Can our Toyota Tundra pull our trailer?

[Pandora]

We just purchased a 1998 ThorCalifornia Wanderer travel trailer that has a GVWR of 7000. We own a 2001 Toyota Tundra V8. We will be getting our truck outfitted to pull this trailer, and wonder if we are crazy thinking we can pull this trailer with this truck or not. Any information would be VERY much appreciated.
We can't wait to try this rv'ing thing out. WE JUST LOVE HOW KIND RV PEOPLE ARE!!!!
Thanks,
RV Virgins

[Pandora]

We just purchased a 1998 ThorCalifornia Wanderer travel trailer that has a GVWR of 7000. We own a 2001 Toyota Tundra V8. We will be getting our truck outfitted to pull this trailer, and wonder if we are crazy thinking we can pull this trailer with this truck or not. Any information would be VERY much appreciated.
We can't wait to try this rv'ing thing out. WE JUST LOVE HOW KIND RV PEOPLE ARE!!!!
Thanks,
RV Virgins

[Fulltimer]

If you read here:

http://www.trailerlife.com/downloads/01towingguide.pdf

you can see you can tow up to 7,200#

[450Donn]

Personally I would not tow with a gas motor up near the max limits. You will hate the fuel mileage, the way it handles, and the ride. No matter what you may read a 2001 Toy is not a 1/2 ton truck. Bye the time you add two adults, stuff like fishing poles, fire wood, pets, kids, or anything else you might think to pack you will really be overloading the truck. Sorry to burst your bubble, but I have been there,done that and am speaking from experience. At least buy a real 1/2 ton truck, like a Chevy/Ford/ or heaven forbid a Dodge

[Paul Heuvelhorst]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Pandora:
We just purchased a 1998 ThorCalifornia Wanderer travel trailer that has a GVWR of 7000. We own a 2001 Toyota Tundra V8. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
The "margin of safety" (rule of thumb) is to keep your trailer between 10-15% below the tow capacity of your truck.

The 2007 Tundras (V8) will tow up to 10,000# when equipped with the factory-installed tow package. My suggestion is, no matter what brand truck you buy (Ford, Chevy/GMC, or Toyota) have it equipped with the factory tow package. That adds many "goodies" needed for successful towing that you couldn't possibly add to the truck after-market. (Notice, I didn't mention Dodge, either! )

[Ray,IN]

This travel trailer weight calculator should be useful. The first task is weighing your truck when loaded, including all passengers, ready to go camping. Then the weight calculator guides you through the rest.

[charliez]

Why are you waiting till after you make a major purchase to find out if things are ok? What are you going to do if you find out they are not? This is probably the single biggest mistake that people make when getting into rv'ing.

So now lets add a whole pile of adapters, brackets, springs and gismos to make a truck do what it's not intended to do, and wonder why the transmision leaves you sitting on the side of the road, or the whole rig flips sideways and blocks I-10, which is exactly what I got to sit an hour last Friday in the heat and watch, as a very large and expensive tow truck cleared a small Ford pickup still hooked to an overturned 30 foot travel trailer.

I'm not trying to beat you up, I'm just wonder why you didn't ask this question before you made a sizeable investment.

[gearman]

My humble oppion, 7k is too much for a 1/2 ton truck/suv ect...

Now that you got a nice RV, slowly and carefully use current truck to park it next to house while you go truck shopping.

I recomend getting at least a HD 3/4 ton, with the biggest motor you are willing to buy.
You are going to fall in love with RVing and you will be trading you trailer in on a bigger one next year and if you already have a big truck you are one step closer.

Now back to your current truck, Yes it will pull it. But you will be straining it, you will have white knuckle experiances going down the road when that large trailer is throwing that little truck around. Tow with it this season and you will see what we are talking about.

Happy camping.

[bdonpap]

Alot depends on how far you are going to tow it. Many people only tow a few miles to a local lake, etc, in which case you would probably be okay. If you are planning across the country trips, I'd have to agree with the previous replies.

[CD]

You don't have to get far from home to get into alot of trouble.

[baddwalk]

The 01 Toyota Tundra, like all Toyota pickups and minivans, have undersized brakes and rotors. You will be eating up brake pads like crazy. My wifes 04 Sienna is the same way. Replaced first set of brakes at 14,000 miles. Second set at 32,000. Next time I will be buying Brembo rotors and calipers that are bigger. My 02 Chevy 2500 HD had 80,000 miles on it and the original pads are not yet 10 percent worn.

[Rick A]

I have towqd 7K Lbs with a 1/2 ton truck ('99 Dodge Ram 1500) very succesfully, very safely, and very comfortably. Like suggested before, take the truck to the scales and have it weighed, then use the weight calculator to determine how much you can safely tow. Make sure you have a good weight distributing hitch, good sway control, tranny cooler, and good brake controller. As long as you are with in the weight limits of the truck and set up properly to tow, try it out and see how you like it. My only concern with the Tundra is the short wheelbase opening you up to sway issues. If you are not comfortable with the set up, then start shopping for a new truck.

[RobCN]

First experience I had with an RV was towing a 24 ft. travel trailer of about 6,000 lbs. with a 1/2 ton Chevy Suburban 350 cu.in. V-8. I thought I had a pretty hefty truck. We went from the flatlands of the Texas gulf coast out to the Guadalupe mountains in West Texas.

To make a long story very short, we barely made it up the mountain to Guadalupe Mountains National Park. I was down to 15 mph in low gear halfway up. Engine was overheating, and it's a miracle I didn't burn up the transmission.

I learned my lesson from that. Pulling a 6,000 lb. trailer on anything but flat land, with even a full-size 1/2-ton gasoline pickup is very strongly NOT recommended. Spec. sheets may say it should work, but experience says NO. Low-speed torque is woefully inadequate, fuel economy is horrendous, and don't even get me started about braking on downhill grades. I now tow a 10,000 lb. 5th wheel with a 3/4-ton Dodge Cummins Turbo Diesel, which works extremely well.

If you are anywhere near serious about towing that 6,000 lb. trailer more than short distances on flat land, I would strongly encourage you to get a heavy-duty pickup (3/4-ton at least) with a diesel engine. You'll be glad you did.