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kontiki · 10-07-2006, 12:29 PM

Does anyone have any suggestions about towing with a Toyota Tundra? I have a 1977 Argosy 24 ft.
Thanx

boatdoc · 10-07-2006, 12:41 PM

Hey kontiki; That depends what size engine you have and the horsepower. It is best to check with Toyota dealer if your truck has a towing package and what is the towing limit. If that happens to be 5K you should be fine. What about trans cooler, you should have one even with V8. You will need a weight distributing hitch and sway control. There is much info you must provide for someone to give you recomendation. Thanks, "Boatdoc"

**azflycaster** · 10-07-2006, 12:45 PM

I tow my 1975 25' Trade Wind with a 2003 Tundra (4x4 4.7 Ltr V8). Your trailer is almost the same size and weight as mine. I have no problems towing. I wish it had a bigger engine when I am going up steep grades, but on the flats it pulls very strong. The Tundra has a soft suspension which is good for the trailer, but makes a weight distribution hitch a must. My Reese has 750 lb bars and seems to be a good fit. A brake controller is another must. I have a Prodigy by Tekonsha which is a very good unit and with the correct addapter cable will plug directly into a plug in the Tundra. I always tow with the overdrive turned off. This makes for poor gas mileage, but a healthy transmission. The only bad thing I can say about the Tundra as a TV is that the mirrors will not let you see enough to be safe. No one makes towing mirrors for the Tundra either. I bought a cheap pair of stap on mirrors at Camping World ($5 each on sale) and they work ok. Yes they shake at hyway speeds, but not so much that you can not use them. BTW, the 2007 Tundra will have a 5.7 Ltr V8 and a 10,000 lb towing limit. They will not be here untill next year.

Bob Thompson · 10-07-2006, 05:33 PM

I have a 2002 Tundra extended cab SR5 V8 and have pulled our '97 25' Excella Classic nearly 50,000 miles with it over the past 3 years. The Tundra comes with a transmission cooler standard but I did have to ad a brake controller. I've pulled the Excella all over the West including trips to Seattle, Sonoma, Reno, Sequoia NP, Santa Fe, and Durango. We just returned from a trip along northern Arkansas, Tennessee, N Carolina, Washington DC and back. Although I sometimes wish for a little more truck, the Tundra has proven to me it is up to the task. I almost always pull with the OD engaged and only turn it off if I need to do some technical driving like heavy traffic, going down hills, or difficult up hill pulls. The transmission and the whole truck are doing fine after 94,000 miles although I did flush the transmission and changed to Mobil 1 transmission fluid at about 60,000 miles as part of my standard maintenance. I run 600# bars on the Weight Distribution hitch and it give a very comfortable ride. I use Michelin LTX tires and I keep them aired up to near the max to reduce rolling resistance and improve gas mileage. I got nearly 80,000 miles out of the first set. The ride suffers a little from the high pressures. I've averaged just under 15 mpg pulling the Excella. I replaced the front rotors with Brembo slotted rotors and Performance Friction pads at about 65,000 miles and the newer parts are doing great.

I look forward to driving the truck another 150,000 miles and it looks like it is going to be up to the task.

zadaschwartz · 11-20-2006, 06:21 PM

I tow my 26 foot Argosy with a 2000 Toyota Tundra SR5. It has a 4.8 Liter V8 with trans cooler. I have not had any problems towing the trailer. However, I do wish for a bit more speed on the freeway. I can get my speed up to 65-70 mph without the engine feeling as if it is working to hard. However, if I try to push the speed over 70 mph, I can feel the engine really working and can literally watch the gas being guzzled. On another note, the tundra has great torque. I towed our Argosy up to our mountain property in North Carolina one year. We had to pull it up a very steep dirt road just to get the property on the mountain. I put the transmission in low and started up the mountain. The tundra did not miss a beat. It just motored up the hill. As for the brakes, I learned my lesson their too. When I brought the Argosy down off the mountain and down the off the Blue Ridge Mountains, my Tundra brakes were really stinking. I used the brakes quite a bit just to stay slowed down going around the curves on the mountain. This was before I got the electric brakes on the trailer fixed. Highly recommend trailer brakes, they make a world of difference. My Tundra works fine for our needs, but if money were not an object, then I might consider a truck with a bigger engine.

