1/2 ton Tundra pulling 8200 lbs
I inherited my father's Beautiful 30' Blackstone TT,I have pulled it maybe a dozen times with my paid for 2007 Tundra which seem's to pull and brake it just fine.But I get grilled all the time at Rv p...
Forum Discussion
Toyota should be sued for their recent ad campaigns.
Allowing the line, "If my dealer knew how much I towed, he'd probably void my warranty" encourages unsafe and uninformed behavior. The video they show is misleading, as I understand it, the huge triple-axle trailers they've shown being towed are empty. Tow rating alone is insufficient to determine what a truck can do.
I saw a Tundra towing a ~35' fifth wheel on I-20 a couple of years ago. The rear of the truck was severely sagging and the driver was white-knuckled and looked like he'd seen a ghost. He was following another rig with the exact same 5ver, but this one was towed by a Chevy 2500 HD diesel. The rig was level and the driver looked like he was on vacation.
I'll echo the advice of others: please visit a scale and make an informed decision based on facts. If you're within all the ratings, you'll have something concrete to retort to nosy campers. If you're not within the ratings, for the safety of yourself, your family, and everybody else on the road, you can look into a proper tow vehicle or a smaller camper.
Look at:
GVWR (understand what your truck includes in this. . . e.g. how many passengers at what weight?)
GCWR
GRAWR
GFAWR
Tire rating
Actual weight of truck
Actual weight of trailer
I like to do two weighs:
1. Trucked hooked to trailer
2. Truck and trailer separate
Then, some simple arithmetic:
GVWR - Actual weight of truck unhitched = available payload of truck
GVWR - Actual weight of truck hitched = excess available / shortage of payload for your setup
Actual weight of truck hitched - Actual weight of truck unhitched = (roughly) tongue weight of trailer
Front axle of truck hitched - Front axle of truck unhitched = (roughly) Effect of WD bars
.. . etc.
If your close on payload, you might have room in the trailer's GVWR to move some gear from the truck to the trailer. You might simply need a new wheels / tires. You might need a new tow vehicle.
Taking the time and effort to make an informed decision will pay dividends down the road. Judging on "feel" can be misleading.
Good luck! Please let us know what you find!
Allowing the line, "If my dealer knew how much I towed, he'd probably void my warranty" encourages unsafe and uninformed behavior. The video they show is misleading, as I understand it, the huge triple-axle trailers they've shown being towed are empty. Tow rating alone is insufficient to determine what a truck can do.
I saw a Tundra towing a ~35' fifth wheel on I-20 a couple of years ago. The rear of the truck was severely sagging and the driver was white-knuckled and looked like he'd seen a ghost. He was following another rig with the exact same 5ver, but this one was towed by a Chevy 2500 HD diesel. The rig was level and the driver looked like he was on vacation.
I'll echo the advice of others: please visit a scale and make an informed decision based on facts. If you're within all the ratings, you'll have something concrete to retort to nosy campers. If you're not within the ratings, for the safety of yourself, your family, and everybody else on the road, you can look into a proper tow vehicle or a smaller camper.
Look at:
GVWR (understand what your truck includes in this. . . e.g. how many passengers at what weight?)
GCWR
GRAWR
GFAWR
Tire rating
Actual weight of truck
Actual weight of trailer
I like to do two weighs:
1. Trucked hooked to trailer
2. Truck and trailer separate
Then, some simple arithmetic:
GVWR - Actual weight of truck unhitched = available payload of truck
GVWR - Actual weight of truck hitched = excess available / shortage of payload for your setup
Actual weight of truck hitched - Actual weight of truck unhitched = (roughly) tongue weight of trailer
Front axle of truck hitched - Front axle of truck unhitched = (roughly) Effect of WD bars
.. . etc.
If your close on payload, you might have room in the trailer's GVWR to move some gear from the truck to the trailer. You might simply need a new wheels / tires. You might need a new tow vehicle.
Taking the time and effort to make an informed decision will pay dividends down the road. Judging on "feel" can be misleading.
Good luck! Please let us know what you find!
