Towing capability

[jayshug]

So here it is, I traded my 4.7 Dodge Ram for a 4.6 tundra. I went crazy and purchased a 33' fiberglass travel trailer. I'm concerned that the 4.6 tundra may have some issues pulling that over the rolling hills in the Carolinas. Everyone says that the 4.6 can pull 9000 pounds, and the trailer is 6000. I guess what I'm asking for is a little reassurance and advice

[plasma800]

Whats the payload of your Tundra?

What's the tongue weight of your trailer?

That's usually the sticky point.

So on your truck you'll have a sticker that says "weight of cargo plus passengers should never exceed XXXXlb's"

And your trailer manufacturer will have a published tongue weight (TW). That TW will act as "cargo" on the truck.

So here's some math as a "FOR INSTANCE"

Quick internet search says the Tundra payload is something like 1540 lbs.

A 33 foot trailer probably has a TW of around 1000 lbs.

When you put that trailer on your truck, if these numbers are correct, that will leave you about 540 lbs to go.

your weight distributing hitch is going to weigh 80+ lbs.
YOU weigh something.. 170 to ????
Gasoline weighs 6 lbs per gallon.
Any passengers? Add their weight. Dogs? Supplies?

Anything extra loaded near the front of the trailer will increase the TW, and anything added to the rear of trailer will pick up on the rear tires and some of that weight will transfer to the front axle. I doubt you could load enough to the trailer to cause a problem there.

Technically, yes the truck should be able to pull 6000 lbs, but I have a feeling you'll be close to or over the rear axle gross weight rating quickly.

A mushy rear suspension can allow the trailer to move easier when you don't want it to. like for instance if the road dips to the right, as the trailer moves through the dip, the top rolls right, and the rear suspension doesn't snap it back up quickly allowing the weight to lollygag and pull your rear end into that roll instead of the other way around. Big rig flies by?? It always pulls and then pushes the trailer... the job of your rear suspension is to control the trailer, but if it's soft, the trailer can control the suspension instead. If your trailer is loaded wrong, like too much weight at the rear of the trailer, it can really mess with your mind as the trailer has already unloaded part of your suspension.

You'll want a tightly wound anti sway hitch for sure. Blue ox would probably be the easiest.. And don't load the truck real heavy when towing.

Just for comparison, the payload on my chevy 3/4 ton is just over 3000 lbs, my trailer TW is around 800. A 3500 or 1 ton single rear wheel is something like 4200 to 4500 lbs payload and a dual rear wheel is in the 6000+ range (mainly because of the addition of the extra two, heavy sidewalled tires)

Speaking of tires, tires are one of the limiting factors in payload. A swap to a tire with a higher weight rating can help.

[wandering1]

Real simple. Read the tow specs for your truck. If you dont have the specs get them from the manufacturer. Dont pay attention to personal opinions. Get the facts. You are legally responsible for having an adequate tow vehicle.

[plasma800]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMYyA4w0kAs

[plasma800]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks2tio91gu4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v0FU05dGz8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfeyBxuIZOU

[dcarver]

That's gonna be a lot of trailer for that truck. I don't really know of a 33ft trailer that has a 6k GVWR so I'm guessing that number is dry. Probably be around 7k loaded for a weekend trip.
So first things first since you already bought the truck and trailer here's what I'd do: invest in a very good wdh such as the blue ox sway pro or 4pt equalizer. Heck even a propride/Hensley arrow if you can drop 2 grand on one. Next put some LT tires on the truck. I actually prefer a wider tire as well for that little bit more stability. Get a quality brake controller. Good set of tow mirrors. Finally, have fun and be safe. I've done worse and learned from experience which some say is the best teacher.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by wandering1

Real simple. Read the tow specs for your truck. ... Get the facts.

But you must be able to properly interpret the "facts". A tow rating of 10,000 pounds does not mean you can tow a trailer that weighs 10,000 pounds. It simply means that the drivetrain has enough power and torque to PULL that heavy a load without overheating anything in the drivetrain, and without being the slowpoke holding up traffic on hills and passes.

Almost always, you can PULL a lot heavier trailer than you can HAUL the hitch weight of that trailer without exceeding the payload capacity of your tow vehicle. Payload capacity = the GVWR of the tow vehicle minus the wet and loaded weight of the tow vehicle. Ignore the payload capacity on the door sticker and weigh the wet and loaded tow vehicle to obtain your real-life payload capacity available for hitch weight.

The OP's Tundra is a good example of the discrepancy. The tow rating may be 10,000 pounds, but the actual max trailer weight of a wet and loaded trailer the Tundra can tow without being overloaded is probably closer to 6,000 pounds. But you won't find that 6,000-pound max trailer weight limit in any of the Tundra's official tow specs. All you'll find if you read the fine print is that you should NEVER exceed the GVWR of the Tundra.

Preach all you want to about "get the facts" from Toyota, but the real life fact is that Toyota does not include the facts you need in their towing specs - because different owners load their tow vehicles with different amounts of weight.

Tow ratings are bogus for another reason. My tow rating is 8,000 pounds, but I have towed a trailer that grossed over 20,000 pounds with no problems other than overloading the suspension of my tow vehicle. Yeah, I was severely overloaded, buy my drivetrain had no problems pulling that monster trailer over the hills and dales of the Texas Hill Country without overheating anything in the drivetrain and without being the slowpoke holding up traffic on the steep grades in the Hill Country..

[timetogo]

Let us know how it pulls over those hills. Enjoy your new outfit.

[Ranster]

I would double-check your specs. I have a 2001 4.8L V-8 and it is rated at 7200 lbs. I don't know what year your vehicle is, but the 2016 with a 4.6L V-8 is rated at only 6200 lbs.

[archer75]

you'll most likely end up overloaded on tongue weight and payload.

[abi2001]

I would check here: <http://www.trailerlife.com/trailer-towing-guides/>. But I would suspect that's too much rig for the truck. Definitely don't go by anything a car salesman says. He/she will give you the specs of that truck under perfect build conditions and likely not your precise truck. We have a 30-ft all-aluminum frame travel trailer with no slides and her GVWR is 7000#. The Tundra was not a safe option for us.

[Ranster]

Originally Posted by Ranster

I would double-check your specs. I have a 2001 4.8L V-8 and it is rated at 7200 lbs. I don't know what year your vehicle is, but the 2016 with a 4.6L V-8 is rated at only 6200 lbs.

Sorry for the mistype. S/B 6800 lbs. Now, if you got a "tow-package" installed, it may be higher.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by abi2001

I would check here: <http://www.trailerlife.com/trailer-towing-guides/>. ....

Your link didn't work because you didn't remove the enclosing arrow heads.
Here's the link:


Trailer Towing Guides | Trailer Life Magazine

[abi2001]

Thanks. Darned if I do, darned if I don't. One time I tried to post the link without brackets and it wouldn't work.