Toyota Tundra or GMC Sierra

[move on]

Originally Posted by milda001

If i drive with firewood it is safety about 60 - 70km as maximum. It is depend on road, (here is terrible quality), trailer being be unstable about 70km and more.

Looking at your picture it seems like your trailer is not properly loaded. A cargo trailer should have 60% of its load ahead of the trailer axles but yours looks like only 50%. That will cause a trailer to become unstable.

If you load the trailer properly it should have more stability but this will create a downward load on the trailer hitch of about 500 KG or more. That's too much for your Toureg and also too much for a Sierra or Tundra. You will need a larger truck.

[CamperLifer]

Originally Posted by milda001

If i drive with firewood it is safety about 60 - 70km as maximum. It is depend on road, (here is terrible quality), trailer being be unstable about 70km and more.

That is definitely NOT 3 tons of firewood !

[milda001]

Originally Posted by CamperLifer

That is definitely NOT 3 tons of firewood !

You are right it is sprunce about 8 loose wood, we use about 4,5m3 spruce for load our trailer.
dry sprunce has about 0,55 tons/m3. *4,5 = 2,4 tons, the weight of trailer is 1,1tons totals 3,5 tons. But we drive with oak, on trailer we are able load only 6 meters loose wood. we use about 3,2m3, it means 3tons of oak. + trailer we have a but more than 4 tons.

[milda001]

Originally Posted by move on

Looking at your picture it seems like your trailer is not properly loaded. A cargo trailer should have 60% of its load ahead of the trailer axles but yours looks like only 50%. That will cause a trailer to become unstable.

If you load the trailer properly it should have more stability but this will create a downward load on the trailer hitch of about 500 KG or more. That's too much for your Toureg and also too much for a Sierra or Tundra. You will need a larger truck.

THe main problem of our trailer is height. The height causes instability during the drive. Our firewood processor is a usual firewood processor use conveyor belt. Firewood fall from belt to trailer. I think It doesn´t exist a better way how load the trailer.

[MCCOHENS]

I suspect if you do some math multiple trips might be a better option. A truck to pull that load will be expensive there, driving the truck and dealing with the fuel consumption the rest of the time could be expensive. I don't know how much firewood you use or how many trips a week you do but does it justify a new full size pickup? If the decision is emotional, then get a 3/4 ton truck and pull twice the load!

[CamperLifer]

Something doesn't seem right with the calculations. How does that little trailer weigh over 2000 pounds ?

[kdauto]

I think you need to somehow put more weight on the tongue (front) of the trailer. It looks like all the weight is over the 2 trailer axles pretty evenly. This will make it unstable at speed.

Maybe all you need is an add-on box just ahead of the main trailer bed and load it with wood, tools, whatever.

[move on]

Originally Posted by milda001

THe main problem of our trailer is height. The height causes instability during the drive. Our firewood processor is a usual firewood processor use conveyor belt. Firewood fall from belt to trailer. I think It doesn´t exist a better way how load the trailer.

Yes, the trailer is quite high and the high center of gravity may be a problem, but the main reason for the instability is that there is not enough weight on the trailer hitch. You should have 10% of the trailer's loaded weight on the hitch. That would be 350-450 kg depending on the load. That will keep the trailer from swaying. Try this: block off the rear 1 meter of the trailer so that only the front of the trailer gets loaded and take it for a test drive. I believe you will be able to go faster than 70 kph before you experience trailer sway.

Your Toureg should be able to handle a 350 kg hitch load but not much more. A Sierra or Tundra actually may not be able to handle as much as the Toureg without overloading the rear axle so I think I would abandon that Idea. You may want to look at a 3/4 ton pickup truck instead. The cost is not that much more than a half ton truck.

What country are you in? Can you get service there for an American truck?

[tuffr2]

A truck has a much longer wheelbase and should tow that trailer easily even if weight is not added to the tongue.

But instead of buying a truck I would somehow try to add weight to the tongue to see how the VW does. A metal tool box with weight plates - probably 200 lbs is just my guess to how much weight should be added.

I have a F-250, I think I would not notice that trailer behind me.

[milda001]

Originally Posted by MCCOHENS

I suspect if you do some math multiple trips might be a better option. A truck to pull that load will be expensive there, driving the truck and dealing with the fuel consumption the rest of the time could be expensive. I don't know how much firewood you use or how many trips a week you do but does it justify a new full size pickup? If the decision is emotional, then get a 3/4 ton truck and pull twice the load!

Thanks for your advices, in Czech republic is most sell Dodge RAM 1500. But i would need 2500 as better solution. I saw trims 6,7 diesel and 6.4 hemi. Diesel will be probably more economycaly with powercomsumtion and has better torque. Anybody with practice about MPG with 6.7 diesel?

We have about 8 trips/week about 25 miles per trip. Drive twice is waste time and probably it doesn´t economycal.

[milda001]

Originally Posted by CamperLifer

Something doesn't seem right with the calculations. How does that little trailer weigh over 2000 pounds ?

yes, it is very quality trailer a with a lot reinforcement at base. And it is not so small .

[move on]

With a 6.7 diesel you will get about 13.5 mpg while towing. The gasoline engine may get less than 10 mpg.

[move on]

I should say that you will get 13.5 mpg towing at 120 kph. If you keep it below 100 kph you will get 15 mpg.

[tuffr2]

That trailer looks like it was built to be balanced. Full of wood looks like you can still pick up the tongue or just pick up the tongue to disconnect it. Can you just pick up the tongue to disconnect?

Also it does not look like that trailer is designed to travel very fast. I say that because the placement of the axles are centered. The trailer makes a great farm addition but it is not a highway crusing trailer.

A truck will tow it much better but will be expensive to buy and to operate.