5.0TA option questions - Escape Trailer Owners Community
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Escape Trailer Owners Community > Escape Me | General Topics > Shopping Escape
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 09-18-2014, 01:24 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Trailer: 2015 5.0TA, Toyota Tundra CrewMax
Posts: 570
5.0TA option questions

Hi all

Mrs. iamunique127 and I are happily working away on the build sheet these days for our first travel trailer, a 5.0TA. We are finding so much help with ideas in these forums and are very appreciative for it all.

Currently we drive a 2006 4x4, double cab Tacoma, 31" tires, without the factory tow package. I plan to do some upgrades to bring the towing capacity more in line with the factory tow package capabilities such as oil and transmission coolers, beef up the suspension or add air bags. The hitch will be installed in Chilliwack. We plan to start out with this vehicle and are open to going larger if need be after we see how this one tows and what our needs are.

Right now I have a couple questions but I know I'll have more as time progresses. Here's what I'd like your input on today:

1) High-lift axle. We do enjoy getting off the beaten path and know we will be getting into some rough places. Is this enough in itself to order the high-lift axles? Are there any pros or cons to having the high-lift that I should know about?

2) Rock protection on the front corners. We will be travelling some gravel roads. Is the spray-on bed liner that ETI will instal the preferred method of preventing stone chips on the front surface? Is there something better or preferable? The price they charge is no pittance so I want to be sure of this first.

Thanks for any input.
__________________
Lyle
iamunique127 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2014, 01:38 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Comox, British Columbia
Trailer: 5.0 TA #9
Posts: 226
We had the axle installed to match the height of our truck- a 3/4 ton Silverado. As per ETI.
We didn't go with a spray on liner to protect the front- we are going to wait and see.
We drive many KM's on rough gravel roads- so far no chip damage- the closeness of the trailer to the truck seems to mean the thrown rock chips are ending up underneath, and not hitting the front end of the trailer. We did opt for the spray foam, to protect the underside.
sleepy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2014, 02:49 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
Adding air bags will not increase your towing capacity, it will only raise your bed. Your axle capacity is fixed and is listed on your door jamb, no matter what you do, that will not change.
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2014, 06:33 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Southwick, Massachusetts
Trailer: None, sold my 2014 5.0TA
Posts: 7,124
I would ask for the trailer to be raised high enough for a full size pickup. You'll be ready in case you find you need a bigger truck. Mine has 20" clearence to the frame, didn't measure the low point but it's quite a bit higher then my old trailer. It amounts to a high lift.
I also passed on the rock guard, common consensus was to wait. If you see the front corners or wheel wells getting chipped, do it then.
I also agree with what Jim says, air-lifts help rear end sag but don't add capacity.
__________________
Happy Motoring
Bob
padlin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2014, 07:03 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
emers382's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Emerson, Manitoba
Trailer: 2016 Escape 5.0TA, 2022 F150 2.7EB
Posts: 1,848
Lyle, ditto what padlin says, although you likely won't get a bigger truck, I find the extra height of ours (which you've seen) to be good, it matches well with our F150.

Adrian
emers382 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2014, 07:55 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Trailer: 2015 5.0TA, Toyota Tundra CrewMax
Posts: 570
Thanks for the quick replies, guys. It's good to hear from some actual 5.0TA owners about their real life experiences with the trailer.

That's probably the best way to go, Bob- ask for it to be as high as needed for a full sized pickup. Someone else PM'd me with another added benefit of a high lift- it raises the clearance of the bike rack. That could be an issue for us in some of the places we get to. He also added that he has to use substantial blocks under the landing gear so the jacks don't have to be out so far.

Good to hear from you, sleepy about travelling on gravel and not experiencing stone chips. It's seems like others are taking a wait and see approach & I can get it done if and when I need it. I like the sound of that. We will have the extra spray-on insulation underneath.

Thanks for clarifying the tow capacity issue, Jim. Maybe my wording was incorrect or I am misunderstanding. I plan to add the suspension components and fluid coolers of the tow package. I understand that won't change the tag on the door frame. Do you think I will need the larger alternator and battery if I have the solar option. ETI didn't think it was necessary.

