2010 Toyota Tacoma and 23' Flying Cloud

[jholland]

Hello,

I know there have been some posts on this topic, but wanted any thoughts specific to the 2010 Tacoma's. I don't have an Airstream currently but considering one down the road.

I'm looking at purchasing a 2010 Tacoma PreRunner, V6 with the Class IV tow package. Can tow 6500 lb's. 23' Flying Cloud comes in at 6000 lb's. My concern is the tongue weight of the FC is 779 lbs, and the Tacoma is rated for 650 lbs. Should I forget a bout the 23' FC with this truck? Are there ways to make it work? Or would I be pushing the limits?

Thanks,

Josh

[moosetags]

First off, welcome to the Forums. We're glad to have you with us.

As to your question, you would probably be pushing the limits, but it would depend on how the rig was set-up, and what you plan to do with it. An occasional 200 mile run to the lake would probably work. A serious coast-to-coast trip might get pretty tiring with a marginal tow vehicle.

Brian

[2airishuman]

hi josh, welcome...

"make it work?" sure

but this largely depends on HOW u imagine using the trailer...

short trips to clinton or perry or epic trips OUT of the land of ahs ?

the PAYLOAD for the tacoma is the issue (look up THAT figure)

the a/s TONGUE weight is only an estimate, but can be handled with proper w/d and properly rated receiver...

but that TONGUE weight is part of the toy' payload (what is left over for people, dogs and a few cases of "old stormy"...

or other free state brews...

on the towing capacity side, the 6500 lbs listed is REDUCED by whatever is carried INSIDE or ONTOP of the toy'...

so 500-800 lbs of STUFF in the towvehicle=500-800 lbs LESS towing capacity.

add a camper shell or tonneau or bikes or boats or other STUFF into the truck bed means LESS towing capacity.
____________

still i suspect the combo would be "ok" for limited use, with a great hitch and PROPER tires on the toy'

so YES it would be "pushing the limits"

for many the GOAL of owning a stream is TRAVEL...

a few 'oh sh!ts' while towing is no fun and may shake up the beer...

cheers
2air'

[jholland]

Thanks for the welcome.

In the near term it would be for short (<200 mi) trips in the flat midwest. Eventually we'd replace our other vehicle with a full sized SUV or Pickup.

So, when you say great hitch, you mean the tow package Toyota includes? What other options are there to 'set up' the Tacoma to make it better?

[JFScheck]

Welcome Josh!

So - I'm a bit confused here but let me take a stab at this as I too was asking this question quite recently - so let me think out-loud abit....

The Flying Cloud 23 is at 4708 lbs (dry, empty, no options) with a 779 lbs tongue weight as is the Flying Cloud 23FB at 4746 lbs (dry, empty, no options) and with a 467 lbs tongue weight. Both trailers have a "Max" weight of 6,000 lbs.

I see a 2010 Tacoma PreRunner with V6 with Auto 5-speed Tranny at 236 hp and 266 lbs torque at 4,000 rpm (torque much more important than hp). The curb weight is 3835 with max tongue load at 650 lbs with tow package and 6,500 lbs towing (with said tow package upgrade).

If you maxed both trailers (6,000 lbs) then you are within your max "towing" range as advertised. This is assuming you don't fill up the bed of your Tundra with much stuff.....

Place a "safety factor" of 80% of your max weight would then place your towing at 5,200 lbs so it looks like "on paper" the weights still look good. YES - your tongue weight is maxed but assuming you use a load equalizing hitch you can comfortably bring this back to your range (even after loading up some propane, etc.) distributing some towards the front axels, and a bit aft onto the tailer, etc. AGAIN - this is assuming you don't fill up the bed of your Tundra with much stuff.....

Your torque is a bit low - so mountains might be a bit of an issue for you and your Trucks weight at 3,835 compared to both trailers sitting around 4,700 shows a 900 lb delta - so that should be ok (of course that is an empty weight of the trailers)....

So that's on paper - I would say "Yes" to your question as long as you go with a good hitch and pay attention to your weights as you load up your trailer - more importantly is to check on some of the Tundra forums and see if there are any folks that have been towing simular weights with simular setups for a few years and get their opinion.

