Am I doing too much with too little?

[mo'stoy]

I hope someone has some advice for me. I have a 2005 Toyota Tundra limited with the 4.7 V8. I recently bought a 19ft toyhauler. The gross weight for the trailer loaded right now is 7200(I scaled it). I have add a leaf springs, plus trailer equalizer bars. The hitch weight for the trailer is 800lbs. What I want to know is if I am overtaxing the engine and the
suspension? It pulls real nice, could use a stabilizer bar. Havent really taken it up in the mountains to see the power difference.

[Salty_Dog]

I have moved your post to the Towing forum, where you will probably get better response.

[dsrtrcr01]

By the #'s I believe you are overloaded. BUT then again I haul this load with no issues in the 4 years of towing it yet. Hauls, turns and stops much better then the F150 pulled the same truck on my flat car hauler. I go up/down a 9% grade each way of the trip. SO...How does it feel to you?

I just don't run the truck hard when hauling it and let it chug along. Ususally that is. Sometimes I am in a hurry and put it down to get up that grade faster. I want to install a trans cooler but other then that if you are not sitting on the stops in the rear which I do not think you would be over taxing the suspension. Unless that add a leaf allowed you alot more which would mean the bearings and stuff in the rear end are overloaded. My truck does not sit on the stops and barely touches them while hauling unless I hit a bump or something and I am stock. Unless I load the bed with something. It is hard wotrk for the tundra but I think it can handle it. But then again your call in the end.

[skinny2]

How often are you pulling this? I wouldn't expect any 1/2 ton to last doing this every day, but you're probably ok as a weekend gig. You're a little over on the towing weight, but fine on the payload. The 1st gen Tundra actually has more payload capacity than the new ones. The engine will work harder, but it will move it. I moved 9,000# in a pinch and it did an admirable job. Slow off the line but kept moving pretty good since it likes to rev.

You might want to put a little more weight on the tongue if you can. Might haul a little better and with the AAL springs you shouldn't be squatting too much. That's my only complaint with these 1/2 tons is that they squat easy. Although my Tundra squats less than my F-150 and both Silverados before. But it still squats easy.

[mo'stoy]

Thanks for all your advice. I'd say we tow this trailer about 7 times a year. Some of it is dirt roads, and some quite steep grades. I just dont want to over tax the engine. I was wondering if a cold air intake system would give it a little more horse power? I run a K/N filter now.

[dsrtrcr01]

Originally Posted by mo'stoy

Thanks for all your advice. I'd say we tow this trailer about 7 times a year. Some of it is dirt roads, and some quite steep grades. I just dont want to over tax the engine. I was wondering if a cold air intake system would give it a little more horse power? I run a K/N filter now.

CAI and K&N and stuff actually hurt towing. They "SAY" they give you more HP's which I actually disagree with and even on their charts it shows the HP gain is at high rpm's. when towing you need low end grunt not high rpm HP. The CAI K&N chart also shows that with that slight increase in high end HP's you lose some low end. so I believe it would hurt towing more then help.

Do a search on K&N's on this site and you will find more then enough info on it. I found they clog faster, allow more dirt in and gave me 2 mpg worse gas mileage. Others say different???

[mo'stoy]

what about changing the exhaust system?

[dsrtrcr01]

Originally Posted by mo'stoy

what about changing the exhaust system?

All I have done is replace the stock muffler with an aftermarket one keeping the stock pipe. I have not experienced for myself (mainly because I do not have the $) but people on here say some good headers may help out? I would suggest using the search function and search for headers or try looking through this towing section for exhaust and see what others have to say.

A good piece of advise is: Check out what RockyMtray has said in the towing section as he has written about this extensively and knows his stuff

[tomhole]

You are overweight. You are exceeding your max hitch weight (750 lbs) and max tow weight (6800 lbs). You are likely over the GVWR of the truck and I'd bet a dime on a donut you are exceeding your rear axle weight limit.

That is too much trailer for that truck. I know because I towed with my 2005 Tundra SR5 DC 4x2 for 3 years at my max weight limits (GVWR of the truck, RAWR and 400 lbs over the GCWR). I added air bags, LT tires and used a well set up weight distribution hitch. Truck pulled fine, but I would not tow overweight.

SOrry for the bad news and it looks like others say you're fine, but I think you're not.

Tom

[skinny2]

Originally Posted by mo'stoy

Thanks for all your advice. I'd say we tow this trailer about 7 times a year. Some of it is dirt roads, and some quite steep grades. I just dont want to over tax the engine. I was wondering if a cold air intake system would give it a little more horse power? I run a K/N filter now.

For only 7 times a year, I'd just leave it alone. You'll be working hard in the mountains, but regardless of the fondness we have for our vehicles, they're still just machines and designed to handle it.

As Tomhole mentioned, you're over on some of the ratings but not by much. Depends on how many people and things you have in the truck. I don't think you'll be over on the rear axle...it's rated 3,600#. That's the only one that would really concern me and a lot of that rating has to do with the OEM tires. You could increase the capacity with a higher load rated tire. Is the 800# tongue weight before or after the equalizer bars?

I personally would throw the K&N out in the garbage as well, but that's just me. They let too much dirt into the engine for my taste.

[dsrtrcr01]

Originally Posted by tomhole

SOrry for the bad news and it looks like others say you're fine, but I think you're not.

Tom

FYI- I said he is Probably over limit. 1st sentence of my first post.(since I was one of the the 2 to post in here before you. Just wanted to clear that up)

[mo'stoy]

Thanks for the advice. My tongue weight is before the weight dist hitch.
800lbs, I guess I will just be carefull, dont get mad but I may look into a ford f250.

[funfinder4]

Originally Posted by mo'stoy

Thanks for the advice. My tongue weight is before the weight dist hitch.
800lbs, I guess I will just be carefull, dont get mad but I may look into a ford f250.

Are you towing 7200 lbs including your 800lbs hitch weight? Or was the trailer's axle's 7200lbs when it was hitched to your truck? In other words how did you weigh the trailer?

My (stock)'06 DC TRD 2wd has a GVWR of 6,600lbs and weights 5,050lbs with me in it. Per my book I have a 7,000 lbs towing capacity and 3750lbs rear axle capacity. I can't find the GCVWR, but

Given these #'s I'd say the only thing you are over on is your listed combined towing capacity. And that just depends on how you look at it and what the GCVWR is.

I'd tow your setup with my truck. Not everyday, but as a weekend warrior yes. I myself tow a '30 travel trailer that weighs over 6,000lbs. My hitch weight is in the 750lbs range. With my WDH setup the truck accurely sits level front to rear due to the rake the rear has unloaded. I've never "bottomed" out on the bump stops. Now when I take the bars off to back it in beside my house...It sags the rear, but still a good "1+ from the bump stops.

Remember with a correctly setup WDH you can calculate that 1/3 of the hitch weight will be transfured back to the trailers axles and off loaded from your truck.

Oh, one more thing... I also have a transmession temp gague installed... I've never seen temps above 190 degrees. 99% of the time my tranny temp stays below 165 degrees. The factory cooler is very effective.

ps. Get a friction sway bar added ASAP. It's worth it the 5% of the time you need it.

[mo'stoy]

In response to the weighing. I have a truck scale at work and I weighed my truck with full fuel and I get about 5500. I weighed the entire rig and it was 12,500. My trailer is supposed to have a 800lb hitch weight. I have a weight dist hitch and added the add leaf springs. I dont get any sag when hooked up and never hit the bump stops. My biggest concern is we are in S. AZ where it is very hot. It never seems to even get hot when towing, but I worry about the braking on some of the roads we go on getting to lakes.