Which Tundra to get?

Hello all,
I am researching what I need vs. what I want in a tow vehicle. I currently have an FJ which can tow about 5,000 lbs. However I have gotten a new camper that is pushing my current limits. The dream is to tour the US with RV in tow. The largest RV I see getting would be about 8,500lbs. So I am looking for trim level recommendations and hybrid or not. Any input would appreciated.

 

If it was me and I'm no expert but with that much traveling I would go with a 2500 probably not what u want to hear sorry

 

An FJ towing a 5000 lb camper would suck.

The tundra is going to be night and day better in almost every way. I think the hybrid is probably pretty useless for towing purposes, so you would need to justify it based on mpg’s and performance when not towing.

8500 lbs with a half ton is starting to push limits. You will have to have your setup perfectly dialed and watch where you put cargo to make sure everything is good

 

Time will tell if the hybrid is a benefit to towing, although interviews with Mike Sweers indicate his intentions with the hybrid were for more power and diesel like performance with an emphasis on improving towing performance. Even if there is no fuel economy benefit, there’s still a lot more power under the curve at normal engine speeds with the hybrid iForce Max.

That still doesn’t mean it’s the right answer for Onedsr. She needs to settle on the travel trailer first, and then choose a good tow rig. If she goes for an 8500lb trailer there’s probably another 500-800lbs of stuff that will end up going in there that are not reflected in the dry weight.

That’s getting tongue weight up into the 900-1000lb range and leaving very little payload left in the truck for people or other gear.

If occasional short pulls for weekend camping were the mission I’d say go for it. Well within the capabilities of any 1/2 ton. Modern 1/2 tons have a ton more power than they “need” to pull or haul their rated loads. The rest of the truck isn’t made to be worked like that every day though.

If the goal is the stated extensive long distance touring, Toyota doesn’t offer anything suitable in my opinion. Time to buy more truck, 3/4 ton and above for better control of the trailer, higher stability, less driver fatigue, and a truck made to cope with a consistent work load specifically the axles, brakes, frame, and suspension.

 

So....yeah, I did not really want to hear that a bigger truck may be reality. So let me flip the question for those that haul, what is the max weight camper I should look at for a cross country trip?. I will also add that it is not likely we would haul more than 6 or 7 hours a day and we are not on a sprint trip. We are looking to soak in the sights and savor the time. Thank you all already for your brutally honest input.

 

Coal Draggers response is dead on if you are going to travel all across our great country. I’ve towed 7800 boats, car hauler trailers that weigh close to 8500 and campers with a heavy half ton pickup. One trip with strong cross winds or the need to make an evasive maneuver because of another driver’s error and you will quickly exceed the trucks ability to safely control a 8500 lb trailer. It can go from comfortable cruising to terrifying or worse in a few seconds if the trailer starts to whip. A 6000 pound trailer on a Tundra with rear air leveling suspension, a load leveling hitch with anti-sway control and trailer brake controler will be a great combo and safe. If you plan to do a lot of mountain driving you may want to consider a diesel. I have towed over the Colorado Rockies a bunch and some gas powered trucks really struggle at altitude. The twin turbo will be better than a non turbo motor but thought Id add this perspective if you plan to spend a lot of time going up and down steep grades.

 

I can’t speak for everyone but at the end of the day I think we want to see you or anyone else make an educated decision.

At least you haven’t bought a truck yet, because it really comes down to the trailer that meets your needs.

These days a travel trailer that weighs 8500lbs is a pretty large outfit. Just perusing the Jayco website one of their 8,000lb bumper pull travel trailers is a big trailer, every bit of 38ft long. If you need or want the space then go for it, just be aware that pulling a 38ft long box around hitched to the bumper is going to be very interesting in a crosswind in any truck… but the lighter and shorter the wheelbase of the tow vehicle the more “interesting” that experience will be!

