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Trailer Toad

Jodiesel

SM 2003
Full Member
Joined
Oct 20, 2002
Messages
136
Location
Apple Valley, CA
I?m one of those guys who looks at Craigslist every day to see what my neighbors are selling. This Trailer Toad was listed and caught my attention. So I quickly did some research online about it and bought it. I have an older truck in excellent condition that I?ve owned since new. It has a factory 12k trailer capacity rating. The new toy hauler I just purchased, stuffed with all my stuff and water, weighs in at 12k. Which is also the gvwr of the trailer. When I towed the trailer on short local trips, I didn?t carry much water and was very selective of items I put in the front of the trailer to keep tongue weight to a minimum. The tongue weight was 1,350 then. Even with my rear air bags and an Equalizer WD hitch, you really felt the weight. In fact, I think you could feel driving over a bug in the road. She handled well and braked well, but the ride sucked.

Enter the Trailer Toad. It is rated for 4,000 lbs of tongue weight and 25,000 lbs of trailer weight. I just completed an 1,850 mile trip up the California coast to Coos Bay, Oregon to the dunes. I had the trailer fully loaded with 8 days of clothes, tons of food and 150 gallons of fresh water. I was able to put 1,770 lbs of weight onto the tongue. With the Toad, there is ZERO tongue weight on the tow rig. The toad takes it all. The tow rig just has to pull and stop. This allows you to have maximum available bed capacity on the tow rig to carry more stuff. It also allows you to have a much better ride. No need for 80 psi in the tow vehicles tires and my air bags were at minimum, making a very comfortable ride. In fact, droning along the highway, it?s easy to forget the 33? of trailer behind me?.

The Toad has its own suspension, so when it hits a bump, the trailer is not trying to rip the receiver off the tow rig. The tires of the Toad and the table top swivel on a vertically mounted hub. So when you are driving around, the Toad turns also, which allows the trailer to turn less on its hitch. When backing up, there are two pins that drop down on the Toad which locks it in place. The Toad has twin shocks on the vertically mounted hub, which control sway. The way the trailer handles and turns is different than without the Toad. It?s hard to explain. It?s just different the way the trailer pulls through a corner. It?s something that you just get used to after about 5 minutes of driving with it. Similar to the first time you pull a trailer, you learn quick how to control your load.

I am not affiliated in any way with this company. I?m very happy with my purchase. I think anyone who doesn?t have a 1 ton duallie for a tow rig could benefit from this device if they are pulling a large, heavy trailer.
 

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Interesting for sure.....
 
I've seen them before but you are the first one that I have heard of that bought one. Thanks for the review.
 
How easy is it to back up with it and park.
 
MS03 2500 said:
How easy is it to back up with it and park.

No problem.  If you have to back up, there are two pins on the Toad that drop down and lock it straight.  Then the only pivoting member is the trailer coupler.  The Toad adds about 30" of length.  When at a camp site, I would unhook the trailer and keep the Toad hooked up to the Av.  You don't even know its there driving around town.  This pic shows the pins with the red handles.
 

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Thanks for the info, looks like a nice setup.
 
Definitely works to keep the tongue weight down, but does add a couple hundred pounds to what you are towing, so now you over your published towing capacity.  That said as long as your axle weights are under the door sticker, and they should be with this setup, you will be fine.
 
camaroz1985 said:
Definitely works to keep the tongue weight down, but does add a couple hundred pounds to what you are towing, so now you over your published towing capacity.  That said as long as your axle weights are under the door sticker, and they should be with this setup, you will be fine.

This is true.  The Toad weighs approximately 650 lbs.  Fully dressed for the long trip I took, she weighed 12,300.  However, I don't think I will be that high very often.  Had 8 days worth of clothes for 4 people and some 'stuff' we were taking to friends along the trip.  Plus there was several pounds of Corona......no wait, that will be on every trip...
 
Does the toad have brakes of any type?
 
ygmn said:
Does the toad have brakes of any type?

The Toad does not have brakes.  However, the axle assembly is a very common unit.  It's a Dexter 6k Torflex.  And these units have inexpensive brake hubs that could probably be installed.  I'll ask the manufacturer why he doesn't install them. 
 
ygmn said:
Does the toad have brakes of any type?

Talking with the manufacturer, he stated if you lose one wire on the electric brakes, then you are turning.  The newer Toads do not turn as much as the older units.  He is installing a set of brakes on his test Toad and will be doing testing on it.  I think it would be sweet to have another axle of brakes.  Especially that pass outside Bishop, CA: 6% for 6 miles - ugh!

 
Maybe Surge brakes at least as I am guessing the trailer has some sort of braking.
 
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