Downsizing in Louisiana - Tundra OK?

[tomlago]

Hi to fellow Keystone owners! I am in the process of downsizing from a class A MH (gas) to a 5th Wheel Cougar Lite. I am currently looking at a 5th Wheel Cougar Lite model - 29RET. I have been told that my current vehicle (2010 Toyota Tundra Crew Max Limited / 5.7L Motor with towing package -rated to pull 10,400 lbs), can pull the 5th Wheel with no problem. I sure would appreciate any input. Thanks again!:):)

[f6bits]

I don't think I've ever seen a Tundra properly equipped to pull a fiver. Check the driver's door sticker for the Cargo Capacity. Though my truck can pull 10,200 or so, it lacks the cargo capacity for a fiver hitch and the trailer's pin weight.

The Cougar's dry weight is near 8,000 lbs, and will probably end up at 9,000 when loaded for a trip. The loaded pin weight plus hitch should be approaching 2,000 lbs.

[Festus2]

I am aware of several RVers who pull a 5th wheel with the Tundra. All of these RV's are "mid-sized" and are a good match for each other.
As you said, the key is "properly equipped". The units that I know about are.

[tomlago]

Thanks for the info. Still trying to get a bit more info. Told the dealer I would not purchase until I checked with a few Tundra owners. If there are any out there - I would appreciate their input. Again thanks for the assistance. (tx)

[Festus2]

tomlago -

You might try sending a PM to Flyguy, a member who does tow a fifth with a Tundra. I can't recall the size of it.

[twstdpear]

I have a Tundra and have idly looked at some 5ers out of curiosity, and just did some spot checking on the Keystone and Jayco sites. I couldn't find a single one with a dry hitch weight less than 1100lbs, and the Cougar XLite 29RET you're interested in is 1275.

Nutshell: I wouldn't do it with a Tundra unless they finally come out with the 3/4 ton model everyone's been speculating about. You're probably OK with towing capacity, it's the cargo/payload/occupants you need to be concerned with.

My 2008 Tundra Limited 4x4 Dual Cab w/5.7L has a 1430lb "total load" capacity with a 10300lb towing capacity. As you have indicated, only a few in the Tundra line, primarily the two-wheel drive models, have a higher towing and cargo capacity. Even then, it's only up to 10800/1450 and that's for the regular cab, long bed 2WD.

From the truck's manual: Cargo Capacity = Total Load Capacity - Total weight of occupants.

Assuming a 180lb male and 125lb female driver+passenger and my truck:
1430 (total load) - 305 (occupants) = 1125lbs cargo capacity

That's obviously assuming you don't have any cargo or other passengers in the vehicle. For me, that pretty much firmly eliminates any 5er I've run across so far if you're more than 25lbs over my figures (cargo or occupants). Plus, everything I've read says with 5ers, you're supposed to have 15%-25% of the trailer weight be on the pin, unlike with a travel trailer which is 10%-15%. That means the 29RET you're looking at should have 1174lbs (dry) - 1500lbs (max, at GVWR) on the pin to be at 15%.

The only reason I'm able to tow our 28RBS, which has a very heavy dry tongue weight for that size trailer (955lb dry TW, w/ 6330lb dry and 8200lb GVWR), is because of *very* careful weight management/placement and an empty truck bed. Aside from that, it tows the trailer very well, though.

[tomlago]

Appreciate your input. Good stuff to think about and check out. Appreciate the actual numbers - that will allow me to look and compare. Again thanks for the help:)

[KanTC]

tomlago,

twstdpear provided some good info (numbers to compare) for the truck.

One more thing ;) The weight of the 5th wheel HITCH (itself). They can weigh between 150-250 lbs
(+/- depending on the brand) & that weight must also be "accounted for" as cargo/weight in the truck.

Terri, the Chevy co-pilot :)

[JRTJH]

W just sold our small fifth wheel (Springdale 242) which had an empty hitch weight of 940 lbs. By the time we added 60 lbs of propane, 2 batteries, a bit of cargo and the hitch to the truck, the actual payload in the truck was 1400 lbs. That's roughly 500 lbs more than the "advertised pin weight" and that is with some very "creative" loading to balance the weights behind the fifth wheel axle. We never even came close to our GCWR, the maximum towing weight rating, but we were at, very near or slightly over the payload every time we hitched up. There was absolutely no room for error (and forget taking along a passenger, there was no payload for that.

