Gen 3 VS 3/4 Ton for towing TT

We want to update from a smaller TT to an Imagine 2800BH. Specs per the manufacturer are:

6386 lbs dry
604 lbs dry hitch
32’ long

Question is, would a 22/23 Gen 3 be enough truck to “comfortably” tow this or should I just start looking at 3/4 ton options?

The family and gear usually weigh in around 600 lbs. Hitch weight will likely be closer to 900 lbs after adding propane, battery, power tongue Jack and WD hitch. I see Gen 3’s advertised as up to 1900ish lbs available payload.

Payload and wind are my main concerns with the 1/2 ton truck.

I have a 2018 and love it, but won’t tow that large of a TT with it. I would like to stick with a (newer) Tundra if possible but safe and “comfortable” towing is a must, so I’ll venture away if I must.

Thanks in advance.

 

3/4 would be the right choice.
I'm 800 lbs tongue weight on this camper.
I believe the actual weights do not include batteries/lp tanks, storage up under the bed and so on.
Stats show under 600lbs tongue weight for a 19rr grey wolf.

 

I tow a 2800bh with my 2017 doublecab with a cap, AAL for the lift in the rear, WDH, and 20psi in the bags for some extra stability. I have no complaints and am very comfortable towing in all conditions and terrain. I just towed it 5 hours up to Lake George, NY from PA. I wouldn’t go longer or much heavier with any half ton though, as I’m sure I’m on the cusp of it getting uncomfortable. I plan to get a 3/4 ton for my next truck mainly for payload concerns, but I plan to keep the tundra as well when the time comes. I mainly don’t like giving up the warm up fuzzy reliability tundra feel for a domestic.

 

3/4 ton gas for sure. That is a lot of caboose to be hooking to a Tundra. We have a Grand Design 2500RL and the Tundra was not happy the one time I pulled it and hitch was setup correctly. I quickly got a 2020 Chevy Silverado 2500HD with 6.6 gas engine. Completely different and night and day and I had no issues throwing the wife and 2 kids in with me. I would not do that with the Tundra for sure!

 

Good luck finding a Gen 3 that actually has a 1900lb payload. By the time most of them are built with a bunch of options even SR5’s will probably be below that mark.

That’s not a dig at the 3rd Gen Tundra but all 1/2 ton trucks. Virtually none of them can be found with the mythical maximum payload, because let’s be realistic they’re so stripped down no one wants them because it’s a work truck at that point.

I suspect your payload with all of you and your stuff and that trailer will still be within the ratings of most 3rd Gen Tundras you can find. You just won’t have much margin.

Something else to consider is how far and where do you plan to tow this larger travel trailer? If you’ve got some favorite campground at a lake that’s only a few hours drive or less from your house over reasonable roads and reasonable crosswinds etc then no big deal; in that case if you like your 1/2 ton then keep rocking a 1/2 ton. You should be technically safe, and well within a comfortable performance envelope for everyone.

On the other hand if you’re planning to tow this setup for thousands of miles all over the country, out west in the mountains, across the high prairies in nasty crosswinds on highways with 80MPH speed limits you may want to seriously consider a 3/4 ton.

 

If I wanted a bone stock truck to handle that trailer, I would be in a 1 ton. Load it up, load up the family, and away we’d go. No truck mods needed.

But I could see myself pulling something like that over shorter distances with my ‘21, provided I’ve modded the truck to handle it better. Some people think if you need mods to feel safer about pulling something like that, you just need a bigger truck. I totally get that, but I also need my truck to fill multiple roles: daily driver, reacher of VERY remote places for camping or hunting, etc. There are many things I do with my truck that I would hate to use an HD truck for.

All that to say, it might be more worth it to me to do suspension, brakes, controller, WDH, and maybe gears instead of getting a far larger truck. An excuse for more mods!

 

I'd put the gear and kids in a 4Runner and pull the trailer with the existing truck. Better for safety all the way around and really more fun to go mess around remote areas in a capable 4Runner.

 

Personally, if the trailer is over 25 feet long, has slide outs, or has an advertised hitch weight of 50% or more of the payload, it's just too big for a half ton truck. I wouldn't pull it.

