Camper towing

I have a 2022 tundra 1794 TRD off-road it has the Toyota lift. We are looking at getting a camper. We have looked at a 34 ft 7100 dry weight and a 30 ft 5980 dry weight. With that being said has anyone have any advice? I haven’t had a camper in a few years and this is a new truck.

 

Those are big campers. Lifting your truck doesn’t help with towing at all. Both are likely within your towing limits, but are pushing the upper edge. May not be an easy or pleasant experience to pull them long distances. Maybe others on here with lifted 3rd gens have experience with large TT’s and can advise.

 

Get something 30% smaller than that. 1/2 ton trucks are light duty and better suited to towing 25' or less with no slide outs. Lots of people will haul houses anyway, but it would be a much better experience and less wear if you stuck to something smaller.

 

Our trailer is 4500 GVW and the Tundra does a great job. You are going to get some sag in the rear with that tongue weight but your's might have the air suspension so it might level things out. We use a weight distribution hitch with sway control and the ride is very solid and stable.

You need to pay attention to the payload rating for your truck as this will get used up quickly with a bigger trailer which means that you will be over if you have a bunch of stuff in the truck bed and 5 people in the truck. Your payload sticker is on the door jamb. There is some info in the owners manual on how this works and what you need to count when loading the truck.

 

This is 33.5’ of camper

 

Hwy 71 South of Fort Smith?

 

Not quite that far west. Lowe’s parking lot, Conway Arkansas of I40 en route to Petit Jean

 

I pull a 29’ that’s 5500# dry and I wouldn’t want to go any larger personally.

 

General rule of thumb; just because you can tow 11k+, doesn't mean you should. 70% of advertised tow capacity when fully loaded is a good standard to live by.

 

I'm more comfortable with 40 - 50%. I tow a small toy hauler with a 5k total gvwr and 425ish tongue weight. Weight distribution/sway hitch is crucial to a smooth tow.

 

How would the TRD lift that the OP has affect his towing capability?

 

This is 28’ and 7k loaded for camping with 980lbs of tongue weight. Family of four and an ugly dog. Been all over the U.S., well over 30K towing. Will do the same with my 2022 when the weather breaks.

 

For starters, the higher center of gravity doesn’t help with tow vehicle stability. Next up, the TRD lift was designed with off-roading manners in mind, not towing manners. Next up, “leveling” the truck like everyone wants to do for purely esthetic reasons gets rid of the rake, that’s supposed to be there on a load carrying vehicle to allow the weight you load it with to compress the suspension without pointing the vehicles nose in the sky. All the things people complain about on here when towing, the lift makes worse. Not to mention if they lift, they almost always choose taller heavier tires, which also fight you when towing or really just driving around period. They take more power and fuel to move. To sum it all up, the simple laws of physics make the TRD, or any other lift kit, a bad addition to a vehicle that will tow heavy.

 

Yeah, a deer ran out in front of me, a pothole ate my home work. What caused that crash is what causes most towing crashes. Speed, setup and experience. No way a pothole causes me to lose control like that driving my TT down the road. I’ve been driving around a corner at 50mph on a highway here and due to road construction, dropped off a 5” ledge. Was pretty violent in the tow rig, could have used a “dip” sign to warn me, but the rig tracked true.

 

Must have been a monster. Wasn’t a terribly large tow vehicle or travel trailer. Can’t see if he’s running a WDH or sway control. Trailer is swerving around like the tongue weight was a little light. Couldn’t tell if a tire blew out on that video either. They fail to show the relevant parts of the video leading up to the crash. Probably some “evidence” in there that they don’t want public?

 

I’ve got a 30’ 7000# camper and have been pulling it all over Pennsylvania with 2020. No problem but probably won’t be going with a lift any time soon. Would like to bump up the tire size at some point to fill in the wheel well a little.

 

The PA silver tundra, imagine TT gang. 2800BH here!

 

Thanks. Yeah I knew it probably wouldn’t be as good and could cause problems, but needed to think through and understand exactly why.

I have this lift, but not sure I want to install it. I don’t tow much now, but might in the future so considering what is best.

Thanks!

 

couple of thoughts on that report.
1. The pothole shown at the end is a complete perforation of a bridge deck! That rebar and patch job they show should not be an acceptable repair.
2. if one of these types of potholes is what caused them to lose control of their trailer, then they should submit for the city / county / state or whoever maintains that road for the repairs and damages to their vehicle.
3. Then I would get the ticket for “reckless driving” or whatever thrown out.

this is assuming the story from the couple is true. Still think a properly setup tow rig traveling at safe speeds should be able to negotiate road hazards such as dips and potholes. Truck looks older, good chance the shocks and what not are worn out.