Towing GVWR 2012 Sequoia

[Ponyfvr]

We have a 2012 Toyota Sequoia with a towing rating of 7000 GVWR of 7000 and we are looking at a 2015 Flying Cloud 25 GVWR of 7300 will this combination work?

Thanks for your help, I am brand new to Airstreams and like th FC 25 but i could also go with the FC 23D

[Lance M]

With a proper weight distributing/sway control hitch and careful loading of the trailer and Sequoia, yes it will work wonderfully.
I have a 2002 Sequoia SR5 4x24.7L that we have used to tow our 1972 Ambassador (#7,100 GVW) around 18,000 miles over the last four years. It uses a lot of gas while towing, but gets the job done.

[Wayward]

Originally Posted by Ponyfvr

We have a 2012 Toyota Sequoia with a towing rating of 7000 GVWR of 7000 and we are looking at a 2015 Flying Cloud 25 GVWR of 7300 will this combination work?

Thanks for your help, I am brand new to Airstreams and like th FC 25 but i could also go with the FC 23D

It should work nicely. However GVWR is not the place to start when looking at your new rig options.

GVWR for the truck and the trailer are provided so you do not overload either one. (Subtracting the actual vehicle weight from the GVWR and tells you how much weight you can load in them)

- Instead, start with Toyota's specified Towing Capacity which basically gives you the recommended trailer weight: (7400 lbs for the V8)

- Then look at Airstream's empty weight specification . They call it Unit Base Weight or UBW which is 5,600lbs for a 25' Flying Cloud. Well under the Tacoma's towing capacity.

So with Tacoma the you could add up to 1800lbs of propane water & cargo and still be within its recommended Towing Capacity.

It is hard to imagine putting 1800lbs in an Airstream, but for this Flying Cloud you could only add 1700lbs because the Flying Cloud GVWR is 7300lbs
(GVWR - UBW = 1700lbs) or...
(Maximum Total weight - Empty Weight = 1700lbs)

[dkottum]

The rating is good, assuming you have the 5.7 engine. As all light duty trucks, it's greatest limitation is payload capacity (how much you can load in the Sequoia). The full independent suspension is an advantage over pickups for stability and ride. We use a 5.7 Ram with similar wheelbase (which is relatively short) for our 25' Airstream, our best improvement in handling and driving comfort was installing a Hensley/ProPride style hitch. You will have an excellent, well-matched combination.

[BoldAdventure]

A lot of folks towing with that combination here. You should be fine. How you load is your decision. "Do I need the kitchen sink?"

[Freq Flyer]

We recently upgraded from a Flying Cloud 20 to a 2014 FC25, towing both of the trailers with our 2012 Sequoia 4Runner with the 5.7 engine and factory towing package. The hitch used is an Equalizer.

I have been very satisfied with the performance of the Sequoia with both trailers. Actually, there is no significant difference in towing feel between them. Travel on the Interstates is comfortable at our normal 65 to 70, and occasionally higher speeds. That said, most of my experience with the FC25 so far has been in the flatlands of Florida with a few diversions into the hills of the Florida Panhandle. The Sequoia felt comfortable with the hills encountered so far, and our current plan is to explore the hills in northern GA and TN in October.

Good luck in your search. We have been very pleased with the space available and layout of the FC25.

Rich

[Landrum]

We have a 2011 Sequoia with the 4.6L. We pulled a 23fb for a couple of years and now have a 25fb. I think the ride is actually better with the 25fb, but we did change hitches when we changed AS (we went from a Husky with friction sway to a Blue Ox Sway Pro). My wife and I both work and have small kids, so we are limited to weekends although we did take our first big two week trip this summer. I'm really torn about the Sequoia. It has been fine, but there are a few issues.
1) We bought the Sequoia first, and I now wish I had the 5.7L for a bit more power. That said it has only been a problem on our trip out west this summer. We encountered some serious hills, but we went slow. I'm fine going slow since those hill situations represent such a small portion of the time we spend in our vehicle. The biggest issue was head winds which had a huge impact on our speed (since I don't like running high rpm's). Of course that impacts mpg as well, but since our trips are limited I'm not as concerned about mpg as some folks. BTW: our trip this summer was 3,331 miles and our overall mpg for the trip was 12.5.
2) We avoid interstates as much as possible due in part to the concrete. Most concrete interstates cause a very rough ride in our Sequoia, and I'm convinced a longer wheelbase would improve the ride quality. That said even if we had better ride quality we would likely still avoid interstates and take more scenic routes.
3) We are pushing the limits on our Sequoia in terms of GVWR. I realize that is a very touchy subject and I don't want to start that argument. I am comfortable with our setup, but we pack light. I would eventually like a bit more freedom on what we can carry.

We liked our 23FB, but we really love the 25FB.

Good luck.