Compile all of the information you gather up (posts here, Tundra forums, etc.) - and let it digest - with that info & you knowing your personal driving habits and skill set should lead you to to your own conclusion...

[2airishuman]

no the 'tow package' is simply a receiver (that 2 inch hole) bolted to the frame, under the license plate ...

and may include the 7pin wiring harness, and ENLARGED tranny cooler...

that's the sort of info the dealer or the T website will have up 2 date.
__________

by HITCH the meaning is the hitch apparatus that is BETWEEN the receiver and A frame on the trailer...

you will WANT 1 with w/d and sway control.

there is an entire sub forum here just on hitches so start reading and looking a pictures...

i won't bias U with my preferences, but they are well known here.
__________

you will also need a "brake controller" installed on the toy' and that's another aftermarket item,

with several brands/designs from which 2 choose...

yep, there is a sub forum on brake controllers too...
__________

in terms of 'making it better' another issue is the TIRES on the toy'...

IF they are P metric sized/rated that COULD be improved by using LT tires or something with a FIRMER (not taller) sidewall and more capacity...

______

none of this is astrophysics, but it is ALL part of the process of PREPARING to tow a travel trailer...

IF you have never rv'd it might be useful to rent something or visit an rv park and check out the variety of gadgets we use...

and for BUYING or SERVICE of the stream i highly recommend the dealership in searcy arkansas...

great prices, great people, TOTALLY honest dealings and a top notch experience....

they aren't the CLOSEST shop to larryville, but well worth the 200 extra miles of travel.

cheers
2air'

[moosetags]

Originally Posted by jholland

Thanks for the welcome.

In the near term it would be for short (<200 mi) trips in the flat midwest. Eventually we'd replace our other vehicle with a full sized SUV or Pickup.

So, when you say great hitch, you mean the tow package Toyota includes? What other options are there to 'set up' the Tacoma to make it better?

The OEM Toyota 'tow package' is just the beginning of what you will need. You will need a quality weight distribution/sway control hitch system, trailer brake controller, auxiliary transmission fluid cooler, towing mirrors, and tires sufficient to carry the load that you are proposing.These things are even more important because the tow vehicle is so marginal.

Brian

[jholland]

Thanks for all the feedback. Sounds like a bigger truck would be a better bet (or maybe a 19/20 footer).

[dpandorf]

Originally Posted by jholland

Hello,

I know there have been some posts on this topic, but wanted any thoughts specific to the 2010 Tacoma's. I don't have an Airstream currently but considering one down the road.

I'm looking at purchasing a 2010 Tacoma PreRunner, V6 with the Class IV tow package. Can tow 6500 lb's. 23' Flying Cloud comes in at 6000 lb's. My concern is the tongue weight of the FC is 779 lbs, and the Tacoma is rated for 650 lbs. Should I forget a bout the 23' FC with this truck? Are there ways to make it work? Or would I be pushing the limits?

Thanks,

Josh

Thought I'd chime in on this one too. I enjoy reading the hitching threads and how others here make decisions on how they plan on getting from Point A to B.

When my family and I decided to get into this "Airstream" thing I thought I wanted the Toyota Tundra and how that truck's reputation has been very good. But when I dug deeper into what I planned on doing with our travels and especially now that I have traveled a bit I'm glad I made the decision with the rig setup we have.

Josh, I can tell you you won't be satisfied with just a 200 mile road trip down to the lake. You already live half way from where I live to get to some of the greatest places to camp (Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone, Glacier even the Canadian Rockies).

Plus, having driven across the flat, most of the time very windy, plains states you might not be happy even on your 200 mile jaunt to the lake with a rig that "just" meets the specs.

Without much work by going to the Toyota website I thought I'd throw a couple published numbers at you:

Tacoma

The Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) (lb.) (with Towing Package) is 11100 pounds.

Your prospective trucks Gross Vehicle Weight Rating is 5250 plus a maxed out trailer is 6000 pounds. That's 11250 total.

