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Old 03-15-2013, 09:55 AM   #21
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I just picked up our first airstream 19 in Portland last weekend, I drive a 2012 1500 silverado crew cab 4x4 with HD towing package rated at 9500 lbs. I would not tow with anything smaller, if I had decided on the 23 ft we looked at I probably would have gotten a 2500 TV
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Old 03-15-2013, 11:10 PM   #22
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A bit of a stretch but I plan on pulling my 25' Cloud with a 2011 Taco. I will keep you posted. I have a friend who pulls his 25 Airstream with a Taco and he says he has had no problems. Plan on using 4th gear in the hills with the automatic. I just can't part with my Taco for everyday driving. The Fords are just too big. You have to be 6'5" just to reach into the bed. If worse comes to worse I will upgrade to a Tundra but not before really giving it a good road test.
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Old 03-19-2013, 02:24 PM   #23
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follow the thread with a guy wanting to tow a 25 with a Hyundai Santa Fe
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Old 03-19-2013, 03:29 PM   #24
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I pull a '78 25 ft. Tradewind with a 2006 Tacoma Crew Cab factory tow package. I did add the factory fourth leaf spring. The Tradewind has new disc brakes. Old version Reese dual cam WD.

It does fine in the mid-west. No problems, no worries. All the weights are at or under specs.

I am going to Banff this summer for two weeks. I am wondering if the Taco will be up to the Rockies. It will probably be slow going up the grades but i got the time. Disc brakes all around will be okay for the going down part.

I can't justify buying a new TV when I only go out west once every few years.
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Old 03-19-2013, 03:30 PM   #25
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follow the thread with a guy wanting to tow a 25 with a Hyundai Santa Fe
That won't help a lot because the latest Santa Fe has a more stable suspension than any pickup. You'll pass him going up hills, but watch for him going by you at the next gas stop. Especially when not towing, which is most of the time for most people.

There are many alternatives to pickup trucks for towing Airstreams, especially if set up by someone who knows what they are doing. Many on the forums do it every day, and many handle and brake better than any pickup could hope for.

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Old 03-29-2013, 01:19 PM   #26
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I am going to Banff this summer for two weeks. I am wondering if the Taco will be up to the Rockies. It will probably be slow going up the grades but i got the time. Disc brakes all around will be okay for the going down part.

I can't justify buying a new TV when I only go out west once every few years.
Your altitude gain to Calgary will be gradual. West of Calgary to Banff is not terribly steep if I recall correctly—certainly not like going west of Denver into the mountains. Good 4 lane highway.

You can check the altitudes along the way on Google Earth.

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Old 05-25-2013, 05:46 PM   #27
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For what it's worth I have a 30 foot Classic and tow it with a 09 Dodge diesel It has the power but I have always been concearned about sway until one day I stopped at a rest area and pulled up to another Air Stream . It was a nice Air Stream but a little older and bigger (34 foot ) than ours . It was being towed by a Buick Enclave . It has a anti sway hitch and 3 axles . He had been to Alaska . As long as you keep the brakes adjusted and have the Trailer & Tow vehicle level It should do it May be a bit sluggish in the mountains but you'll get there
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Old 05-25-2013, 07:35 PM   #28
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First off, welcome to the Forums. We're glad to have you with us.

As to your question, your Tacoma could probably tow a 2005 25 CCD. Would it be a pleasant experience? Possibly not. The Tacoma may well outmatched by a late model 25 foot Airstream. I don't know where you are getting your weight figures. We have a 2005 Safari 25 FB that weighs 7,400# ready to go camping.

Brian
Moose is right about "Would it be a pleasant experience" Possibly not". Here's my experience which some of the old timers might remember. In 2005 I bought a Dodge Dakota P/u with the "tow pkg". It had the power, handled great (on flat surfaces/downhill.
.
When I bought the 25 ft Safari I questioned the AS dealer if my truck could handle the AS. He points down to my "V8" tag on the truck and says "sure it will" But when I loaded up the bed of my truck along with the Safari 25 LS, I found out the hard way that it was just a little too much with the truck "loaded up".

