Towing questions.

[DonFromCanada]

I am thinking of getting a travel trailer, but am running into some odd information about the LR4.

When I first started researching my next vehicle, towing was a major consideration. The LR4 was rated at having a gross tow weight of 7716 lbs and a hitch weight of 770 lbs - which sounded right to me, with the 90%/10% rule of thumb.

When I got my truck, the hitch has stamped on it "Hitch weight: 770 lbs" so far, so good. But the tow bar that came with the kit (yes, I know.. I'm silly for paying that much for an overpriced briefcase to hold a tow bar) The tow bar has a sticker on the top that says 550 lbs hitch weight... I have also read other in forums stating the 550 lbs limit as well..


SO which is it?

Also read after the fact that a weight distribution hitch cannot be used with an LR4 - so that really screws me up as it can reduce the effective hitch weight seen by the rear axle. Does anyone know if this is a hard rule or a recommendation - and why?



BTW, the trailers we are looking at are either a Forest River Surveyor SV305 (which is really near the upper limit of the hitch weight of 770) and a Keystone Bullet 294 BHS. With hitch weight of around 550 lbs.

 

[danrhiggins]

I am thinking of getting a travel trailer, but am running into some odd information about the LR4.

When I first started researching my next vehicle, towing was a major consideration. The LR4 was rated at having a gross tow weight of 7716 lbs and a hitch weight of 770 lbs - which sounded right to me, with the 90%/10% rule of thumb.

When I got my truck, the hitch has stamped on it "Hitch weight: 770 lbs" so far, so good. But the tow bar that came with the kit (yes, I know.. I'm silly for paying that much for an overpriced briefcase to hold a tow bar) The tow bar has a sticker on the top that says 550 lbs hitch weight... I have also read other in forums stating the 550 lbs limit as well..


SO which is it?

Also read after the fact that a weight distribution hitch cannot be used with an LR4 - so that really screws me up as it can reduce the effective hitch weight seen by the rear axle. Does anyone know if this is a hard rule or a recommendation - and why?



BTW, the trailers we are looking at are either a Forest River Surveyor SV305 (which is really near the upper limit of the hitch weight of 770) and a Keystone Bullet 294 BHS. With hitch weight of around 550 lbs.

Don, I realize this was a long time ago but we are in the same pickle. We had hoped to get a trailer with a 558 lbs hitch weight but that is before battery and propane. If you are still around, what did you end up doing?

 

[DonFromCanada]

Long story short. Don't exceed 550lbs on the tongue. Unless you want to get creative...

We went to a towing specialist who had done a lot of work with Range Rovers, Land Rovers, etc.

They installed a permanent Curt hitch and did some reinforcing of the hitch and rear of the truck to support it.

I had to remove the full size spare and go with the donut type to make room for this mod.

We run a Hensley Arrow load balancing hitch and a completely different rig than we originally thought. Also a Hensley Tru Gold brake controller.
Trailer is an Airstream Eddie Bauer 27' rated at 885 lbs on the hitch and dry total weight of 5900lbs and carrying capacity of 1800 lbs

When we did a weigh in the total trailer weight loaded was ~7150 and we calculated the hitch weight to be around 1050-1100 lbs

Tows great. Never had any issues. We get the trailer axles serviced every year. Brakes are due next spring.

Also run a tpms system on each trailer tire. Keeps your mileage good and if there's a blowout you'll have some warning hopefully before any expensive damage is done to your trailer.

 

[danrhiggins]

Thanks, Don! This is encouraging. The trailer we are hoping for is considerably lighter than yours (though not nearly as classic!) Its max GVW is 6500 and it is unlikely that we will ever get close to that as we are only two people and light packers. (For example, I prefer paper and plastic-ware to avoid washing dishes, we don't have a lot of "toys" aside from hiking and camera gear, and if we have "guests" they can shlep up their own stuff. ;-) Similarly, I can see the hitch weight going from 550 to maybe 650 or even 700 but no where near 885 lbs.

That said, we will certainly heed your advice about on abandoning the stock hitch receiver gizmo. (This same advice was provided by someone who is pulling the exact same trailer with their LR4. I don't believe they went with the load balancing hitch but they did go with a permanent, frame-mounted replacement hitch.)

I would like to avoid having to go with a smaller, donut tire as my wheels/tires are non-standard and a matching set of 5. So I'll need to get creative to work around that. (They are not excessive and work out to about the same height as the standard wheels/tires. But they are a bit wider. (265/60s on 18" Compomotive wheels.)

I already have a brake controller - installed by the dealer on purchase. I really don't know which brand as I haven't looked at it since I bought the LR4 a year ago.

I'm wondering, does the LR4 electronic trailer sway control work with (or conflict with) the brake controller function?

BTW, finding your old post on how you were pulling your Airstream made my day. I also reached out to the people at Can-Am to get there thoughts. They are doing some crazy stuff!

 

[DonFromCanada]

What's the OD of your tire? You may be able to get away with it. I run 19's with Johnson Rods cause we actually off road it too. My OD is 32.something"

I was considering mounting the tire on a roof rack (frontrunner makes a nice one as does voyager) with the tire mount options.

