I have been a Toyota owner for the last 15 years, yet I cannot answer any of your questions with a "yes" and the poll will not let me answer "no".
Any other options?
Sam
The newer Airstreams are quite a bit heavier then my 75. I towed it with an 03 Access Cab before I bought my 07. I found the 03 was a good TV, but did lack some power on the steeper hills here out west. Check the tow rating of your Tundra, it should be around 7000 pounds. As a safety factor most people will limit their tow weight to 80% of that number or 5600 pounds. Your trailer is going to be close or over this number.
It might work, it will be close. If you tow mountains you will have to take it slow.
I recently purchased a 2006 25' Safari and towed it with our 2007 Tundra double cab 5.7 4x4 (with tow package) on a 2,500 mile trip. My TV was equiped with a WD hitch, sway control and brake control unit. The Tundra under a few emergency manuvers handled extremely well and at no time did I feel this truck to be under sized or under powered. On a few occassions I drove 80mph on the interstate with semi trucks passing me and the truck and trailer sat like a rock on the highway.
The only thing negative thing I can think was that my gas milage was poor when running into a headwind or up steep grades when the tranny shifted into 5th or 4th. I suspect a 3/4 ton diesel 3/4 ton would be far more economical under these situations. I averaged btw 11.5 and 12 mpg towing for the whole journey which likely compared to a diesel isn't as good. However, when considering that I will likely only be towing my trailer less than 4k a year, I find it hard to justify an upgrade to a 3/4 ton diesel especially when diesel fuel now costs approx. 10% more plus the additional cost of buying and maintaining the diesel. I feel the Tundra was the right choice for towing my 25ft Airstream as it competently handles this size/weight of a trailer. I also examined the specs on the truck and left a 20% reserve (when fully loaded) before buying the Airstream to ensure I wasn't pushing the truck to hard. I would definitely recommend the 5.7 Tundra for towing the newer 25' Airstream. Would I recommend the Tundra for anything beyond a newer 25ft. Airstream ..probably not. The Tundra probably could handle more but not without going into it's 20 percent reserve when fully loaded. Anything heavier I would recommend migrating to a 3/4 ton diesel to be on the safe side. On a side note, there has been a lot of negative press about quality issues on the new Tundra, I have put on 13K and the only reason it has gone to the dealer is for oil changes. So far I am very impressed with the Tundra.
....On a few occassions I drove 80mph on the interstate with semi trucks passing me and the truck and trailer sat like a rock on the highway. .....
I pray I'm no where near you when I'm driving with my family as you're going by at 80 mph towing your Airstream.
Sorry I could not withhold my tongue. You're probably running Marathon tires on the trailer if it came off the Airstream showroom. If so they're only rated at 65 mph, 75 mph if you have them pumped to 65 psi and and you're not fully loaded. Even if the tires are rated at that speed, the tires on your truck are probably not rated at that speed either.
Then there's reaction time if something were ever to happen and evasive action is needed.
Again sorry as this isn't the proper forum to discuss safety but couldn't help but make a comment.
Air#16888, To put your mind at ease the next time your travelling with your family, I consistently drive 58 mph oh the highway while towing my trailer. Unfortunately, there are many interstate highways where the majority of traffic (including big trucks and others towing trailers) travel at speeds 15 to 20 mph faster than I do. Rather than run the risk of being rear ended when trying to move over several lanes, increasing my speed for a short duration in order to flow with traffic is in my opinion is far less risky.
I agree with you that driving at a high rate of speed is unsafe. To bad the majority of other driver's on many interstate highways don't think the same way.
The point I was trying to make with my reference to driving at 80 mph was that my tow vehicle was not undersized for handling such situations where required.
Any suggestions on what type of tv I should get for my newly purchased 25' safari fb? We are new time rv'ers and very green but excited about our new venture. I currently have a 2004 Toyota Sequoia, but do not want to push it to the limit.
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