Hey all...
I have a 2006 Tundra 4WD DC with the 4.7L engine. It has the factory tow package and the plug 'n play brake wiring harness all set to go.
The wife wants to get a travel trailer to tow from our home in Chicago to Seattle (where her parents live) and back to Chicago this summer. So there's a total four of us (including our two boys, ages 8 and 6) going on this trip. We plan on taking the northern route there and a more southern route back to Chicago. Both routes include a significant amount of mountains to cross. I keep reading posts with conflicting maximum towing capabilities for my Tundra, the least being 6,500 lbs and the max being 7,200 lbs. We want a bunkhouse type trailer, but we to be safe I want to keep it on the lighter side... like around 4,000 lbs. So, we went to the annual Chicago RV show this past weekend and found a trailer we like and that we can afford. It weighs 4,150 lbs.
Here's a link to the model we like...
2009 Forest River RV Wildwood XLite 26BH Travel Trailers at Holman RV Batavia Ohio Holman RV
My wife is petite (100 lbs) and my boys are 100 lbs combined, so weight in the truck won't be much of a factor. With gear, clothing, sway bars, WDH and everything else considered, I figure we'll still be under 5,000 lbs overall. I had salesmen at the RV show telling me I could go with a 5,000 lb (UVW) trailer and would do just fine, but I don't want to be anywhere near my maximum capacity. Smaller trailers and trailers with a different floorplan are out of the question, as we want some room to move around and we don't want to sleep on a fold-down dinette bed or jack-knife sofa. The above trailer has a queen bed and bunks, which is what we want, yet still fairly light in weight.
Soooo... what do you guys think?
Will a 4,150 lb (UVW) trailer be safe to tow through the mountains?
I want to be extra safe with this. I know the Tundra can probably get the trailer
up the mountains with no problem, I'm more concerned about having less weight to keep a big heavy trailer from pushing us
down too quickly.
Comments and advice would be appreciated.. thanx!