Toyota Tundra

[Vegasmailman]

My son has the Toyota Tundra with the tow package with the capability to tow 10000 pounds. He is looking to purchase either a 25 foot 5th wheel or travel trailer of the same length. Seems every knows ford 150 capabilities but no RV dealer wants to commit themselves to answer. Has anyone any knowledge or perhaps tows one of them now. He is really ready to do it but hesitation till he finds the correct answers. Even the Toyota sounds unconvincing

[madmoto375]

I have a 16 Tundra Crewmax 4WD with towing package and 5.7L iforce engine. It is my second Tundra; previously owned a 2011 with same setup. I also have a 2005 FR Grand Surveyor GS260 which is 28' in length. It's loaded weight rating is approximately 6800 lbs. I haven't towed long distances with my new tow vehicle yet but, I have no reason to believe there will be any issue. I never had any issue with my older tow vehicle and have made two cross country trips over 8K miles each. The Tundras w/tow package come with a robust class IV receiver from the factory and the 4/7 pin connectors. They also have trans cooler and tow mode. I only use tow mode when in hilly country or mountains. I found on flat or generally flat surfaces that it uses more gas which is already an issue with gas engines; they are thirsty but, the 5.7L is more than capable of pulling it weight; power is NOT an issue. The rear diff has a 10.5" ring gear with a 4:30 ratio and with 6 speeds does a really good job of towing. I had an add-a-leaf and upgraded shocks on my last TV and am in the process of doing the same mods to this vehicle. The add-a-leaf helps with sag in the rear although it's not necessary with a WD hitch. I also have a weight distributing hitch which everyone should have when towing cross country with a TT over 3500 lbs IMO. On a 1/2 ton it's a lifesaver. I have towed without it for short distances with no issues but, would be hesitant in open country with wind on a long trip. I believe my tow rating on my current TV is 9800 lbs; which is up from my 2011 by about 900 lbs. The payload isn't great at about 1300ish but, I stay within my limits. Just thought I'd give ya some firsthand knowledge from somebody who is familiar with the Tundra. I hope it helps.

[RVnut]

I think this post is in the wrong area of this forum

[itat]

Truck manufacturers love to tell you how much their truck can pull (the Tundra can pull the Space Shuttle) but the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and Cargo Carrying Capacity are always the first limits to be compromised. So that's what you need to focus on.

I was looking up the specs on the new Tundras recently and found that it has approximately the same weight ratings as my '09 F-150 with the max. tow package. The critical numbers for any 1/2 ton will be payload and rear axle rating. My F-150's GVWR is 7200 pounds and the rear axle is rated for 4000 pounds.

5th wheels will always put more weight on the truck than the same size TT. Check the GVWR on your son's Tundra. It's probably in the 7000 - 7200 pound range. If he or you are interested in a particular trailer, you'll never be able to know the actual loaded weight so use the GVWR of the trailer and assume the pin weight on a 5th wheel will be 15-20% of that and on a TT the tongue weight will be 10-15% of the trailer's GVWR.

Take the Tundra to a local CAT scale full of fuel and with all the passengers on board and find out what it weighs. Then you can start to figure out if the Tundra can handle the pin weight or tongue weight that the trailer is going to transfer to the truck.

Of course, the above only matters if you care about exceeding the truck's GVWR. I've seen Tundras pulling 30+ foot long 5th wheels, but I wouldn't do it myself.

[fanrgs]

You need to know which model Tundra and which cab configuration to determine payload and towing capacity as shown in this Toyota Website:

2016 Toyota Tundra Seating Capacity, Cargo Volume & Weight

Then he needs to look at the "GVWR" for a travel trailer, not the "dry weight" to determine if it meets his towing capacity. If he wants a 5th wheel, he also needs to look at the payload capacity minus the weight of the 5th wheel hitch and anything he is carrying in the bed or cab. That number will tell him the max pin weight of the trailer. Again, do not use the "dry pin/hitch weight", use a number based on the GVWR for that trailer.

[timfromma]

I have a 2015 Tundra double cab with tow package. It says you can tow 10,000lbs BUT the max cargo weight is only 1700lbs. That 1700lb figure includes all the passengers, bed cargo AND the tongue weight of the trailer. Since you are supposed to carry about 15% of the total trailer weight on the hitch of the TV, you can pull a 10,000lb trailer if you don't weigh more than 200lbs and bring nothing or noone else with you.

Here's how my weights figure out.

