Quote:
Originally Posted by tedstundra
Thanks for your reply. I have been seriously looking at a Jazz (by Thor) fifth wheel that has a dry weight of 8820 lbs and a hitch weight of 1480 lbs. This may be a little steep for the Tundra, I'm not sure, but every thing I have read seems to indicate that the truck will pull 10,000 lbs without straining. So the major problem I saw was with the hitch. With a payload of 1680 lbs specified by Toyota, that would leave only 200 lbs for the rest of the truck contents. That likely would be exceeded by at least a couple hundred pounds, even if we minimized the truck loading. I would appreciate any input from some more expierenced RVers on this setup.
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We have returned from our trip to Texas a week ago. Again on this trip we have had no problems. We have just towed our Sportsmen 5th wheel to storage for a few months. On a level section of the lot I looked at whether the truck was riding level, as I normally do each time we tow. The Tundra was level front to back, indicating it was handling the weight just fine. I do however add a few pounds extra to the rear tire pressure (35 lbs). Always have, it seems to allow the tires to roll easier, but do not go over the sidewall rating. The only sugestion I have is that you reconsider the 5th wheel you plan on towing, to get a weight that is in your comfort zone or since this weight is so close to the 1680 lbs which is your trucks limit, get the short leaf type of add on springs. Some of these spring are adjustable in 500 lb and 1000 lb settings this will give you the extra capacity you are looking for. The Tundras axle has a lot of reserve built into it. This is what I did to make the Dodge 1500 ride level and they worked great. I used just the 500 lb setting. By the way my hitch weight is 1337 lbs per the factory. I have not weighed our combination as it rides level, to actually see what is on our rear axle.
I believe the choice is yours. Add a spring set or look for a lighter hitch weight trailer. The Tundra will pull a 8800 lb trailer. This I believe would be the heaviest 5th wheel I would try to pull. In my experience of 14 years it is not just the weight you try to pull, but also the height of your unit that will take away from your tow capacity. The larger the frontal area the greater the air resistance. If the Tundra cannot pull this unit, then you are out of luck using a 1/2 ton truck of any make. (Sorry) However, the Tundra will pull this trailer in 4th gear with no problem, just don't expect the best gas mileage.
Personally I believe you should get a 3/4 ton truck, especially with a heavy 5th wheel. Believe me a 8800 lbs dry weight could be well over 10,000 lbs by the time it is loaded and wet. With 10,000 lbs. get a 3/4 ton any brand will do.