Newbie Tundra/Airstream towing questions

I have a 2012 Airstream International 23CB. I am looking to purchase a 2015 Tundra Platinum with the 5.7L+moonroof+26.4 gallon fuel tank.

I am having a tough time determining if the Tundra can handle towing the Airstream. My concerns about the Tundra is payload, rear suspension drop and overall stability down the highway.

Any thoughts on pulling a 23ft Airstream with this Tundra? I am new to both Tundra and Airstream. I know the Airstream is a heavy trailer and I know the Tundra has a big motor. Any advice you can provide would be great! Thanks in advance.


Here is the door sticker for the 2015 Tundra Platinum


Here are the weight/tow specs for the Airstream

 

Payload is your concern. You only have 1300# of payload in that truck.

Here is the tongue weight from a 2020 23ft airstream.


Edit: removed #950

 

You can probably make this safe and legal but you will be running near max axle capacities. Your rear springs are going to be the weakest link. That is an easy upgrade. There are a lot of tundras pulling 25 and 27ft airstreams and seem to do it well. The rounded shape really does make a huge difference when it comes to cross breeze and semis. You are going to want to invest in a very good weight distribution hitch with sway control.

This was towed 120k like this. Hensley/Propride hitches are pretty amazing.


This is an old style hitch with friction sway. It works but you can get stuff you don't need to mess with as much. This video shoes how to set up the hitch properly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrgCNR6HvRI

 

Gotcha...but may I ask how you arrived at 950#? I see 1300# on the sticker.

 

I am getting it from your axle ratings.
(GAWR FR + GAWR RR) - GVWR = your cargo capacity. Toyota may account for 150# driver and some fuel. Someone else can confirm.

1300 is the correct cargo capacity.

 

I would use 1300 as well but if you've modded the truck at all, you've cut into that already. Might be best to weigh your truck and subtract that from the 7200 lb GVWR to get the actual payload.

 

If I was going to do any towing I'd be seriously considering the 38gallon gas tank.

 

The sticker on your truck says you have 1300 lbs of payload capacity, which is the maximum amount of weight you can put in/on your truck, including all your passengers, all cargo in the cab and bed and the tongue weight of the trailer. However, that number is based on the GVWR of your truck and the curb weight when it left the factory. The best way to confirm if the tongue weight of the trailer is too heavy for your truck (which is going to be the limiting factor with a halfton, especially a Tundra) is to load up the truck the way you would have it to go camping, weigh it and subtract that weight from the GVWR. Also a good idea to get a trailer tongue scale as the number in the trailer manual will be dry, without batteries, propane, water in the tanks, etc.

 

Well I am still a bit confused with the axle ratings but I agree I think 1300 is the right number. In some deep forum holes, it seems some people use the axle rating only when towing and ignore cargo and just make sure that the front and rear axles are not overloaded.

 

Great replies!

Ok I think I may understand how this towing thing works now but someone PLEASE correct me if I am wrong. This is for a 2015 Tundra Platinum with moonroof, 5.7L V8, 26.4 gal gas tank and totally stock. There is a folding metal (aluminum?) bedcover installed as well.

I learned that this Tundra is a 1/2 ton class truck with a payload limit range of 1300# (according to the door sticker), or 1620/1525# (taken from p.37 of the ebrochure located here: https://cdn.dealereprocess.org/cdn/brochures/toyota/2015-tundra.pdf), or 1340# (taken from the p.508 of the owner’s manual located here: https://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/om-s/OM34556U/pdf/OM34556U.pdf)

I am not sure which of these 4 numbers is the right payload rating to use…??

I found the base curb weight of the truck (dry weight + full gas tank) is 5675# (also taken from p.37 of the ebrochure located here: https://cdn.dealereprocess.org/cdn/brochures/toyota/2015-tundra.pdf)

I found the GVWR rating for the 2015 Tundra to be 7200# (taken from the door sticker) and CCWR to be 16,000# (taken from p.166 of the 2015 owner’s manual located here: https://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/om-s/OM34556U/pdf/OM34556U.pdf) and the ebrochure located here: https://cdn.dealereprocess.org/cdn/brochures/toyota/2015-tundra.pdf)

For the Airstream, I found the GVWR limit to be #6000 (taken from the window sticker), the UBW (Unit Base Weight)/dry weight to be 4701#, and tongue weight to be #720 (taken from the window sticker).

From my understanding, the math for the cargo/payload is:
ACTUAL PAYLOAD = TRUCK PAYLOAD LIMIT (sticker or brochure or owners manual?) – CARGO (passengers + trailer hitch/tongue weight + full gas tank + any other additional items put into the truck)+trailer hitch/tongue weight. It is my understanding that this is the number that defines the vertical load on the truck and will ultimately put stress on the leaf springs, tires and axle. I also believe this is the load that causes sag. Do I have this all correct?

From my understanding, the math for the towing is more about the GCWR/GVWR and it looks like this:
GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) truck limit > GWVR truck + GWVR trailer. From what I have read, it is this number that defines the pulling load/limit on the truck engine/drivetrain/frame, etc. Do I have this correct?

To me, both towing capacity and payload capacity must be below truck limits in order for this truck to be a fit for this trailer. Correct?

Just to reiterate, I am trying to see if this Tundra can safely handle my Airstream. I posted the door sticker specs from the Tundra and the window sticker specs from the Airstream in my OP at the top of this thread.

Thanks everyone for chiming in…this really helps!

-Dave

P.S. This website was helpful in learning about the various trailer towing specs
https://www.curtmfg.com/towing-capacity

 

You'll be fine with that 23 - I'm towing a 28 and I still have room on my axle capacity (but I'm maxed out on payload.)
In fact that 23 is pretty much ideal for the Tundra.

