2008 Toyota Sequoia pulling?

picard · 04-20-2011, 07:32 PM

Hello,

We have never had a Trailer. We are thinking purchasing the Rockwood 2604SS which is 29 feet 8 inches. Our Toyota can tow 10,000 lbs (4.7 liter 381 hp), so the weight is no problem. Husband feels he is comfortable with that length. However, his first love is a trailer that has rear opposing slides which came out to 34 feet. We just discovered the Heritage Glen Wildwood 272 REDS or Salem Hemisphere 272REDS online -- it's 31 feet 1 inch. He has done research that says no more than 26 feet.

What do you recommend is the right length? Are those TT way out of our length? (We can't trade in our Toyota, as we just bought it).

We live in San Diego and plan on trips that are within a days drive or less.

Any advice is appreciated.
thanks,
katie

sherdep · 04-20-2011, 07:39 PM

most likely it is the wheel base (length between front and rear tires) that is hurting you on a longer trailer. The longer the trailer with a short wheel based vehicle makes for a white knuckled tow even with the right setup.

Look at the diffrent floor plans in the 26 foot trailer if that is the longest length you should be in - I do not own a sequoia or know any particulars on it - am just going off of what info you posted.

**Herk7769** · 04-20-2011, 07:40 PM

At 29 feet, your combination will be a real handful. Crosswinds and Semi's will cause you to arrive at your camp white knuckled.

34 feet is out of the question in my opinion.

Your hubby's may differ.

leencharlotte · 04-20-2011, 08:51 PM

I have a Tundra with 10k capacity towing a heritage glenn 312qbud (36' overall) just went from NC to FL and drive 75% in 20mph+ winds from the bad storm last weekend. I did not really have any issues related to the length itself. The wind was mostly headwind and killed my normal gas mileage

... what may be your largest problem is your tires/ suspension. P rated tires amd SUV suspension are soft for comfort which gives you "play" not a full sway more like a wiggle at times. Get a good integrated WD hith amd sway like reese dual cam and you should be ok. Number one thing though is being comfortable. And if your husbnd is, you should be ok.

**bikendan** · 04-20-2011, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by picard

Hello, We have never had a Trailer. We are thinking purchasing the Rockwood 2604SS which is 29 feet 8 inches. Our Toyota can tow 10,000 lbs (4.7 liter 381 hp), so the weight is no problem.

i think your 10000 number is wrong. i found a tow capacity of 7800lbs., for the 4.7 engine.
the 5.7 engine has 9500lbs. tow capacity.
you may be looking at the GCWR or another rating.

**Herk7769** · 04-20-2011, 09:28 PM

Found this: http://www.cars.com/toyota/sequoia/2008/reviews/

Going & Stopping
The Sequoia SR5 comes with either a 4.7-liter or a 5.7-liter V-8. The $1,125 difference is worth considering. Despite its significantly lower output, the 4.7-liter and its five-speed automatic transmission get lower highway mileage than the 5.7-liter and six-speed automatic.

Sequoia Drivetrains
4.7-liter V-8 - 276 Horsepower
5.7-liter V-8 - 381 Horsepower

Maximum towing capacity* (lbs.)
7,800 - 4.7L V-8
10,000* - 5.7L V-8

*SR5 4x2 models; requires optional towing package
Source: Manufacturer, EPA
In a low-efficiency vehicle like this one, 2 mpg is significant, and the fact that there's no penalty in city mileage shouldn't be overlooked either. I didn't drive the 4.7-liter, but the 5.7-liter is a rocket. There's really no reason for a truck to be as quick as this one, but it translates to a high towing capacity of 10,000 pounds, versus the 4.7-liter's 7,800 pounds.

So the question is which engine do you have and do you have the optional towing package? You say you have the 381 Horse engine but that is a 5.7L not a 4.7L.

leencharlotte · 04-20-2011, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by herk7769

Found this: http://www.cars.com/toyota/sequoia/2008/reviews/

Going & Stopping
The Sequoia SR5 comes with either a 4.7-liter or a 5.7-liter V-8. The $1,125 difference is worth considering. Despite its significantly lower output, the 4.7-liter and its five-speed automatic transmission get lower highway mileage than the 5.7-liter and six-speed automatic.

Sequoia Drivetrains
4.7-liter V-8 - 276 Horsepower
5.7-liter V-8 - 381 Horsepower

Maximum towing capacity* (lbs.)
7,800 - 4.7L V-8
10,000* - 5.7L V-8

*SR5 4x2 models; requires optional towing package
Source: Manufacturer, EPA
In a low-efficiency vehicle like this one, 2 mpg is significant, and the fact that there's no penalty in city mileage shouldn't be overlooked either. I didn't drive the 4.7-liter, but the 5.7-liter is a rocket. There's really no reason for a truck to be as quick as this one, but it translates to a high towing capacity of 10,000 pounds, versus the 4.7-liter's 7,800 pounds.

So the question is which engine do you have and do you have the optional towing package? You say you have the 381 Horse engine but that is a 5.7L not a 4.7L.

