Upgrades for optimal towing on 2010 5.7L Crewmax

Hello all,
I am new here but have owned my 2010 5.7L Crewmax 2wd Platinum for over 6 years and absolutely love it. My dad has a 2009 5.7L Crewmax 4wd SR5 that he bough new and loves as well.
I have a few questions on added upgrades that will make pulling my 7000 lb travel trailer easier.
What is the best option for upgrading the suspension system to help with the regular hauling and tongue weight (est. 500 lbs but getting official weights this weekend)?
What are thoughts on upgrading to a larger (possible 46 gal) fuel tank to increase driving distance?
Any additional thoughts on upgrades that will improve performance on fuel economy when towing and make overall towing safer?

I love my truck and it's paid off so I would prefer to just make some upgrades to improve the towing capability rather then spend the money (and pain of moving to one of the big three brands) to get a 3/4 ton (possibly diesel) option.

My biggest concerns with regular towing of my IBEX 20BHS travel trailer is the frequent fuel stops and the drop into lower gears if/when cruise control is set. Also concern about performance when we make trips into the Rockies in the coming months/years.

Any help and thoughts are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Scott

 

You have a trade off with extended fuel tank. For every pound of tank and fuel weight, you lose that amount in truck cargo capacity. So, range or cargo, can’t have both.

I tow a 7000 lb trailer with 2012 5.7 Sequoia (26+ gal tank) and plan my gas stops for 200 miles, which gives me a 30 to 40 mile comfort factor, depending on headwind.

I use trip planning software which tells me where 200 miles is and look for gas at that point using Gas Buddy. My GPS also tells me how many miles till destination, so I often don’t wait until I need to fill up if I can find better pricing within the 200 mile destination window.

Greg

 

Hey Scott, I am in the process of selling my Tacoma and buying a 2017 Crewmax 5.7 Tundra for the purpose of towing my Ibex 20BHS throughout the western US.

I think the 7,000 lbs is conservative for the total weight. I believe it comes from the dealer around 4,600 lbs. Ours weighs around 6,000 lbs loaded up. The hitch weight was 615 lbs with dual batteries on the front. The Tundra I am looking at buying comes with the larger fuel tank and I think a bigger tank would be a good call for you. Since you have 2WD you will have more payload than a 4WD truck so that will help some of the lost payload form the larger tank.

Do you have a weight distribution hitch? That's the best way to go. Airbags will level your ride but add load to the rear axle and take it away form the front where your steering and power are.

I have read not to tow in cruise control. With my taco I would put it in S4 for towing. I've seen conversations about towing with a Tundra using Tow Haul with or without S mode and am not sure what is best yet.

Once I get some trips under my belt with the Tundra I will report back.

 

Rear sway bar will help with all road driving, towing or not. Lots of folks use airbags, but I would maybe wait and see how the truck does without them. WDH is a must.

Nothing you can do about fuel MPG, other than slow down.

 

I believe the 38 gallon optional factory tank may be an option as well as the 46 ~ gallon tank. I would highly recommend adding fuel capacity to extend your range. stopping every 140-200 miles is tedious.

I personally would start with getting the wdh setup correctly before deciding on any other suspension enhancements.

 

P3 trailer brake controller
WDH is a must
Larger aftermarket gas tank
Scan gauge or the like to monitor trans temps