2011 Tundra Towing Questions

adkmacman · 04-15-2012, 04:27 PM

Hello all ... I just signed up tonight and I am excited to hear from you all on my concerns of towing a 2012 Hideout 26b bumper trailer with a "little" Tundra CrewMax. We have only done the pop up thing before this and although the Hideout is only 5200 dry and GVW is 7600, having vacillated on a Cummins Dodge or the Tundra we chose ... well I am a little uneasy still. The camper is paid for and being prep'ed for a May 3rd pickup and orientation. We paid for a Reese Weight Distribution and Anti-Sway hitch package ($897.00) as well as a $285.00 Prodigy Brake Controller that will be setup for us at the dealer. We plan to take two 3 or 4 day familiarization weekends before we leave on a 35 day trip from Lake Placid New York to the Emerald Coast and back. We choose the CrewMax for the excellent room year round and due to our many years of favor for Toyota reliability (Corolla and Camry owners). I suppose I am just seeking your experienced thoughts on towing with this setup. Things we should lookout for, maybe places to stay and visit on this first time loop down south etc.

f6bits · 04-15-2012, 04:51 PM

Do you know the towing and cargo capacity of the Tundra? With an engine size and rear axle gear ratio, you can find this out at:
http://www.trailerlife.com/trailer-towing-guides/

If you have the 5.7, then you’re golden. Great wheelbase and a strong engine. Good choice on the Reese and Prodigy.

For places to stay, even for your local shakeout runs, I always check http://www.campgroundreviews.com/

109rfan · 04-16-2012, 03:11 AM

I think even with the 4.6 you will be fine. If you have a 5.7 your way more than fine

adkmacman · 04-17-2012, 06:58 AM

Yes it is the TRD 5.7 CrewMax model.

Next issue I'm facing is the stock mirrors won't cut it ... I need towing mirrors. More stress right

I'd like something I have confidence in, not noisy, shaky stuff. Toyota dealer says they don't make a replacement towing mirror he can order!

Seems silly but I'll ask the dealer next time I am in Plattsburhh. Any suggestions on what to buy, where etc?

109rfan · 04-17-2012, 10:09 AM

I tow a jayco 26b similar weight and tows really well Next week I'm picking up a hideout 29bhs and still think I'm within weight. As far tow mirrors check out tundra forums. There's lotta info about changing mirrors out and basically it can be done Right now I'm on same boat stock mirrors

Bruzer 71 · 04-17-2012, 11:24 AM

Well the dealership possibly broke it off in you. Which prodigy do you have 1-2-3 I had the. 2 installed for 154.00 and the weight distribution hitch and break control was 587. 00 total I opted out on sway control. I pull with a 3/4 ton Avalanche with a 8.1 L with a factory tow package. So far no regrets I pull a 300BH ultra light so the truck can pull 2x what the camper weights empty. Pull a lot easier than my 19 foot open bow boat. It does have a single axel with no brakes and bounces around way to much. Lol.

Bob Landry · 04-17-2012, 01:36 PM

TRD Sparks has the Tundra tow mirrors. They weren't cheap, around $200 each, but they are exact replacement for the stock mirros and can be wired with all of the functions of your current mirrors. Lots of info about swapping them. The Toyota wiring harness plugs behind the kick panel are really confusing so you may want to have them installed professionally.

Bob Landry · 04-17-2012, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 109rfan

I think even with the 4.6 you will be fine. If you have a 5.7 your way more than fine

It may or may not be fine for a trailer of that size. I pulled a Jayco 22FB with a 4.6L Tundra and I thought it struggled quite a bit, and it was supposed to berated to tow 8K lbs. Now I'm pulling an Outback 277RL with a 5.7L with ease. Go with the bigger motor. No one ever woke up and wished they had less truck.

f6bits · 04-17-2012, 02:44 PM

Have you looked at the CIPA slip-on mirrors?

