5th Wheel Towing

[funfinder4]

Originally Posted by RockyMtnRay

...
As for towing a standard travel trailer with DC Tundra, the situation is better but not a lot better. Here are some numbers for your DC:

• Gross Combined Weight Rating...the most a combination of loaded truck and loaded trailer can weigh: 11,800 lbs (exactly the same as the lighter AC tundra)
• Gross Vehicle Weight Rating...the most the loaded truck itself can weigh: 6600 lbs (300 lbs more than the AC Tundra)
• EMPTY typical truck with full gas tank but no passengers and no cargo is about 5100 lbs (2WD) and 5500 lbs (4WD).

Not that this makes a big difference, but as stated in my manual for my '06 DC:
GCVWR is 12,600 lbs (with towing package)
My DC weighs 5050 lbs with me (220 lbs) in it and all my kids junk (car seats, toys, ect.) in the back seat.

So IF I wanted to I could do the following:
5050 lbs unladen weight with me in it
+ 300 lbs for my wife and three kids (no telling how much of that is "kids")
+1200 lbs for pin/hitch weight
------------
= 6,550 lbs GVWR 50 lbs under max, come on mountins!
+ 6,000 lbs 5er axle weight max (if you can find one)

All this equals out to a just under the max GCVWR of 12,600 lbs and a great vacation for a family of 5!


Of course my kids can never grow or I'll be over the GVWR on the truck!

[funfinder4]

I was just thinking about my above calculations... Did I miss something?

With the info I have it looks like I could load my truck up with my family of 5 and still tow a trailer weighing 7,200 lbs (1,200 lbs of that being hitch weight if needed) before going over the trucks gross weight and/or the GCWR.

I think I'm going to find a different scale sometime to verify the trucks empty weight.

[nkknight]

****This is for Only Toyota For Me******

Thanks for all the info...one last question. Does your truck have the standard 6 1/2' bed or is it a long bed? Also, I called around for 5th wheel hitch installation pricing and received some info about a special mounting bracket required for the Tundra. And that I would need the slider hitch if I didn't get a long bed. Any truth to any of this? Thanks for all your help!

[Only Toyota for me]

Originally Posted by nkknight

****This is for Only Toyota For Me******

Thanks for all the info...one last question. Does your truck have the standard 6 1/2' bed or is it a long bed? Also, I called around for 5th wheel hitch installation pricing and received some info about a special mounting bracket required for the Tundra. And that I would need the slider hitch if I didn't get a long bed. Any truth to any of this? Thanks for all your help!

Mine is the 6.5' bed, and i went the gooseneck route instead of the fifth wheel setup. Got to tow the horsetrailer, and it's a goose.
Don't know anything about the special bracket.
Some truth to what they are saying: You cannot back up at a complete 90 degree angle without it, so in their eyes, you need it. In my opinion, you don't. But you can damage your cab if you're not careful while backing. Going forward won't be the problem, it's backing up.
However, there are a lot of people that have the slider, and never use it. So you make the call. A 90 degree angle would be like the letter ( L ). One leg the truck, and the other the trailer.

The most i can do is about a 65-70 degree angle while backing. It's worked fine for me, and i've been in some pretty hairy places that i've had to back down out of.
My dad just got a B&W gooseneck hitch, and it costed: $350 shipped. Then the installation was $165.00 from a local shop.
I got some pics in my photo album, just click on the camera above.

[Heliaction]

I have towed a 5er with a 2000 SR5 access cab for years with no problems. I did not go with the slider, it's not necessary.

[Hensley Ron]

We just came out with a an air-ride 5th wheel to Gooseneck conversion hitch. Aside from a great ride and the empty truck bed, it offsets the kinpin 6" toward the rear of the vehicle, so that would help. Not quite as good as a slider, but it would help.

[cwit]

Rockeymtmray I can't believe toyota hasn't heved you off this sight. The Tundra isn't a truck it's a toy that can't haul anything. Please get real. Speck out the other trucks before you destroy the Tundra. You don't believe the advertisements on tv do you . Toyota says the Tundra can tow 5ers but your opinion says the Tundra is junk compared to anything else.

