Towing Newb! Help!
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Towing Newb! Help!
We found a steal on a '00 Shasta Ultra Flite 25' travel trailer ($2000 cash!) and we couldn't refuse. We are picking it up Saturday morning with my '99 Navi 4X4 (has towing package, 5.4L DOHC, 135K gently driven hwy miles). The previous owner towed it with a Toyota Tacoma and is including the load distributing hitch w/sway bars.
How do I set this up with my 4 wheel air ride? I have watched tons of youtube vids about how to check your set up by measuring the height of the bottom edge of the wheel well to the ground before and after.
How do I know if the hitch is being properly utilized if the Navi just pumps up the rear to compensate anyway?
I have never towed anything this big before and I want the setup to make it as easy to handle as possible. Any other tips would be appreciated. thanks.
How do I set this up with my 4 wheel air ride? I have watched tons of youtube vids about how to check your set up by measuring the height of the bottom edge of the wheel well to the ground before and after.
How do I know if the hitch is being properly utilized if the Navi just pumps up the rear to compensate anyway?
I have never towed anything this big before and I want the setup to make it as easy to handle as possible. Any other tips would be appreciated. thanks.
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 167
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From: Fort Gratiot MI
here is a link to get you started: RV.Net Open Roads Forum: Towing: Travel Trailer Hitch Set-up Procedure
But instead of making your hitch ball higher than the trailer level height at the tongue, make it the same because your rear air ride will probably go back to level no matter what height you have the ball set at. So if it is higher then the trailer will be tilted backwards. Mine is like this, my '03 I set it up so the htich ball ws the same height as the trailers tongue height when it is level.
You will have to mes with it to get it the way you want once it is home and you can mess with it.
The rest with meausuring the wheel wells is the same that the link says to do.
If you have any problems just post here and I will try to help. The automatic air ride is a bit different from the trucks with leaf or coil springs. Atleast when the air ride is at all 4 corners like mine is.
But instead of making your hitch ball higher than the trailer level height at the tongue, make it the same because your rear air ride will probably go back to level no matter what height you have the ball set at. So if it is higher then the trailer will be tilted backwards. Mine is like this, my '03 I set it up so the htich ball ws the same height as the trailers tongue height when it is level.
You will have to mes with it to get it the way you want once it is home and you can mess with it.
The rest with meausuring the wheel wells is the same that the link says to do.
If you have any problems just post here and I will try to help. The automatic air ride is a bit different from the trucks with leaf or coil springs. Atleast when the air ride is at all 4 corners like mine is.
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 167
Likes: 7
From: Fort Gratiot MI
What my owners manual told me to do is: start the truck with the doors closed. put your foot on the brake and put the truck into drive for 10 seconds. then get out of the truck and shut the doors. Let the truck equalize for a few minutes. Then shut off the air ride and then check the heighth of the truck. also a good time to check the heighth of the hitch ball too.
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What my owners manual told me to do is: start the truck with the doors closed. put your foot on the brake and put the truck into drive for 10 seconds. then get out of the truck and shut the doors. Let the truck equalize for a few minutes. Then shut off the air ride and then check the heighth of the truck. also a good time to check the heighth of the hitch ball too.
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Just got back home with the travel trailer, the trip went well. It was tough to get the load distributing hitch set up accurately, because the streets near where I picked it up were no where near level. I will probably need to readjust the setup somewhat before I tow it again.
The setup was very stable and easier than I expected to handle, however I had to make the trip without working trailer brakes. I have a Draw-Tite actuator in my Navi and it is not recognizing that the trailer is plugged in. I just get the decimal point when I push the brake pedal, same as when I am not towing.
The previous owner told me that the trailer brakes worked fine with his Tacoma a month ago when he made the 30 mile trip to the point of sale. What should I be checking first? Thanks.
The setup was very stable and easier than I expected to handle, however I had to make the trip without working trailer brakes. I have a Draw-Tite actuator in my Navi and it is not recognizing that the trailer is plugged in. I just get the decimal point when I push the brake pedal, same as when I am not towing.
The previous owner told me that the trailer brakes worked fine with his Tacoma a month ago when he made the 30 mile trip to the point of sale. What should I be checking first? Thanks.
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