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Old 04-07-2016, 04:10 PM   #1
mcollect
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Default The TM lowers the Tv an makes it bounce

SO I am looking at a Firestone air Bladder system. I have a 2025 Tocoma 4Wd and the Tm makes the unit tail heavy. It has a anti sway system but not sure if it has a WDS system. We use the truck for hauling all sorts of material, firewood and manure. So Would it make sense to add the air bladder Firestone Ride-Rite Air Bag Kit - Toyota Tacoma, Rear
SKU 2407 To help our ride?
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Old 04-07-2016, 05:37 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by mcollect View Post
SO I am looking at a Firestone air Bladder system.
Don't.

Quote:
I have a 2025 Tocoma 4Wd and the Tm makes the unit tail heavy.
A trailer with the tongue weight of a TM makes most any tow vehicle tail-heavy.

Quote:
It has a anti sway system ...
You don't need it for towing the TM.

Quote:
...but not sure if it has a WDS system.
You do need one for towing the TM.

Quote:
We use the truck for hauling all sorts of material, firewood and manure.
If your Tacoma rides low simply from a load in the bed, you REALLY need a WDH for when you are towing. The Tacoma qualifies for the needs-a-WDH recommendation. Even my long, heavy, F-150 qualifies.

Quote:
So Would it make sense to add the air bladder Firestone Ride-Rite Air Bag Kit - Toyota Tacoma, Rear SKU 2407 To help our ride?
Perhaps, for when you are carrying a load in the bed, since the air bags will level the vehicle. But NOT for use when you are towing the TM, since leveling is not what you need.

Please go to our TM Technical Library and read the tutorials regarding weight distribution and air springs.
http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ead.php?t=2923
http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ead.php?t=2922
http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ead.php?t=2616

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Old 04-07-2016, 09:46 PM   #3
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Here Bill and I disagree a bit. My Jeep is a special case with the trailer towing package and rated 500 lbs tongue/5,000lbs. V8 is rated higher but I have a V6. It weighs about 1,000 lbs more than the TM.

My 2720SL also has a 3500 lb axle which I consider near its design limit so am reluctant to "transfer" any weight from the tongue to the TM. It is also close coupled in the rear (the wheelbase is more than 3X the distance from the rear axle to the hitch).

When I couple the TM, the hitch drops about an inch and the nose raises less than 1/2 inch. This is not enough to bother about and tows very well.

Just my experience.
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Old 04-08-2016, 04:55 AM   #4
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The rare times we use our Grand Cherokee to tow the TM we use the WDH.
It lets us take care of the 6 inch drop needed and properly re levels everything.
And while the 3500# axle is marginal on a trailer with a 3200# dry weight, that just requires proper loading of the TM.
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Old 04-08-2016, 08:11 AM   #5
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Yes. I manage the drop with a regular hitch on mine. Do you have the trailer towing package ?

I just do not want to transfer any load to the trailer axle (usually travel with dry tanks) so do not use a WDH,
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Old 04-08-2016, 09:05 PM   #6
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Okay, now you are raising some points that I had not thought much about.

If a TM sitting in my driveway has a tongue weight of 500 lbs, and I use a WDH, when I have my springbars in place, how much is the effective tongue weight on my hitch?

Since Padgett says the WDH transfers some of the weight back to the trailer, and the WDH also transfers some of the weight forward onto the TV axles, it makes sense that the tongue wt is reduced. Is it? If so, roughly by how much?

Or, is that one of those "Go to the scales and weigh trailer alone; hitch the rig then measure each axle; unhitch and weigh TV axles without trailer. Do the math." situations?

My local CAT scale is only accessible from the cab of a semi. When I have used it, I have had to stand on my door jamb, then use my snow scraper to push the button to call the attendant. Much too difficult to do frequently, so I didn't unhitch and to that routine. Would not have been able to reach the button when only my trailer was on the scale. I even had to pass on the full-rig weighing once, as I didn't have my snow brush with me.
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Old 04-08-2016, 10:45 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LoveToCamp View Post
My local CAT scale is only accessible from the cab of a semi. When I have used it, I have had to stand on my door jamb, then use my snow scraper to push the button to call the attendant.
Over the years, I have weighed at half a dozen CAT scales. The idea is to pull up near (but not on) the scale, then go inside, find the CAT attendant, and tell him/her what you want to do. In every case I've experienced, the attendant is helpful, and will say something like "Pull up onto the scale, and then wave when you are ready to weigh. I'll record the weight when I see you wave. Then pull forward, off the scale, and park. Come back inside for your result."

Never had it fail.

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Old 04-09-2016, 06:11 AM   #8
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I've used the CAT scale two different times. I went inside and she gave me their phone number. I called her on the cell and communicated that way.
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Old 04-10-2016, 09:01 PM   #9
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Both good options. Thanks for the tips.
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Old 04-11-2016, 09:45 AM   #10
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I avoid talking "weight" with a WDH because it isn't. Think of it more as a strung bow held horizontal that has a force vector on both ends. This raises the middle and presses down on the ends. One of the ends is the front axle. The other is the trailer axle.

I am reluctant to add any load either force vector or weight (I usually tow with dry tanks) to the 3500 lb rated TM axle.
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