2002 Tundra Setup Needed for Towing Trailer/Car

[Derald]

Here's what I have:
2002 Tundra 4.7L with TRD package, dual exhaust and Borla intake for better breathing. I bought it new and it came with a class III hitch, which I've easily been towing two jetskis on a steel frame trailer (approx. 1500lbs.). The bumper says "max towing weight 5000lb.", so it obviously has no towing package. I did just put four new tires on it.

Here's what I want to do:
Tow a 3545lb. car in an enclosed trailer that will likely weigh 3500-3800lbs. I will only be towing 6-8 times a year...mostly under 100 miles, but I will have two trips that will be 600-700 miles with one from Georgia to Ohio and the other from Georgia to Pennsylvania. My goal is to tow it "safely" at 65mph. I won't be taking a lot of gear...just two people and two pieces of luggage.

Here's what I've figured out so far:
1. I know to tow with OD off...I do that with the small trailer right now.
2. I expect to add a transmission cooler, electric brakes & controller and class IV hitch.

Questions:
1. First, can I tow up to 7400lbs safely?
2. What other add-ons should I consider for the truck (e.g. stabilizer and weight equalizer hitch with bars, etc...)?
3. I'm looking at an 18' or 20' trailer...what should I consider for features on the trailer (e.g. axle weight rating, spring axles or torsion, break away kit, etc...)?
4. What brand of trailer would you suggest?

I'm planning on calling my dealership today, but I would like an unbiased and experienced opinion, before they try to sell me more than I need.
I would really appreciate a comprehensive set up for the truck if I can do it at all!

Thanks,
Derald

[shall36]

Since you're under a time constraint, I'll chime in, but there are others who have much more experience.

The total weight is going to be too high, IMO. Max Gross is 11,800 lbs. This is the max weight of the truck, your stuff, the trailer...everything. Take 7400 from 11,800 and you have 4,400...this is the max weight of your truck with you in it and all your gear. My '03 AC with me and the dogs weighs in at over 5,000 lbs. These numbers are MAX load numbers and most guys will recommend working at 90% or less of MAX.

That stuff being said, here are some other thoughts...

1. Get a transmission cooler. I did a writeup for the install and posted it in this forum. I forget the terminology, but you want a bypass cooler, which basically won't cool fluid until the fluid gets hot.

2. Get a Prodigy brake controller. I think you'll need to have the truck wired for the controller and the 12V charge line. I did a writeup on that, too. Not too difficult, just time consuming. Most dealers won't touch this, but a trailer shop might.

3. Most guys seem to like the Reese dual cam weight distributing setup.

4. Don't even think of towing in OD. The '00 to '02 models are known to have weak overdrive units that are prone to fail when towing in OD.

5. Consider getting a lighter trailer to keep under Max weight.

6. I would think you could hit and keep 65 mph, but that is much a function of the trailer's aerodynamics as weight.

Good luck.

[RockyMtnRay]

I totally and wholeheartedly endorse everything that shall36 said above. His recommendations are spot-on and should be followed.

But most importantly, your proposed car/trailer combination is simply way to heavy. About 1000 lbs too heavy for safe towing, especially on long trips with stretches of moderately hilly terrain.

However, based on what others have posted here in the past, I think that if you look hard enough you should be able to find a 20 ft enclosed trailer that's closer to 2500 lbs than 3500 lbs. It may have a lot of aluminum construction...which will likely cost more...but the lighter weight will greatly decrease the likelihood you'll have a serious mechanical failure on your truck (like the transmission). If I were in your shoes, I'd be putting a lot of time into finding the lightest weight trailer that will do the job...everything else is pretty much secondary to your overall tow weight.

[Derald]

Thanks for the advice. I read a lot of the posts in this section and there is such a wide variety of opinions on just how much weight you can tow.

I think I'll put off towing for a year and find an aluminum one. Tommy's Trailers has an aluminum trailer with canvas cover that weighs 1800-1900lbs., but I'll need to save a few more pennies for that one.

Great forum! Wish I'd found it years ago!!!!

[Derald]

Apparently I do have the towing package on my 02' Tundra. It has the transmission cooler and a Reese hitch, but the label does not say if it is a Class III or Class IV. It has a rating of 7200lbs. and has two 24" steel frames that attach the frame with a crossmember for the receiver and 4 point plug.

How can I tell which class it is?

[TRDSport]

I'm pretty sure you have a Class III. I think that is what was standard and I have also read about people upgrading their hitch to a Class IV.

