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Old 04-22-2007, 09:14 PM   #1
mikona
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Default 3326 behind Lexus GX470

Hello,

Went RVing this weekend and we loved it. Now we want to buy a trailer for the family.

I tried to talk the wife into trading in our Lexus GX470 for a nice truck. That didn't go over well.

So, in doing some research, I ran into trailmanor trailers.

My question is, can my gx470 with a GVWR of 6200 tow the 3326? Seems like it has, even at the trailer's loaded capacity, plenty of weight left over.

Thanks for any advice.

Mike
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Old 04-23-2007, 12:39 PM   #2
grill-n-go
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There is an additional school of thought on the subject of how long I can tow. This website covers the method Leon mentioned and then goes on to explain that this particular standard accounts for the "vertical" effect that a regular trailer has on a vehicle. Because a Trailmanor is closer to the ground (folded) it does not behave completely like a trailer but rather exhibits some boat like qualities. Check out the section on distance from coupler to rear axle vs your wheelbase. You'll need to check with Trailmanor directly or someone here can tell us the particular dimension from couple to rear axle on a 3326.

http://www.rvtowingtips.com/how-long.htm

I not saying this to change the laws of physics. Just pointing out that there "may" be other options.
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Old 04-23-2007, 01:29 PM   #3
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Interesting. According to the RVTowingTips article, both of these guidelines (slab-side trailer and boat-shaped trailer) are aimed at reducing wind-induced sway. As noted, the TM is more boat-like, so you can make the case that the second guideline is a good one for TMs. TMs do have a longer coupler-to-axle dimension than other similar-sized trailers, and it does indeed seem to control wind-induced sway very well.

However, Leon mentioned another situation where wheelbase matters, and it has nothing to do with wind or sway. In this case, the situation is making a tight turn on a steep downhill grade. The trailer will try to push the rear of the tow vehicle sideways, instead of having it follow the front of the tow vehicle. This puts the tow vehicle in an over-steer situation. In a panic stop (or if you lose your trailer brakes), this could jacknife the rig. Ouch!

In his early days on this board, Rocky Mtn Ray, who is our towing expert, related his experiences with this situation. At the time, he was pulling a 2720SL with a short wheelbase Jeep of some kind. And it scared him. He mentioned this several times over the years - one of them is down near the bottom of the second page of this very long thread (post #55 in the thread).

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ead.php?t=2287

If you tow a trailer that's 6 feet longer (and 1000 pounds heavier) than Ray's, behind a tow vehicle that is only 6 inches longer, you might expect to experience some of these same problems. Part of it depends, of course, on where you plan to tow. Western Colorado is quite different from Indiana, say.

I have no idea what the "guideline" should be for this situation, but it does suggest that you want to be cautious about putting a long heavy trailer behind a short wheelbase vehicle.

Bill
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Old 06-20-2007, 02:15 PM   #4
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Unhappy My 4Runner is the "cheap" version of the LX470,

and I feel that the 3326 is DEFINITELY too much length for our SUVs to control in any emergency maneuver. The 3023 is all the further I'd go with one of these, and I'd be REAL conservative towing even that much.

It's not the weight, it's the geometry.
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Old 06-29-2007, 03:23 PM   #5
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Thumbs up 3326 Behind Lexus GS 470

I have pulled my 3124KS behind a Toyota 2004 4Runner V8 which is much the same vehicle as the GX470 Same frame, same engine, same transmission. I would suggest a good brake controller like a Tekonsha Prodigy. The 3326 is larger, but it has 2 axles as opposed to my one axle. I would expect the Lexus to handle it easily. The Lexus has a truck frame & 271 Horses.


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