[tomhole]

There's no difference between the new Tundra's tow rating and the current crop of domestic tow ratings. Actually, Nissan was / is the worst offendor when it comes to tow ratings. Their Titan SE King Cab bragged for years about its 9,000 lbs tow rating. They never once mentioned its paltry 1300 lbs cargo capacity. So, everyone bought a 5er and towed it with their fancy new Titan and wondered why the brakes and rear end were failing.

The Tundra has the BEST V-8 gasser drive train of any truck. 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton or 1 ton. I think it might be as good as the V-10 drive train. The balance of power, 6 speed tranny and a 4.30 rear end is unequalled by any truck. Only the oil burners can pull more handily than the 5.7 drive train.

But make no mistake, you have to do a little studying before you can just hook anything up and go. No one is saying the Tundra is junk. THey are saying what has been said for years on all fora related to towing: know your limits, know where you stand in relation to them and tow safely. Some meaures are objective, some are subjective. But I saw a quote today on rv.net that I thought was brilliant:

"Everybody wants a magic bullet that excuses them from thinking. Too bad lazy boy, it don't exist."

And I always like to add one that my first skipper had on his stateroom door:

"The stupid shall be punished"

Tom

[tedsacct]

Ray---you're basing your calculations on the older Tundras and not the newer 07/08 specification. They are a little better than the numbers you are quoting, although not a whole lot. I have a new 08 5.7L 4X2 SR5 with a tow package. The tow rating is 10,600 lbs, the rear axle is rated at 4100 lbs, and the GCWR is 16000 lbs. A little more leeway in the consideration of towing a fifth wheel

[Corban_White]

Originally Posted by tedsacct

Ray---you're basing your calculations on the older Tundras and not the newer 07/08 specification. They are a little better than the numbers you are quoting, although not a whole lot. I have a new 08 5.7L 4X2 SR5 with a tow package. The tow rating is 10,600 lbs, the rear axle is rated at 4100 lbs, and the GCWR is 16000 lbs. A little more leeway in the consideration of towing a fifth wheel

This is all true, HOWEVER, if you would notice, this is an old thread and Ray's last contribution to it was 01-31-2005, 02:41 PM!!! So obviously he is talking about the older Tundra!!!!

[quarque]

Anyone looking for a 5th wheel that is light wieght, consider the smallest of the Forest River Surveyor line. GVWR is about 7500 and pin weight is 967. Sleeps 6 and has decent tank sizes. I plan on buying one later this year for my 08 DC 5.7 4x4.

[edransom]

Originally Posted by mustang67408

I was told by a TOYOTA OFFICIAL TYPE PERSON that we SHOULD NOT PULL A 5TH WHEEL AT ALL.(PERIOD END OF STORY)For the exact reasons Ray described.
So i just got a 18' Fleetwood (WILDERNESS) Travel Trailer.
3950lbs empty. It pulls like a dream, and stops like 1 too.We triy to pack light, I have not had a chance to have it weighed. But I feel safe in it. There is only 3 in my family so it is just the right size for us.We had a 24' class C, this is bigger and roomier inside.
TS member KLS has a 21' BIGFOOT trailer, that he just loves, Ya might want to chat with him.
And whatever you do---> GET THE McKESH MIRRORS
Dont be cheap, like i was. The first set of mirrors i bought sucked. I now have the McKesh, WOW! what a difference

For what it's worth I pulled a 28' Wilderness Yukon 8275 5th wheel with a 2001 2wd Tundra for some years with excellent results. I believe the trailer has a dry weight of 5470# and a GVWR of 7800#. Specs show a dry hitch weight of 1040#, but I had a rear bumper rack carrying a generator which may have lightened it up a little. So far I have no indication of rear end trouble.

While I had a slider hitch I never found a time when I had to slide it back to maneuver in tight quarters. Perhaps I had an extended hitch on the trailer because it did stick out a foot or so ahead of the front of the trailer. This may be a solution for short bed applications.

Usually my wife drove this setup while I pulled the boat with my truck, but she often forgot she had a trailer behind her. She doesn't like driving anything big like my F250 but had no problem pulling the 5th wheel with the Tundra. My experience has been most satisfactory.