Hi Adrian. Does yours have the high lift axle?
__________________
Lyle
iamunique127 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2014, 08:07 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
emers382's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Emerson, Manitoba
Trailer: 2016 Escape 5.0TA, 2022 F150 2.7EB
Posts: 1,848
Hi Lyle. Yes. See post #4 in the thread "how high can you raise your legs". That's ours.

Adrian
emers382 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2014, 08:34 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
Quote:
Originally Posted by iamunique127 View Post
Do you think I will need the larger alternator and battery if I have the solar option.
I don't see any connection between the charging system or battery capacity of the tow vehicle and use of the trailer - the limitations of charging the trailer battery from the tug are all about the wiring between them, since any modern vehicle can supply the few amps that go into the trailer.
Brian B-P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2014, 08:41 PM   #9
Site Team
 
rbryan4's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
Yeah I think he means a heavier duty alternator and higher amp hour battery are sometimes included in a factory "tow package". I never understood why that mattered either. In any case, it has nothing to do with the solar, which isn't for the TV.
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
rbryan4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2014, 09:23 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
alanmalk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Arvada, Colorado
Trailer: 2015 E'21 - 'Velocity'. Tow: Toyota Tacoma V6, 4X4, manual.
Posts: 1,684
Quote:
Originally Posted by iamunique127 View Post
Do you think I will need the larger alternator and battery if I have the solar option. ETI didn't think it was necessary.
Hello Lyle,
I'm the happy owner of a '14 Tacoma and soon-to-be '15 E-21. I did get both the off-road and tow packages which as you note, come with the bigger alternator and higher capacity battery. But I can't think of any ordinary circumstances where the bigger alternator would be of any benefit to the trailer. Maybe in an extreme case where the trailer batteries were depleted and I used my jumper cables to charge them, but that's pretty unlikely. I believe ETI has it right...

On the other hand, I like a high capacity battery for those sub-zero (F) mornings where the vehicle has been sitting for a couple of days in the open in the high country of Colorado. That's when every last Cold-Cranking-Amp comes in handy. And that's a lot easier to implement than swapping out an alternator.

--
Alan
alanmalk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2014, 09:31 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
gbaglo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
I think the idea of a heavy duty alternator is to supply enough juice to charge trailer battery and run fridge on 12V, assuming you have a #10 ground.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
gbaglo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2014, 09:52 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
Quote:
Originally Posted by gbaglo View Post
I think the idea of a heavy duty alternator is to supply enough juice to charge trailer battery and run fridge on 12V, assuming you have a #10 ground.
Yes, but even my first car - the smallest and cheapest thing Toyota sold in 1984 - had more than enough alternator capacity to spare 10 amps or more for a trailer. Alternator current output does not seem to be the problem; if it were, turning on the headlights in the tug would be too much for it to handle, even without a trailer.

Whether you have my old 35-amp alternator, the 100A to 150A unit now common, or a 200A alternator in a police or taxi package, the current to the trailer will still be dependent only on the trailer battery voltage, the internal resistance of the battery, the resistance of the wire to the trailer, and the tug's system voltage. The tug still runs the same regulated voltage, regardless of the alternator's capacity.

If anyone ever measured the voltage in their tug (where it is controlled, not at the end of the long skinny wire to the trailer) and found that it dips significantly when the trailer battery is attached, I might think there was some issue with the tug's alternator capacity.
Brian B-P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2014, 10:28 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Trailer: 2015 5.0TA, Toyota Tundra CrewMax
Posts: 570
Thanks for that clarification on the alternator, Brian. I don't know the reasoning of why there is a 130A alternator in the tow package from Toyota but (I know I'm going to regret saying this), I assumed, like gbaglo said, it was to supply enough juice to both the trailer batteries and the tow vehicle battery.

It sounds like the stock alternator will be plenty especially given the trailer will have solar.

