight to be everything behind the tow ball. My thinking is that the tongue weight rating is related to how much weight can be carried before the tongue of the trailer begins to collapse.

If you read my posts in 2005/2006 then you will remember the cracked frame issue I had at the point where the swing away tongue is welded to the frame.

I am much more concerned about tongue failure than hitch bar failure. But that is not exactly what is being discussed in this discussion.