Big enough tow vehicle??

[chevy74]

Hello to all

I am new to rving and to this forum and wish i had found this before i had purchased our first rv it would have helped in the purchase and probably avoided many mistakes.

My truck is a 2006 Toyota tundra with a 4.7l v8 and tow package, GVWR 6300#, payload 1309#, and GCWR 12600#. Our TT is a 28' living space with a GVWR 7200#, UVW 5320# with my partner and supplies in the truck bed together wouldnt weigh more than 500# and i use a reese wd with built in friction for sway control.
The salesman told me that the truck would handle the trailer no problem and even went as far as to say we could handle a 5er. Needless to say i am having my doubts because when i am on the freeway and trucks pass me i am being pushed around and feel unsteady, i have also had a hitch company setup my wd and it is still the same alot of white knuckle trips.
so my question is do you think the truck is too small and if so what do you suggest for a replacement truck? we love rving and intend to do it full time once my wife retires and possibly upgrade to a 5er

thanks in advance for all your help

[drsteve]

A 3/4 ton gasser will pull that TT with ease.

[TomG2]

Borrow or rent a 2500HD and you will never hook up the Tundra again. You will be smiling instead of dreading your next trip. There are enough addons, suspension upgrades, and fancy hitches that might make your combination work a little better. AS suggested, get some real weights to verify what others are suggesting. Curious how much over your payload you might be when headed down the highway.

[Hideout17]

I,have a 2015 tundra with a 31ft hideout and tow it without issue. I put E series tires on, that helped alot in the wind.

[2012Coleman]

I'd look into a gently used/new SRW 3500 series TV.

[mkirsch]

If you were to insist on continuing with the Tundra, my recommendation would be to upgrade to a modern WD hitch with integrated sway control, such as a Reese Dual Cam or Equal-I-Zer brand.

Reason being is that these hitches will stiffen the pivot point between the truck and trailer and make them act more as one long straight vehicle when presented with side winds from passing vehicles. This will greatly reduce the push-pull feeling you are currently getting.

Even if you do get the 2500 truck, the WD hitch will not be a wasted purchase. It doesn't matter how heavy your tow vehicle is, your trailer is still on a ball behind it and having a modern integrated WD hitch and sway control to stiffen that connection while under way will make the tow much more enjoyable. Even if you don't really need weight distribution for the truck.

[chevy74]

Thanks to all for the many helpful opinions, being that the total length of our TT is 32' from hitch to bumper and weighing close to 7200# which puts the Tundra at or over the capability of the TV we will be replacing it with a 2500 diesel.
I love the Tundra and hate to part ways but if we are to travel full time i need to know that i can tow with comfort rather than being on the edge all the time.
i will also be checking the weights of the current rig and also the new one and also setting up the WD myself

thanks again for all the help you guys and gals are great.

Keith

[chevy74]

2001400ex wrote:
One other thing that's not mentioned. You could check the weighting of your load. For instance, you might need more weight on the front of your trailer to reduce sway. That being said, my comfortability, go with a bigger pickup. I'd rather have a bunch of excess capacity when it comes to towing.

Thanks 2001400ex

i will be sure to keep that in mind

Keith

[chevy74]

Grit dog wrote:
Well your on the fast track to a towing dream. If you're not down with your current rig (it's pretty maxed out where you're at now) just go upgrade now and be done with it!
Any of the big 3 HD pickups will do awesome. We all have our favorites and personally I could flip a coin between the 2 you've mentioned. Be prepared to be lulled asleep towing your trailer with a big truck compared to your current rig!

Thanks Grit dog

That would be nice to arrive at our location and not be stressed over towing

Keith

[chevy74]

MitchF150 wrote:
Keith, that's the route I would take too... That Tundra is a nice truck, but just not up to the task at hand IMO.. Especially if you intend to go to a 5ver..

A 3500 will give you more capacity and room to grow if that's the future plans. But, a 2500 will work within it's limits too..

Good luck!

Mitch

Thanks Mitch

we have decided to stay with a TT, and our current TT is more than enough with 28' of living space and hitch to bumper of 32' and since our current TT is an ultra light i will be looking at a 2500HD with enough towing to pull some of the other models that are heavier.

Keith

[chevy74]

Trackrig wrote:
You do need a bigger truck, but before you grab any old 3/4 ton truck, go look at 5th whl trailers also or you could wind up with a truck not suitable for the 5th wheel trl and then be buying your third truck.

Bill

Thanks for the comment Bill

[valhalla360]

If you are comfortable being over the ratings, fine but if you want to be within the ratings good luck.

[VernDiesel]

I'm with Rover Bill. No I'm not against upgrading to a larger TV but it's always easier to spend somebody else's money. That said a modern built in sway control WDH with properly sized bars ie likely in the 1,000 to 1,500 pound rating range. Set up per mfg instructions at a CAT tripple scale with trailer measuring level would likely make an almost seemingly unbelievable difference in stability etc. Been there & done that. Should be a lot cheaper than buying a new HD diesel truck. Honestly it's the right thing to do with a 30' TT even if you have a HD.

Their is a free cat scale app with a gps locator with most any info you want. It usually costs about $11 first weigh & $2 per additional. Weigh your loaded truck & trailer with WD engaged & a measured front & back level TT to get steer, drive, & TT axle weights. Then relieve the WD and get the numbers again. Pull off the scale unhitch pull around & get the unloaded truck drive & steer weights. Adjust hitch & load to replace weight on the steer until if it can match the steer weight of the unloaded trucks numbers.

If your hitch is up to the job it should at least replace enough of the steer weight to dramatically improve the handling. The hitch should transfer a couple hundred pounds off your drive axle to your steer & also some back to the trailer axles. It will take a lil trial & error to get the best numbers but once you have it your done and should never need to return to the scales unless your load changes radically. You can end up with a setup more stable than the average bub with the same trailer, a 3/4 ton, & no WD.

The first time you have to emergency steer your rig to avoid an accident you will be glad you took the time to learn & do it. Because you won't be next guy pictured on the internet upside down & backwards in a ditch with your stuff littering the road.

[Hideout17]

Rover_Bill wrote:
Before you put down any money on a bigger TV, remember that a strong enough crosswind will flip even a big heavy semi. If it was my rig, I would get the true tongue weight and steering axle weight from a commercial truck scale and setup the WD correctly.

My TV/TT rig is very similar to yours - 3.6L V6, 30' TT, 7,000# tow, 12,000# gross. It is setup with a near perfect weight distribution. Last year I did a 4,000 mile trip through New England and had absolutely NO sway issues including going downgrade in the mountains at 70 MPH with a gusting 30 MPH crosswind while passing semis.

I have a similar set up with my TUNDRA and works great. I have put 8to10k on this setup no issues. Be careful the weight police may be after us.

[noteven]

In the meanwhile do a u tube search for "caravan stability" and see if there is anything you can improve weight and balance wise with your current rig while you shop for Bigger.

RV trailers are perched on their axles like a weather vane and act like one in changing aero forces.

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