buffaloKev wrote:
Thanks for the replies guys, very helpful. I talked to a dealership and they told me I was fine with my WD set up and sway bars... but after reading these replies, I may need to down size to a smaller trailer.
Forget about that mythical tow number. You won't get there with out overloading your Tundra.
Don't listen to RV sales people, as to what you can tow. Some of them have never towed a trailer. They see an advertised max tow capacity number and try to sell you a trailer with unloaded weight, near to your capacity. In some cases, people have purchased trailers that, when loaded for camping, they exceeded the max tow number. There have also been folks who bought trailers that were within their trucks capacity, but, they failed to consider the weight of their passengers and cargo. Soon as everybody got in the truck, it no longer had the capacity for the trailer.
If you want real world numbers on what you can tow, look at the loading sticker on your drivers door post. That will show you a max occupant / cargo (payload) number and GVWR.
That payload number is weight capacity your truck had, when it left the factory, to carry fuel, aftermarket accessories, driver, passengers, cargo, and trailer tongue weight, combined.
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Example:
Lets say that number is 1500 lbs.
If your truck now has a fiberglass bed cap (about 200 lbs), it's available payload would be 1300 lbs.
If your fuel, driver, passengers, and cargo weigh 700 lbs, you would have 600 lb payload available for hitch (about 100 lbs) and tongue weight.
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Once you know what your available payload is, divide that number by .12. The result is a ballpark number for loaded trailer weight that will put you at max weight on the truck.
Example:
After weight is deducted for fuel, driver, passengers, cargo, and WD hitch, you have 800 lbs payload available for tongue weight.
800 divided by .12 equals 6666 lb loaded trailer.
Average camping load (dishes, pots and pans, camp chairs, BBQ, bedding, groceries, and water, etc) is 800-1000 lbs.
You should look at trailers with unloaded weight below 5666 lbs.
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Your numbers could be higher, or lower, depending on size of family and how much stuff you plan to put in the truck.
Things to keep in mind:
Payload will be used up, long before you get close to the mythical max tow number.
Towing at or above max weight, can be unpleasant, and, it puts you in a situation where you need to be concerned about location and weight of everything and everybody going camping with you. Takes some of the fun out of it.
Most half ton trucks, come with passenger (P) rated tires. Passenger tires are built for comfort, not carrying a heavy load. When they are put in a position of carrying heavy loads, they are not as stable as truck "LT" tires.
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