Another question for you, Brian, seeing as you seem to understand this stuff: should I be ensuring a certain size wire is run to the trailer from the alternator then, when I have the brake controller and wiring installed? Sorry if I'm not saying it correctly, it's not something I understand real well, as if you couldn't tell.
__________________
Lyle
iamunique127 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2014, 10:48 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
gbaglo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
I'll defer to Brian, but when I was considering a 3-way fridge, Reace told me to get a #10 ground in the tow wiring to ensure enough power to run the fridge on 12 V. He also said that if I left camp with a depleted battery, towed with the fridge on 12 V, I'd still have a depleted battery when I got to the next camp.
So, I went with a larger two-way fridge ( no 12 V ).
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
gbaglo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2014, 11:01 PM   #15
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Trailer: 2015 5.0TA, Toyota Tundra CrewMax
Posts: 570
Quote:
Originally Posted by alanmalk View Post

On the other hand, I like a high capacity battery for those sub-zero (F) mornings where the vehicle has been sitting for a couple of days in the open in the high country of Colorado. That's when every last Cold-Cranking-Amp comes in handy. And that's a lot easier to implement than swapping out an alternator.

--
Alan
Thanks for your input Alan.I thought I knew why there is a larger capacity battery with the tow package but now I'm wondering.

I do understand the need for cranking amps for cold weather starts and I'm always sure to get a battery with plenty to start my truck in our Manitoba winters. Consequently I haven't had to plug in the block heater on any of my Toyotas.
__________________
Lyle
iamunique127 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2014, 12:13 AM   #16
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
Quote:
Originally Posted by gbaglo View Post
I'll defer to Brian, but when I was considering a 3-way fridge, Reace told me to get a #10 ground in the tow wiring to ensure enough power to run the fridge on 12 V...
No disagreement here at all - the wire size does matter (unlike the alternator current rating). Since the tug's voltage is whatever it needs it to be, the only way to get more power to the trailer (using a conventional setup) is less resistance in the wiring to the trailer, which means heavier gauge wire.
Brian B-P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2014, 12:20 AM   #17
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
Quote:
Originally Posted by iamunique127 View Post
should I be ensuring a certain size wire is run to the trailer from the alternator then, when I have the brake controller and wiring installed?
Yes, although it has nothing to do with the brakes, it makes sense to do the wiring all at the same time. Rather than a specific wire gauge, I think of this as ensuring that it is at least large enough to allow adequate current flow for your trailer's needs... but how big is that? I ran 10-gauge, but never tracked voltage or current while driving so I really don't know how appropriate the choice was. I certainly wouldn't go smaller.
Brian B-P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2014, 04:40 PM   #18
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Trailer: 2015 5.0TA, Toyota Tundra CrewMax
Posts: 570
One part of the equation solved

Hi all

I looked into what I'd have to do to bring the Tacoma barely up to what I might need and the associated costs to do so, then decided it may not be worth the trouble after all. Especially if I had to change over hitches, etc. to another vehicle later on. Also, I suspected the resale value of the Tacoma would drop like a stone after it had a 5th wheel hitch in it.

So we decided to start off with a more capable vehicle right from the start, a Tundra CrewMax, 4x4 TRD Off Road including the tow package and a brake controller already installed. Reace tells me the 5.0TA will have plenty of clearance with a standard hitch, no need for a slider.



We pick it up tomorrow.

As far as the axle height goes, now I can just have Reace match it to the truck.
__________________
Lyle
iamunique127 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2014, 05:48 PM   #19
Site Team
 
Donna D.'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 11,023
SWEET! That's a very nice looking ride When I supplied ETI with my build sheet, I also had to supply ground to bed rail height (at truck axle) and bed to rail height so they could adjust the hitch (it IS adjustable) to fit. I had the company they recommended in Chilliwack put in the hitch in my truck. YMMV
__________________
Donna D.
Ten Forward
2014 Escape 5.0TA
Donna D. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2014, 06:03 PM   #20
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
Except now you will lose that nice matching cap on the rear
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off




» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Escape Trailer Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:46 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2023 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.