Going up hill I would sweat the load because the temp gauge would go all the way to the red. Then it happen..... I took the trip to Lake Tahoe and Yosemite in July 2007. Going up HWY 80 to Tahoe, I barely made it into Lake Tahoe. If that wasn't enough, When I left Lake Tahoe and started to Yosemite on HWY 49, the truck started to heat up. If you've ever been to Yosemite, It's a bit of a climb. With the traffic, the truck was unable to gain the necessary speed to keep the engine cool. Thank goodness there was a gas station half way up where I was able to pull in. Waited about 1/2 hour and continued my "quest" to reach the top.

As I got to the top the engine was overheating and started to shut itself down. When I finally got to the top, the engine turned itself off. Lucky me that I had just enough roll to pull to the side of the road as the engine shut itself down.

Make a long story short, I ended up with a cracked engine head, expanded exhaust pipe (got too hot) and the good news is that It was still under warranty! (I had 35,646 miles).

So, was my trip a "pleasant experience" ? NO! That same week I went and ordered the Dodge 2500 Diesel I now have.

Then again, Toyota's can tow a Space Shuttle!

Anyway, that's my 2 cents worth.
.
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Old 05-25-2013, 08:26 PM   #29
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Hi, Thanks for any tips in advance!

My wife and I are taking of on a full time travel/work trip next spring. We currently own a 2012 v6 toyota tacoma and are wondering if we could potentially pull a 2005 25ft international ccd. Its seems the dry weight of 5300 may work since the truck can handle 6500lbs. Has anyone had any experience or thoughts on towing this trailer or a similar one behind a new Tacoma?

Thanks!
My 25' Safari has an empty tongue weight 660 to 680 lbs. loaded gets up around 800 lbs. The trailer generally weighs around 6,000 to 6200 lbs with all the things I keep stored in it. Loaded to go camping it weighs close 7,000.

Every time I weighed loaded, the combined weight was always under the rating for the 1/2 ton truck. The problem was, every time I weighed the payload was close to or exceeded the maximum payload rating. (based on weighing three different times at the Cat Scales)
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Old 05-25-2013, 11:35 PM   #30
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I'm not as young as I used to be. If I wake up tomorrow I'll be even older than I am today. I think I'm a good driver, but my eyesight isn't as keen as it was when I was 20, nor is my hearing, nor is my reaction time. IMHO, a robust tow vehicle is a real help BECAUSE I'm not a professional CDL driver.
I could probably tow safely for years with a lesser vehicle, I just do it more comfortably for me - and for the other people who might get hurt if I couldn't brake and control a trailer as well as the oversized 2500 Silverado I use.

(And if I ever get a wild impulse, I won't need to switch tow vehicles if a bigger AS or Avion suddenly falls in my lap.)

Airstreams are tame little lapdogs compared to most SOB's but the VERY first trip I ever took in my Airstream resulted in one of the most scary experiences. A tractor trailer pulled from the left lane to the right to catch a last minute shot at an exit ramp. There might have been about 15 inches from the back of the trailer and the nose of my tow vehicle. I had no choice but to lock up the brakes HARD as the tractor trailer had his brakes on. The trucker thankfully took the ramp at some speed but it was a very near thing.... And if I'd hit the back of his trailer the wreck would have been my fault. Of course I doubt if I would have lived to deal with the consequences. At the time I had a 22 ft Airstream and the overkill of a 2500 Suburban. Those oversized brakes weren't necessary on a day to day basis, but in an emergency - whew.

Bad things happen to good drivers and all of us can get distracted momentarily. I've had only two bad scares in the last 8 years or so. In both cases the 3/4 ton vehicle gets most of the credit for keeping me right side up with the trailer straight behind me. Beats sideways or rolled over in a ditch!

