TOYOTA TUNDRA - who's towing a camper with a Tundra?

I had 2008 Tundra crewmax with the 5.7 , it was a great truck, no issues , pulled fine, however it’s weak spot was the 1600lb payload. I pulled a 7500 lb trailer ( about 900lbs on the tounge) , once we loaded up the family and the typical camping stuff we would reach or exceed the payload limit. I have upgraded to a ram 2500 with the 6.4 hemi and now have almost double the payload( 3000lbs) and can confidently load up as much **** as I want and not have to constantly worry about being overweight.

silverfz wrote:
When time comes I want to go 3/4 tone due to bs state tax and insurance . How much better is your mpg with the 1 tonne . I hope I can have as much space as a crewmax.

If the question was for me... My 1-ton is a 2011 CC LB and curb weight is roughly 8400 lbs. Towing mpg is a pretty solid 12 with 4 average people, two small dogs, some payload in the bed and aprrox loaded TT weight of 9100lbs. If I'm primarily towing in the mtns and in a hurry and with my 850lbs ATV in the bed, it can drop a bit to 11 or maybe even 10. I will state I have put Endurance shoes on the trailer and can be doing 70mph, so if you stay at 65, you will get better mpgs.

If you're talking unloaded, I get a solid 18 mpgs and that is going up and down 2000' elevation 85% of the time. If I were a flatlander, I can see getting 19 or maybe even 20, but I keep up with traffic. As always, less boost = better mpgs.

RedRocket204 wrote:

Ron3rd wrote:
Former Tundra owner here and it sits fine with me. I agree with everything you said.

There's a difference when someone is being a realist versus others being fanatical and skipping over some of the details :)

Thanks.

When time comes I want to go 3/4 tone due to bs state tax and insurance . How much better is your mpg with the 1 tonne . I hope I can have as much space as a crewmax.

Ron3rd wrote:
Former Tundra owner here and it sits fine with me. I agree with everything you said.

There's a difference when someone is being a realist versus others being fanatical and skipping over some of the details :)

Thanks.

RedRocket204 wrote:
Not a Tundra but Sequoia which has the same drive train and chassis but is slightly heavier. TT is a 30' total length at a GVWR of 9500 lbs.

When I towed our TT out in Oregon on the coast down to CA with the Sequoia, it weighed in at 8500 lbs. I did not like how it towed. There was plenty of power and I was using a WDH, but the towing experience was not great and I wouldn't consider towing over 7000 lbs loaded trailer with our Sequoia now, which we still have. When I say not great, what I'm referring to is being pushed around by the trailer making for a bit of white knuckled driving at times.

Now that I live at 8000', I'm not certain I would even want to tow a 7000 lbs trailer at altitude with the Sequoia but that is potentially a bit unfair of a statement as I have a 1-ton modern diesel to tow the same GVWR 9500 lbs trailer. Forced induction at altitude really makes a big difference so called me a bit spoiled.

I'm sure this info won't sit well with the Tundra fans but that was my experience, like it or not. Oh yeah, and that drive train is very thirsty. Lower altitude mountainous roads were netting 7-8 mpg towing the above trailer.

Former Tundra owner here and it sits fine with me. I agree with everything you said.

I towed the 35 ft trailer in my sig (about 8500 lbs fully loaded) for a couple years with my 5.7 Tundra. It pulled it well but the trailer was a bit much for a 1/2 ton long term so I upgraded to the 2500 Cummins in my sig with an eye on the future.

Before that we pulled our old 25 ft, 6500 lb loaded Trailer with the Tundra and it pulled that trailer around like a little toy.

They used to have the best drivetrain in the business IMO before all of the big 3 upgraded.

Bullet proof truck; can't go wrong if you keep it within its limits.

Loved my old Tundra!

I tow with a tundra 2008 crewmax i brought 5 yrs ago used with 90k. Now i have 150k. I tow a 7000 to 7500 lbs camper depending on length of trip with bike sin the bed.

I have done alot of 500 mile trips and one 2k trip and after 4 yrs i can tell its good setup
My setup that make towing hard
front lift
20 inch big wheel and tires.

to compensate i added airbag in the back.

its tow nice, i get around 7 to 8 mpg and with the 26 gallon tank. i have to gas up every 150 miles or so never bothered me.

It pulls and runs. so i am very happy with it. I will not replace till later maybe after 200k.

Tundras have low payloads, get horrible non towing gas mileage and haven't been updated by Toyota for years.

Most of the ones I was looking at had payloads down near 1200 or 1300. Wouldn't be suitable at all for my 25' trailer with a 900# tongue weight. Would be overloaded with just two passengers and a small amount of gear.

Own an '08 Tundra that I've had since new. Only use it to tow our 29ft TT.

Total weight is about #8500 and I love it. It's a rock solid towing platform that you can just set the cruise and not worry about.

I'm sure that a diesel would pull better - but I don't want or need a diesel. My bro and dad both have diesels (Ford & Dodge) both of those vehicles have left them stranded. Both are newer too.

The Tundra has never left me stranded and has been used to rescue both of them.
I do get worse gas mileage when towing then they do (8 vs 11/12). But the difference in cost of fuel/maintenance means the Tundra is cheaper over-all and fits MY needs.

Not a Tundra but Sequoia which has the same drive train and chassis but is slightly heavier. TT is a 30' total length at a GVWR of 9500 lbs.

When I towed our TT out in Oregon on the coast down to CA with the Sequoia, it weighed in at 8500 lbs. I did not like how it towed. There was plenty of power and I was using a WDH, but the towing experience was not great and I wouldn't consider towing over 7000 lbs loaded trailer with our Sequoia now, which we still have. When I say not great, what I'm referring to is being pushed around by the trailer making for a bit of white knuckled driving at times.

Now that I live at 8000', I'm not certain I would even want to tow a 7000 lbs trailer at altitude with the Sequoia but that is potentially a bit unfair of a statement as I have a 1-ton modern diesel to tow the same GVWR 9500 lbs trailer. Forced induction at altitude really makes a big difference so called me a bit spoiled.

I'm sure this info won't sit well with the Tundra fans but that was my experience, like it or not. Oh yeah, and that drive train is very thirsty. Lower altitude mountainous roads were netting 7-8 mpg towing the above trailer.