Our F150 had a payload of 1700 lbs, so that left 300 lbs for the DW, dog and a bit of cargo. Anything we put in the bed had to be carefully calculated, usually countered by shifting supplies inside the fifth wheel to behind the axle just to keep the pin weight down.

For us, it was "doable" but not fun. That is with 1700 lbs of payload capacity. On the Tundra, the payload is even less, so it's going to be even tougher to do.

There is a member (Flyguy), who tows a Springdale 247 fifth wheel with his Tundra. He reports that it works well. He has modified his truck somewhat, not to increase payload, but to help with rear squat. The says it helps. As suggested, you might want to PM him for some actual "hands on" advice since he is one of the few that is actually doing what you plan to attempt.

I might add that we finally decided to get a larger fifth wheel so our days of half ton towing are behind us, at least for now. I would not have even attempted to tow our new Cougar with a half ton, even though it is advertised as a "half ton towable" For us, those numbers just couldn't work no matter how hard we tried. Trust me, we tried, buying a new truck was not a cheap way to go LOL

[Bob Landry]

Tundra supposedly goes through a major redesign every 7 years. Maybe the other manufacturers do also. 2014 was supposed to be the biggie for Tundra. Everyone was waiting for at least something that would compete in the 3/4 ton class. It didn't happen. The 2014 has some major cosmetic changes and no change at all in any of the capacities. That's why I'm driving a 2013 F250. I loved the truck, but I just wanted more and Tundra did not deliver and I didn't want to wait another 7 years to see what they would do. They seem to be content in the 1/2 ton market so I moved on to something with more capabilities.
If you want to tow a 5th wheel and are serious about doing it for a long time, I would seriously consider one of the big three and not have to worry about where you are going to load everything.
FWIW. I have seen only one Tundra pulling a fiver. it was on a fairly level road, the guy was struggling, and he finally pulled over so others could pass. I;m sure there are some who are happy doing it, but that's just not the way I want to travel, YMMV.

[JRTJH]

It can be done. In this picture, it's pretty obvious to me that this Tundra owner bit off more than he could chew. The pix was on the bulliten board at our dealer's showroom. He told me he tried to talk the guy out of buying the trailer or at least into a smaller one but the buyer insisted on doing this. So it's not always the salesman that makes the claims about, "It can tow it"

[tomlago]

Boy did it rain on my parade! But - in all seriousness - thanks for the good input. I don't believe keeping my Tundra to pull a 5th Wheeler is a good or practical option. Back to the drawing board. As the wife and I are very serious about downsizing from our MH, we will start looking at 3/4 ton Trucks. Appreciate all the help with this situation. Best to all - Tom

[tundraman67]

I pull a 2012 Cougar Xlite 29RES with a 2007 SR5 double cab 5.7L without any issues. I added airbags for a little bit of sag in the rear end.

[JRTJH]

I pull a 2012 Cougar Xlite 29RES with a 2007 SR5 double cab 5.7L without any issues. I added airbags for a little bit of sag in the rear end.

WOW!!! You're a braver man than me. I traded our F150 with a 1700 lb payload because it would be overloaded towing a 26SAB that's 500 lbs lighter than your trailer. How do you get your pin weight down low enough to stay within your truck's payload?

[aehjr]

Boy did it rain on my parade! But - in all seriousness - thanks for the good input. I don't believe keeping my Tundra to pull a 5th Wheeler is a good or practical option. Back to the drawing board. As the wife and I are very serious about downsizing from our MH, we will start looking at 3/4 ton Trucks. Appreciate all the help with this situation. Best to all - Tom

Tom - I feel your pain. We have the same dilemma in that we have a 2008 Double Cab Limited with the 5.7L engine but know it can't tow the trailer we want. It's the payload that gets us. Me, wife and our two large dogs gets us to 500 lbs. Some tools and a couple suitcases in back brings us to 600 lb, leaving us only 830 lb for tongue weight. :(