Jim & Kay · 04-17-2012, 04:04 PM

Hey Adkmacman,
Pull you up a chair, sit down, and I'll tell you my story. I tow a 291RLS Cougar High Country 5er and I have a 2008 Tundra 5.7L DC, 4X4 with 430 gear and if your Tundra is 2 wheel drive and have the towing package, your towing capacity is 10,100 lbs. If you have the 4x4 it is 10,300. Don't worry about the weight being a problem for your tundra and as far as the WDH, that is in MHO a waste. I towed a travel trailer with a WDH & it was so unhandy, I opted to remove it and installed Firestone Ride Rite Airbags with an on board compressor and have never been sorry. I can set my own height to level out the trailer and it gives you a better ride. But I do recommend towing with a sway bar, with cross winds, semis, etc... it gives a more stable tow and I've towed with and without but won't tow without any more. Good luck and enjoy your new camper.

chris199 · 04-17-2012, 06:04 PM

Couple of things...just traded my 2011 Tundra 4.6L for the big 5.7L. Waiting on a Cougar 32SAB. Was concerned about safety, sway, weight distribution. Dealer suggested an Equalizer. After reading horror stories, I went with a reconitioned Hensley WDH. Supposed to be 1 of 2 best on the market.

Tow mirrors - I swapped my stock mirrors on new Tundra for the tow mirrors from Sparks. About $200 is right...each. good news is can do yourself...there are step by step directioons on this forum AND the heat works, power mirrors, side turn signals work, etc. Love my new mirrors. They are not power slide out....have tonextend and pull in manually.

WDH - I am within GVWR, GCVr limits with my new truck and TT. Only concern is how close to truck payload limit we are. 200-300 or so more and we are exceeding the max. Just the two of us and occasionally one other...I think we are OK. Decided to have no regrets on safety and went with the Hensley hitch. Pretty amazing but pretty pricey too. Didn't want to roll my TT and regret not spending $2000. Video of Hensley hitch is pretty amazing.

Thought about going to GMC 2500 OR to a Ford or Dodge diesel but the money drain has to stop somewhere. Thought about downsizing the 32SAB to a smaller and lighter TT but of the Cougar there is only one much smaller unit lighter in hitch weight. We stayed with the Toyota Tundra 5.7L 4x4 with tow pkg......upgraded mirrors....went with Line-X bed liner and 20113 Keystone Cougar 32SAB.

joindy · 04-17-2012, 06:13 PM

I have weight distribution hitch and pulling a 4500 lb dry passport 250BH.
Seems to tow ok but curious if front end should still seem bit light with modest floating when going 60 mph down the highway. Was installed by a dealership and I hope is set up ok. So the question is....with my 10000 lb rated tundra pulling about 5000 lbs...should you still expect to feel some floating on front end...not a lot...but you know have some tongue weight on the back.
Also...I use CIPA 11300 Toyota Tundra Custom Towing Mirrors which got from Amazon for about $50 which work great.

chris199 · 04-17-2012, 09:40 PM

You may wan to check on a level surface the distance from the ground to the center of front wheel well before load and after..with wdh. May be that the weight is not being forced to the truckc enough. If the dealer is close, may want to have them recheck everything. May also want to go to a scale to cconfirm that the hitch wgt is approx 13% of the trailer wgt and not overloaded. You may need to redistribute some wgt.

You say 4500 dry wgt.....tells me you don't know the wgt of your TT loaded. Definitely sugggest you take you rig to scales and get wgts of
whole rig TT AND TV
tongue wgt with everything in pass thru, etc.
wgt of TV
wgt of TT

Then run the numbers.

