Tundra Tow Vehicle
 

Looking into a Tundra to replace my tow vehicle to pull a 2307C. Towing load (loaded trailer plus TV load) around 7000 lbs. Anyone have any experience to share using the Tundra to tow their HiLo (ride, noise, mpg, towing in OD, etc.)?
Thanks for any help,
CamperD

If you haven't done this already- check on RV Net, IRV2, and Tundra forums. Also "google" "towing with Tundra", you will get plenty of feedback. Keep your eye on tongue weights and GVWR and check on the different years. I've been looking at upgrading, myself, so I know how this goes. Have fun!

Good Luck

Rick

We don't have experience with a Tundra, but we do have a 2006 Tacoma Dual cab Prerunner. The Tacoma tows our 2206 very well. A weight distribution hitch is very important.

We can barely feel the trailer behind the tow vehicle. The ride is very comfortable for the passengers.

We've pulled my SILs '89 22' Funchaser with my '07 Tundra CM Ltd. I feel the trailer every now and then. Sometimes I have to look back to make sure it's still there. Ride is smooth. No noise. I get 15-16 mpg usually. About 13-14 pulling the Hi-Lo. I hit the tow button and cruise on.

Hope this helps you.

Tundra
 

I have a 2806 that I pull with my 2007 tundra 5.6L engine. I also have a Tundra with the smaller engine 4.6L I think. Any way the extra engine size makes a noticable difference with hills and passing or anything that requires a little exta power. Handling is very good. The smaller engine Tundra also does not have a brake controller installed and stops well; however, incase of emergancy stop I would sure want the brakes working on the trailer. The Tundra is very quite and very dependable. Longest trip I have made is a 5 hour drive from central Texas to the coast each Jun/Jul and our temps avg 100 Deg. that time of year. I use the tow feature when I remember to turn it on, but can't tell much difference. Our terrain is pretty flat. Milage with out trailer is 16-18 with trailer about 12 mpg.

Got One!
 

Well, I found a low mileage 2010 Tundra 5.7L Double Cab in excellent condition and took the plunge. Came with the tow package, so I'll be set once I get a new brake controller. Thanks to all for their comments.
camperD

That should do the trick. Get a Prodigy P2 or P3 controller.

Well...I also bought a Tundra today.
My 1999.5 Chevy has 226,000 miles and makes me nervous when leaving for the mountains here in AZ.

2008 Tundra long bed double cab 5.7L 6 speed auto 163,000 miles for $12,000.
All I can say is WOW comparing it to my small V8 Chevy.
She rides rough when empty but we will mostly use it to haul "something"; mostly my Hi-Lo a few times a year when we go camping.

Rick (no buyers remorse)

2008 Tundra long bed double cab 5.7L 6 speed auto 163,000 miles for $12,000.
Were you shopping with a handgun? Sounds like you stole it.

About 1.5 years ago I was looking at an 08 Tundra Limited, 105K miles. Best this private seller would accept was $22K, down from his initial $26K. No sale.

My TV is a2005 Tundra Access Cab with V-8 4.7L pulling a 1999 21 ft Tow Lite and the summer of 2012 my wife and I did a six week camping trip through Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska and Alberta, Canada for a total of 9719 miles The biggest problem we had was looking back to make sure the Tow Lite was still with us. A rough mpg for that trip was 12.5 mpg. We now have a 2005 27T Tow Lite which tows well but you can feel the added weight.

The Tundra should give you good service as a tow vehicle. If you haven't gotten a brake controller yet, I highly recommend the Prodigy P3. It is VERY easy to set up and has no mechanical adjustments that can get "bumped", which could leave you without braking. It's not that much more expensive than the cheaper ones, and in my opinion, it is much better.

- Jack

I haven't posted in quite awhile but I can attest to the Tundra being a very capable tow vehicle. I have a 2008 Tundra Crewmax with the 5.7L V8 with factory tow package and the upgraded cooling system with the Manual 6 gear shift option and could not be happier with this tow vehicle. I used to have a 1999 29ft Classic HiLo and trust me I knew it was there coming down the mountains in AZ. But there were many times that I could not tell it was there behind me in normal towing conditions. And I agree with Jack and the rest pick up a Prodigy brake controller, they are the easiest and most desired brake controllers on the market and the same that I used.

Well- I DIDNT get a Tundra, or an f150, or a chevy/GMC, or a Dodge. Got a NISSAN TITAN, 2010, with 39k on it. People seemed to like it as a tow vehicle--. In southern Wisconsin, here, it seemed to be the LEAST desireable vehicle out there in the years I was looking at-----which was 2008 and up. Which means I got a 2010 with 39K for about what a 2009-2011 GMC or Ford was going for with about 1/2 again as much mileage. We will see. It seems to have good power and the acceleration is impressive-----which may help with merging. I was able to switch out my Prodigy controller into it----. Am waiting for the new tires/wheels on the trailer so I can try it out.