Paula
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Old 05-26-2013, 04:26 AM   #31
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We have several customers that tow 25-30' Airstream's and some harder toiwng other brands with Tachoma's. Many of these have been towing for several years. One I know of is approaching 200,000 miles.

In mountains it will downshift more than a Tundra but you will never save enough time on mountain grades with a Tundra to make up for the extra time the Tundra will spend in gas stations. The Tachoma has more power than any tow vehicle you could buy 30 years ago and Airstreams still went everywhere.

From a handling safety perspective I prefer the Tachoma to a full size pick up. The center of gravity is lower the width of the stance is the same on both. The suspension tuning on the Tachoma is still truck like, in that it is firm but not bone crushing. In an emergency lane change or panic stop it will outperform any full size pickup when towing a 25'. Of coarse for all the solo miles it is much more nimble.

You can dramatically improve the performance and handling of a Tachoma with a more optimal tire size. Unless you are going to carry something heavy in the bed of the truck the stock springs are fine. If you find the back end low you need to transfer more weight with your weight distribution. If you do not have the TRD model better shocks are a nice addition.

I hope this helps.

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Old 05-26-2013, 05:20 AM   #32
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Has Andrew T owned/driven all these vehicles? Specs on paper are one thing. Real life is another. In real life there are $32,000 TACOMAS that get 16 mpg. They still don't have the engine, transmission, rear end, and brakes of a Tundra, not to mention the 10,400# towing capacity of a Tundra/F150/Ram/Silverado/Sierra or any other full-size 1/2 ton truck.
I drive a Tumdra. According to Andrew T I could put low profile tires, an equalizer hitch, and electric brakes on a 1971 VW bug and tow a 34' Airstream. Why go to all that trouble and expense to alter the wrong vehicle rather than buy the right vehicle in the first place?
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Old 05-26-2013, 05:24 AM   #33
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POI.....Mr. Simmons is still at 2 posts as of Oct. 2012.

Did we scare him away?

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Old 05-26-2013, 06:15 AM   #34
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Has Andrew T owned/driven all these vehicles? Why go to all that trouble and expense to alter the wrong vehicle rather than buy the right vehicle in the first place?
In a previous post Andrew T wrote that on average he test drives 6 or 7 different combinations every week. Note he has been in business for over 40 years. That adds up to a heck of a lot of experience and I know of no one on this planet that has that level of towing/TV expertise.

What vehicle is "right" and what vehicle is "wrong" has always been the million dollar question. From personal experience I have always found Andrew T's information right on.
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Old 05-26-2013, 06:32 AM   #35
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I know of no one on this planet that has that level of towing/TV expertise.
And, I know of no one else on this planet who so blatantly disregards manufacturer's weight and towing ratings.

Glad he's in Canada and his setup rigs are so far away from me for safety's sake.
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Old 05-26-2013, 07:00 AM   #36
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Glad he's in Canada and his setup rigs are so far away from me for safety's sake.
LOL, In the past 45 years I have driven over 1,000,000 miles on Canadian highways. From the east coast to the west coast many times. I have yet to see an RV involved in a accident. Come to Canada. It is much safer than you think.
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Old 05-26-2013, 07:31 AM   #37
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LOL, In the past 45 years I have driven over 1,000,000 miles on Canadian highways. From the east coast to the west coast many times. I have yet to see an RV involved in a accident. Come to Canada. It is much safer than you think.
What? You don't want to address the "blatantly disregards manufacturer's weight and towing ratings" issue?

I didn't think so.
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Old 05-30-2013, 02:23 PM   #38
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What I see in the numerous threads on 1/2 ton trucks trowing various sizes of Airstreams is that some people have trouble with overheating, inadequate power on grades and brake fade going downhill, and others don't. So I believe it has a lot to do with which 1/2 ton truck it is.