[Derald]

After looking at the Reese site I'm a little confused since this is all new to me. It appears that I need a Class IV hitch AND a weight distributing hitch?

What WD hitch would be best for my 02' Tundra towing approx. 5500lbs?

Do I still need to get a sway bar with this hitch?

After this is settled and I install a Prodigy brake controller I think I should be set! Of course, I haven't looked into mirrors yet.

Thanks!

[TRDSport]

Your Class III hitch receiver is fine. I think I read somewhere it is rated to 7500-8000lbs.

Sorry, can't help you out with the rest.

[RockyMtnRay]

Originally Posted by Derald

After looking at the Reese site I'm a little confused since this is all new to me. It appears that I need a Class IV hitch AND a weight distributing hitch?

'Twould appear you're being confused by the difference between a hitch receiver and the actual hitch.

The part that bolts to the truck, though commonly called a "hitch", is actually not a "hitch". Its correct name is hitch receiver (the item that accepts the actual hitch). Hitch receivers are rated by Class and you may or may not need a Class IV Hitch Receiver to safely tow a 5500 lb trailer (the key consideration will be what your expected tongue weight will be).

Now as for the hitch itself...the part that gets inserted into the hitch receiver. Those come as weight carrying (normally a simple device consisting only of a hitch shank with welded on ball mount, available in various "drops")...or as a weight distributing which has the shank, a ball mount that can be adjusted up and down the shank, a pair of spring bars (which do the actual distribution of weight), a set of snap up latches (which attach to trailer's tongue and carry the aft end of the spring bars), and sometimes also some kind of sway control device (typically a friction drag but can also be a cam type spring loaded lifter). WDH are actually a fairly complicated system of parts.

What WD hitch would be best for my 02' Tundra towing approx. 5500lbs?

Do I still need to get a sway bar with this hitch?

Your issues will be both distribution of the total weight (5500 lbs is significant) and control of sway. Because your car is likely to fairly centrally loaded on the trailer, there will be a strong tendency for the trailer to pivot around its axles....this is what actually causes trailer sway. The more rearward the weight on the trailer, the greater the tendency for sway...but also the less the tongue weight. OTOH, the more forward the weight, the less the tendency for sway but also the greater the tongue weight (which will require much stronger spring bars to prevent rear sag on the tow vehicle).

All things considered, I suspect you're going to need a pretty sophisticated WDH to handle total weight, tongue weight, and trailer sway tendency. That would point to an Equal-i-zer brand or a Reese Dual Cam WDH .

After this is settled and I install a Prodigy brake controller I think I should be set! Of course, I haven't looked into mirrors yet.

Thanks!

[funfinder4]

I'm by no means an expert on towing, but I tow a classic car from time to time and a travel trailer at least monthly.

Why kind of car will you be towing (racing, classic)? I ask because the guys I know that tow racing cars end up needing lots of extra tools, tires, ect and easily add another 1000 lbs to what they are hauling.

Do you really need an enclosed trailer? The few times I towed my car I rented a car hauler from U-Haul (the kind that gets all four wheels off the ground). Although I already have a Prodigy brake controller installed for my travel trailer, the U-Haul trailers all come with surge brakes which don't require the renter to have a controller installed. Non-enclosed trailers typically have less wind resistance, which is a huge plus when towing. As a comparaison I get much better mileage and way less gear hunting when towing 4500 lbs worth of car/trailer vs. my puny 2800-3000 lbs travel trailer.

Have you rented a call hauler yet just to see what it would feel like? Might be worth it to rent one a few times to see if your comfortable with it and how your truck handles the load.

[Derald]

Originally Posted by funfinder4

Why kind of car will you be towing (racing, classic)? Do you really need an enclosed trailer? Have you rented a call hauler yet just to see what it would feel like?

I have a 1967 Plymouth Belvedere GTX. I drive it occasionally to local car shows, but I would like to take it to some national shows for judging. All the enclosed aluminum trailers I've seen are still too heavy (3200lbs.). I really need to have it enclosed to avoid any rain and anything coming off the road to damage it, which is likely on a 1200 mile round trip.

I went to the Mopar Nationals last year (sans GTX), and one guy brought his car on an open trailer and a brake drum (or something similar) fell off a truck in the opposite lane and stoved in the A pillar half way into the front seat.

I did rent a car hauler to have some restoration work done it, and the U-Haul auto transport towed great...I may do that for some of the shows that are over 50 miles away until I can get an enclosed one.