Can a first gen tundra tow this?

[Salohcin]

New to this forum and the information on here has been really helpful so far. I am a toyota buff and hoping a first gen can pull my travel trailer.

I have a 2008 Mallard 26RLS with a dry weight of 5521, tongue weight of 800 which puts at a minimum of 6300 lbs. The total length of the trailer with tongue is 29'. The Tundra appears to have max towing capacity of 6700 lbs which puts me right to the max, once I add my weight and a small amount of cargo. I dont plan on filling my tanks and only have a one hour trip each way to tow a couple times a year.

I have done the math and it seems that I will be about 500 lbs over the towing limit, not counting the weight of the truck cap. Do you think this is ridiculous and should not be done - or considering my short travel distance - can I safely tow my trailer

What would you reccommend for a hitch and sway bar combo. Is there anything else I can use make this possible, such as airbags and electronic brakes for the trailer.

I really appreciate any comments or past experience towing this length and weight with a 4.7L Tundra. This will be my first truck purchase and the Mallard is my first trailer - so I am very new at this.

[tomhole]

Bottom line up front: that trailer is too heavy.

I towed with my 2005 for 3 years. Started with a pup, then a hybrid TT, then a travel trailer. I weighed the rig a lot and spent a lot of time adjusting things so that I could almost stay within limits. My trailer is 33 ft, hitch weight is 750 lbs, total trailer weight is 6000 lbs. Those weights put me over on GCWR, at ther RAWR and slightly over on the truck's GVWR. I now have a 2008 Tundra, so I'm a little better off.

So, let's talk about your combo. First thing that leads to a big fat no way is thed hitch weight. The limit is 750 lbs with a WDH. The dry hitch weight on the Mallard is higher than that starting off and will only get higher. Don't exceed the 750 lbs limit, you could bend the hitch (I know this because I bent mine).

Next issue is the GVWR on your Tundra. You will exceed it with that trailer (especially with a cap). The key is will you exceed the RAWR. Maybe.

You'll be over on the GCWR but that doesn't bug me near as much as the hitch weight or the RAWR.

Based on the specs for the Mallard and my experience with Fleetwood and weights, that trailer will weigh at least 6500 lbs ready to camp (no liquids) and have a hitch weight north of 900 lbs. That is too much for a legacy Tundra. The new Tundra would fit nicely.

Sorry for the bad news. The good news is there are myriad lightweight offerings in that style that could easily be towed by your Tundra.

Trailer Details:



GVWR (lbs) 7,900
Cargo Carrying Capacity (lbs) 2,379
Gross Dry Weight (lbs) 5,521
Hitch Dry Weight (lbs) 801

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Length (Feet and Inches) 29' 1"
Height (Feet and Inches) 10' 11"
Fresh Water Holding Tank (gal) 50
Grey Water Holding Tank (gal) 40
Second Grey Water Holding Tank (gal) 20
Black Water Holding Tank (gal) 40
Propane Capacity (lbs.) 60
Tire Size ST225/75 15D

[Salohcin]

Thank you for the info Tom - I was hoping that you would respond after reading your other posts. To be honest, I thought I might be able to get away with towing my Mallard - considering my short distance - but it is quite evident that the hitch weight is simply too high.

Is there any combination of airbags and weight distribution system that will work or should I give up on the 2005 4.7l DC that I have had my eye on. I think the answer is no - but it seems there are people on this forum that have successfully towed a load as heavy as my Mallard - not to say that is the smart thing to do.

You mentioned when you bent your hitch, you had your WDS incorrectly adjusted - with the proper adjustments in place - could this have been avoided.

Thanks again for your help - you may have just saved me from a possible disaster!

[tomhole]

The problem is that high hitch weight. And the only storage on the trailer is that front pass through.

Tell ya what, let's work on it and see what we can do. Since you own the trailer already, do you have a way to get it to the scales and determine actual weights? Get those and we can go from there.

Tom

[Salohcin]

Unfortunately the trailer is currently in storage so I am unable to take it to a scale to obtain an accurate weight measurement- I will have it out mid-April. You mention a good point - the only storage in the trailer is under the bed at the very front, meaning we can`t back-load the trailer to even out the load. I have read other posts that indicate loading all of your gear to the rear of the trailer can help in balancing the load and keeping weight off the hitch and rear axle.

As sad as it is, I might have to go without a Toyota until I can afford to move up to a 5.7L.

My only towing experience with this trailer was with my dad`s 1993 F150 long box extended cab 4x4 with a 5.8L engine. It pulled alright, you could definately feel the trailer, and even with sway bars, the rear end sat quite low.