Towing an old sunny

[mitchbt]

Hi,

I’m planning on towing an ‘83 T-2100 about 900 miles this Spring. The previous owner didn’t travel with it so it hasn’t been on the road in a very long time. Anything I should check before the trip to avoid mishaps? Wheel bearings, etc?

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by mitchbt

Hi,

I’m planning on towing an ‘83 T-2100 about 900 miles this Spring. The previous owner didn’t travel with it so it hasn’t been on the road in a very long time. Anything I should check before the trip to avoid mishaps? Wheel bearings, etc?

Hi Mitch,

You are on the right track, wheel bearings and other things. Since the camper has not been towed in a very long time and you are heading out on a long trip, checking/doing maintenance on these items will help greatly not have a breakdown on the road.

The brakes checked, cleaned up and adjusted.
The wheel bearings taken apart, checked, repacked with fresh wheel bearing grease.

Tires, this is a big one. Trailer tires you should not go by the tread thickness as most camper tires age out before they wear out. The camper would use ST trailer tires and many do not go beyond 5 years old on the tires. The rubber breaks down inside even if the outside look good. The tires will have a 4 digit DOT date code on them. It is only on one side of the tire so it may be on the inside if you cannot find it on the outside. And if there is no 4 digit date code, that can mean the tire is so old they did not have codes back them and they are for sure need to be replaced. And don't forget a spare tire that is as good as the all 4 on the camper.


Also make sure the trailer tires are inflated to max cold side wall pressure before heading out towing. The camper needs max cold side wall pressure to handle the weights of the camper and to stiffen the tires in turns.

There should be an emergency breakaway switch on the trailer tongue. It will have a cable to hooks to the truck. When the cable gets pulled, the switch applies the brakes on the camper in case of a de-coupling from the truck. Unless someone change that switch recently, it may be the original and can be frozen solid. These are supposed to be changed every 5 years according to the manufacture. This is a very forgotten piece of safety equipment and required by law in most states and countries.

The camper needs to have a working onboard battery on the trailer tongue when towing. That DC power works with the emergency break away switch. And it powers the DC items in the camper when you are not plugged into shore power.

While the brakes are being serviced have the suspension checked, with a tandem axle camper, the shackle plates can have wear and the spring bushings. While the camper has not been tow a lot recently, not sure how many miles it has when it was being towed. This is an area to check and replace worn parts when you find them. Broken shackle plates have left fellow camper stranded on the side of the road with an untowable camper. Check and make sure they are all OK

The above will address the trailer running gear so it rolls OK. Also check all the systems out inside the camper, and the DOT stop/turn, body lights.

Ideally, camp in the camper locally somewhere to do a few shake down runs before your bigger trip. This is the best way to figure out if everything works at a local campground.

Hope this helps and have a good trip.

John

[mainah]

Any one have a clue what a T1700 weights with normal gear? batteries propane water so on? Towed this thing all over the place with a Tacoma no issue just curious.

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by mainah

Any one have a clue what a T1700 weights with normal gear? batteries propane water so on? Towed this thing all over the place with a Tacoma no issue just curious.

Hi Mainah,

What year is our T1700?

[mainah]

Oh sorry it's a 1990.

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by mainah

Any one have a clue what a T1700 weights with normal gear? batteries propane water so on? Towed this thing all over the place with a Tacoma no issue just curious.

The 1990 brochure states the T1700 has a combined tandem empty/dry axle weight of 2,055# with an empty/dry tongue weight of 325#. Or 2,380# GVW empty, no battery, no LP gas, no spare tire and no added options of that time period

It lists the GVWR at 4,000#

It can allow 1,620# of cargo, or more realistic closer to 1,400 to 1,500# camping gear with a battery, full LP gas and maybe a spare tire.

It would not take much to be weighed in at approx. 3,500# GVW if you pack on the lighter side all the way to the full, 4,000# with "stuff" we all seem to carry.

Not sure which Tacoma year/model/engine/rear axle ratio or tow rating you have.

Also to note, the T1700 is a 7 ft wide camper, versus the 8 ft wide ones. Wind drag is less, and wind drag is real. The more wind drag, the more fuel burn and power to keep it going.

Being 7 ft. may be part of why your truck handles it well. The T1700 is also the start of tandem axle trailers, which helps with more weight carrying ability and tracking stability.

Sounds like you found a good combo of truck and camper in a 17' 10" long camper.