New Kids Here

[Kalohe]

Ok so we’re not kids … LoL. Buying a 2019 Cougar 29rls. Pick it up next week. 9th of September. Towing with Toyota Tundra. Just the wife and I and we plan on using it more than we do our present camper. South Carolina is home.

[foldbak]

Welcome and congrats.



Just an observation, that's a bunch of trailer for a tundra. Just saying Considered upgrading?

[markcee]

Originally Posted by Kalohe

Ok so we’re not kids … LoL. Buying a 2019 Cougar 29rls. Pick it up next week. 9th of September. Towing with Toyota Tundra. Just the wife and I and we plan on using it more than we do our present camper. South Carolina is home.

Welcome to the forum!

As the owner of a very similar Cougar '1/2 ton' (same 9500 lb GVWR), I recommend you crunch some numbers with regard to your tow vehicle. Others will likely chime in, but I was right at the edge of my truck's capacity with this trailer. My tongue weight alone is 1300 lbs, (approx 15%) with the trailer loaded up to about 8500 lbs. I was within 40 lbs of my truck's stated payload (and I didn't carry anything in the truck bed) with just me, the wife and a couple of dachshunds. I was also just 20 lbs under my rear GAWR if I recall correctly. I had a '19 F150, modestly equipped with the Max Tow package.

The '1/2 ton' nomenclature is marketing hype. You would need a very special 1/2 ton truck (heavy duty payload package, stripped down base model, single cab) to have a chance to stay safely within the truck's ratings. Admittedly, I know very little about the Tundra so YMMV.

[Kalohe]

I’m still under the tow capacity by 2500 lbs. And the load on the 5t hitch is 400 lbs below. I’m also adding air bags. I think we will be fine. After towing for the next couple short trips planned I’ll know if I needs bigger truck. Camper is said to be half-ton towable ,.,. Thanks for your concern …

[Kalohe]

The 2019, 29rls is rated at 7990 or just at 8000 lbs.

[markcee]

Originally Posted by Kalohe

The 2019, 29rls is rated at 7990 or just at 8000 lbs.

Sorry, may be missing it, but don't see that model # in the 2019 brochure.

Edit: I see in your other post you state 27RLS. I think that 8K is going to be a dry weight - before batteries, propane tanks and whatever you load into it.

[Poppy]

I have a 1/2 ton towable Cougar 25res, and I don’t think I would be comfortable towing it with a 1/2 ton truck.

[notanlines]

Here's the real numbers for your RV:
Dry Weight 8,700 lbs.
Payload Capacity 1,700 lbs.
GVWR 10,400 lbs.
Hitch Weight 1,605 lbs.

Here's the REAL number for your pin weight when you, Momma and doggo's head down the road: 2300 pounds
Yep, that's it for real.
Once you load up all the 'stuff' you and your crew are going to require over the next year, keep in mind that you will not want to travel with any full tanks other than some fresh water. You only have about 1700 pounds of cargo weight, less batteries, less propane, so 'then there's that!.'
What you do is your business, but you aren't hauling with a beast, regretfully. Watch your weight closely, make sure you're running LT tires, and don't be adding too many Kentucky go-fasters like air bags and such. You're not helping matters, only heading downhill.
By the way, welcome to the forum. If you need anyone to take care of the pooches for a week-end just PM us!

[sourdough]

Welcome to the forum and hoping you have many SAFE trips.


You list a 2019 Cougar 1/2 ton 29RLS. I can find no mention of it. I did find a 29RLD bumper pull (9560lbs.) or a 29RES 1/2 ton 5th wheel. You also mention "load on the 5th hitch" so assume it is the 5th wheel. If so it is 10,300lbs. gvw. At 21% pin weight (about standard calculation for a pin) of gvw that comes to 2163lbs. for pin alone. If that is the trailer the Tundra is outclassed.

Taking a new trailer on a truck and figuring it's "OK" because you took a trip and nothing happened is unwise at the least. Adding airbags does nothing to increase your payload or safety, maybe drivability, but that's it. You need to look at the door sticker on that Tundra and see what the yellow sticker says the payload is. A 5th wheel is GOING to pull nice and stable so you won't have any idea if you are overloaded unless you do the math or hit the scale.

[sourdough]

Maybe some clarification; from another thread from same poster - "Picking up our new to us, 2019 Cougar 27rls on 9 September." The thread on this one was also labeled as a 29RLS leading to some confusion. I am assuming (yes I know) that the 27RLS would be correct since it is a 5th wheel and that is what was referenced.

https://www.rvusa.com/rv-guide/2019-...-27rls-tr37912

Instead of 10,300 gvw it is 10,020 gvw resulting in a pin weight of 2104lbs using the previous formula - still too much for a Tundra.