Sounding more like 4.7 was a typo... 10k and 381hp is 5.7... same engine i have and it is a beast pulling

picard · 04-21-2011, 03:54 PM

Thank you and sorry to all. Yes, I made a typo. We have the 5.7L.
I will look into the WD hitch and sway like reese dual cam mentioned. How does that hitch compare to the Equalizer? I don't know anything about tires, but mine says P275 /55R20. So I'm gonna assume it is P rated.

We aren't going for the 34 footer, more like 31'1 or 29 foot 8 inches. Does 15 inches make a difference on the road? The 272 REDS with the rear opposing slides give us floor space and we have 3 and 8 year old boys.

Either trailer we get, I'm sure we are gonna have lots of fun.

Thanks again.

**Herk7769** · 04-21-2011, 04:28 PM

Yes, the P on the front means "Passenger" tire.

Terrific for ride and sound, not so much for hauling or towing.

leencharlotte · 04-21-2011, 05:34 PM

Yes my tundra has P rated (2800 lbs) tires hate it but not replacing til they wear out

fbroussard · 04-21-2011, 07:14 PM

I pull our Shamrock 25RS with our Seqouia Platinum and barely feel it. 25RS is 4300 lbs dry and loaded we have it at around 5500 lbs so much lighter than the trailers you are looking at. I thought the Tundra's had 10000 lbs capacity while the Sequoia's had around 8000 lbs. Not sure if the enclosed bed should reduce tow capacity by 2000 lbs, but they know more than me so I will stay under their rated capacities.

picard · 04-22-2011, 11:48 AM

Thanks fbroussard. How long is the 25RS? I'm guessing 28 feet. What distance did you go and what was the wind and weather like? Yeah, we have a Platinum too. I just looked in the owner's manual. We have a 2WD, so we can tow 8100 or 9100. I can't seem to differentiate on the chart. At any rate, we are not planning to tow anywhere near that. My husband's concern is the length.

fbroussard · 04-22-2011, 12:22 PM

we have 2wd as well, brochure says 25'9", not sure if that includes the tounge structure, I will have to measure next time I go to the storage. we are very happy with our Shamrock. We usually get about 9-10 mpg while towing, normally just stay within a few hours of home for camping.

Triguy · 04-22-2011, 02:40 PM

I'm late to the game on this one, but here's my two cents.

1) Your Sequoia doesn't really have that high of a towing cap. Toyota has lowered the capacity with the new towing ratings (J2807). This doesn't mean that you can't tow what you are looking at, but I just wanted you to know that the truck's original numbers are inflated.

2) One of the better mods that I made on my Sequoia was to replace the Bridgestone Dueler H/T (P275/65R18) that came with it. Mine were almost ready to be replaced so it was cost effective for me, but the new C-rated tires I have on it right now are much better towing tires. Specifically, the truck rides much better (meaning stiffer in cornering) with far less swaying compared to the squishy P-rated Duelers.

Santaclause · 04-22-2011, 03:39 PM

I replaced my p rated with e tires and suffered the ride but no more wishy washy feel at all and my tundra does a fine job towing my 28a+ which they say 5900 dry whatever I say 6500 or better probably anyways I am in no way exceeding the ratings for my truck as I have the 5.7 that sequoia should do fine....

picard · 04-22-2011, 06:27 PM

We just got the Sequoia a month ago and tires are still good. When it's time to replace we'll do the research. We're going to the RV dealer tomorrow to either buy the wildwood 2604 or place an order for the 272 REDS. How does ordering work? How much of a deposit down do you put? The RV place said it takes a month. But from browsing this site, looks like 2 months is realistic.

Triguy · 04-23-2011, 07:47 AM

They make the ordering part pretty easy as you might expect.

With this last TT I stopped in on my way home from work and took ten minutes to put down a minimal (~$1.000) deposit on a credit card and sign the paperwork to order. Most of that time was spent reading the contract, which was a fairly standard contract, and as important, making certain that the trailer specs were correct and that the cost was exactly as agreed upon.

The time frame for delivery for my trailer, which is a different make/model, was 6-8 weeks.

seven_campers · 04-23-2011, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by picard

Thank you and sorry to all. Yes, I made a typo. We have the 5.7L.
I will look into the WD hitch and sway like reese dual cam mentioned. How does that hitch compare to the Equalizer? I don't know anything about tires, but mine says P275 /55R20. So I'm gonna assume it is P rated.

We aren't going for the 34 footer, more like 31'1 or 29 foot 8 inches. Does 15 inches make a difference on the road? The 272 REDS with the rear opposing slides give us floor space and we have 3 and 8 year old boys.

Either trailer we get, I'm sure we are gonna have lots of fun.

Thanks again.

My wife and I towed a 29BH (31+ feet overall) with an Escalade, 6.2L, AWD, 403HP, WD (Equalizer) hitch, etc. It was a lot of trailer for our TV. Had plenty of power, but even with the WD hitch, our trailer would sway ... and when a semi would pass us, sway even more. Ultimately, we sold the trailer and went with a different set up.

The dealer swore up and down that we had more than enough vehicle to tow. Yeah, but he didn't have to drive it, we did! A longer wheelbase does make a difference or a shorter trailer. I assume the Sequoia wheelbase is similar to the Escalade.

In hindsight, we should have focused on 27-28ft trailers, not 30+. If we had a chance to do it all over, we would have went with a smaller TT and saved ourselves a lot of time and $$ purchasing a different TV and trailer.

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