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Old 07-19-2012, 07:14 AM   #1
jujustad
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Towing 2012 Cougar 24RKS with Tundra

My husband and I just purchased our first TT and now we need to buy a TV. We want to get a Tundra. We would love to hear advice/opinions on towing our trailer with a 4.6L vs 5.7L engine. Would either engine be safe? Effective in mountainous terrain? Will we get any better gas mileage with the smaller engine while towing? Any words of wisdom are MUCH appreciated.
The 24RKS shipping weight is 5576# and carrying capacity is 1624#
Thanks!
Julie
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Old 07-19-2012, 07:23 AM   #2
Festus2
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The Tundra with the 5.7L would be my choice and would make an excellent combination. With that truck and the 24RKS, safety shouldn't be a concern providing you have a proper WDH. Not sure about the gas mileage but towing anything will result in lower mpg for both models of Tundras. If I were towing in the mountains (which I am), I would definitely opt for the bigger engine.
There are a few very satisfied Tundra owners on here who are pulling larger units than yours with the 5.7L. Having the bigger engine would also allow you to move up to a slightly larger TT sometime in the future if that is in your plans.
Bottom line? Go for the 5.7L


(PS. I moved your post to this section since it was a question about tow vehicles.)
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Old 07-19-2012, 07:28 AM   #3
jujustad
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Wdh?

Hi Festus,
Thanks for moving my post. I realized after I pushed the button that I should have tagged it to somewhere...new to forums too What does WDH mean?
Julie
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Old 07-19-2012, 07:33 AM   #4
Festus2
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No problem.... WDH means "Weight Distributing Hitch". If you do a forum search on "hitches" or "WDH", you will find a ton of stuff (aka posts) on this topic. Before you ask "Which hitch should we get", I would take some time and do some research on the forum (or elsewhere) about hitches. Thanks.
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Old 07-19-2012, 07:38 AM   #5
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Julie....We have a 2010 24RKS and towed it with a 2007 Dodge RAM 1500 with the 5.7 hemi. We live in the Pacific Northwest and have taken the trailer all over the inner mountain west. To be honest the Dodge did just OK. There is nothing flat out here and one can't get anywhere without climbing at least one mountain pass. Uphill will almost never be at the speed limit. The gas mileage was around 9 MPG and I never drove above 60. I know lots tow with the Tundra and other 1/2 ton trucks but for me...well I traded the 1500 in back in March for a 2500 with the 6.7 turbo diesel and have had the trailer out twice. I would not go back to a smaller truck. I know I have way more truck than I need for this trailer but there is nothing in between and now we can look into something larger when we are ready. The combination of this truck and trailer is now a pleasure to travel with. Go as big as you can.

Cheers

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Old 07-19-2012, 07:49 AM   #6
KanTC
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Welcome Julie (& Mr jujustad), and congrats on your new Cougar.

I agree with Festus... if you buy a Tundra, the 5.7L would be my choice too.
Gas mileage will be less while towing, regardless of the brand of truck!
'WDH' is short for 'Weight Distribution Hitch'.

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Old 07-19-2012, 07:56 AM   #7
jujustad
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Hi everyone...thanks for the replies...bennydog, have you been happy with your Cougar?
Julie
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Old 07-19-2012, 08:39 AM   #8
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Also be conscious of the Tundra payload, which is enough for most. It looks to be about 1500 lbs when you get the tow package, so think about what you carry in the bed for your trips. Some people love to carry a generator and a load of firewood with them.
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Old 07-19-2012, 01:50 PM   #9
bennydog
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Julie

We really love it. I've made a number of modification to it. Nothing major and I like to fiddle in the shop. If you poke around in the modification sections you'll come across them. Over all it has been a good trailer. We did go through several warranty issues that were all resolved and most were with appliances which I don't hold keystone accountable for and all were fixed. As mentioned the other issues is the cargo capacity of the truck. The RAM 1500 was about 1400 lbs and with a 6000 lb trailer and 12% hitch weight (720lbs) I know the book says 4XX something you have to watch what you put in the truck. I know you'll enjoy the trailer and as I said before....for the tow vechiel go as big as you can.

Bob
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Old 07-19-2012, 04:11 PM   #10
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We purchased a 2011 Tundra 4.6L to tow a small Passport 199ML. We then (big mistake) went to the RV show in February and decided to upgrade to a larger trailer. We were originally looking at the Cougar 32SAB and decided upon a 29REV when Keystone discovered they could not add the wardrobe to the 2012 32 SAB and keep it an ultrlight.

I traded the 2011 4.6L Tundra for 2012 5.7L Tundra. I LOVE MY TRUCK!!!! When I traded...I got the same color, etc. No one could tell it was a new truck unless you knew about the 5.7L tag on the front fender. Anyway.....

Turns out when all is said and done that the 5.7L Tundra is just "OK" for towing our TT. Don't get me wrong....it tows really well!! We just took it from SE PA to TN and back 2 weeks ago and had no problems whatsoever. I did invest in a Hensley hitch to absolutely eliminate any issues with sway. Hensley worked great! Had trucks flying by us and had no issues. Had plenty of towing power. Acceleration was very very good. Had no issues going up hills. Love how the Tundra has the ability to slow the total rig with the engine when going on a long downhill grade. Has good antisway capability built in. Rear axle is 4.3.....better than most any other 1/2 ton pickup.

Here's the good news:
--The trailer we have is 2000 lbs under the total tow capacity of the Tundra.
--The axle weights on the Tundra are well under maximums when towing.