Now if that is news to you just how dang large an 8000-8500lb travel trailer is, you are probably in luck because the same models with shorter floor plans in the 28ft-32ft range are all in that nominal 6,000lb-6,700lb range dry that give you some cushion on tongue weight. Plus they’re not giving nearly as much surface area for the wind to act on. Well within the capacity of a Tundra or other 1/2 ton to deal with comfortably and confidently all day. Remember the goal is to get a towing rig that you are driving, not a tow rig that you are constantly having to react to. Sticking with a trailer that is closer to the curb weight of your truck will help, and at 6,000-6,700lbs you’re right there, with a good quality weight distribution hitch with sway control you should be just fine. The new 2022 Tundra is more than powerful enough to tow a setup like that anywhere in the country from sea level to the mountains. If towing/touring the country was my main mission I would opt for a crew cab 4X4, iForce Max (hybrid), with the 6.5ft bed, and I would elect to get the rear air springs too. So you would be looking at Limited trim level and above.

Revisiting the larger trailers in that 8,000-8,500lb range if those big 36ft-38ft outfits are really your preference for space and comfort, then you might also consider a 5th wheel instead of a bumper pull. Assuming you elect to step up to a 3/4 ton or 1 ton truck for towing a heavier and longer trailer, also considering a 5th wheel makes some sense. That style of trailer makes for a much more stable setup with a larger heavier trailer. As to the truck to select for 5th wheel pulling, that’s better addressed by @ColoradoTJ or other members who pull bigger trailers.

Hope we’re helping, good luck!

 

I just towed my rv 2k miles with my Tundra. It's about 6k dry weight and prob about 7000 -7500 lbs with everything as I was moving. Truck was loaded up as well. It towed fine, but there were a couple passes in Wash and Utah were I had a hard time keeping torque converter locked. They're capable trucks, but I would recommend a 3/4t if you really want to pull a 8500lb dry rv cross country.

 

Yep, an 8500lb dry travel trailer is a big ass trailer to do extensive touring with.

At that point personally if the budget allows for it I would just step up to a 5th wheel. Then tow it with a 1 ton 4X4 diesel crew cab with a full 8ft bed.

 

https://www.rvlifemag.com/towing-half-ton-three-quarter-ton/ A heavy-ass Tundra with a lower center of gravity than a 3/4T is a decent choice if you’re looking at trailers in the 8k lb range and lower. My crewmax is almost 6k lbs empty. I’m sure the 3rd gen hybrid trucks are similar in curb weight. They also have a lot more low end power.

Were you in S4 per the manual? Not trying to cast stones; just curious what I should expect if I tow through some of those passes.

 

The author of that article lost me at singing the praises of the 5.0L Cummins (a turd of an engine), and encouraging exceeding the GVWR because the axles can technically handle it.

If he wants to open himself up for legal liability for operating a vehicle past its GVWR that’s his idiot ass decision.

https://wolflawnj.com/2013/04/towing-liability-for-overweight-loads/

There are these people called lawyers. They like suing people. Don’t make it easier for them to reach their hand up your ass and pull out cash in the event you have a bad day on the road.

 

S3 actually, and still had a couple grades where I couldn't keep torque converter locked. But again I was moving and heavy but not over max weight of rv, but close to max weight of truck.

 

If you factor in elevation and calculate your power loss per 1000ft pulling those passes you’ll get a good idea of why the torque converter wasn’t staying locked. Transmission was trying to help the motor work by giving it a bit more room to fluctuate.

 

I fully understand where I was driving and what I was doing, I wasn't complaining. I was responding to the op who is considering an 8500lb dry weight trailer for cross country trips with a 1/2t Tundra.

 

Roger that. Sounds like your truck did OK. Everyone seems to get all hot and bothered if they can’t pull a hill in 6th gear at the speed limit.

 

True, the truck was fine, tranny temps climbed into the 240/250 range on those 2 passes. I did most of the driving at night. But was also 20 to 30 mph under the speed limit by time I crested. I didn't buy my truck to primarily tow. On the other hand I'm sure I could of disregarded tranny temps and and pushed it harder in s4 unlocked and held more speed thru those passes, and pushed tranny temps 40 to 50 degrees higher. So I can see where someone that doesn't monitor transmission temps thinks differently.

