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Bought a trailer, did I go too big?

Depends on what you are comfortable in towing. Your pickup seems to be set up with a good towing capabilities. I have a 40foot Teton with a combined weight of just under 24,000. Just remember the stopping distance get real short when you are towing. Just watch your liquid temperatures.
 
That trailer weighs less than 6k dry - so I don't think you bit off too much. Your rig looks like it has all the goodies to make a 6.5 haul the mail (or a travel trailer). I tow 6-7k regularly(equipment trailer w/ equipment) with my old 6.5. It pulls it ok, although my old girl is running on the factory IP with 200k miles on it - might pull a lot better with new IP.
I also tow this trailer pretty much on flat highways...not many grades in these parts. lol

Do both axles on the trailer have brakes or just one? If you don't already have a quality brake controller - get one, and don't cheap out. I wouldn't buy another brake controller for less than $100.00 - and probably will go up to $150.00 or so for my next one.
 
Odlaw said:
That trailer weighs less than 6k dry - so I don't think you bit off too much. Your rig looks like it has all the goodies to make a 6.5 haul the mail (or a travel trailer). I tow 6-7k regularly(equipment trailer w/ equipment) with my old 6.5. It pulls it ok, although my old girl is running on the factory IP with 200k miles on it - might pull a lot better with new IP.
I also tow this trailer pretty much on flat highways...not many grades in these parts. lol

Do both axles on the trailer have brakes or just one? If you don't already have a quality brake controller - get one, and don't cheap out. I wouldn't buy another brake controller for less than $100.00 - and probably will go up to $150.00 or so for my next one.
Click to expand...

The truck has a controller already, but it's a Tekonsha Voyager proportional controller. Not sure if that's good or bad. I do believe it's a lower end model.

Good question on the brakes, I don't know. Didn't think to look or even ask. But I'll check tomorrow.

I still have to pick up some equalizers and a proper sized hitch ball before I pick it up this weekend...
 
You'll be OK with that weight, although you'd be better with a reflash, TM, and larger downpipe. The factory programming will pull off your boost about when you need it most, which really sucks. (Anybody who pulls trailers learns real fast that factory programming was designed by people who think the 6.5 is a commuter vehicle.)

I hauled a lot more rig than that all over Western Canada and the Western USA with 3.73s... it was fine on the flat, painful in the hills (stock) - after a visit to Ellensburg, it was wonderful.

Watch your EGTs - drive like the truck wants you to, and remember what Odlaw said about braking distances. A voyager controller is good .. I had one. Tekonsha Prodigy is better.

Congrats!@ Enjoy your new trailer!
 
I pulled a slightly heavier one with my 2 door Tahoe. Braking wise should be ok as long as trailer brakes up to par and setup properly. Just watch temps and egts. Really the only problem with 6.5TDs is temps towing.
 
JiFaire said:
You'll be OK with that weight, although you'd be better with a reflash, TM, and larger downpipe. The factory programming will pull off your boost about when you need it most, which really sucks. (Anybody who pulls trailers learns real fast that factory programming was designed by people who think the 6.5 is a commuter vehicle.)

I hauled a lot more rig than that all over Western Canada and the Western USA with 3.73s... it was fine on the flat, painful in the hills (stock) - after a visit to Ellensburg, it was wonderful.

Watch your EGTs - drive like the truck wants you to, and remember what Odlaw said about braking distances. A voyager controller is good .. I had one. Tekonsha Prodigy is better.

Congrats!@ Enjoy your new trailer!
Click to expand...

Thanks J, although i wouldn't be too broken up in the financing comes back as "denied". After a good nights sleep, it's sinking in how much I paid for a trailer (30 grand, loaded 2011 model). Frankly, I'll be a little surprised if it does go through, we own a house on the east coast, and house in BC, a cottage on the east coast and have a normal amout of debt load (no car loans however). Come to think of it, what the heck was I thinking? :P

One of the reasons this new model was attractive to me was the low dry weight. The structure is all aluminum and fiberglass. With a dry weight of 5228 and gvwr of 6629, it seemed a decent match for the ol' 6.5. Problem is, when I got home and measured my RV parking on the side of the house, it looks like it might be 6 inches too wide and 8 inches to high to clear a corner gutter on the house. Real estate is pretty hard to come by on the house lots in BC.....I'm already think out schemes to let air out of the tires on one side, cutting the gutter, etc.......

I'm looking at maybe getting a tekonsha P3. I like the mounting options (the 98's lower dash is angled pretty weird and not many mounting options in easy reach) and the fact that the unit is digital and woun't be confused by hills. A bit of reading seems to indicate the intertia models can be a bit confused when not on level ground. And BC sure has some pretty "unlevel" ground.

My truck has 4:10's, so I should be good there.