Full thread with CAT scale results:
https://www.tundras.com/threads/my-tundra-mods-for-stable-towing.84197/

My measured tongue weight is 950, yours will be much less. My measured laden weight is 7k (which was artificially induced by over-filling the water tanks, we'll never be there in reality.)

The only equipment you really need is a WDH. Beyond that pump up the tires to give them more capacity if you're sticking with the stock P-rated rubber (ironically E-rated tired must be pumped up even more - mine are at 65psi.)

Pic

 

Okay, let me jump in and help you out. Not an expert, but been towing all my life and deal with some of this on a daily basis with commercial vehicles at work.

Just a few things to point out......

1. I am not a complete expert, but I did not think the Platinum ever came with a 26 gallon tank, only 38. I know for sure that is the case with 2018+ models.

2. You are really close to getting it. Only true way to know your payload is go get it weighed with a full tank of gas and you in it. The payload ratings in your manual are generic ratings and not accurate at all in the real world. The payload rating on your door jamb is pretty close and should take into consideration and accessories that were installed at the port. I think if you go get your truck weighed, you will be in for a rude awakening at what the true payload is. Let me give you an example......

My truck was bone stock but did come with running boards. I added a line-x premium bedliner, and soft tonneau cover. That added about 100 pounds probably. I am above average on both the height and width so U may 100 lbs more than some adults, haha. Bottom line, my Platinum weighs 6,440 pounds bone stock with me in it. I have 760 pounds of payload.

Now let's build on the 760 pounds of real world payload. Before I started looking at travel trailers I started doing calculations. I have a family and weights were as follow:

wife= 140
daughter= 85
son= 55
typical luggage/camping stuff for TT = 150
All this equals 430 lbs. in cab and bed. This counts toward your payload so I only had 330 lbs of payload capacity left to "legally" tow a camper. Only a small pop up would make that weight if I wanted to be legal.

Bottom line, you can not go over the 7,200 lbs. on the truck. Only weigh to go get a baseline is go weigh truck and see what you are working with. You will not have even 1,300 pounds in real world.

2. Axle ratings are maximum amount you can have on 1 axle. Still can not go over the GVWR of 7,200 pounds. For example, let's say a truck has a maximum axle rating of 4,500 lbs. all this is saying 1 axle can not go over that. So you could have 4,500 on rear, 2,700 on front. If your axle limit was 4,000 than you could have 4,000 rear, and 3,200 would have to be on the front. This is where a weight distribution hitch comes into play. It will move the weight from the rear axle of the truck to the front axle to maintain balance for safe towing and driving.

4. Tongue weight is pretty high if setup correctly on a travel trailer. Typically at least 15%. I bet that Airstream will weigh out at 850-900 tongue weight with a properly setup WDH.

 

Thanks..this is encouraging. I plan on getting a WDH but I really did not plan on tires and shocks unless absolutely necessary. That being said, I put Bilsteins on my Tundra and they have been great.

The truck has these 20" BF Goodrich tires on it which seem pretty good

$333+ BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 Tires

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=BFGoodrich&tireModel=All-Terrain+T/A+KO2&partnum=755SR0KO2V2
I cannot tell if they load range D or load range E though.

 

Good stuff thanks! I really dont know how to tell if it is a 26.4 gallon tank or a 38 gallon tank, but the 2015 ebrochure I posted has 26.4gal of all of the trim levels. I do not see anything on the window sticker or carfax indicating that it has an upgraded 38 gal tank. Hard to determine IMHO. I do think the payload is the issue not the towing itself though...just from what I am learning.

 

I say all that, but I really think you will be fine in that 23 foot airstream. If you have 5 family members it might be a problem, but you should be good. I say all that just to stress the point of how fast payload disappears and all the marketing of these 1/2 tons towing war claims of 10k plus lbs. is udder rubbish.

 

And BTW, you are correct on payload being the issue and not the actual towing. The truck has plenty of power, that is not the problem.....

 

You’re good man, your only problem is tongue weight and how much cargo you put in the truck. If I were you I would put all cargo in the trailer so you have some payload numbers to play with give yourself some extra numbers left over and tow it empty with no water. Trust me, go to the thread on this site “what do you tow with your tundra” and there are guys there towing stuff a tundra should not tow. Just because the truck can tow it doesn’t mean you should, they are way over the safe towing numbers, your limiting factor is the payload which always gets diminished before the actual towing capacity gets factored in.

 

You might consider a rear suspension upgrade. It won’t increase your pay load number but it’ll help to keep the squat to minimum even with a WDH. I installed the RAS Roadmaster Active Suspension on my rear leafs. I have a 7000lb TT that I tow occasionally and it helps big time. The factory rear leafs on the Tundras are pretty docile.
Good luck to you and happy camping!

 

You're better off eliminating 'squat' by properly setting up your WDH first. Then, if you want additional stiffness in the back, get helper springs of some kind (leaf packs, airbags, sumos, RAS...) Don't use those helpers to get rid of squat, otherwise you've never solved the weight imbalance in the first place.

 

Good point. I should have mentioned I haul loads in the bed all the time without a trailer so the RAS helps there as well.

 

Took our AS camping last weekend. Wound up stuck behind a traditional wood-frame aluminum trailer, he was down to 45MPH due to some winds and still swerving all over the place. I was cruising 65MPH in the same wind, no trouble whatsoever.

Airstreams have a relatively low center of gravity. You do sacrifice some square footage because the wheel wells protrude into the interior but they tow very well.

 

Having a trailer doing the ‘tail wagging the dog’ routine can be unnerving. Sounds like you did alright. What hitch did you go with?

 

Blue Ox. I know it's no ProPride but seems like it's good enough.

 

Good enough is good enough