 

Does the TC lock in 3rd? Thought it was only gears 4-6…

 

Buy a truck that fits your need, and from the sounds of what you’re looking for. The Toyota isn’t it. Getcha a 3/4 ton and don’t look back.

 

Agreed on the Cummins. That link has been shared before in this thread. We’ve gone round and round on this forum regarding what may or may not happen to you should you tow a trailer that puts your truck a couple hundred lb over GVWR, or if you tow in a grossly negligent manner (I recall the story about the guy towing a commercial load, a 19-ton yacht, with an F250 and no CDL).

While I don’t tow over my truck’s ratings, I am a couple hundred lb over GVWR when camping with the family. I’m still of the mind that an accident over GVWR that lands you with no insurance coverage or with hefty fines or in jail is a particularly strong specimen of internet lore.

 

Locked is the diff between fluid coupling and clutch coupling, controlled by computer, and is usually accompanied by a few hundred rpm change. Not determined by what gear your in. Can prob be explained better by someone else. But when you lose lock, the transmission fluid in the torque converter heats up quickly.

 

I hear you but I am pretty sure our 6-speed transmissions only lock the TC in 4-6, our cruising gears.

 

The Tundra is a great tow rig. I’ve towed my camper (~8000 lbs loaded) up to Tahoe from SoCal twice now. It’s really great even on the steep hill up towards Mammoth Lakes. It’s like 7000~8000 ft elevation there. However, if you plan to tow 50% of the time or more, I’d recommend a 3/4 ton other than a Ford. I’ve always found the F150 and F250 really get pushed around by the trailer a lot no matter the setup, especially at highway speeds. Otherwise, the non-hybrid Tundra is more than enough to tow 8k lbs. If you’re ok with spending more money, the hybrid will be better but only when taking off and passing. I wouldn’t expect at fuel economy gain from the hybrid when towing.

Tundra only fully locks on in 5th and 6th. It does what Toyota calls flex lockup where the lockup clutch is slipped. It does this from 3rd up but only at very low throttle. Otherwise the torque converter clutch is open and the fluid coupling is driving the car. If you have techstream you can take some data to see this control. If you’re in S2, it will be open torque converter but if the engine speed is above the stall speed of the converter, the difference between the engine speed and the converter output speed will be pretty small so it’ll seem like it’s locked.

 

I believe your right, it's only above 4. But I couldn't hold 4th even unlocked, so tranny was downshifting to 3rd on its own.

 

Mine shows lockup status in 4th, 5th, and 6th when observing on my Fusion app. I can’t get it to lock up in 1-3.

 

Don’t want to go off on a tangent in this thread… Does that app show flex lockup? I have noticed some apps don’t distinguish between flex lockup and complete lockup. I’ve only ever seen lockup in 5th and 6th in a 2019.

 

Yeah sorry, it’s definitely a tangent but still somewhat related. I just see a lot of people towing with the 5.7 Tundra and claiming that it hunts for gears all the time. While I don’t doubt that it has to put in some work at altitude, I also think this is because lots of people tow in D. But the manual says to tow in S4 for engine braking. But it also wouldn’t tell you to tow in 4 if it didn’t properly lock up in that gear, especially since they deleted the external trans cooler.

When my app says I’m locked up in 4, it feels and sounds the same as when it says I’m locked up in 5 or 6.

 

Wow! Lots of great input! My current trailer is 19ft and 4,100 lbs. I think I would be ok with that space as I would prefer to travel with less stuff. I don't think I would do more that 25' as I prefer state and national parks. One upgrade camper of choice has a hitch weight of 775lbs and dry weight of 6,050lbs. I don't usually haul fresh water, but there could be some instances where we might on our cross country trip...government land boondocking I think could be a great experience. It sounds like I do need to learn more about this locking and not locking stuff, a little intimidating. I drove a stick shift car growing up around the Blue Ridge. So I understand some of what is going on, but it sounds like it has gotten very techy with an automatic engine. I am hoping that it is something that I get the hang of, like how I used to know what to do by the sound of the the engine.

 

Looks a tad low in the rear.....