Forum Discussion

buffaloKev's avatar
buffaloKev
Explorer
Dec 02, 2014

Towing a larger Travel Trailer

Hey Guys, newbie here. I recently upgraded to a 35ft Nomad Joey that has a dry weight of 7250 lbs, but the sticker on the side says it weighs like 8100 lbs(not sure what that weight means, dry weight plus whats in the trailer?). We bought our 1st camper last December, 24ft light travel trailer but soon realized we wanted to upgrade since we have 2 children and fell in love with camping. I have a 2007 Toyota crewmax that has a max towing capacity around 10,400 lbs. We have taken it on a short trip of about 30-40 miles away from the house but we are getting ready for a 3-4 hour trip and I'm a little nervous. I've seen a lot of campers my size on the road being towed by 3/4 ton trucks. Should my Tundra be ok? or did I over do it with this big of a travel trailer? Recommended top speed? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
  • Welcome to the Forum...
    I'm sure lots of experienced folks here will 'weigh' in on this one.
    My quick take/opinion is that you are asking an awful lot from your Toyota with a 35 footer and probably around 10K loaded for a trip.

    Tongue weight is going to be very high and that, along with your family and gear in the truck is going to be a problem for the PAYLOAD capability of your truck.

    Hopefully others will give you a more positive outlook.
  • Most late model half tons will exceed some other limit anywhere near the tow ratings. At 7200 pounds dry and especially 8100 pounds dry, I expect your Crewmax is over GVWR, rear axle, and possibly receiver ratings. I would start by getting the combo to a scale to find out where you stand with respect to all your truck's ratings as well as how well your weight distribution hitch is set up. The truck should still be okay with a well adjusted WDH.