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What is the true towing capacity of a Toyota Tundra?

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67K views 25 replies 21 participants last post by  jozack  
#1 ·
Hi all !!
[FONT=DejaVu Sans, sans-serif]I have heard that the later Tundras (2006 and newer) can tow 10,000 pounds. Is it actually true?
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#3 ·
Hi all !!
[FONT=DejaVu Sans, sans-serif]I have heard that the later Tundras (2006 and newer) can tow 10,000 pounds. Is it actually true? [/FONT]
It's 2007 and newer, but the truck must be configured properly.

Here's 10k when we squeeze the 5th horse in there. Tundra does a fine job, and gets about 9 mpg doing it at 70-75 mph.

Image


This was before we got airbags w/ the wireless compressor.
 
#6 ·
Sweet horse trailer. Mine is almost 10K...does fine, even towed it on solid ice before!
Thanks; we really like it.

It's all aluminum and they claim the dry weight to be 4500 lbs. But by the time we get all our crap in there and a few horses, the weight really adds up in a hurry.
It is really a dream to pull as well. Straight as a board at ANY speed. We've got 10-ply LT oversized tires on it, and we usually drive 70-75 but it's easy to go over that and not notice.

I don't think i'd like towing any trailer on ice though.
 
#7 ·
This is where Ford and Chevy enthusiasts really miss the boat. Any Tundra that has the tow pkg (not Sport Appearance) can tow nearl 10,000 lbs, not like the Ford that advertises it's amazing tow capacity but that only exists in a vehicle configuration that now one would buy; ditto Chevy, at least in the 1/2 ton category.
 
#8 ·
This is where Ford and Chevy enthusiasts really miss the boat. Any Tundra that has the tow pkg (not Sport Appearance) can tow nearl 10,000 lbs, not like the Ford that advertises it's amazing tow capacity but that only exists in a vehicle configuration that now one would buy; ditto Chevy, at least in the 1/2 ton category.
I don't think they're missing the boat much at all.. They're simply leaving some reason to entice people to buy their 3/4 and 1-ton trucks. Not just the tow weights, but look around and try to find a true crew-cab 1/2 ton truck with a full-length bed like you can get with a Tundra double-cab.
 
#9 ·
Hello,
I've read a few posts here and I wonder if anyone knows the towing comparisons for the Tundra vs Ford and Silverado. I compared the HP, torque, etc and it seems the Tundra is a pretty powerful machine. We have the limited 5.7 4x4 Toyota Tundra and currently towing about 7500lbs, 28ft travel trailer and we are considering a 5th wheel.

Someone sort of laughed the other day and said "you are going to need a bigger truck" and I'm not so sure they were right. They had an f250 diesel that was said to be 6.0liter.

So, just wondering what anyone can tell me about this and also, does a 5th wheel tow better? (Just thinking of feel and control).

Ours tows what we have now like a charm.

Thanks,
Eric
 
#10 ·
Get a Turd(Ford) with the 6.0. The repair shops will love you! There are quite a few people on here that tow 5'ers with the Tundras. I tow a 31' Mako and it tows night and day better than our TT we had. Take a look in my album and you'll see it. Also, talk with TundraBay and OTFM, they have a lot longer towing trips under their belts. I towed with a Super Duty and a Chevy HD, I like the Tundra a lot better.
 
#11 ·
Well, I hadn't planned on getting one. :) But great info! I saw the pictures. Looks great. I would like to hear from the other two folks you mentioned and see what they are towing as well.

Also, does it tow better than a regular hitch? It would seem that you have more control, or at least feel like you do.

It looks like that thing sits practically on top of the sides of your bed. I'm sure that is just the angle of the shot.

Eric

Get a Turd(Ford) with the 6.0. The repair shops will love you! There are quite a few people on here that tow 5'ers with the Tundras. I tow a 31' Mako and it tows night and day better than our TT we had. Take a look in my album and you'll see it. Also, talk with TundraBay and OTFM, they have a lot longer towing trips under their belts. I towed with a Super Duty and a Chevy HD, I like the Tundra a lot better.
 
#12 ·
It did sit almost on top in those shots. I had to drop the hitch down to give me more clearance. I got tired of kissing the bed. I feel that the control is way better. I don't seem to notice nearly as much sway as with the TT. I also did the gooseneck conversion since I figured that I will tow a gooseneck trailer and taking the ball out is a lot easier than trying to take the fifth wheel hitch out.
 
