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Old 01-18-2015, 12:52 PM   #1
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Noob question on towing....

Hello! I recently joined your community after placing an order for one of the new re-issued Airflytes(19). I have never towed anything behind a vehicle in my life. That pretty much tells you where I'm at in this endeavor.

My question pertains to the purchase of a "receiver" for the hitch. I have a Toyota Sequoia and the level from the hitch to the ground is 17 inches. When looking at receivers, I noted two and four inch drop choices. That's where I'm uncertain. I'm thinking I would need the two inch drop version but want to confirm that and was hopeful for some advice.

Thanks.

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Old 01-18-2015, 01:03 PM   #2
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The receiver is the component on the truck (hitch), the ball mount is what you are after. There are many variables in regard to load arrangement in the truck, and in the trailer affecting level ride. Buy a couple, there are more available, and set up an as towing scenario and see which works the best, then return the others. I like etrailer.com
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Old 01-18-2015, 01:05 PM   #3
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Don't know much about the Airflytes but I started by towing a 30 ft Rockwood Ultralite with a Ram 1500 4 x 4. I had to have a weight distribution hitch and it had adjustable drop. You might want to look into one if the trailer is very heavy. Depending on the kind of brakes on the trailer you may also need a brake controller. I recommend Tekonsha. They have adjustments that allow you to really fine tune the braking and are fully digital and proportional.
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Old 01-18-2015, 01:46 PM   #4
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The TT you are looking at is light. I would still want a WDH (weight distribution hitch) with sway control. As stated this type of hitch is adjustable.
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Old 01-18-2015, 02:00 PM   #5
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The hitch and ball mount(drop portion) should be such that your trailer rides LEVEL when loaded and hooked to your truck. And for the brake controller, Get the Prodigy P2 or 3. BEST controller out there and it can be mounted in ANY position. I use the Prodigy pulling a 21,000lb 44' trailer with my Dodge.
Take your truck to the local UHaul or back to the dealership or RV/trailer dealer. They can get the proper wiring harness and controller for your truck and install it. Plus put the proper hitch on as well.
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Old 01-18-2015, 06:17 PM   #6
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Guys, this is a 2-3k trailer and may not even have brakes. I would say no need for a WD hitch either. To the OP, if you're not sure about the drop for your ball mount you can buy an adjustable one like this for cheap money:

Amazon.com: Maxxtow Towing Products 70067 8-Position Adjustable Ball Mount - 5000 lbs. GTW Capacity: Automotive
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Old 01-18-2015, 07:02 PM   #7
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The only way to know exactly how much of a drop you need is to measure from the ground to your receiver. Then find someone with the same trailer and get them to measure the distance from the ground to the coupler. The difference between these is how much of a drop you would need.

As for wdh, what is the tongue weight of the Shasta airflyte? What are the ratings for load bearing vs weight distributing on your hitch? This should be on your hitch either near the square receiver or underneath. You might want a friction sway bar to use for sway control, that should be more than enough for a small trailer. As others stated if the trailer has brakes and it probably does, get a prodigy p2 or p3 brake controller. If your tow vehicle is equipped with topside use that as it will hold your gears longer before shifting gears.

In terms of towing. Take it slow and easy (55 mph on the highway is fine). Allow extra stopping distance. Remember the trailer will cut inside the vehicles arc when turning so take your turns wider. When backing the shorter trailers will hack knife easier so do small adjustments. The trailer will turn the opposite way of the truck when backing up so if you back the rear of the truck to the right, the trailer will go left. The other way to look at it is put your hand at 6 o'clock on the steering wheel. The direction you turn your hand is the direction the trailer will turn. Practice maneuvering the trailer in an empty parking lot. Learn how it turns and follows your tow vehicle. Learn how it responds backing up.Practice backing a straight line and backing into a spot on both sides of you like you might bAck into a campsite.
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Old 01-18-2015, 07:33 PM   #8
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Since you obviously need to purchase a ball mount anyway, I'd let the dealer worry about giving you the proper ball mount. Part of his job should be to make sure your trailer is properly set up when you tow it off the lot. Before you leave, if it doesn't look level, make him give you the proper ball mount.
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Old 01-18-2015, 07:40 PM   #9
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I would still want sway control. This is a 19' TT with a single axle the trailer would need sway control.
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Old 01-18-2015, 08:21 PM   #10
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Measure from the top of your hitch receiver on the vehicle to the ground. Jot down the number.

Measure from the underside of the coupler on the trailer, to the ground. Jot down that number.

Subtract the coupler height from the hitch height. If the number is negative, you need rise. If it's positive, you need drop. The amount of rise or drop will be the absolute value of that calculation.

