Community Forums

Reef · 05-28-2015, 08:52 AM

Hi folks! My wife and I are looking at purchasing our first travel trailer to live in full-time for about a year. I've been snooping around this forum and saw some stickies relating to towing capability; the 2008 Tundra was a dead link.

Our vehicle is the 2008 Tundra Crew Max 4x4 5.7L V-8. On the driver-side door frame it has a listed GVWR of 7,200 lbs. The manual says the towing capacity is 10,100 which I believe is trailer plus cargo.

My question is when I look at a RV manufacture's websites such as Coachmen, under specifications to get an idea of the weight of the TT it seems with my truck we are going to very limited. That seems odd because the Tundra seems like a beast of a truck.

As an example: Coachmen RV - Manufacturer of Travel Trailers - Fifth Wheels - Tent Campers - Motorhomes The 22DSX and 23TQX are both over the 7200 limit. Does this mean since our truck has 7,200 lbs listed we can't/shouldn't tow this trailer? I'm only using this as an example, we have not decided on a TT yet but just doing some research so we find something the two of us plus a dog can live in for a year.

Your help is appreciated and sorry if this is a dumb question.

cruzbill · 05-28-2015, 09:03 AM

Reef, Ahh, the numbers game; Weight Ratings Explained
Take a look at your owners manual to see if you can find GCWR; Gross Combined Weight Rating, that is truck and trailer combined.
Good luck on your search!

Skip426 · 05-28-2015, 09:46 AM

The tow weight rating numbers can be VERY confusing, but it's well worth the time to figure out, before you buy a trailer that overloads your truck.
The 7,200 GVWR on your truck , is the max weight the truck can carry,( truck + passengers+ cargo + hitch weight)
If Toyota sets the max trailer weight, the way other P/U manufacturers do, then you can tow 10,100 only if there is only a 145 lb. driver in the truck.
So you are correct, truck passengers and cargo must be deducted from the 10,100.
JMHO: When shopping for your trailer , consider the trailer GVWR , not the dry weight, the only time a trailer is truly dry , is at the end of the assembly line. I think by the time you crunch all the numbers you'll be shopping for a trailer with a GVWR in the 8,000 lb. range.
To aid your search, get your truck weight, full of fuel and passengers, and weight of front and rear axles, to see how much load you can handle , in the way of trailer tongue weight. Don't forget that the hitch and stabilizer bars add weight, to the truck, particularly the rear axle, too.

Reef · 05-28-2015, 09:59 AM

All good points. I really appreciate the information!

Skip426 · 05-28-2015, 10:30 AM

A post with very good info , if you haven't already seen it; is the first post in " Trailer Towing & Tow Vehicle Discussion" in the " RV Forums " drop box. The first post there, " Tow Vehicle Sizing & Weight Calculator " has some good links and important info.

jondrew55 · 05-28-2015, 11:21 AM

I used to have a Shasta 28BHS that weighed in around 6000 pounds dry. With a good WD hitch I could easily pull it with my 2008 2WD Tundra 5.9. I'm guessing this trailer loaded out was probably a bit much for this truck. Almost all of my travels were in Florida on relatively flat ground. If I were to go back to TTs in this weight range again, I'd be looking at using a 250/2500 class truck.

tuffr2 · 05-28-2015, 12:14 PM

Can you explain 'Live in for about a year'? Are you going to travel? Will you be towing on a highway with Semi-trucks at 70 mph? Or are you going to park it in a RV park and stay stationary for about a year?

My answer changes if stationary vs towing at 70mph.

GWDawg1 · 05-28-2015, 03:26 PM

Watch the payload on the Tundra. It is less than the Big 3.

Reef · 05-28-2015, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuffr2

Can you explain 'Live in for about a year'? Are you going to travel? Will you be towing on a highway with Semi-trucks at 70 mph? Or are you going to park it in a RV park and stay stationary for about a year?

My answer changes if stationary vs towing at 70mph.

We plan to travel park to park and either work or volunteer to offset the cost of utilities. Not sure how long at each area which is one of the more appealing aspects to us this adventure offers. Once construction of our retirement home begins we plan to move the rv to the site and remain there until the house is move-in ready. So, probably 6 months of traveling then 6 or so stationary at the build site.

tuffr2 · 05-28-2015, 03:48 PM

IMHO the heaviest trailer that a 1/2 ton truck can comfortably tow is 6,000 lbs.

Sure it can tow more but it will be uncomfortable.

I say this because I towed a 5,500lb trailer with a 2011 5.0 litre F-150. That was a comfortable ride. I know I would not want to tow 7,000lbs. with that truck. That is how I came to my conclusion of a 6,000lb comfortable max for a 1/2 ton truck.

DaveF-250SD · 05-28-2015, 04:44 PM

You might re-check the tow rating. The 10,110 lb. rating only applies to the two wheel drive, long bed, standard cab model. I believe the rating for the Crew Max 4x4 is approximately 8,100 lbs..

Loraura · 05-28-2015, 05:57 PM

Check the door stickers for max cargo allowed (cargo plus passengers). It is typically cargo capacity that limits the trailer you can tow because the tongue weight has to fit in the remaining payload available. Tongue weight should be 12-15% of the total TT weight.

KerrTx · 06-19-2015, 04:09 PM

We've had 2 Tundra's a 2008 and then a 2014, that we traded in on a 2015 RAM 3500 when we decided to go 5th wheel. No matter how you crunch the numbers, they don't add up to safe. Pin Weight is a issue. It's a lot of weight and money going down the road and not worth hurting yourself or someone else. Once you test drive the RAM Laramie, you will see what a Tundra want to grow up to be someday. And I LOVED my Tundra's!