I'm also a tick away from getting a tunercat obdII tuner, so I may be tweaking the stock boost tables (if I can get access to then) and a few other things.......;)
 
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Good call Jifaire, my eyes must have glazed over while reading all the specs. I just saw 2.5 crossover and assumed there was 3-4" exhaust after that. So, x2 on what he said - big bore exhaust and turbo master is a must. That brake controller is on the bottom end of the Tekonsha line of brake controllers, but I honestly have never seen a "bad" brake controller from Tekonsha - every one I've ever used have worked well......now, you want to try a piece of crap pick up a 50 dollar Reese POD from Wally World....I think the POD model name has a typo from the factory - should have been POS.
 
Updating the PCM program is a must as stated in the past. Whether you do it yourself or buy one. Let me know if you really can get a tunercat definition file for you truck for a reasonable price. It might be enough to get me to buy an OBDII truck.
 
westers will sell you one for 99 bucks.

Getting a tunercat II is the real problem.

You either have to by a roadrunner from moates and chuck away the extra hardware, find a used one, or buy westers stuff (it's tunercat's software rebranded. I've done a little mucking around with olydbg and confirmed it).

I've "sort of" written a half arsed intital attempt at an interface (vb5/6) from what I've gleaned from some tech papers and looking at what others have done. Only issue if the passthrough cable. I don't have the knowledge to build that stuff....i have to buy it. Seems to be pretty hard to find one that will flash the PCM....

JET DST might be another option (it's rebranded tunercat II) but I don't know if westers VDF files will work with it.

Knowing jet's rep, I doubt it....

I hear you guys on all the truck modification comments, but it's not going to happen. Not yet.

No money left.

I mean REALLY no money left......:(

What small amount of available cash I have left will have to go to the nessesary bits to tow (equalizer hitch, controller, truck skirt, etc) something this big.

Yes, I know power is needed too, but the 6.5 will have to do "as is" for a while....
 
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If there is any practical way to do a test run (need to have proper hich etc ) I would go back to the Dealer & ask to do a test run ,one that involves good big hills ,including hills from a standing start & see how your comfort level is . Wt wise it should be a cake walk but frontal area & aerodynamics or lack of same can be a bigger factor. Should if possible do it on a hot hot day & see how ec temps etc behave.
 
Diesel -T said:
If there is any practical way to do a test run (need to have proper hich etc ) I would go back to the Dealer & ask to do a test run ,one that involves good big hills ,including hills from a standing start & see how your comfort level is . Wt wise it should be a cake walk but frontal area & aerodynamics or lack of same can be a bigger factor. Should if possible do it on a hot hot day & see how ec temps etc behave.
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Not a problem, we own it right now. Just haven't taken it home yet.

I also have a few things to do like purchase a equalizer hitch with sway control and put he brake controller back into the truck.

I'm really thinking about a tekonsha p3.

I also now have a good reason to get off my butt and install the 7 inch touchscreen and "night vision" back up camera. Good for hooking up the trailer and can also be used to quick check the hook up for security while driving.

You know:

Truck - "BANG"

Wifey - "what was that?"

Me - "Dunno"

Wifey - "want to pull over and check the hitch?"

Me - "nah, just check the hook up with the camera."

Wifey - "looks good, I'm Ok with that"

Me - <SMILE > I don't have to stop because she heard a rock or bump in the road.
 
Looks like it will be a nice trailer. IMO the most important part of towing any trailer is having a proper hitch and brake setup. Aside from that, you should be fine if your truck is in good mechanical shape. Obviously the suggested mods wouldn't hurt, but you'll still be ok as of now.

Oh, and it would surprise me if that trailer wouldn't have had brakes on both axles. Even my old 78 trailer has them on both axles.
 
You are in the limits of the truck.

I would keep a tire pressure gauge in the glovebox and now is the time to check the age and pressure of the truck's spare. (Mine was from 1993, Factory spare!)
The IDI engines suck more fuel loaded than the DI engines.

If you don't have a TCC lockup switch, now is the time to get it set up. Night and day on a hard pull keeping the trans heater off: TCC locked that is.
 
WarWagon said:
You are in the limits of the truck.

I would keep a tire pressure gauge in the glovebox and now is the time to check the age and pressure of the truck's spare. (Mine was from 1993, Factory spare!)
The IDI engines suck more fuel loaded than the DI engines.

If you don't have a TCC lockup switch, now is the time to get it set up. Night and day on a hard pull keeping the trans heater off: TCC locked that is.
Click to expand...

Any links to a product or "how to" for the TCC switch on an OBDII?

I've found lots of OBDI stuff...
 
I swear that towing my 7500# Dutchmen thru the Cdn Rockies was the beginning of the end of my engine a few years ago. But that was when I was certainly a :dr:. I was new to diesels, and thought it would be no problem. WRONG! But I know, in hind sight, I pushed way too hard. Since new long block, finding the "other" site and coming over to TTS, getting most all the mods done, and the guages, I learned soooo much and it really hasn't been an issue at all. I would say in the very least, a 4 inch exhaust and an EGT guage would be in order. Drive by the EGT. Any/all other mods would be great too, but I can understand the $$.

Good luck,
Art
 
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