If you have an inch of sag when the coupler is sitting on the ball, you need to reduce your drop by one inch, or increase your rise by one inch. Often you cannot know that part of the equation until you lower the trailer onto the ball.

It's not an exact science; one inch either way is usually not critical. That's why ball mounts typically come in even-number increments for drop, and often odd-number increments for rise. In other words, if you think you need 3 inches of drop, you'll usually settle for either 2 or 4. If you think you need 2 inches of rise, you usually settle for 1 or 3.
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Old 01-18-2015, 09:00 PM   #11
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If this is truly a recreation of the classic Shasta and its built to today's requirements then I'd say it most likely has electric brakes. If not then it won't comply with the laws of most states. I stand by my recommendation for a Tekonsha P3 brake controller. As well as a weight distribution hitch.
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Old 01-18-2015, 09:05 PM   #12
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Guys, this is a 2-3k trailer and may not even have brakes. I would say no need for a WD hitch either.
Anything over 2000 pounds will have brakes. And even 2-3000 pounds I recommend a WDH with sway control. It acts as an additional suspension system which will make the ride more comfortable, and if you are going to add WDH you might as well get one that includes sway control for safety.
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Old 01-19-2015, 10:16 AM   #13
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Actually, brake law requirement varies by state. Most are over 3k requiring brakes. MA where I live is only if it's over 10k. Brakes and WD are in no way needed or required on light weight trailer but sure, if it has brakes, the P3 is a great controller. I'm guessing based on the site I posted below that it will if CA requires them over 1500. I have one in my wife's Durango for when we pull our enclosed snowmobile trailer. That trailer has a GVWR of 6k and is 22 feet long. It has no sway control, no weight distribution, and needs neither. "Need" is a strong word that people over use today to describe the feeling of "want." If you feel better about your setup and "want" wd and sway control, then go for it. That doesn't mean you "need" it though...

Here is a link to trailer brake law by state:

http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/laws/trailer-brakes/
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Old 01-19-2015, 10:21 AM   #14
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Another member here has this trailer.
Search this trailer "airflyte" on this forum to find them.
Maybe they can shed some light instead of speculation.
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Old 01-19-2015, 10:26 AM   #15
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Another member here has this trailer.
Search this trailer "airflyte" on this forum to find them.
Maybe they can shed some light instead of speculation.

This is a good suggestion but as I pointed out above, what one person feels they need, another person will feel is completely unnecessary. Personally, I would try towing on a plain ball mount first. You can always spend the money on WD later. And, yes, if it has brakes, grab a P3 and put it in. It's a cheap easy install.
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Old 01-19-2015, 10:43 AM   #16
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Here in Tennessee the requirement is for brakes on anything over 1500 lbs. So Iv would wager the trailer has brakes
And I would play it safe and make sure I complied. An insurance company would show no mercy if you were in an accident in a state where your trailer exceed the weight limit and did not have brakes. It just ain't worth losing everything because you thought you could get away with it!
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Old 01-19-2015, 10:47 AM   #17
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Another member here has this trailer.
Search this trailer "airflyte" on this forum to find them.
Maybe they can shed some light instead of speculation.
You can find most of the Shasta airflyte owners here on the vintage trailerite/ collectible retro and reproduction models forum
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Old 01-19-2015, 11:04 AM   #18
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Here in Tennessee the requirement is for brakes on anything over 1500 lbs. So Iv would wager the trailer has brakes
And I would play it safe and make sure I complied. An insurance company would show no mercy if you were in an accident in a state where your trailer exceed the weight limit and did not have brakes. It just ain't worth losing everything because you thought you could get away with it!
Interesting. The webpage shows TN as 3k. Anyways, not sure why the net is so full of people who think this way about insurance. People get drunk, drive, and crash every day and insurance covers it. You might get canceled after the fact, but they cover it. Not that I'm in any way advocating breaking the law, but if one does break the law, they are still covered by insurance. I wouldn't want your bill the following year though...
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Old 01-19-2015, 11:05 AM   #19
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For the brakes I would check your TV's owners manual. Some TV's require brakes on the trailer if the trailer is over 1500 lbs.
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Old 01-19-2015, 11:19 AM   #20
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This is a good suggestion but as I pointed out above, what one person feels they need, another person will feel is completely unnecessary. Personally, I would try towing on a plain ball mount first. You can always spend the money on WD later. And, yes, if it has brakes, grab a P3 and put it in. It's a cheap easy install.
While I agree that it might not actually be 'needed', since the OP has stated that this will be their very first time every towing anything, I think the suggestions for some kind of sway control are good advice.

I also don't advise spending too much either right off the bat. A simple friction style anti-sway bar can make a big difference to somebody new to towing over just dropping straight on the ball.
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