Considering Tundra

My wife and I are going to be retiring in the next couple of years and would like to purchase a travel trailer and do extended trips across the US.

It looks as though most of the trailers we are considering are:
Dry Weight - 6,000 - 6,500
Max Weight - ~2,000
Hitch Weight - ~1,000

Looking at the Tundra SR5, 5.7 L, RWD and Double Cab

The purpose of the DC is provide a bit more towing and payload capacity.

It looks on paper as though this rig would be more than adequate for our needs but, I would like some real world experience and opinions.

FYI - Also considering Nissan Titan XD Diesel

What say you?

 

WELCOME!

 

I love mine... My dad has had 2 and refuses to drive anything else. These trucks burn gas. Towing a TT you can expect 10 or less mpg. HOWEVER, add up the prices of the repairs of the Ecoboost, or an oil burning chevy and you can buy all the gas you need. Plug resale into your equation and compare some 5 year old trucks on KBB and NADA with 100k on them. The Toyota will pay you back. Also don't believe all the hype on the MPG of the competition both towing and not. These are trucks, trucks burn gas. My 5.7 crewmax is doing 15/18 and 11 towing my 21' camper and 20' walleye boat.

 

Exactly this ^

There is a reason the Tundra holds it’s value better than any other truck...do it.

 

Welcome from NY.
I bought mine in April and love it. Towed my car 300+ miles in each direction. Car & trailer 5500 pounds. Had wife and 2 kids with me and our luggage, didn't even feel like I was towing anything. Went from NY to Maryland and there were a lot of Long Hills. Buy the Tundra.

I've been told the MGM color tows better.

Good luck on your choice. I originally was going to buy a Silverado or Sierra........glad I didn't.

 

Tundra > Titan = Tundra all day

 

When you go to look at Tubdras, make sure you check the yellow sticker in the drivers door jam for the actual payload. My crewmax only has a payload of 1270 lbs. With a 1000 tongue weight, that wouldn't leave much payload left for myself, passengers, and any gear in the truck.

Being that your looking for a 4X2 double cab, I'd imagine your payload would be greater

 

I can't comment on the towning capacity, but more so the tundra in general. I've owned 3 and I don't think you can find a more reliable truck. Hope you end up choosing Toyota. BTW, I hear the Titans aren't the greatest trucks, they seem to be rated poorly compared to the others out there for some reason

 

Welcome from Texas

 

That is definitely a concern which is why I am opting for a 4x2 double cab, according to Toyota, the payload is ~1,700 which I would need to subtract any options from to get my actual payload. Conservatively, say payload is 1,600 pounds, I think I want to have at least half or 800 pounds for passengers, fuel and gear which leaves me with a tongue weight of 800 pounds. Guess I better sharpen my pencil when looking for a trailer because I don't see myself going to a 3/4 ton.

I've also noticed the maximum tongue weight is 1,030 pounds.

The nice thing is the trailer has not been purchased so, once the truck has been purchased the trailer selection will limited to fit inside the specs of the truck.

Thanks for the heads-up

 

Welcome! “Extended trips” with a 6K+lb TT will be costly for gas, maybe 9-10 mpg once loaded and over 7K. High hitch weights towards 1K lb reduce from the Tundra’s low max payload capacity which need to include passenger weight and gear in the calculation. You will need a WDH and air bags to mitigate the downward pressure on the back end, otherwise hitting bumps you get that porpoising effect and loss of steering control. I’m pulling what you’re looking at, only local trips 2-3x/yr.

My friend drives a white 2015 Dodge 2500 Cummins deisel, no repair issues, pulls a 5W, no air bags needed, much better mileage. I’ll be moving to a 3/4 ton deisel if we upgrade to a heavier 10K lb 5W, the Tundra tow specs won’t cut it. I’d use something like that for distance travel.

 

Please be careful when comparing "towing capacities". The big three have boiled these numbers for years. There is a third party that gives the actual numbers. This is what Toyota uses and that is why the tundra numbers look low. 12000# on an ecoboost is bullshit. The name of the rating slips my mind at the moment...

SAE J2807 Society of automotive engineers. Tundra uses it and most others don't!

 

A Ram 3500 with the 6.7 Cummins and forget all your worries. A Tundra will get the job done at the expense of some serious loss of MPG. The Ram in the picture pulled the 9000+# camper like a walk in the park all the while averaging 12+mpg through the mountains at 2000 rpm. The Tundra pulling the same camper through the same mountains averaged 6.86 MPG and needed 4000+ rpm to get the job done. I’d be willing to bet the Ram could pull the camper and Tundra pulling in the opposite direction no problem at all.

 

I LOVE my Tundra and I tow with it. It’s usually never more that 4500 pounds and it does it at altitude like nothing is behind me.
With that said, if I was pushing 7000+ pounds and I was doing long distance trips regularly I would consider more than a half ton and I would look at diesels. Those bastards are just built to tow.

 

Also, and this is just my opinion but if you go the route of the diesel forget that Nissan Diesel. The big three have been at it a long time. Although I drive a Dodge 5500 diesel at work and it’s a legit POS..

 

My previous vehicle was a 15 f150 3.5 boost with a max payload of 1740 lbs. I towed a 30 foot ~7k lb TT a half dozen times with it and even though it was well within max payload it was still a half ton truck and bounced around quite a bit. My personal opinion is to stick to the 22-24 foot ultra light travel trailers (5k max dry weight) with half ton trucks regardless of payload capacity or move up to the 3/4-1 ton for anything bigger. It will tow better and you will feel and be safer getting down the road. The ford and likely my tundra will be ok for small trips that we usually do here in central texas (max of 60 miles away) but you will feel much better in 3/4 - 1 ton making long hauls.

 

I just towed a 3000lb trailer (dry weight and we had quite a bit of gear loaded too) from Florida up to the North Carolina mountains and back. I got low 10 mpg on the way up and low to mid 11 on the way back. Towing was dreamy. I kept forgetting the trailer was back there, whereas my Tacoma got whipped around a little bit. Plus, with the Crewmax, my three kids all sat in the back and never once complained about lack of space, but I guess you don't have to worry about that

 

2 times from OKC to Dallas
3 times DFW area
1 time from DFW to Nashville
6000lbs each time
13mpg w/ 35's on built mid travel and k37 deaver springs with 150k on the O.

Personally if I had a specific tow rig I'd do a Sierra 2500/3500.

 

Welcome from SoCal.

 

For a trailer that's factory spec'd at 6500 lbs I'd strongly consider a 3/4-ton. Trailer weights are notorious for being low, and as a retired couple on long trips you (and the wife) are going to be inclined to fill it up. All that stuff, plus 400-800+ lbs of water, is going to add up quickly and put you on the higher end of the Tundra's capacity. Mind you I'm not saying the Tundra won't do it, just that as a dedicated tow vehicle a 3/4-ton or 1-ton is going to do everything better.