Zadaschwartz

juel · 11-20-2006, 06:33 PM

I have a 1978 24ft Argosy that I tow with a 2005 Toyota Tundra step-side. The Toyota does a very good job; however, I live in Oklahoma, where there are few hills. I'm not sure I would pick this combo if I was in the Rockies. I have the towing package and a weight distribution hitch. I have the Prodigy brake which is a good choice. I have the SR5 also which has done extremely well so far. Mileage is not bad either.

janetb · 11-20-2006, 09:02 PM

Ahh. Yet another thread with info. tailor-made just for us! Thanks Kontiki, for getting it going. We've been feeling apprehensive about towing our new 25' Safari SE (off-line tomorrow~yay!) with our old 2000 Tundra SR5 V8, but now feel that we may be able to hang in there until we get the new '07 sometime in early Spring. In the meantime, we'll avoid towing in the Sierras!
Happy trails, and many thanks!

Janet

pepper48 · 11-20-2006, 10:07 PM

I tow a 25 ft. 1972 Tradewind with a 2002 Tundra Extended Cab 4.7L V8. The truck has the towing package and a limited slip rear-end. I've towed to Estes Park, Colorado, with no problems. Some of the steep grades did slow me down, but I wasn't in a big hurry. I agree with the posts that recommend a weight distribution hitch and a brake controller. I bought the trailer on Ebay and picked it up in Indiana. I towed it to the nearest RV dealer to have it checked out and to have a weight distribution hitch installed. The trip to the RV dealer required slow speed because the tongue weight left the truck light on the front wheels. I tow in overdrive on Interstates where it is fairly flat. I try to anticipate grades and shift from overdrive before the transmission starts seeking. I stay out of overdrive in heavy traffic and in the mountains. I sometimes wish for more power, but I love the truck.

SnorkyII · 11-21-2006, 06:08 AM

We tow a 25 foot Safari with an 03 Tundra. It has the V8 engine. I tow with the overdrive off. As I have said previously in other posts, it is a little slow going up the grades. I normally operate in the 2800 to 3200 RPM range on the Tachometer. On the long grades, I drop into a lower gear at 45 MPH. I can pull the Cajon Pass or the Grapevine grades here in California without any trouble, just a little slower. I recently towed the 22 foot Argosy from Colorado to California, and ran most of the trip between 65 to 68 MPH.

Sam

safari57 · 11-22-2006, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azflycaster

I tow my 1975 25' Trade Wind with a 2003 Tundra (4x4 4.7 Ltr V8). Your trailer is almost the same size and weight as mine. I have no problems towing. I wish it had a bigger engine when I am going up steep grades, but on the flats it pulls very strong. The Tundra has a soft suspension which is good for the trailer, but makes a weight distribution hitch a must. My Reese has 750 lb bars and seems to be a good fit. A brake controller is another must. I have a Prodigy by Tekonsha which is a very good unit and with the correct addapter cable will plug directly into a plug in the Tundra. I always tow with the overdrive turned off. This makes for poor gas mileage, but a healthy transmission. The only bad thing I can say about the Tundra as a TV is that the mirrors will not let you see enough to be safe. No one makes towing mirrors for the Tundra either. I bought a cheap pair of stap on mirrors at Camping World ($5 each on sale) and they work ok. Yes they shake at hyway speeds, but not so much that you can not use them. BTW, the 2007 Tundra will have a 5.7 Ltr V8 and a 10,000 lb towing limit. They will not be here untill next year.

I suspect you will find McKesh mirrors would work for your Tundra. They appear to fit almost anything out there that I've seen. New they are expensive but we typically find them at swap meets and in local classified papers for the 10 to 30 dollar range. I'm not a fan of the strap on mirrors but they do work in a situation where they are the only thing at hand. I think Dometic may have bought McKesh, but not sure.

Barry

ALANSD · 11-23-2006, 07:34 AM

great info in this thread. When you get the personal experiences of those who actually own and do, its much better. I am looking hard at alternatives to the F250 Diesel I now use for our 78 Sovereign. I have been getting a little nutty gathering info on Ford Expedition, Chevy Suburban, and Tundra.

CanoeStream · 11-23-2006, 08:27 AM

Hello kontiki -- I used to have a Nissan Titan for my 24' Argosy. The Titan had an illusory high tow capacity but a low GVWR allowance for passengers/cargo onboard + tongue weight (payload on the order of 1340# with tow package & 4WD). I sold the Titan when other factors led me to an approx 1000# heavier '06 Safari. See: Barkingspider's New Airstream

Some posts above have mentioned overdrive, driving speed and fuel economy. Gear searching is what might happen when you meet the next small hill in the road. If you're in overdrive the tranny controllers will shift down a gear (actually from 5th to 3rd in my Titan!) when they sense the load of a new upslope. This constant gear switching can damage the tranny in average rolling terrain -- and I'm talking improved interstates where grades are gradual. Thus there is a common recommendation to tow out of overdrive when towing. Many owners manuals make this recommendation. Have a dealer let you read the pertinent manual sections if you're considering this. Long downhills, uphills or flats should see less gear searching. But towing out of overdrive will lessen your mileage -- and greatly limit the speed at which you'd care to drive. With my Titan I'd commonly not be happy with RPMs if I was much over 62mph and not in overdrive. Each situation is different ... but take care. Experience of one member pulling a 22' CCD with a Tundra is at Switching to Diesel.

