Dry weight of up to 5200 lbs--too much?

[cviator]

We are looking to upgrade from our pop-up camper to a travel trailer. Most of the ultra-lite models that meet our needs have dry weights between 4500-5200 lbs. Is this too much for a 2006 Double Cab with a WD hitch and Brakes? I realize it will pull it but will it be tiresome pull do to a lack of power?

Thanks,
vc

[06psd4me]

If you are going to tow with your tundra, than you should not have any problems.

My dad towed his 6000 lbs travel trailer across the country and back and into Canada with his 2000 tundra and had NO problems

[tomhole]

Don't look at dry weights. They are almost useless. Look for a trailer with a GVWR of 6000 lbs or less. That's a good place to start.

If you find a specific trailer you like, post it and we can review the numbers.

For example, I am shopping for a new travel trailer (just looking for now). I found a floorplan I like in the Rockwood 2701SS. Specs are:

Dry Weight 4734lbs (2147 kg)
GVWR 6437lbs (2920 kg)
Cargo Capacity N/A
Hitch Weight 437lbs (198 kg)
Axle Weight 4297lbs (1949 kg)

The 4734 lbs dry weight looks good. But the GVWR is too much for how I load the truck. But it has 1703 lbs of cargo capacity. I know I load 1,000 lbs of stuff in my trailer. I also know that Rockwood does not include any options in the dry weight. I would expect that trailer to weigh 5000 lbs off the lot. Add 1000 lbs of stuff and I'm at 6000 lbs. Might work but would require me to leave the wood at home.

See if that helps as you shop. If you can find a trailer with a GVWR of less than 6000 lbs in a floorplan you like, I would say it is worthy of serious consideration.

As far as pullng power, my Tundra does just fine where I pull (<4,000 ft, east coast mountains). Now that I have the setup just right, it is ok. Not a diesel, but it's paid for. If you tow within your limits and not in real mountains all the time, you will be happy.

Tom

[vikecowboy]

I pull an Outback 25RS-S with my 05 DC with no problems. I pull at high altitude and in mountains.

Outback Division of Keystone RV manufacturers of Recreational Vehicles and Towable PopUps.

[rockota]

I pull my 89 4Runner w/o problems in my 04 DC. Truck weighs about 4500 lbs and another 1400 for the trailer. Two of us and a weekends worth of camping gear and I was really pleased. I got a correct 10.8 mpg, which is actually better than I got w/ my old Cummins pulling the same vehicle.

[Whaler22]

We pull a 4,500 trailer with our 06 Tundra DC without problems. I'd say that's a good practical ceiling, give or take a few pound. Although the generous rating says it can two another couple thousand pounds, it really isn't comfortable.

We tow a lot, so we found that we couldn't live without a full-sized truck. We thought we could, but we can't, so we just bought a new Chevy 3500HD Duramax. That truck is comfortable with a 10,000 pound trailer on the back. It pulls the grades without bunching up traffic, a slight decline doesn't result in a feeling of being pushed by the trailer, and the trailer doesn't "wag" the truck when we're in the Columbia gorge, the wind is blowing, and we're pulling through a corner. Our little Tundra is an animal, and we love the way it drives and, with light loads, pulls, but it does NOT behave like a full-sized truck in a towing environment, and we shouldn't expect it to.

The Tundra will be a safe, comfortable tow vehicle for loads under 5,000. It will tow more than that with a decreasing feeling of margin and security. If you find that the RV you want/need puts you in the higher weight ranges, I encourage you to think about a full-sized Dodge or Chevy diesel truck. Our 1-ton Duramax gets about the same fuel economy as our Tundra and the power difference is HUGE. We wouldn't trade either, by the way. Each has it's ideal environment. If we're going into town or driving on tighter roads, or towing a light trailer, the Tundra gets the job. If we're carrying more than four people, or the weather is awful, or the trailer is heavy, we're in the Chevy.

For towing the diesel is king for power (torque), stability, and fuel economy. The Duramax pulls the 12,000 pound backhoe trailer easier and with better fuel economy than the Tundra pulls our 3,700 pound loaded utility trailer (with our small diesel tractor on it.) (The Duramax isn't broken in yet and it's getting 17 mpg on the highway and about 13 towing a moderate load.)

[cviator]

Thanks for the replys and keep your experiences coming. I am still researching the purchase and appreciative of help.