Fully loaded TT weights about 8,000lbs
Hitch weight: 1200lbs
3 adults: 600lbs
extra gear in bed 100lbs

Even when only pulling an 8000lb trailer, I'm right at my limits and maybe even a tad over. I would need a bigger TV to pull anything more. Tell your son to to look for a trailer (not a 5th wheel) with a dry weight of no more than 7500lbs.

[Vegasmailman]

Thanks everyone. You provided plenty needed information. He is going with a TT versus 5th wheel. Again thanks for the prompt replies

[Melvinson404]

Good decision. General belief is that half tons are not made to handle 5th wheel trailers. They generally require 3/4ton or better. Good luck on your purchase. Safe travels.....

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by RVnut

I think this post is in the wrong area of this forum

Moved to Towing/Tow Vehicles sub-forum.

[HONDAMAN174]

My weights are close to Tim's- about 8000 loaded, 1k tongue, add the cargo,dogs, DW... I am over my cargo weight.

Now, being I live I Vegas too EVERY drive somewhere is a hill climb out. I have added intake and exhaust but still does not like big hill climbs (mt charleston). If I stick with a steady speed 45mph in second I'm good. If there is a slower trailer in front- it lacks the oomph to build or keep speed below 3k rpm. It's a 12 % grade so it's pretty extreme but wanted to give real world experience. I defiantly would not go over 8000 lbs.


2014 Evo 2850 "Woodstock"
2011 Toyota Tundra "Clifford"

[timfromma]

Definitely get a weight distribution hitch with sway control.


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[Lukegsdaddy]

We are very satisfied with our Tundra pulling our 26dbh Grey Wolf.

[kfcflores]

I have a 2011 tundra 5.7 crewmax. Just upgraded my trailer to a 2017 Cherokee 274dbh. About 7200lbs loaded and 32' long. No problems towing. The tundras are over built for a half ton. The key is to have a good wdh setup. I had the Reese dual cam on old trailer and equalizer 4pt on the new one. Both great systems but I like the equalizer better. Easier to set up and adjust. Your son has plenty of truck. Some guys pull 5th wheelers but you need a special hitch for the short bed and you get real iffy with weights. Good luck


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2017 forest river Cherokee limited 274dbh

Tow vehicle 2011 Toyota Tundra crewmax 5.7l v8. 4x4

[flighht2k5]

Originally Posted by itat

Truck manufacturers love to tell you how much their truck can pull (the Tundra can pull the Space Shuttle) but the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and Cargo Carrying Capacity are always the first limits to be compromised. So that's what you need to focus on.

I was looking up the specs on the new Tundras recently and found that it has approximately the same weight ratings as my '09 F-150 with the max. tow package. The critical numbers for any 1/2 ton will be payload and rear axle rating. My F-150's GVWR is 7200 pounds and the rear axle is rated for 4000 pounds.

5th wheels will always put more weight on the truck than the same size TT. Check the GVWR on your son's Tundra. It's probably in the 7000 - 7200 pound range. If he or you are interested in a particular trailer, you'll never be able to know the actual loaded weight so use the GVWR of the trailer and assume the pin weight on a 5th wheel will be 15-20% of that and on a TT the tongue weight will be 10-15% of the trailer's GVWR.

Take the Tundra to a local CAT scale full of fuel and with all the passengers on board and find out what it weighs. Then you can start to figure out if the Tundra can handle the pin weight or tongue weight that the trailer is going to transfer to the truck.

Of course, the above only matters if you care about exceeding the truck's GVWR. I've seen Tundras pulling 30+ foot long 5th wheels, but I wouldn't do it myself.

Toyota was the first and only manufacturer to follow j2807 for years before the "big 3" started following it. I would trust toyotas figures over older domestic towing capacities.

[timfromma]

:-)




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[Seachaser186]

Overbuilt for a half-ton compared to what. It still depends on your payload and the weight of the camper; don't kid yourself.

[timfromma]

Originally Posted by Seachaser186

Overbuilt for a half-ton compared to what. It still depends on your payload and the weight of the camper; don't kid yourself.

That's true for any truck.


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[Seachaser186]

That's my point; some people are fooled by perception over reality.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by Seachaser186

Overbuilt for a half-ton compared to what. It still depends on your payload and the weight of the camper; don't kid yourself.

My question, also. What EXACTLY does "overbuilt" mean?

As an engineer, I would say that if two trucks had the same published capacities, but one of them had more "design margin" built in, then you could say it was "overbuilt" (at least compared to the other truck). But we really have NO idea what the design margins are on any of these trucks.

Sounds like an urban legend statement to me.

[timfromma]

I don't care if a 1/2 ton truck is built to the same exact specifications as a 1 ton, you must follow it's advertised capacities.


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