RV towing questions

Good day,

I wondered if anyone has towed an Outdoor RV Backcountry 20BD and would like to share some experiences. I have a 2021 platinum 4x4 with no modifications. Currently towing an Airstream Basecamp 20x.

Any information would be greatly appreciated. Enjoy your Sunday!

https://www.outdoorsrvmfg.com/back-country-series-20bd/

 

Everyone is gonna say you will be over payload capacity (which you probably will be) so you shouldn't do it.

You'll probably be fine. You'll need a good weight distribution hitch. Hopefully you know trailers never weigh the "dry weight". That one is interesting because it has quite a bit of capacity for not being a toy hauler. I would still figure you'll end up around 8k-ish on a trip, so figure 800-1000lbs tongue weight.

 

Outdoors RV makes a nice trailer, but they are heavy for their size. My Grand Design is longer, but a good bit lighter.
Loaded, I’m in the 7,500# range at most. My 2018 Platinum tows it really well.

Opinions will vary, but I think you’ll benefit from adding either airbags or Roadmaster Active Suspension. A good WDH like a Fastway G2, or similar, is 100% necessary. The bags or RAS will help with the super flimsy stock rear springs…


Plan to tow in S4. 5th and 6th are both overdrives and will be a challenge to hold. The extra RPM will not hurt your motor on bit.

 

Everyone says that, but my dry weight is almost spot on. Including full propane tanks, two batteries, and the minimum random junk at the very front of the trailer (camp chairs, small tool box, hatchet, jack crank, standard hitch, etc) the scale put me with 100 lbs of the yellow sticker, which would easily be accounted for with the random junk.

I am also surprised by the additional capacity for not begin a toy hauler. However, I wish ALL trailers were built that way.

Agreed with all of this. My tundra pulls a similar size trailer without issue; our sequoia does it comfortably at 70+ MPH with kiddos, dogs, and gear loaded up. Suspension mods on the tundra but none on the sequoia which is bone stock - just a WD hitch.

I'd pull that trailer with your tundra, but that's me.

 

That dry hitch weight is about 12% of the dry trailer weight, so you can figure a similar loaded ratio. That would put your hitch weight over 1k lbs loaded, and I'll bet your Platinum's payload is around 1,300 lbs.

 

I tow a 27" Airstream Globetrotter with a 2020 Platinum. Tows great. RAS or air bags will help with the rear end, but not 100% necessary. Loaded up the Airstream usually weighs in around 7,500. I did a video a while back on how the Tundra tows. In that video the Tundra had stock rear springs and the Airstream was mostly unloaded, but did have camping gear in the front storage. The hitch also still needed dialed in. You can see that video here: https://youtu.be/3Uu9aGXMQDo

Later did a follow-up video on the Andersen hitch, which took quite a few tries to get right, but now it rides pretty level compared to the earlier video. Had the RAS HD kit installed as well which helped the springs handle the load. You can see the hitch video here, which isn't really about the Tundra, but you can see how it rides with about 850-900lbs tongue weight. https://youtu.be/CXcuCBueWc8

Hope it helps, enjoy the new travel trailer!

 

S4 won’t lock the converter unless you’ve got it tuned to do so. Going to cook that transmission towing with an unlocked converter.

 

My 2020 absolutely does lock the converter in sequential 4th through 6th. You can easily tell when it locks, it's almost like another gear shift. My scanner also shows lock / unlock status. For the 19-21 I recommend an aux transmission cooler, but I haven't towed without it.

 

Start here. Learn.
https://www.tundras.com/threads/tow-ratings-guide-how-to-be-safe.39211/

 

Agreed, mine was the exact same way when stock and untuned. I towed our trailer quite a bit in S4 and it worked well.

As good as with 5.29s and a tune? Well, that’s a story for a different time…

But, yes. The TCC locks up in S4 on an all stock truck. Does it in 5th also, but it won’t hold that tall gear much if you have a heavy load. Rather than hunting between 5th and 4th with the TCC getting all mad, just use 4th and let it run.

 

That camper would work and the advice so far matches my experience. That said, I just bought a 24, total 28 and its hitch weight is only 550 dry. Very much within the limits of the truck.

