Towing a 5th wheel camper?

I guess we're done with adult conversation...

 

Seems to me that the adult convo is just starting. Some people don't take this stuff seriously - and they should. They ignore warnings and regulations and people get hurt and/or killed because of it. Not all the time - in fact, most of the time people get away with it and nobody gets hurt - ever, or for a really, really, really long time. But all it takes is one stupid mistake, one time of ignoring a recommendation/regulation to possibly eff up a whole bunch of people's lives forever.

It is a pet peeve of mine. I usually just keep my trap shut when I see people posting up their "what do you tow/haul" pictures that are most likely grossly overweight. But for some reason today I felt like chiming in. Or the people that are on board that "build an Overlander" with our 1/2 ton CM that has a GVWR of 7200 lbs.....then they slap so much damn crap on their rig that they are probably tipping the scales at well over 8,000 lbs. Brilliant!!!

Sorry. Rant over.

 

I noticed you referred to the Crew Max in the last post. You don't see a lot of CM towing 5 ers. The bed is too short. You need a slider hitch to tow a 5th wheel camper with a CM. Those can be close to 400 lbs. that would really cut down on the truly towable 5th wheel camper choices.

 

Correct.

 

I guess I am the fuck that does this. The camper is stored with the boat at the lake, thet stay nice and clean indoors till they are ready to play. Yep, I am even the fuck that takes 2 vehicles because my wife doest like the dogs to ride in the back of the truck. I am also the fuck that uses disposable plates, cups, etc., because we are there for fun, not to do dishes. I am also the fuck that doesnt take anything because there is a super walmart about 7 miles from campground, why haul shit when you can just go get what you need. Stop by Elephant Butte, I will buy the beer, cuz yep, I am that type of fuck.

 

There is a point that is being missed here. If an overweight trailer is pulled 1-2 times a year a distance of 4-5 miles then this scenario can not be used to justify the Tundra being capable of towing a similar sized rig for any extended period of time. This is not an example that can be used for someone who pulls their camper longer distances, over passes, or extended interstate driving. I could pull my buddies 13K mini-ex from one side of town to the other if he was in a bind, but I'm not going to use that as an example and tell everyone that the Tundra can haul a 13K mini-ex because then someone will load theirs up and drive across the state or country.

Being overweight or not properly setup on the interstate is a recipe for shit stew. The OP (who hasn't even replied) asked a very vague question, can the Tundra pull a fiver? The simple answer is no, without knowing every bit of information about the size/weight of the camper or the specifics of the intended trip, the answer is no. Is he/she going to be 100lbs over payload and pull the camper from a dealer to a seasonal site 5 miles away where it will live the entire year? Then sure, calculate your assumed risk and do as you see fit. Or is the OP looking to take weekend trips 2-4 times a month ranging in distance from 100-1000 miles? Then no, I don't want this person on the road with me.

"Can the Tundra...?" is a very vague start to any question pertaining to a variety of topics. But hauling/towing is one of those things that affects hundreds or even thousands of other people around you. Therefore it's always better to make everyone second guess their weight, trailer, setup, and ability.

 

Here you go!

 

All I can say is I looked at some "lightweight" 5th wheels in the past. 23-26ft, aluminum frames, etc. Still 1400-1500 lbs hitch weight at 6500 lbs empty.

 

Well you fucking fuck!, I hope you ain't using plastic straws because that would be crazy.

 

Say what bruh......?

 

You hit the nail on the head with a big ole’ sledge hammer right here.

You’re right - “Can a Tundra...?” is the wrong question. It should be “Should I _____ with the Tundra?” I’d like to think we all know it can do more than what should be done for safety reasons. I’m not going to mention the damn space shuttle as an example.

 

You mean the big ass object that any half-ton (with the proper engine/transmission combo) could pull? As cool as the picture is of the Tundra pulling it, that's hardly anything impressive. And just because a vehicle can pull something does not mean it can tow it - there's so much more to towing than pulling it in a straight line.
A personal reference I can put to this is when hauling near max payload on 1 tons single rear wheels - do that in a dually which adds quite a bit of payload and it's easy to see why. The stability is night and day, sure the SRW could haul it fine in good conditions and straight lines, but start doing corners or sliding around on mud roads and the extra security is priceless. So sure a vehicle can do it in perfect weather - but throw in some curveballs and it's easy to see why many people buy a truck that can do way more then they are asking. Myself if I ever tow anything over 15K lbs I would 100% get a dually - the security I get is worth the extra money and headache of daily driving. My number to move to a HD truck over the Tundra (or any 1/2 ton) would probably be in the 7k lb range, and never a 5er - it's just not worth it to me to approach max numbers at any time for long hauls.

 

Exactly why I didn’t use it as an example.

And I agree on the rest of you post as well.

 

Good thread (any meaningful discussion is going to have some acrimony). I have a slightly different slant: assuming I stay below the 1460 payload (adding up driver, passenger, accessories) and bumper tow a travel trailer, what is a realistic GVW assuming my towing capacity is 10,000? At what weight does the trip transform from vacation to work (frustration)? Is a trailer GVW of 6000 realistic? 6500?

 

I just passed a fella pulling a fifth with a blue 3rd gen here in town. Didn't look squatted at all.