W.E.BGood · 04-18-2012, 05:07 AM

Congrats and welcome. As far as your package...sounds great! Our 250RS is 5,950 dry, add 300-400 lbs of "stuff" and a full tank of water (320 lbs), our '08 5.7 Tundra 4X4 DC pulls t just fine and is VERY stable. Even the DW is confident driving it on 2-lane Wisconsin highways. We do have an Equalizer wd/sway hitch, but I splurged and had AirLift airbags with remote controlled compressor added to smooth-out the "harmonic porpoising" we run into periodically on certain concrete-sectioned roads here in the midwest. They also allow me to drive a level set-up for short distances and do tight manuvers of very uneven surfaces (like backing into steep, narrow spaces) without putting a lot of strain on the weight distribution bars.
Regards, BGood

SteveC7010 · 04-18-2012, 05:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joindy

I have weight distribution hitch and pulling a 4500 lb dry passport 250BH.
Seems to tow ok but curious if front end should still seem bit light with modest floating when going 60 mph down the highway. Was installed by a dealership and I hope is set up ok. So the question is....with my 10000 lb rated tundra pulling about 5000 lbs...should you still expect to feel some floating on front end...not a lot...but you know have some tongue weight on the back.
Also...I use CIPA 11300 Toyota Tundra Custom Towing Mirrors which got from Amazon for about $50 which work great.

If properly setup, your WD should eliminate any of that "floating" feeling on the front end. That comes from not enough weight on the front axle. Sounds like the dealer set up the WD with the trailer empty. Once you add your gear, everything changes and the WD needs to be readjusted.

Park your TV on level ground and measure from the top of the wheel opening to the ground for both the front and rear axles. Write down those numbers. Then hitch up, and again, with the TV and TT on level ground, take those measurements again. The numbers will be less, but the change should be about the same for both front and rear. If the front changes less than the rear by more than a 1/4" or so, the WD needs adjusting because not enough weight is being transferred forward.

You didn't say which brand of WD you have, so coaching you on adjustment will have to wait.

SteveC7010 · 04-18-2012, 01:06 PM

Joindy, I suspect you are new to forums. If you ask a question and get an initial response in open, others are in on the conversation and want to hear the rest of the discussion. Please repeat the response you sent to me in a PM here in the forum. Like a lot of folks here, I prefer to answer questions in open forum rather than in private.

Bob Landry · 04-18-2012, 01:24 PM

While front and rear sqat of the TV is nice, that should not be the goal and in reality will be difficult to impossible to obtain while getting the correct weight transfer. The requirement for safe handling and minimal wear on front end components is that the front height(measured at the fender openings should be returned to the height specified in the TV owners manual. The latest trend of thought is to get the front right and let the rear take care of itself. If you want to level the rear with airbags or whatever, that's OK, just be aware that you will have to readjust the WD as that will change the amount of weight being transfered to the front axle.
This is supported with many posts and a couple of stickies by some very knowledgeble guys on RV.Net. Those stickies should be required reading for anyone who has never set up a WD hitch.

michaeliack · 04-18-2012, 06:36 PM

My 4.7 double cab has no problem towing our Bullet (about 6,000lbs loaded). We also graduated from a PUP, use a Reese weight distribution system and the Prodigy (90185). We can barely feel the TT behind us; its a much smoother tow than the PUP. Does your tundra have the back up camera package? Congratulations...

OutbackKampers · 04-20-2012, 04:47 AM

I own a 2010 Tundra, and towed a 30 ft. Coachmen, with a dry weight of 6600lbs for 2 years with no problems. We bought a 2012 Keystone Outback 312BH this year, with a dry weight of 7700lbs, and still have absolutely no problems towing. You will be very happy with your choice of tow vehicle. Good Luck!

109rfan · 04-20-2012, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OutbackKampers

I own a 2010 Tundra, and towed a 30 ft. Coachmen, with a dry weight of 6600lbs for 2 years with no problems. We bought a 2012 Keystone Outback 312BH this year, with a dry weight of 7700lbs, and still have absolutely no problems towing. You will be very happy with your choice of tow vehicle. Good Luck!

This is good to know I was a lil worried my hideout 29bh would be a tad too heavy for my tundra 5.7

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