Newb here with questions

[Texastundra19]

Hello all! I'm new to this forum and to RVing.. I posted this question on my tundra forum without much luck.
My wife and I are currently looking at the aerolite 294rkss.

http://aero-rv.com/floorplan/294RKS

I have a 2010 tundra 4.6l with towing package trans cooler oil cooler and a 4.10 rear end. My towing cap is 8600. My truck is lifted 6 inches with 3 inch rear blocks (bad for towing) and I have 35 inch 10 ply load range E tires. Also have tekonsha p3 brake controller.

With all that being said can I safely tow this 6500 dry weight trailer?

Also looking at the Andersen 3380 weight distributing anti sway system

http://www.andersenhitches.com/Products/3380--nosway-weight-distribution-hitch-8-droprise-2516-ball-3-4-5--6-brackets.aspx

I should also add we will be towing no more than 75 miles each way on flat terrain.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated

[APT]

In this case, performance/acceleration/ability to hold 65 mpg anywhere but downhill will likely be beyond his mental limit.

[Bumpyroad]

75 miles on flat terrain.
bumpy

[handye9]

Texastundra19 wrote:
Thank you everybody for your quick responses. I will be checking my gvwr tonight when I get out of work and will post some accurate numbers..

Does anyone have any experience with the Andersen 3380?

When you check your GVWR, also get your payload (cargo carrying capacity) number. I too, think you're biting off too much for your truck to chew.

When you find your payload number, keep in mind, that is weight capacity for any aftermarket accessories, fuel, occupants, weight distribution hitch (60 - 100 lbs), and trailer tongue weight, combined.

Example (plug your actual numbers into a similar scenario and see what payload you have available):

Say your payload is 1500 lbs, you have 500 lbs of driver and passengers, you added a 200 lb bed cap, and a full tank of fuel is 250 lbs. You would only have 550 lbs left for WD hitch, cargo, and trailer tongue weight.

I have had an Andersen 3380, for four years. So far, it works well for me. It is a little soft on weight transfer, but, it meets Ford specs for my truck. I like the lite weight, quiet operation, and it's clean (no grease). A few others, mostly those with heavy trailers, have had issues with weight transfer.

There have been some long discussions, here on the forum, about Andersen hitches. Do a forum search for "Andersen Hitch".

[Texastundra19]

Thank you everybody for your quick responses. I will be checking my gvwr tonight when I get out of work and will post some accurate numbers..

Does anyone have any experience with the Andersen 3380?

[APT]

6500 pounds dry is pushing the limits of the most capable half ton pickups, of which you do not own stock. The lift and tires to an even larger degree degrade performance which becomes even more evident when worked. And towing a high walled RV is work, hard work. It's the toughest type of trailer for a truck, evidence by the 8-10mpg all us gas powered RV owners get.

4.10 axle sounds good, but Tundra 6-spd transmission gearing is different than the domestics. Tundra with 4.30 axle is nearly identical to Ford/GM with 3.73.



So Tundra 4.10 is like Ford/GM with 3.55. Then take away another 9% for larger than stock tires and you have the equivalent axle ratio of 3.25:1. Now your tires probably weight twice as much as stock tires. 30 pounds times 4 is not much weight in a truck bed. But that is far more impact as rotational weight, a lot more inertial and therefore torque to spin or stop. The effect is much higher than 120 pound, more like 1200 pounds.

6500 pounds dry RV means more like 7500 pounds loaded for a long weekend, and 8000+ for week+ long trips. A stock Tundra 4.6L would work pretty hard for that. Closer to 5k dry would be better for a stock 4.6L Tundra IMHO.

[Marauderer]

Huntindog wrote:
The big tires and lift WILL reduce the tow rating.
One can debate by just how much.. But I would say by at least the percentage the the tire size was increased over stock.

Not sure what your stock tires were, but if they were 30" tall, then the 35s you have now are 17% bigger, and would require a MINIMUM 17% reduction or about 1500#. So your new tow rating would be 7100 MAX. Then take all the usual things into account that will reduce it more. Such as the 6500 empty weight of the TT is likely less than actual weight, and that you will never use it empty, and that the weight of any passengers and cargo will reduce the rating even more... Short answer is No. it is not a good match. Lose the lift and big tires or pick a lighter trailer.

Or buy a different truck.

[Huntindog]

The big tires and lift WILL reduce the tow rating.
One can debate by just how much.. But I would say by at least the percentage the the tire size was increased over stock.

Not sure what your stock tires were, but if they were 30" tall, then the 35s you have now are 17% bigger, and would require a MINIMUM 17% reduction or about 1500#. So your new tow rating would be 7100 MAX. Then take all the usual things into account that will reduce it more. Such as the 6500 empty weight of the TT is likely less than actual weight, and that you will never use it empty, and that the weight of any passengers and cargo will reduce the rating even more... Short answer is No. it is not a good match. Lose the lift and big tires or pick a lighter trailer.

[MitchF150]

"Safely tow" is subjective to say the least... 😉 I don't care for lifted, big tired trucks, so my subjective opinion is that you've got a Monster Truck that can go off road better than a stock truck, but tow a very large and heavy TT???

I'm sure it'll get down the road, but I wouldn't want to do it..

See, that's my 'subjective' opinion and someone else will say that they tow their very large and heavy TT just fine with their lifted and big tired truck! 😉

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. 🙂

Mitch

[rfryer]

A 6500# dry weight TT and a 4.6 engine sounds like too much TT for the TV to me, even with the 4.10. Forget the tow capacity; it’s rarely ever a useful number. As said, payload is what you want to look at. The best way to have some confidence in your numbers is to load the TV up with all the gear and people you’ll carry on a trip and weigh it. Then subtract that number from your TV GVWR. That will give you the amount of payload you have left. That 6500# TT will weigh a whole lot more loaded and the hitch weight will be high. One way to ballpark it is to use the TT GVWR and use about 13% for the hitch weight. If you’re under the payload and hitch rating it will pull it, but I sure wouldn’t want to climb any grades with it.

[diazr2]

Seems like you will be overweight but not sure. What is your trucks payload weight? Your GCVW? Figure those two numbers out and you will have a much better idea if you will be overweight or not. Remember just because the trailer only weighs 6600 doesn't mean that's what your going to be towing. I would guess you will put close to 1500lbs in the trailer when loaded. Your going to have close to a thousand lbs tong weight. So with all that your ether going to be over or close close. Those are my thoughts at any rate.