Tundras looked great but were not competitive in the used market around here compared to others......and maybe for a good reason. Inside of Titan is sort of cheap .....but lots of room for a supercab. Payload is decent. I'm sure you will be more than happy with the Tundra.

I'll let you know how it pulls,eventually.....:)

Tundra TV Update
 

Well, I followed your recommendation and got a Prodigy P2 brake controller, and a plug-in adapter harness. Found a video on You Tube that showed how to install it, and installation was a breeze.

This is the first time I've owned a truck. My previous TV was a 2002 Explorer. The Tundra is about 3 feet longer. With the tail gate up, I had no feel for how close I was to something while reversing. So I got a back-up camera and display for it. I was able to install the system after finding out how on the Tundra forum. Amazing difference! I can parallel park with ease and confidence and back up within inches of the car behind me.

I also plan on putting a back-up camera on the rear of the HiLo. I think it will be very helpful when backing up the trailer. I have plugs to be able to switch from the truck back-up camera to the HiLo back-up camera. I installed a switch in the cab so that I can activate the cameras even when I'm not in reverse. That way I'll be able to check what's behind the trailer as I'm driving along.

I got the CIPA towing mirrors for the Tundra. They have special inserts that make a nice snug fit over the side mirrors. I've used CIPA mirrors before and these seem to fit very well.

The truck came with a hard tonneau cover and I am looking at replacing it with a truck cap. We take a canoe along (wooden one that I made) and the tonneau cover will not allow for a canoe carrying rack. So far I am suffering sticker shock at prices for new truck caps. Any advice about truck caps?

You may well find used ones on craigs list that will work. Colors may not match.
I use a soft tonneau cover and have made a rack system that works in stake pockets for carrying my canoe. If you have the flip up tonneau that covers the stake pockets that won't work. But if you have a " hard" roll up or fold up type you can go the stake pocket route . T there are, also, commercially available stake pocket rack systems that will work but they run around 400.00 or more.

Measure your truck bed ---- rail to rail across and front to tailgate. Check online to see what other trucks/ years have similar bed dimensions. Then look used. You might be surprised what you are able to find.

Rick

Bed Size

Link for pu bed dimensions.

Nice to hear your satisfied with the Backup camera. If you don't mind me asking which one did you go with, as I will eventually be getting one for my Tundra. I always back into parking spaces since my truck is so much bigger than a standard car and I have a hard time determining how much space I have left before I back into something.

I also have the CIPA tow mirrors your referring to and they do work well for me also, I highly recommended them to anyone.

The one I got is a Taotronics model TT-CC22. Found it on Amazon for $30. It is license plate mount and rated as waterproof, color, 170 deg view angle, and distance grid. Am very happy with it.
My Tundra did not have a display screen in the cab, so I got a mirror mounted display. I found a kit (display mirror, camera, and wiring) on e-bay for $200 that included a Gentex 657 mirror (same as OEM) and a generic B&W camera. I ruined the camera during installation because Toyota does not use standard wiring color codes (black = hot) in their wiring harness. The vendor was very helpful in helping me diagnose the problem with the wiring.
The Tundra came pre-wired for the back-up camera and mirror. I did install a switch in the overhead sun-glass compartment so I could turn the camera on anytime I wanted. They are normally set up to get power when you're in reverse.
You can see that the cost of the system is really in the display, so if you have a display screen in your cab/dash, there is not much additional cost to have a back-up camera system.

7000 LBS.???? I have a 2308C with a PUBLISHED max. weight of 6000lbs. And I tow it with a Toyota 4-Runner, 6 cyl. My tow weight is generally about 5000 +/- 200, and the 'Runner handles it quite fine; for over six years now, going on seven.
You are taking a chance going over the published ratings, because if anything happens, one of the first questions asked in the courtroom is: Were you overloaded? Second question; 'Is your tow vehicle rated for the load'? I have traded the OEM hitch, [5000/500 #] for a 6000/600 W.D. hitch and it works out just fine.
Always remember to 'cover your ***' or you can be bitten there.

Mel

That original post is over a year old. That said----I suspect the 7000 lb rating was a GVWR number- not the maximum tow capacity or the combined capacity. So- it would only have been figuring the tongue weight when it came to matching the trailer. Though- I could be wrong. Maye it was a much older Tundra.