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Old 11-29-2005, 02:50 AM   #1
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1985 25' Sovereign
Susanville , California
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Thumbs up jessl

Hello, My name is Jess and I am new to Airstream. I am recently retired from the U.S. Forest service. I currently own a home in Susanville, Ca. My children are all raised and I want to see more of this beautiful country we live in. Being single, I am considering full timing since there is no one to object. Just have to figure out what to do with all my stuff. I have waaay to much stuff.
I have purchased a '85 Sovereign 25' w/twin beds in the back and side bath. Dry weight is supposed to be 4900 with the GVWR of 6400 lbs. I currently own a Toyota Tundra 4x4 SR5 access cab. The towing capacity is supposed to be 7100 lbs. I really like this truck and hate to part with it but I am leaning toward a 3/4 ton, mostly due to threads I've read here. The Toyota rides so good that it makes me think that the suspension is too light in the rear to handle the 755lb. tongue weight. Does anyone have any experience towing a trailer of this size with a Tundra?
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Old 11-29-2005, 04:36 AM   #2
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I am no expert in towing capacity and there are others on the forum that know a great deal more than I do. That said, I have a Tundra, SR5 step side pickup I use to pull my 79 24ft Argosy. My Argosy has a weight of 3800, with a tongue weight of around 520. The Tundra pulls it wonderfully; however, I suspect I would want more power to pull anything bigger and heavier full time. The Tundra is listed as a 7/8, 3/4 ton. Always found that confusing. I'm not sure I would like to pull the Argosy in the mountains with this tow vehicle. Just my two cents. Welcome to the forum.
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Old 11-29-2005, 06:20 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jessl
I have purchased a '85 Sovereign 25' w/twin beds in the back and side bath. Dry weight is supposed to be 4900 with the GVWR of 6400 lbs. I currently own a Toyota Tundra 4x4 SR5 access cab. The towing capacity is supposed to be 7100 lbs. I really like this truck and hate to part with it but I am leaning toward a 3/4 ton, mostly due to threads I've read here. The Toyota rides so good that it makes me think that the suspension is too light in the rear to handle the 755lb. tongue weight. Does anyone have any experience towing a trailer of this size with a Tundra?
Believe it or not, Airstreams are happier with a vehicle that rides softly, there is less stuff thrown around in the trailer, and you get punched in the kidneys less.
That said, you can try the Tundra, but I think you would be better off with a larger, heavier tow vehicle. The heavier the tow vehicle, the less the trailer will want to push you around when towing. Our Chevy van, however, is a 3/4 ton, and only has a towing capacity of 6000 pounds, 400 less than your Tundra. Check towing capacities before purchasing a new tow vehicle, and try to get one that has a towing capacity at least 20% more than the GVWR of your trailer, manufacturers tend to be overly optimistic when figuring towing capacity.
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Old 11-29-2005, 08:51 AM   #4
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My take is that an Argosy is a fairly different beast than a 25' Sovereign. It's been my understanding that the Argosy line was built with weight reduction in mind compared to it's sister the Airstream. I would also suspect that with all your stuff and full timing, you'll most likely get closer to the Sovereign's max GVWR, not to mention that you'll be packing some gear into the truck, most likely exeeding the GCWR of the coach and Toyota. The reason few can under stand the 7/8 3/4 is that it's marketing....makes little sense to me. However Toyota and Nissan do it regularly to get their on paper tow capacites up. I've never been one for the funny marketing math.

That said, I would consider a 3/4 pickup and or 3/4 Suburban or Excursion (before Ford nixes it), particularly if you are going to tour the country and that country includes mountains.
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Old 11-29-2005, 01:09 PM   #5
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Jess,
Hi, I tow my 75 Trade Wind 25' with a 2003 Tundra and do not have a problem with it. My trailer has a dry weight of 4200 lbs and a hitch weight of 620. So mine is a little lighter then yours. When I hitch it up, the tail does drop several inches, but when I get the Weight Distribution adjusted it levels right out. I do suffer performace problems when I climb big hills, but I am not in a hurry. I think it can be done, but you are at the upper limit of the trucks capasity. You will need a good hitch and brake controller (I use the Prodigy) and try it out. Don't forget to turn the overdrive off.
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Old 11-29-2005, 01:21 PM   #6
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1985 25' Sovereign
Susanville , California
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Thumbs up Re: Tundra tow vehicle vs. 3/4 ton

Thank's to all of you for your input. I haven't seen this airstream I purchased yet, so don't know how the Tundra would do. A close friend in Montana found the A.S. for me. I've been looking for months and this one sounded like the one. Also viewed a video of it. The previous owner also has a '97 Chevy 3/4 Ton, 4wd long bed for sale. He purchased them together. The truck has 36000 mi. on it, which seems very low for a '97. It is equipped w/ a 5.7 liter V8. He says it gets 16mpg wo the rv which is close to what my Tundra gets. Sounds like I might as well keep the pair together.

Thanks again, Jess
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Old 12-02-2005, 03:17 AM   #7
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2001 19' Bambi
Running Springs , California
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Hey, Jessl. Welcome! I just bought a Bambi and tow it with an old Toyota FJ 60 Land Cruiser (that's not really fair, she is quite modified.) The piece that really seems to work for me is the load levellers. By the way I had a good friend in high school named Bruce Sager. He lived for quite a time in Susanville, and may still. If you know him tell him George Southworth says hello. Thanks.
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