 

Interesting. Looking at my stock file and it doesn’t lock in 4th. Also got told not to do it by OTT because of it. Carry on then.

 

My experience is that my stock tune (even with 5.29s and 33's) will shift to 4th and quickly get to lock. It'll hold lock all the way into low/mid 90% calculated load before downshifting to 3rd. Unlocking in 4th isn't something I've seen before the downshift.

Are you seeing something drastically different?

 

I don't think this is true.

 

If temperatures are an indicator of a locked torque converter it sure appears to me S4 keeps the torque converter locked most of the time. My Scangauge is set to monitor transmission temps in two locations inside the transmission. TF1 is considered to be pan temperature and TF2 somewhere near the torque converter. Towing in S4 results in both TF1 & TF2 being the same temperature most of the time. Towing in S5 on level ground without a headwind will as well but the temperature are usually slightly higher. Once starting up a hill I can see my RPM increase about 200 RPM and TF2 climb rapidly with TF1 following at a much slower rate. This is the torque converter unlocking. The transmission may stay in this unlocked state if conditions are right but usually drops to 4th and locks up again. Once locked in 4th both temps start to drop again.

 

From the manual, standard lock-up in 4-6th gears. I will say, 4th gear lock up happens much quicker and more often when you are in S4 than D, as noted by the asterisk.

Someone else posted that the transmission will command a 3rd and maybe even 2nd gear lock-up when the trans is very hot (240F+?)

 

I took a second look and stand partially corrected. In tow haul only, 4th does not lock. Normal driving 4th does not lock. But in AI it does. Now I'm wondering if tow//haul s4 locks the converter or not. Gonna have to log that today.



And here's a snippet from OTT regarding towing.


I took a look at the log I sent him and while I was in s5, 4th gear did not lock up as I was accelerating through it. It did not lock until it hit 5th.



That's one reason why I asked them to investigate locking the converter up in 4th in tow haul (and regular) so that way it starts to get rid of heat and helps with acceleration.

 

I've only really seen 4th lockup when in D when at a steady speed under a light-ish load. Such as up a long grade where it can't shift to 5th and you're just maintaining speed. it is a bit finicky, but i can watch it on my scan gauge.

At least one Austrailian company makes a manual lock-up for our transmission... that could be an interesting option for you guys towing a lot or with big power.

 

I can't remember the last time I was not in 4th in S mode while towing. The trans temps run very close to water temp via SCII.

 

Thinking about it, mine is a 2018 with factory trans cooler. I wonder if in 2019 they changed programming up to lock sooner to help get rid of heat to offset not having a trans cooler. Probably not but thinking out loud.

 

I'm almost 30k miles in mine with ~10,000 of that towing the <6,000# trailer and I can't say that towing in S4 hurts the MPG vs S5. It sure does reduce fluid temps.

 

It's highly likely they did. I've had my TCM updated to reduce trans fluid temperatures while towing and immediately noticed the TC spent less time unlocked.

 

Given the choice I would have been much happier with a 6 speed manual transmission.

 

I forgot about the lack of trans coolers in the later years. That does make sense.

 

So did some logs and I’ll stand corrected that in s4, tow haul or not, the converter will lock. Not sure why I was told it would burn it up towing in s4 but cool.

If you are in s5 or s6, it will not lock up in 4th which I find interesting. It also won’t lock up if you are just in D and tow haul.

 

Kudos to you for coming back to follow-up! Your information matches my experiences. Likely also explains why the manual states to tow in S4, and it is probably only partially about charging systems and engine braking.

 

You just hit the nail on the head! This is exactly how mine operates.
So, I typically tow in S5 since regearing and tuning. On a decent hill, it will downshift to 4th and the TCC will not lock. I will reach over and bump the shifter down to S4, and it locks. When I crest the hill, back to S5.

I have tweaked my 5th gear TCC release to a higher TPS%, which holds the converter locked longer. It pretty much unlocks right before downshift to 4th.

 

Same thing here once I changed to 5.29’s. I’m curious to see what OTT can come up with.