As mentioned in the above posts are you payload considerations. The max payload I could find on the different options was 1440 pounds with the 4x2 6 speed manual 6 cylinder model.

Let's say the Tacoma can handle the 779 pound tongue weight and then adding two adults and fuel you really don't have any more "room" in the truck for anything else.

That was the problem I had when considering the Tundra a couple years back. It had no problem in the pulling part but once I put a camper shell on, put my two kids in the back and added the dog, his stuff and then all the other things you'll want to take I was overloaded.

I was very disappointed as I had my mind made up on purchasing the Tundra. I really really wanted that truck.

Now that I've towed many miles with my 3/4 ton diesel, mind you just leaving my house is very challenging as we live atop 6% grades in both directions, its a real pleasure pulling our Airstream knowing I'm not going to overload it, it comes with all the hardware to pull your second house and I can go any where with it without any performance concerns.

But you do have to look how squiggly the highway might be ahead and pay attention to the signs that say no vehicles longer than such and such. (I'm 56' long hooked up) (East side entrance to Zion, crossing east to west into Yosemite are a couple examples) Even driving my size truck without the trailer is close to the limit on the road to the sun in Glacier.

I would seriously consider a couple year old diesel with low mileage that could be purchased at the same price or less than the Tacoma. Mine has under 50k and it still is not broke in yet. I plan on having it a long time unless of course Ford offers me a deal I can't refuse on the new 2011 F250 when they arrive.

I also meant to add, GET THE BIGGEST TRAILER YOU MIGHT WANT NOW. Don't go smaller to fit a tow vehicle you don't have yet. Get the trailer you want then find the right "tow" vehicle to pull it with. YOU PLAN ON SLEEPING IN THE TRAILER NOT THE TRUCK RIGHT?

[Lucky Dog]

Hey Josh. Welcome to the forums. I pretty much went down the path you are considering. We bought a 2009 23' Flying Cloud in the Fall. My truck at that time was a '07 Ford F150 STX 4X4 Supercab with the 4.7 V8 and 3.55 rear. That motor is rated at 248HP and about 296 ft/lbs torque. P3 brake controller/Reese dual cam anti-sway/weight distribution hitch. All the numbers showed the package would work, but the key word was "marginally". How much stuff are you hauling and to where. In our planning, it didn't take me long to figure out that if I was spending $xxxxx on my new AS, it was a long term thing and we would be expanding our travel horizons as time allowed. There was no way I was going to do the Blue Ridge and Smokies and head into Nashville or go north to the Adirondacks and eventually out West and have a relaxing trip with a marginal TV/AS set up, especially as a newbie to towing. I did my reading and went thru all the postings about what works for who. Then I figured what would work for me. Traded my F150 for an '06 Chevy Duramax/Allison. Overkill? Maybe for some. Each to his own. I've got both feet in now, am confident in my setup and its capabilities, and that means a lot to me.

Best of luck to you with what ever you decide. This is a great place to learn, with a lot of good info to pour over, from Airstreamers with a ton of experience.

Rich

[jholland]

So you think even a newer Tundra with 5.7L V8 isn't enough for a 23' - 28' AS?

[dpandorf]

Originally Posted by jholland

So you think even a newer Tundra with 5.7L V8 isn't enough for a 23' - 28' AS?

I guess I'm into overkill. You're still close on payload with the Tundra if you want the flexibility on taking the other toys with you on long hauls:

boats, generators, grill, maybe campfire wood, tools, let your imagination run.

The question to ask yourself, are you just going to use this setup to go 200 miles to the nearby campground or some longer type trips that may mean more stuff and hills.

We've driven the following routes and were happy we had our TV:

Buffalo, WY - Cody, WY

I-70 across Colorado

Angel Fire, NM - Durange, CO

Here's just a couple routes we've been on and if you can view these in Google Earth you can get an idea of the terrain.

[TBRich]

We are towing a 2006 19' Safari SE (same as newer Flying Clouds) with a 2007 Tacoma Double Cab V6 with factory tow package. It does well with a 19' trailer with a loaded weight of 4500 lbs...and could maybe squeak out a 20', but we're sure we'd want more truck if we had a 23' trailer. Just my opinion for what it's worth.