As somebody else stated, you won't be able to find a Gen 3 with 1900 lbs of payload because that is the smallest cab, two wheel drive, bare bones truck with no add ons. Nobody buys that these days. If you want comfortable towing in a 1/2 ton I'd shoot for 24 feet or less and an advertised dry weight of 5,800 pounds at maximum. I'd rather stick to 22' or less and 5k or less dry weight. Towing that at 65 would be smooth and easy, but having a 32' sail on a light weight truck with a 6 cylinder engine... nope. Not for me. I'd 100% be getting an HD gasser to pull anything bigger.

 

There it is

 

Your question totally depends on how far you plan to pull and how often. If you are going thousands of miles, go bigger than a Tundra. If you are pulling it an hour or two here and there occasionally, the Tundra is a good call. Remember you will likely be driving this truck often without the camper too. I feel very confident pulling a 34’, double-slide, camper for the short 70 mile run I have to our lake lot. The TTV6 does a great job. But I wouldn’t hook up and travel across the country with it.

 

I wouldn’t do it with any half ton nor would I buy any 3/4 gas truck. I owned a 3/4 ton 6.7 ford and I wouldn’t do that again either. You lose too much payload with the diesel in a 3/4 ton truck. I’d be looking at a 1 ton srw diesel in a Chevy or Ford. What ever you do, Don’t buy a dodge.

 

Don't forget about the trailer TOAD dolly device option. I would do that long before a modern overpriced domestic pile.

 

I pull a 27' (31' overall) dry 5880# with a 2022 1794 and a WDH and it does very well, even up hills. Also averaged around 9mpg running 65-70. Seldom see the turbo boost kick in unless passing or pulling a grade.

 

Toad isn't a brake axle. As for the truck, OP could use his current ride and still haul the gear & family too.

 

I would take the Chevy or GMC diesel over a Crapstone anytime. Just avoid a few option boxes, use my vendor discount and be right at or slightly under the price of a Crapstone.

Now that GM has told Bosch to kick rocks and uses a Denso fuel pump on the updated L5P I would have way more confidence in that truck vs any other diesel.

 

My 2800bh (the exact trailer you’re looking at purchasing) towed very similarly behind my tundra as my previous 25’ 4,500 lb trailer. It’s perfectly capable and well within GCVWR. It’s rated to tow 9,500 lbs with this configuration, which I wouldn’t do especially with a wind sail travel trailer. That said I feel 6500 dry is well within its capabilities, and its a relatively drama free towing experience with the 2800bh. This tundra is easily more capable than the 3/4 tons from 25 years ago that my dad used to pull heavier campers with when I was a kid. They didn’t have j2807 standards back then, but I bet if they did that old 98 k2500 with a 454 wouldn’t have anything on a modern half ton.

 

The good old days of manual steering, three pedals, drum brakes, wing windows A/C, etc. Lots of great memories here.

 

They do extensive marketing research and surveys and know that pretty much nobody is going to off-road a Capstone. For that matter only a small percentage of TRD Off Roads will ever get off the pavement. Rock drive on a Capstone is not supposed to make sense, it's supposed to sell trucks.

(Que the Tundra pics driving through a mud puddle).

 

Shoot. IDK about where you travel, but in my neck of the woods, even the pavement has plenty of patches that'll crack them rims relatively fast. Like you said, it's all about sales, you just left out the new replacement rim sales.

 

OP, as others said a Tundra with 1,900 lbs payload is a unicorn. From what I've read in the 3rd gen towing threads it also sounds like the coil suspension is going to require some help with loads well below that weight. JMO but I'd buy an HD to haul that trailer.

 

They sell the wheel replacement insurance hard when you buy these trucks.

 

Because a lot of consumers have the mindset of "it costs more so it's better" and can't stomach the thought of driving a basic truck that meets their needs. They have to have a luxury model with every option so their neighbor knows they are ballin' like a big boy.

 

I'm not qualified to answer that question. Sorry.

 

This guy isn't qualified either but he has an opinion and offers some interesting stats. (Sorry to get off topic OP but I think you got some good feedback).

https://www.thedrive.com/news/26907/you-dont-need-a-full-size-pickup-truck-you-need-a-cowboy-costume

According to Edwards’ data, 75 percent of truck owners use their truck for towing one time a year or less (meaning, never). Nearly 70 percent of truck owners go off-road one time a year or less. And a full 35 percent of truck owners use their truck for hauling—putting something in the bed, its ostensible raison d’être—once a year or less.

 

Or, I don’t give a shit what my neighbors think and just like top trim trucks with all the comfort features, nicer interior and looks