[VAC] Re: Toyota towing

[Jim Dunmyer <jdunmyer@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I've found that brake adjustment to be a bit tricky and deceiving:

We have a Tekonsha controller on the Dodge, arguably the most-popular
one on the market at present. I thought I had it set up pretty well
until I tried to stop on wet pavement, going downhill, to make a
right-angle turnoff. Was going quite slow, but slid right past the
turnoff by several feet, truck wheels locked up. It was obvious that I
wasn't getting enough trailer braking.

One of my planned additions is a "brake ammeter" in the truck. I've seen
a picture, but not seen where to buy just yet; they're a 0-12 amp meter.
Brake magnets draw a maximum of 3 amps each, so one of these meters will
tell you not only how much braking force you have (relatively speaking),
but will also inform you of a broken wire or burned out magnet. Of the 2
trailers I've owned, one had a burned out magnet, the other had a broken
connection. Based on that experience, I'd guess that it isn't uncommon
to have one or more brakes that isn't doing its job.

The other thing about a too-light tow vehicle is inadaquet cooling on
both the radiator and the transmission. Plus, the transmission may or
may not be really up to the job over the long haul. It's one thing to
tow a boat down to the local ramp, it's another to tow a T.T. half-way
across the country. The first time I hit a long hill with the 1/2-ton
Dodge pulling the Avion, the temperature guage started to climb. Even
though the truck was rated to pull something like 7500# and the trailer
was maybe 6000#. Being unable to find a larger radiator, I started
shopping for a 3/4-ton truck.

No, I probably could have gotten away with that other truck, maybe for a
long time, but there's something to be said for COMFORT; I feel like
this truck could pull the hitch right off the trailer, day after day.
And that's a good feeling for me.

                                              <<Jim>>