#13 ·
I'm still using my Tundra to haul my big 5er on at least one long trip a year (1,200 miles round trip) and few shorter trips for camping. Towing a 5th wheel is much more comfortable than a travel trailer. You still know it's there, but there is more positive control, less sway with crosswinds or passing trucks, and you get more trailer with the over-bed bedroom for the overall length you have behind you.

You also don't need to worry about weight distributing hitches, and you can turn and back at better angles. Not that travel trailers are bad, just 5th is better. Here's a thread on my towing experience last summer: http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/tundra/142880-tundra-tow-mobile-1-200-miles/
 
#14 ·
I've not pushed my truck yet, but I'd imagine it could, I know people with ram 3500 ctds that pull 30k+ and of course it's not rated at that. Remember the last thing a company needs is to be bullish on it's limits and have a lawsuit filed when something goes wrong. Simple example, ladders, most have 250# limit, doesn't mean 300# will break it.

Remember it's not how much you can tow, it's how much you can stop. Also air bags will help your stability, firestone makes awesome bags. Even an auto leveler set up so if your load shifts your bed will still be level (left right front back)
 
#15 ·
Well, I hadn't planned on getting one. :) But great info! I saw the pictures. Looks great. I would like to hear from the other two folks you mentioned and see what they are towing as well.

Also, does it tow better than a regular hitch? It would seem that you have more control, or at least feel like you do.

It looks like that thing sits practically on top of the sides of your bed. I'm sure that is just the angle of the shot.

Eric
I tow a 7500 lb ( actual weight ) 5er, and i'm completely satisfied with the truck. The dry weight was 6250 listed with a 1250 pin. Actual weights mostly loaded for camping came in at 7500lbs. So watch that; i will note that on my trailer the pin stayed close to the same.
Fifth wheel's DO tow better than a TT in all ways from my experiences anyway. The load is more stable at hiway speeds, and much better going downhill. A lot of the reason's why they are is; the TV weighs more than the trailer after pin weight. This is a good thing, thus giving you more control. With the payload on our tundra's, i would suggest you keep the listed dry pin weight below 1300 lbs.
From my experiences anyway, i will never go back to a TT again.

ONe issue you have with a 5er is the height of our bed rails. The trailer will need to be off the ground pretty good in order to get the rail to trailer clearance you need. 7.5" is prefered and 5.5" is minimum. I have about 7", but i've lifted the trailer with blocks, adjusted the shackles, dropped the hitch, and i just barely put 30" LT tires on the trailer. Even though my trailer is up in the air quite a bit, i have noticed no difference towing it.

Look at my sig for lots of pics.
 
#16 ·
I tow 8430 lbs. 5er fully loaded. Tows great summer I get about 11.2 in winter i get 8.7 to 9.4 I have air bags and heavier tires. than stock. My camper started out 6340 dry,no idea where more than a ton came from but it's there. I tow from NY to Florida. I hope to keep this setup for years.
 
#17 ·
I pull a 5'er weights in close to 8,000 lbs loaded up. I know where all the weight came from ... I turned my back and my wife stuffed more things in!!! If there is space she wants to fill it. :rolleyes:


:ranger:
 
#18 ·
A good rule of thumb is to take the listed dry weight of a trailer and add 1,000-2,000 lbs for a loaded trailer. Mine is 4700 lbs dry as listed by the manufacturer. It weighs 6400 lbs ready to camp with no water. Same for hitch / pin weights. Always good to take a trip across the scales so you know where you sit.

Tom
 
#19 ·
Hi all,
I'm getting my truck ready to pull a camper. I'm having trouble finding the exact specs for my truck. It seems different models have different capacities. I can't find one to match mine: 2006 tundra sr5 4.7l TRD double cab.
I replaced front brakes with heavy duty slotted and drilled rotors new, calipers and heavy duty pads.
I have a drop in Spectre air filter, thought it couldn't hurt. I also have the Daystar 2" leveling kit.
I'm looking to pull around a 23-26 foot camper.
Anyone know what the capacities are for my truck? Any suggestions to prepare for pulling a camper safely?
 
#24 ·
I towed between 10,000 and 11,500 for about three years with absolutely no problems. I bought a 1 ton 2012 Dodge as well and honestly, the Tundra accelerates faster for passing while towing... The dodge stops the load better though, not that the Tundra couldn't...but the 1 ton does it better.
I would hope a 1ton truck pulls and loads better than a half ton, but I have no doubts that the tundra accelerates good :)