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Old 11-13-2012, 04:05 PM   #1
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2008 Tundra 5.7 and 93 Excella 34' help?

I am looking at a 93 Excella and my TV is a 2008 Tundra 4x4 Double Cab with a tow package. Any thoughts on if they work together? The tow rating seems to be fine with the GVW of the trailer. Any help would be appreciated.
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Old 11-13-2012, 05:39 PM   #2
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I have a friend who has a simular rig, seems to do OK, but I wouldn't do it.

Take a look at the maximum carrying capacity of the truck, then subtract everything you will be carrying such as passengers, a cover if you want one, and all the gear you want to carry. Then see if you have enough capacity left to carry the trailer's hitch weight.
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Old 11-13-2012, 06:12 PM   #3
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We tow our 30 foot '94 Excella with a 2012 Dodge Ram. With the gearing and t0w package we're rated for 9,900 lbs. On a trip the past summer I stopped at the CAT scales and weighed our fully loaded rig. While we were within the 9,900 lbs., we exceeded the GVW capacity of the truck by 160 lbs.

It didn't take the wife and dog too long to get to the campground after hitchhiking ;-)

Our rig pulls fine, but your Excella weighs 850 lbs. more than ours. I think you'll be pushing safe weight limits.

Bruce
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Old 11-13-2012, 06:23 PM   #4
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Hey, if the Tundra can pull the space shuttle, it can pull a 34' Airstream...
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Old 11-13-2012, 06:31 PM   #5
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Tundra

What made me buy my 08 is when I saw a Tundra in Fishing Bridge Campground in Yellowstone hooked to a 34. I asked the driver about the towing and he said no problems. Me, I have pulled my 29, 30, 18 and others with no problem. Fully loaded, coast to coast. I would only buy Toyota and thats after I owned 3 Chevys. At 88,000 + I will need to replace the brakes, first time and first big repair.
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Old 11-14-2012, 02:39 PM   #6
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Thanks for the responses. I know the towing capacity is there. Just curious if anyone else has a 34' or knows someone that does and uses a Tundra to tow it. We had a 31' 72 AS and it was fine.

We are looking at using it for full timing. We would like the space with our kids . We are going to try temporary full timing in it.

Thanks again for your replies.
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Old 11-14-2012, 03:09 PM   #7
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What's it really weigh

Quote:
Originally Posted by EFunnyFarm View Post
Thanks for the responses. I know the towing capacity is there. Just curious if anyone else has a 34' or knows someone that does and uses a Tundra to tow it. We had a 31' 72 AS and it was fine.
The 34 would be a big difference from the 31 Airstream 4990 versus 6950 empty, usual to add 1000 lbs so 8000 lbs rolling would be the real world. Use the rule of thumb 80% of tow capacity and you'll love it and not beat it up, over that performance declines exponentially. I bet it pulled the 31 like a breeze no matter what.
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Old 11-14-2012, 06:07 PM   #8
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I expect the rear axle rating on the truck will be the limiting rating factor. I had a friend tell me he was over on a Ford 250 with his 34 footer. He did have a lot of stuff in it through. Can you get a actual loaded tongue weight for the trailer?
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Old 11-14-2012, 06:46 PM   #9
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I sympathize with you in this dilemma. I have the 2wd of the same truck and love it. However, I am about 50 lbs over the GVWR of the TV even though my loaded Tradewind only weighs 4,700 lbs. Understand that this includes full water, full fuel, two adults, dog, genny, chairs, bed cap, ramps, spare tire, barbecue and other camping stuff. This shows that the tow ratings for 1/2 ton trucks are pretty worthless. They give you a false sense that you can tow a lot more than you can before you hit the TV GVWR. Having said all that, I have a lot of confidence in my Tundra TV. I would probably tow the 34 ft but tow it very gently, keep away from traffic and be in no particular hurry. I would also make sure the brakes and tires were in tip top shape and drive very defensively. You would still probably be safer than 75% of the tow rigs out there.

The alternative is to go with a 3/4 ton TV. I am not sure how much safer this would be, but at least it should hold up better and be more reliable. But there are no guarantees either.

Good luck in your decision. That is a tough one.

Dan
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Old 11-14-2012, 10:22 PM   #10
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The alternative is to go with a 3/4 ton TV. I am not sure how much safer this would be, but at least it should hold up better and be more reliable. But there are no guarantees either.

Good luck in your decision. That is a tough one.

Dan
For towing, I doubt that you would regret the 3/4 suspension, brakes, tow capabilities, or tires ... but the fearures generally come at increased fuel costs; even for diesel. Would I do it again? YES !
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Old 11-15-2012, 06:08 AM   #11
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I don't know why they don't make a 3/4 ton version of the Tundra. The truck itself is plenty big enough but heavier running gear would be a nice upgrade and would allow them to compete with the big 3 US truck makers. I would think you are past your limit especially in the mountains.