Here's the bad news:
--PAYLOAD capacity is really limited on 1/2 ton pickups. It's just my DW and I, two bikes in the bed and some misc items. We are about 100-200 lbs OVER maximum payload. Technically, the truck is not enough to tow....but I'm sticking with it for now. The real story is that there's virtually NO WAY the Tundra can tow a TT that is 9600 or so....the tongue wgt (assuming 15% of TT weight) would be 1440 lb. There is no way you can put 1440 lb on the truck and be under the max payload of the 5.L Tundra and have a driver, passenger and kids and their stuff.

I have continued to regret not moving to the GMC 2500HD but the reality is I would really want the Duramax diesel but I would have a hard time spending 55K to 60K on a truck. If we ever head west to the real mountains, I doubt my Tundra will do too well. Maybe it will surprise me. I wish Toyota would come out with a 3/4 ton truck. I LOVE MY TUNDRA but I'm technically borderline with my 29REV. I am very very thankful that Keystone could not make the 32 SAB with the wardrobe slide.....that pushed us to choose another TT and get the 29 REV. I'm very glad that we got the shorter (32' vs. 37') and the lighter TT.

I believe the 24 RKS will be fine with a Tundra. I don't know how it will do with mountain passes. Definitely go with the 5.7 L. I don't see a significant difference in mileage w.out the trailer. Both get 9.5 to 10 mpg towing. If you plan on keeping your truck for a while (I usually keep a vehicle for 10 yrs) and you think you might go to a larger trailer down the road.....you may want to consider the 3/4 ton truck.

Good luck!! Have fun!!

BTW...we got the base Tundra with the 5.7L with Tow Pkg. 2012 had some nice improvements vs. 2011....running lights, black carpet rather than light tan, underseat storage under the fold up rear seats. If you find one w/out the tow mirrors, you can buy the Toyota tow mirrors and swap the stock ones out. I did it...easy....and the heater and mirror signals work! Also, if you carry bikes, get the Toyota bed rails and the bike accessory to lock the bike fork to the truck. Love them! They work great! LineX spray bed liner is great. Put it in both trucks...loved it. Advantage tonneau cover will clamp to Toyota bed rails w/out add'l clamps. Easy on....easy off.
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Old 07-19-2012, 04:34 PM   #11
SteveC7010
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jujustad View Post
The 24RKS shipping weight is 5576# and carrying capacity is 1624#
Julie, as several others have already suggested, the 5.7L is much preferable over the smaller one. While the Tundra may be rated to tow more than the 7,200# GVWR of the 24RKS, realistically, with the limited payload of a 1/2 ton pickup, it's about as big as you ought to go.

With a 7,200# GVWR trailer, tongue weight should run 12% to 15% of the loaded weight of the trailer. That means you are using up between 864# and 1,080# of the 1,500# payload just with the tongue weight. Sure doesn't leave much for you and the Mr. and anyone or anything you might want to carry in the truck.

1,624# of cargo sounds like a lot until you pack up for a one or two week trip. The dry weight of the trailer does not include battery, propane in the tanks, and any liquid that you might have in any of the holding tanks. It also does not include the 7 to 10 gallons of water that is always in the plumbing and water heater. (8+ pounds per gallon adds up FAST!)

Everybody always promises to always travel with empty tanks, but the reality is not the case. Almost everyone keeps at least a few gallons of fresh water in the tank for toilet flushing, cleaning, washing up, etc. Given the larger tanks on some of these rigs, even a quarter of a tank can add significant weight. (My Cougar has a 60 gallon FW tank. A quarter of a tank is way over 125#.)

Food and clothing for even a long weekend can add a lot more weight that people want to believe. And then add up the pots and pans, utensils, and all the other kitchen stuff. And then there is all the rest of the "stuff" that we all drag along with us for these outings.

So this is one of those moments when bigger is better. I really like the new Tundras. Were I in the market for a new 1/2 ton truck, the Tundra would be on the top of my list. Get the 5.7L plus every Heavy Duty and Towing option that they offer. You will not regret it.
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Old 07-20-2012, 03:07 AM   #12
109rfan
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The 4.6 would probably be fine but for the few extra bucks for the 5.7 why not. I love my tundra 5.7. We tow a hideout 29bhs and it gets the job done. Previous trailer was a jayco 26bh and that towed like it wasn't even there
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Old 07-20-2012, 07:12 PM   #13
jujustad
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Thanks everyone :)

My husband and I purchased out TV today. Thanks to all your input we got a 2007 Tundra with a 5.7 with 63,000 VERY well cared for miles on it. We are both SO excited to get our hitch put on the trailer and take off on our first trip. This is our 10th anniversary year and the trailer is our present to each other.
Thanks again and I'm sure I will be back on the forum with LOTS more questions
Julie and DH
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Old 07-21-2012, 04:25 AM   #14
NWest
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I purchases a new TT this year also and had a Toyota Tacoma already in place to do the job. That lasted 6 short months, the truck is one of the best but the tow rating is very exaggerated unless your pulling on the salt flats. I looked at Tundras and Titans and havent looked back since I traded on a Titan Pro4X. They have a great rebate until the end of the month that totals almost 5500.00.. I found a demo with a few miles on it and offered 25% off sticker as my starting point, without rebate figured nor my trade in (with equity). Toyota wouldnt move from the 2000.00 off sticker so I did right down the street to Regal Nissan in Roswell Ga. It is now very nice to pull to the mountains with power.
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Old 07-24-2012, 10:51 AM   #15
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I have a 2008 Toyota Tundra 5.7L 4X4 with tow package with towing capacity of 10,300 #, we tow the 291RLS HC 5er with it and couldn't ask a truck to do a better job. We know what it is to tow in the mountains. I luv the 6 speed tranny, especially descending steep inclines, it doesn't only help in controlling speed but saves the brakes on both the truck & trailer. Jujustad, enjoy your TT & your new to you Tundra.
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