**azflycaster** · 11-23-2006, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by safari57

I suspect you will find McKesh mirrors would work for your Tundra. They appear to fit almost anything out there that I've seen. New they are expensive but we typically find them at swap meets and in local classified papers for the 10 to 30 dollar range. I'm not a fan of the strap on mirrors but they do work in a situation where they are the only thing at hand. I think Dometic may have bought McKesh, but not sure.

Barry

I thought about the McKesh mirrors, but the cost was a little high to see if they worked. I did buy a CIPA 11650 mirror on ebay. It looks just like the McKesh.

I could not get it to stay on the door. It was crushing the rubber so hard that I could not use the window. It always tended to come off at the top. I wound up getting a pair of cheap strap on mirriors at CW for less then $5 each.

They shake in the wind a little, but it is the bst solution I have found.

SnorkyII · 11-23-2006, 12:21 PM

As azflycaster says, the suspension is a little soft. I installed Timbren Suspension Enhansment System (SES) "TORTUN4' to solve this problem. The truck ride is firmer when you are loaded but doesn't change when unloaded. I also looked at installing additioal leaves in the springs, and air bags.

I originally used a set of Ford slip on mirrors I had from an 02 CrewCab. Had to use Tiewraps to hold them on. I finally bought a set of McKesh mirrors. A little expensive but they work fine. I had to bend the tabs a little for proper window operation. They do squash the window rubber, but the rubber has always come back after removel of the mirrors.

Sam

ALANSD · 11-23-2006, 01:24 PM

reading that 3 year old thread on Diesels now that I own one was interesting. Fuel then was 1.39 now here in ATL its 2.55 average for dino, 2.45 for bio.
I drive mostly intown but mileage for me seems like 12-14 in town. I have only done one longer road trip and it seemed the mileage was decent, but I had other issues that trip ( on the back leg of it). I wonder whether I should be driving the 250 with overdrive turned off, as it seems like the trans ran hot though it did not burn the fluid.
Anyway as a somewhat reluctant diesel owner I find I would rather have a softer ride, less engine/ exhaust odors, and a generally more cofortable vehicle. But thats just me.

Safari64 · 11-23-2006, 03:50 PM

Does a Toyota Sequoia SUV have the same frame / drive train and trailer towing capacity of the Tundra truck?

What kind of gas mileage does a Tundra get without trailer?

pepper48 · 11-23-2006, 05:38 PM

My 2002 2WD V8 Tundra with a limited slip rear end gets 17 MPG on the road at 70-75 mph without the trailer. The truck has the off road package. With the trailer, depending on speed and headwinds, mileage is 10-12 MPG.

**azflycaster** · 11-23-2006, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pepper48

My 2002 2WD V8 Tundra with a limited slip rear end gets 17 MPG on the road at 70-75 mph without the trailer. The truck has the off road package. With the trailer, depending on speed and headwinds, mileage is 10-12 MPG.

I have a 2003 4X4 and my MPG is little less with out the trailer. Mostly because I live 4 miles from work and do not travel the freeway on my trips.

CanoeStream · 11-23-2006, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Safari64

Does a Toyota Sequoia SUV have the same frame / drive train and trailer towing capacity of the Tundra truck?

I'd not think they'd build the Sequoia with any different drivetrain or suspension. Generally the full finished shell and extra seats of an SUV will weigh more than a pickup box. Therefore the payload capacity of an SUV is less. This puts tighter limits on hitch weight and therefore trailer size. The number differences aren't huge but that's a general trend. I'd suggest you spend time on the Toyota website if you want a solid answer.

There have been some threads with discussion and a few photos of the 2007 1/2 Tundra that will be rolling out of the brand new San Antonio plant next February or March. I haven't heard if they've released firm capacity numbers -- but they weren't revealed until the last minute with the redesigned F-150 and Nissan Titan introductions three years ago this month. The new Tundra is supposed to be a full 1/2-ton, matching the strong numbers of Detroit. I don't know if azflycaster is referring to the new models when he mentioned the 5.7L engine. Sounds like a reasonable expectation though.