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Originally Posted by RockyMtnRay
I hate to tell ya this but your "full size" Double Cab is NOT anywhere close to a typical full size truck when it comes to towing or hauling. Toyota made the Double Cab bigger and a lot (like 500 lbs) heavier than the Access cab models (which aren''t all that great for towing or hauling either) but neither the frame nor rear axle was strengthened. Basically you've got a Tacoma frame and axle under your truck. Which is why your Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR...the most that the truck and all cargo/passengers should ever weigh) is a pretty light 6600 lbs and your Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for the rear axle is only 3760 lbs.
A normally optioned and full fluids with 2 pax...but no cargo or backseat passengers...2WD DC will weigh around 5600 lbs and a 4WD DC will weigh around 5800 to 6000 lbs. That means the most a loaded (not empty) truck camper could weigh before exceeding GVWR is only 1000 lbs if you have a 2WD and only 600 lbs if you have 4WD. And even with those light weights, there's a good chance you would be exceeding the GAWR.
And don't even think about trying to fix the problem by "beefing up" the rear suspension with air bags, overload springs, etc. Sure, you could get the truck off the bump stops but you still haven't fixed the real weaknesses...namely a very light duty frame and light duty rear axle. And in case you don't believe me, take a real long look at this picture of a broken frame on an '03 Tundra where the owner stupidly thought he could carry a mid weight (1500 lbs empty, 2500 lbs loaded) truck camper by just beefing up the suspension with overload springs. And remember this idiot's Access cab had about 500 lbs more available load capacity than your Double Cab.
Bottom line is you're very likely to either break your frame or rear axle if you try to carry a camper with a dry (empty) weight much over 1000 lbs. That would be a real fast way to turn a $35000 truck into a $3000 piece of salvage...and no, overload damage is not covered under your warranty. |
Ray-
I have read your posts and all I can say is you definatly know more about this stuff than I do!!! I find your post well grounded in fact and generally lacking bias and pointed toward the “face the ugly truth” point of view. But after I read your post, I have to admit you scared the S&*$ out of me. I found my self-asking “what kind of wimpy truck” did I purchase. Anyhow, the questions I had were around your reference to a 2003 EXCAB vs a 2005 DC. Based on other posts, I understood that the DC was redesigned with a new frame and other components. Is it fair to compare 2003 ext cab to a DC? I understand your point on the axel, but I was also under the impression that the DC was 4” wider with an “All new Frame”, so wasn’t a new axle and frame required? I read somewhere in the forum that the DC had an all new frame, is this not the case? If not where did the 4” come from? I compared many of the ½ ton trucks against each other and found that the Tundra DC compared to similar DC or ext cab models actually had a higher Payload Cap than many of the competitors (Toyota= 1630lbs, Ford F150=1530lbs, Nissan Titan=1530lbs, Chevy Silverado 1500 = 1392lbs); admittedly it did have a significantly less towing capacity (Still more thsan the Ford). What is the biggest restriction in payload capacity? I think I have seen in your other posts where you address the towing capacity issue by stating brakes, engine, and transmission are the limiting factors. Is Payload limited initially by the frame and suspension only? What goes into this rating. I have read post stating it had to do with the belt driven OHC engine design, where the competitors have stuck with a old style push rod design, any facts on that?
My thought is that you could probably find a truck that never hauled much of anything with a broken frame, if abused you could break a Sherman tank if you set your mind to it.
I recognize that the best option for most all TCs is a ¾ ton truck. In my case, I will be lucky to get 3 months out of the year using the camper on weekends. With this in mind I found the Tundra the best truck to meet the needs of the other 9 months.
My apologies on all of the questions, and appreciate all of the info and feed back.
DK