 

[danrhiggins]

What's the OD of your tire? You may be able to get away with it. I run 19's with Johnson Rods cause we actually off road it too. My OD is 32.something"

I was considering mounting the tire on a roof rack (frontrunner makes a nice one as does voyager) with the tire mount options.

30.5. I put some Dynapros on. Not full on LT tires but tougher than the stock tires and a bit wider with a bit better tread. We do mostly easy but sometimes moderate trails. No lift. No serious protection though I have some nerf bars. Hoping not to put the spare on the roof as I am using a Yakima rack which I can take off in the off season. I keep my Hi Lift and MaxTracs up there.

We're in Colorado so plenty of trails to run! But we focus on those with a high scenic rating and an easier difficulty rating. ;-)

The trailer is to serve as a base for exploring.

BTW, how much did adding a permanent receiver effect your departure angle? I am assuming the overall ground clearance is OK as it is likely no lower than the spare, correct?

 

[danrhiggins]

Thanks, Don! This is encouraging. The trailer we are hoping for is considerably lighter than yours (though not nearly as classic!) Its max GVW is 6500 and it is unlikely that we will ever get close to that as we are only two people and light packers. (For example, I prefer paper and plastic-ware to avoid washing dishes, we don't have a lot of "toys" aside from hiking and camera gear, and if we have "guests" they can shlep up their own stuff. ;-) Similarly, I can see the hitch weight going from 550 to maybe 650 or even 700 but no where near 885 lbs.

That said, we will certainly heed your advice about on abandoning the stock hitch receiver gizmo. (This same advice was provided by someone who is pulling the exact same trailer with their LR4. I don't believe they went with the load balancing hitch but they did go with a permanent, frame-mounted replacement hitch.)

I would like to avoid having to go with a smaller, donut tire as my wheels/tires are non-standard and a matching set of 5. So I'll need to get creative to work around that. (They are not excessive and work out to about the same height as the standard wheels/tires. But they are a bit wider. (265/60s on 18" Compomotive wheels.)

I already have a brake controller - installed by the dealer on purchase. I really don't know which brand as I haven't looked at it since I bought the LR4 a year ago.

I'm wondering, does the LR4 electronic trailer sway control work with (or conflict with) the brake controller function?

BTW, finding your old post on how you were pulling your Airstream made my day. I also reached out to the people at Can-Am to get there thoughts. They are doing some crazy stuff!

Don, who did you use for the hitch stuff - or more importantly - what should I look for to find someone who can do something similar here in the Denver area? Any ideas?

 

[DonFromCanada]

30.5. I put some Dynapros on. Not full on LT tires but tougher than the stock tires and a bit wider with a bit better tread. We do mostly easy but sometimes moderate trails. No lift. No serious protection though I have some nerf bars. Hoping not to put the spare on the roof as I am using a Yakima rack which I can take off in the off season. I keep my Hi Lift and MaxTracs up there.

We're in Colorado so plenty of trails to run! But we focus on those with a high scenic rating and an easier difficulty rating. ;-)

The trailer is to serve as a base for exploring.

BTW, how much did adding a permanent receiver effect your departure angle? I am assuming the overall ground clearance is OK as it is likely no lower than the spare, correct?

We don't have a lot of rock trails, so I've never been worried much about dragging it. That being said,it does affect the departure angle, but some good spotting, and adjusted driving habits will help you avoid high-centering the rear end. I've dragged it high centred over some mud ruts, but don't mind, as it probably would have damaged the rear bumper valance if it hadn't been there. The Johnson rods help too. Highly recommended. I also have an IIDTool and adjust my height on the fly.
I have the factory front skid plates and tease skid plate.

We keep the bikes in the trailer.. Along with two kayaks. The Eddie Bauer with the rear hatch is the perfect activity trailer... We would of gone with the 25' but got the one foot, two foot-Itis. Love the beer opener and dog leash tether built into the bumper. Really a classy trailer.

Best thing I like about it is the heavy duty flooring. Most trailers have linoleum or carpet. The Eddie Bauer has a very easily washable floor I can hose out when the bikes go in muddy.. We bike a lot through forest trails, so easy cleanup is a must. Plus, when it gets real stuffy, that huge open wall just lets a tons of air movement through the trailer... Very important to keep it smelling fresh and not like a musty trailer. We get a lot of bugs up here, and it has a retractable bug screen too. We had a few issues the first time out with electrical, but they were fixed up under warranty..

 

[DonFromCanada]

Don, who did you use for the hitch stuff - or more importantly - what should I look for to find someone who can do something similar here in the Denver area? Any ideas?

Can-am RV in London, Ontario. They have a guy there named Andy. He lectures and writes articles world wide on towing and hitches. He pulls a 34' airstream classic with a Jaguar XJ!!!

Andy is the master. Everyone in North America asks him for advice.

Denver area, I have no idea. I know a guy from Texas that drove his LR4 to Ontario to have Andy and his team do the install.

He did his first, and after talking with him (can-am introduced him to me) I pulled the trigger to have them do it.