We have used our Tundra to tow up and down steep, long grades without any problems. Some passes are more than 11,000'. The temp gauges hardly ever move, so I assume Toyota knows how to engineer a cooling system and other manufacturers do not (or save money by not doing so). We have never experienced brake fade, but we do downshift going down hill. We have more than enough power going up. Payload is the primary concern, so we watch what we take—we always leave the anvil collection at home.

It may be that other brands are not engineered for this. Some SUV's and trucks are being turned into family cars—some have unibody frames, passenger tires and loads of options (which take up weight). Some of those vehicles may not be ok for towing much even though they are like comfy sedans. It may be some are towing with older trucks that have lower capacities for power, braking and cooling. It may be some people don't drive properly—such as not downshifting downhill.

A lot of the criticism of what Andrew T. does is based on a belief that what he does can't be done without proof it can't be. Some posters claim all of us with Tundras can't tow with a Tundra because it is a 1/2 ton or is Japanese or not a US truck (designed and built in Texas with lots of US parts). Yet, we and others tow with a Tundra with no problems. And many others tow with minivans and other light vehicles that have been modified by Andrew and have no problems. There are no reports of the predicted accidents with those modified vehicles. It may be hard to believe, but it is happening safely and that must count for something.

As for the Tacoma, I find it hard to believe it is sufficient for towing a 25', but maybe it is. The newer ones seem to me to be a similar vehicle to the first generation Tundra and not quite up to it. It is a very good truck and can have the proven smaller V8. Maybe it needs some modifications. I am guessing about that, though we had a 1st gen. Tundra and didn't feel it was enough. Maybe I was wrong. I wonder about wear and tear on the drive train in lighter vehicles—you will not necessarily see it for a lon g time, but maybe in a few years, it will be a problem. But no one has reported it is a problem.

Bigger is not always better. Testimonials by those who have towed with 1/2 ton trucks, SUV's and cars do matter even if they are anecdotal.

Gene
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Old 05-30-2013, 02:36 PM   #39
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Has Andrew T owned/driven all these vehicles? Specs on paper are one thing. Real life is another. In real life there are $32,000 TACOMAS that get 16 mpg. They still don't have the engine, transmission, rear end, and brakes of a Tundra, not to mention the 10,400# towing capacity of a Tundra/F150/Ram/Silverado/Sierra or any other full-size 1/2 ton truck.
I drive a Tumdra. According to Andrew T I could put low profile tires, an equalizer hitch, and electric brakes on a 1971 VW bug and tow a 34' Airstream. Why go to all that trouble and expense to alter the wrong vehicle rather than buy the right vehicle in the first place?
Point me to the quote where Andrew T said that you can tow a 34' Airstream with a '71 VW Beetle, and I'll believe you're not full of it. It's one thing to say everyone needs a turbodiesel pickup to tow an Airstream, which is opinion. It's another to lie about what a helpful professional has said. Frankly I think your statement goes beyond hyperbole and borders on an abusive lie.
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Old 05-31-2013, 02:27 AM   #40
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Whatever, dude. It's one thing to tow a 10,000# trailer with a vehicle rated to tow 10,000#. It's another thing to tow a 10,000# trailer with a vehicle rated to tow 3,500# and claim it performs better. That doesn't border on a lie. It is a lie. I know plenty of people tow with a Ford Edge or a Nissan Quest, but I don't have to. I even heard of a guy who pulls with a Chevy Astro. That would come closer- body on frame, 4.3 V-6- but I'm glad I ain't him. Like I said earlier- rather than get the wrong vehicle and alter it, why not just get the right vehicle in the first place? I have a 1999 Nissan Pathfinder. That don't mean I am gonna tow with it! I just mentioned a 1971 VW because that is the least likely to tow anything daily driver I have. On the other hand I don't think it is necessary to have a diesel 2500 to pull a Bambi. I might pull a Bambi with my Nissan Pathfinder, but not a Classic 30. I on't always tow a trailer, but when I do, I prefer a Tundra! We will get a Honda Odyssey next, but I ain't gonna pull the 'Stream with it!
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