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Old 11-15-2012, 06:25 AM   #12
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About 3/4 tons.....and not to change the subject, but I too wonder why Ford doesn't put the Ecoboost V6 in a 3/4 ton? After all, if it's as tuff as Ford says it is, why not?
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Old 11-15-2012, 08:50 AM   #13
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If we do decide to go,with the 34' AS, are there any specific hitch set ups that y'all would suggest? I sent Andy a message but haven't heard back yet. I read that he was very knowledgeable on this subject.
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Old 11-15-2012, 09:16 AM   #14
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IMHO, you can't beat a ProPride, and since you are in my opinion "pushing the limit", I'd get the best.
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Old 11-16-2012, 06:00 AM   #15
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EFF

I would definitely bounce this off CanAm. I would have a hard time not taking the towing guru's advice.

Regarding the ecoboost, I have major concerns regarding the long term reliability. Not only do you have another piece of expensive equipment in the mix, the turbocharger, but you are spreading the stresses of say 300,000 miles of driving and towing over only 2.3L of displacement versus the normal V8 displacement of 5.7L-6.2L. This may be why they don't offer it in the 3/4 ton trucks.

Dan
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Old 11-16-2012, 06:28 AM   #16
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The usual limiting factor for a half ton truck is the payload. Assuming you have a weight distributing hitch, add together everything you put in the Tundra and 2/3 of the tongue weight to figure out what the payload is. Look in the Owner's Manual for the payload—it differs a lot for various Tundra models. Note that the tongue wt. for the Excella may be higher than claimed by Airstream because of the propane in the tanks, spare tire and whatever you have in the front of the trailer.

The 5.7 L. engine has a lot of power, and with ours I can tow an '08 25' Safari without any problems. I can tow over the high passes in Colorado without effort and very fast if I want to use enormous amounts of gas. We've towed our trailer without problems for around 45,000 miles except for having to replace the front rotors at about 70,000.

Tow ratings have dropped a bit with the new SAE ratings. Since the Tundra hasn't changed at all since '07, you might check those for the '13's. It is probably somewhere on the Toyota website.

Our experience is the Tundra is a well built truck, maybe even a 5/8 ton. But you have to research all the numbers. That means payload, what the tow capacity of the truck is and the weight the Tundra axles can carry. That takes some time and figuring out what things weigh.

Gene
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Old 11-16-2012, 07:07 AM   #17
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I will have to agree that payload is the issue vs. towing capacity. These are two different things. With the TT/TV combination that you are proposing, you could easily end up well within the towing capacity while grossly over the trucks payload capacity.

For example, according to the Motor Trend website, the 2008 Tundra boasts a maximum 10,100# towing capacity. On the surface, this would put a 34' Airstream within specs. On the other hand, this truck's maximum payload capacity is published as 1,360#. A 34' Airstream is going to have a tongue weight of about 900#. This would indicate that if the truck had a full tank of gas and a 200# driver and nothing else, it would already be over the rated payload.

As far as a hitch system is concerned, I would take a serious look at either the Hensley Arrow or the ProPride. Granted these are expensive systems, but they work very well. With a marginal tow vehicle, a really good hitch system is important.

Brian
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Old 11-16-2012, 07:09 AM   #18
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Just because one has towed an Airstream with a bicycle, doesn't mean you should!

I personally would look to a vehicle with a little more heft. There are times a 34 gets really heavy and can push you around.
I personally tow with a Ford Excursion, with Reese dual cam sway, V10, and the 4;30 rear end. It is a monster, and does not break a sweat!

The 34" is a monster, it is big to start with, has huge tanks, and will certainly get loaded up with stuff. I think you'll exceed your capabilities right out of the gate!

I recall only once wishing I had something a little longer, but for my needs, the engine, gearing, cargo space, and heft are all there.

I have towed all over, in all terrains. I love the Excursion, and wish they were still in production. I researched these for a long time and decided the engine would be the determining factor. The 6.0 was a definate out... the 7.3 is a GREAT engine, but at this point in time all the vehicles attached to that engine would be tattered and worn... the v10 has the same reliability, 15 mpg, and cheaper to fuel.
I like the vehicle you are wanting to haul with, but I think it's just a little under the task.

Good luck!
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Old 11-16-2012, 09:03 AM   #19
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Depending on 4WD or not, the '07 Tundra Double Cab with 5.7 L. has a payload between 1,500 and 1,600 lbs. (I don't have the info in front of me). I believe the contents of the gas tank don't count against payload on Toyota trucks.

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Old 11-16-2012, 07:43 PM   #20
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All good things to think about. I found that the payload is 1500lbs for this truck. We have 325 lbs of passengers and the Airstream PDF of weights states this has a younger weight of 800 lbs. if I do the math right we are at 1125 payload without any stuff, just people in the truck. That's 75% of the payload without stuff. Is that right?
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