 

air bags will do that.

 

Honestly with the way the Tundra pulls I don't mind going up to max for the odd flatland trip. The Tundra makes it tricky because it's payload is on the low side, that tends to be what I figure I max out at first with proper tongue weight. Now if you're doing more than the odd trip, think daily work towing, then at 6-7k lbs I would be moving to a HD diesel. Those diesel's pull over 10k lbs like it's having fun doing so, and the extra weight of them makes them so much more stable. When you get in the 5k+ lbs I would be getting an anti-sway weight distributing hitch.

Of course this is what I personally would do, if you're not feeling comfortable doing this then don't. You're already on the right track making sure you stay within the limits set out by Toyota, then it's about finding your personal limits, don't take our word for what you should do. One person may be comfortable towing a 30 footer then another is going to be so scared doing so when a little wind pops up. Don't just jump into the deep end if you don't think it's right.

 

Thx Belanger.

You prompted me to think about the daily tow issue. I am in agreement, if I was to tow more than once a month, I would consider going more heavy duty. But I love, love my Tundra. I have owned a Ford F-150 and a 4-Runner in the past, and I much more enjoyed the Toyo. I got hooked on the reliability, stability, and solid feel.

I am also a fan of the Equal-i-zer hitch system - thinking about the 6000/600 version. My local dealer recommended going lighter with it, rather than the 10000/1000 version.

I am feeling better about a 6000 pull with a 650 - 700 pound tongue. I am trying to hold the spousal camp buddy to a lighter trailer (5000/550 - 600). I just need to gage how hard to fight.

 

I recently had a small travel trailer conspire with the weather and road conditions to put my sorry behind upside down, facing the wrong direction, in a ditch. No time to think - went from a routine tow to hanging upside down by my seatbelt within a couple of seconds. Upon reflection, the interjection of one of a couple safety systems 'may' have prevented it. I have a newfound respect for physics, safety systems, and sound engineering.

 

I know that's only a pipe dream, but I'd buy one.

 

I think we're assuming at least minimal flatland travel a few times per year when we talk towing, not a one-off take it to the RV park to settle it there at double the normal travel time. I've seen truck frames bent from having too much payload, maybe someone here too, wouldn't risk that.

 

Wait...
Burn up the fuel pump?
Been a mechanic for 20 years, that's a first.

 

I just joined and don't want to step in the middle of something but I bought my new Tundra to pull a new fifth wheel I have on order. I agree 100% that you should not tow more than the trucks abilities and that's why I chose an Escape 5.0 TA fiberglass trailer that has a dry weight of 3,880lbs, GVWR of 5,500lbs, and a hitch weight of 600lbs. I'll use a B&W drop ball gooseneck hitch and Anderson's 35lbs aluminum fifth wheel mount. Any advice is appreciated.

 

I've read where several people that believed that the fuel pump has to be submerged in a minimal amount of fuel or it would "burn out" the pump motor since it cannot be kept cool.I know in my old Ford F250 PS there was a warning in the book to not let the tanks go empty... but I think that was more of a diesel thing than gasoline.

 

That looks like a REALLY nice unit. I want one. Thanks for posting this. I'm looking into fiberglass unibody as well. I'm considering a 5th wheel Scamp from about 1997 for my gen 1 4x4 4.7L Tundra from 2003. I'll need some help too.
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I've read through most of these posts and find myself considerably more 'enlightened': lots of questions answered here that avoided starting a new thread.

After having read all these posts I'm reconsidering a light camper for my Gen 1 Tundra. The truck has about 187K on it and it usually gives me 17-18 mpg regardless of how much I'm hauling (never overweight) or how I drive it. So, mpg performance numbers from several threads surprised me. But, there are a few consistencies throughout the responses here and elsewhere on the forum that make me hopeful for my plans since it'll be just me and my modest amount of stuff. Many of the examples and much of the conversation here pertains to:

1) gen 2 or better Tundra's with larger power plants and 4-door cabs;
2) mostly larger campers north of 15 feet;
3) mostly heavier campers;
4) more than one occupant, i.e. extra stuff/weight.

I'm a former OTR driver for a few years in mid 90's so I know what towing is and what it isn't. Usually the bigger the horse, the smoother and safer the ride. I just don't know for sure if towing is a good idea for the gen 1 Tundra with a 'towing package'.

If my numbers are right I find that with GVW at 6200, the 5th wheel camper (plus me and stuff) I have in mind would work with weight to spare. I'm just not tuned in to the stability of these units behind a smaller truck at highway speeds and various terrain.

Any discussion & advice would be appreciated.
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I'm trying to escape $1600 +++ per month rent for a condo to escape winter for a while. Wondering if a small fiberglass camper is the way to go. Still penciling it out. I don't see a lot of gen 1 Toyota's pulling 5th wheel campers around.

 

With 5th wheels and 1/2 tons payload is usually the limiting factor. 5th wheels a pin weight should roughly be 20% of the trailer weight. That's why you see 1/2 tons doing hitch pulls way more, the 10% tongue weight doesn't eat into the payload too much.

 

Thanks for that. It's one of the summaries I needed. ColoradoTJ discussed at length the finer points of max weight capacities earlier in the thread. Still trying to differentiate the numbers on the door jamb of my vehicle.