[Kalohe]

You are correct 27rls

[Gegrad]

Welcome to the forum from Pennsylvania.... and your next stop should be to trade the Tundra for your choice (Brand) of HD pickup, cause that is WAY too much trailer for a Tundra.

[spicercars]

Welcome from northern MN.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by Kalohe

I’m still under the tow capacity by 2500 lbs. And the load on the 5t hitch is 400 lbs below. I’m also adding air bags. I think we will be fine. After towing for the next couple short trips planned I’ll know if I needs bigger truck. Camper is said to be half-ton towable ,.,. Thanks for your concern …

Welcome to the forum. I'm not looking to pile on about the weight issue but my intention is to try to inform and help you understand. This is a frequent occurrence where a new owner is "mislead" by salesman and the myriad of weight ratings and numbers. The ill-informed public are told that their truck has xxxx towing capacity and this trailer weights xxxx minus 50 lbs so you're good to go. Unfortunatley that truck towing capacity has nothing to do with the reality of hualing a camper and the trailers publish weights have nothing to do with the real weights of a camper that's loaded up for use.

Since you have the truck and the trailer it's real simple and inexpensive to find out where you really stand. Cat Scales makes this process very easy and painless. They even have a phone app so you don’t even need to go inside. Visit Catscale.com for more info. Load up the truck and trailer as if you are going camping or better yet stop on the way to the campground, it doesn’t take long.

Weigh the rig per the website instructions. Get your weight slips and go camping. Then when things "settle down" and your mind is clear set down with a cup of coffee and your weight slips and do some very simple math. First note your truck's GVWR as listed on the door sticker. Just for the sake of illistration let's say GVW is 7,500 lbs. Now subtract the actual weight of the truck alone, likely around 5,800 to 6,000 lbs depending on what you put in/on the truck. So 7,500 -6,000=1,500 lbs of payload remaining.

Now take the trucks weight with the trailer attached and subtract the weight of the truck alone. Again, for illustrative purposes, let's say the truck while hitched is 7,800 lbs and unhitched is 6,000 lbs. You can immediately see the truck is overloaded by 300 lbs.(remember that 1,500 lbs of remaining payload.?) and that the trailer is exerting 1,800 lbs of weight on the truck. That 1,800 lbs is your hitch weight. So now you need a truck with an EXCESSES available payload that's MORE THAN THE HITCH WEIGHT.

Let's go look at that truck sticker and your weight slip. Again, just for this exercise, let's say that yellow and white sticker states the maximum weight of passangers and cargo not to exceed 2,000 lbs. You have 1,500 lbs available so simple math 2,000 - 1,500 = 500 lbs. That's the weight of what you have in that truck and would assume that much if not more will go into the next truck. Again, going to the weight slips, the trailer tongue or pin weight of 1,800 lbs. + 500 lbs of cargo in the truck = 2,300 lbs MINIMUM cargo capacity required.

I hope I haven't confused you further but when you dissect the weights it's pretty simple. Numbers, actual weights don't lie. If you start "fudging" the humbers to make your truck "work" you're only lieying to yourself. The "we travel light" or "we don’t go far" are commonly used false narratives. If you have any questions please ask and everyone here will try their best to help. Stay safe and make some great memories.

[sourdough]

Wayne just to add to what Marshall said;

As mentioned so many buy truck/RV combos based on sales hype of both types of vehicles ie; "max tow capacity", "dry weight", "dry tongue/pin weight" (what's listed by the RV manufacturer) etc. All are meaningless since as an owner you will never see or use those numbers. They are however great sales tools and many new RVers down the primrose path to being unsafe all the while thinking things are great because they believed the sales people or brochures.

Weights come up many times because of a red flag someone sees; a Tundra with a 5th wheel is one of them. Most who have towed for a while have a grasp of the "real" numbers that have meaning and staying within them means staying safe - which is what everyone here wants for you and your family.

The intent of the weight comments are not to belittle your choice or decision, be arrogant or act like "know it alls" (we were all there at one time) - it is out of our concern for your safety and our desire that you KNOW where you are with your setup vs having no idea and thinking all is well. We certainly don't mean to offend and hope we haven't. Years ago I was on the receiving end of these conversations.

Since you have the rig load it full as if you were going on a 2 week vacation - everything in the truck as well (toys, bbq, tools etc.) and take it across a scale to see where you really are. The buck stops with the real numbers, not brochures or sales talk. One thing I know for sure, if your truck does not have LT tires on the back it will be an accident waiting to happen with the weight of a 5th wheel in the bed. Good luck, safe travels and let us know how it goes.