And welcome to the forums!

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by jholland

Thanks for all the feedback. Sounds like a bigger truck would be a better bet (or maybe a 19/20 footer).

Hi, don't go smaller on the trailer that you want; Go larger on the tow vehicle to pull it with.

Originally Posted by dpandorf

I also meant to add, GET THE BIGGEST TRAILER YOU MIGHT WANT NOW. Don't go smaller to fit a tow vehicle you don't have yet. Get the trailer you want then find the right "tow" vehicle to pull it with. YOU PLAN ON SLEEPING IN THE TRAILER NOT THE TRUCK RIGHT?

Hi, too many people have purchased a "too small" trailer and traded up later. [some as soon as a few months, others less than one year]

Originally Posted by jholland

So you think even a newer Tundra with 5.7L V8 isn't enough for a 23' - 28' AS?

Hi, the 23'er has a GVWR of only 300 lbs less than my Safari 25'er, so yes a larger tow vehicle would be recommended. But now you are thinking " 23' - 28' " This should be more like 23' - 25' or,........ up you go again in tow vehicle size like 3/4 ton. [my opinion]

[jholland]

All sounds like good advice. So, I don't think my next truck will not be for towing. Hopefully by the time we're ready to purchase an Airstream, we will have a larger one. Thanks for all the input.

[RognChris]

We have a 2009 tacoma sport prerunner and tow a 2006 23' Safari with no problems at all. Mountains, desert, you name it, it's all good. The manual lists the tongue weight of our trailer at 600 lbs, I guess the newer ones are heavier, too bad. We just got back from our spring trip to Joshua Tree/Anza Borrego, so much fun !

One thing about the Toyota Tacoma, the rear leaf packs are weak. The dealer we bought ours from installed an updated rear suspension after we complained about bottoming, going from a 3 leaf to a 4 leaf pack, all the difference in the world !

[TBRich]

RognChris... Thanks for letting us know of your success towing a 23' with a Tacoma...that's good to hear!

[RognChris]

Originally Posted by TBRich

RognChris... Thanks for letting us know of your success towing a 23' with a Tacoma...that's good to hear!

Our pleasure, heres a couple pics from Joshua Tree, so beautiful !

One more thought about towing with our Tacoma, you do have to drive the truck as opposed to leaving it in high gear/overdrive on the road. It will shift between overdrive to 5th gear too much on flat roads, and we've been told this will hurt the transmission in the long run. I leave it in 4th gear and at 60 mph it turns about 2500 rpm with the cruise control engaged. Would a big V8 be better ? of course it would, but we wanted the smaller truck for all the obvious advantages it gives us when not towing. Christine drives the truck regularly to work every day and loves it, she would rip the mirrors off a Tundra trying to get it in our 1 car garage.

[JFScheck]

Great Towing Rig....

[fastrob]

Originally Posted by jholland

Hello,

I know there have been some posts on this topic, but wanted any thoughts specific to the 2010 Tacoma's. I don't have an Airstream currently but considering one down the road.

I'm looking at purchasing a 2010 Tacoma PreRunner, V6 with the Class IV tow package. Can tow 6500 lb's. 23' Flying Cloud comes in at 6000 lb's. My concern is the tongue weight of the FC is 779 lbs, and the Tacoma is rated for 650 lbs. Should I forget a bout the 23' FC with this truck? Are there ways to make it work? Or would I be pushing the limits?

Thanks,

Josh

I was thinking of something very similar with a Vintage unit. The PreRunner is for the desert. Pre-runnig a race track. Now I am sure you will not be doing that so why not check out a 2wd configured for a load. PreRunners are not available in Maine, I checked. Maybe it is a bit of marketing, but I like the Tacoma, it is a good choice.
Now if you grow a couple of kids, they sure do add weight, you might get caught short if you lug with the truck full up.
Violates the 80% rule too, towing weight should not exceed 80% of towing capacity.
R