[Super Dave]

A 3/4 ton (Ford, Chevy, or Dodge) is better suited for pulling a 5th wheel. I've own both and towed with both, a Chevrolet 2500 HD with a 6.6. diesel and a 2008 Tundra. If I hooked both trucks bumper-to-bumper the Chevrolet would drag the Tundra across the parking lot, probably ripping the frame out from under it. No comparison! It produces almost twice the torque at 1600 rpm's. However, the Tundra does ride better and is a pleasure to drive. The 3/4 ton (Chevy) is a work truck, period If you want to tow something really heavy, over 10,000 lbs. the Tundra is the wrong truck. It's got the power, but lacks in other several areas, such as wheel bearing, axle strength, and GCVW. If you want to occasionally pull your boat or camper on vacation, it's fine. If you want to pull a heavy boat or a large 5th wheel, you should consider another vehicle, sorry guys. Conversely, my boat weights 1950 lbs., tandem axle trailer 1200 lbs., outboard motor 500 lbs., 73 gallons of fuel at least 650 lbs., cooler, fishing gear, luggage, four full size adults, and anything else I threw in the back. I'm close to being maxed out on GCVW. I've pulled with both the Tundra & 3/4 ton. I drive the Tundra 80% of the time but the pull with the diesel. It just does a better job, it was designed to work. If anyone doesn't believe me, come to NC and hook your Tundra up to my 2500 Chevrolet and be prepared to go backwards. But, Thursday morning I am driving to the mid-west, I'll be in the Tundra. Chevy rides terrible., I'm spoiled. It much better for a trip.

[Marazzito]

Originally Posted by Super Dave

A 3/4 ton (Ford, Chevy, or Dodge) is better suited for pulling a 5th wheel. I've own both and towed with both, a Chevrolet 2500 HD with a 6.6. diesel and a 2008 Tundra. If I hooked both trucks bumper-to-bumper the Chevrolet would drag the Tundra across the parking lot, probably ripping the frame out from under it. No comparison! It produces almost twice the torque at 1600 rpm's. However, the Tundra does ride better and is a pleasure to drive. The 3/4 ton (Chevy) is a work truck, period If you want to tow something really heavy, over 10,000 lbs. the Tundra is the wrong truck. It's got the power, but lacks in other several areas, such as wheel bearing, axle strength, and GCVW. If you want to occasionally pull your boat or camper on vacation, it's fine. If you want to pull a heavy boat or a large 5th wheel, you should consider another vehicle, sorry guys. Conversely, my boat weights 1950 lbs., tandem axle trailer 1200 lbs., outboard motor 500 lbs., 73 gallons of fuel at least 650 lbs., cooler, fishing gear, luggage, four full size adults, and anything else I threw in the back. I'm close to being maxed out on GCVW. I've pulled with both the Tundra & 3/4 ton. I drive the Tundra 80% of the time but the pull with the diesel. It just does a better job, it was designed to work. If anyone doesn't believe me, come to NC and hook your Tundra up to my 2500 Chevrolet and be prepared to go backwards. But, Thursday morning I am driving to the mid-west, I'll be in the Tundra. Chevy rides terrible., I'm spoiled. It much better for a trip.

The fact that when ever the Tundra is compared to a domestic, it is always compared to a 3/4 ton should say something in it's self. I dont think anyone on here doubts that a 3/4 ton diesel will pull better than the Tundra. However, many would say it pulls more like a 3/4 ton gasser than a half ton. For the weekend warriors, the Tundra is a great truck. It can Pull one heck of a camper or a boat on the weekend and take the kids to school in comfort on the week days.

[jdpei]

I just purchased a 2003 Tundra V8 4x4 AC last year for this very purpose. Although not a 5th wheel, just a standard travel trailor... From the calculations below it looks like it will only haul around 5000lb's!

I love the truck but thinkin I should've went with a *cough* a ford. Oh well, I guess I'll have to look at Ultra Lights...

Thanks for the below info though. It was very helpful for me to understand what my tow rating is...

Cheers!