Actual Tundra Towing Capacity

patrick_g · May 26, 2007

Specksmanship and loaded question type comparisons are the stock in trade of the marketeers. Whoever makes the feature matrix wins because they don't put things in that show them to be behind the competition. If you can't haul anything then brag about your heated seat or having 5 cup holders.

I have a '97 Dodge Cummins Ram 3500 dually that will tow just about anything you can hook to it with a bumper style hitch. My receiver hitch is a class V rated at 14,500 lbs. I have it adapted down to accommodate a 2 inch draw bar. My draw bars are solid and the 2 5/16 ball is rated at 30,000 lbs.The truck may fail and the tongue of the load may come off but the parts that I personally put on are always rated well above reality and hopefully will never be the weak link.

I noted that my recently purchased '08 F-250 PowerJoke diesel came with a receiver rated up to 12,500 lbs with weight distributing hitch (which I don't use but have helped a buddy with.)

I looked long and hard at the Tundra. I took a good look at the GMC/Chevy (nice truck!) I bought the '08 F-250 diesel for only about 2K more than the GMC gasser and nearly the same as the Tundra. Maybe I got a terrific deal. The Toyota dealer where we bought our Prius had a great promo on Tundras and nice discounts on every model but one. The one we wanted, the MAX CREW. So after considering the frame and running gear of the Toyota (they actually brag about having a light flimsy frame with three different styles under the engine, cab and bed) vs the Ford with the best frame in the class, fully boxed end to end and much more front end frame/body strength than GMC I started leaning toward Ford. I liked the Duramax and Allison combo but not as much as the dealer, whew... what prices. So we will see how the F-250 holds up. I had a '84 F-250 diesel and it was terrific.

Pat

wkpoor · May 26, 2007

Jaybr, You are still missing my point here. I know it may have come like a Chev vs Jap statement but thats not it at all. Heck both my brothers who drive 1/2 ton chevs and tow 6000lb. boats had to install airbags to restore ride height. I told them to stop buyin those light duty trucks you've got to modify and buy something capable of doing the job right out of the box. Now if a boat was too much for a 1/2 ton what the heck you thinks going to happen with a utilty trailer loaded with something that might put up to 2000lbs. of tonque load. The pic is example of what I'm saying. I towed that load 600mi comfortably. And as far as I know there is no advertisement constantly bragging about towing capacities of a panel van. And if you towing or hauling much of anything without a full floating axle your just kidding yourself if you think its going to last under constant heavy load. In fact its probably not safe.

john_bud · May 27, 2007

Those are the strangest bed fellows I have seen sharing trailer space! What is that, a 440 magnum? or a 6 pack?

I'm guessing that the skid is to pick up the doors that you blow off....

jb

Jaybr · May 27, 2007

I understand your point and agree if you want to carry a load with 2000 lb toungue weight you need bigger than a 1/2 ton. But i also know there are 1/2 ton trucks that will tow 6000 lbs without any trouble, I towed a 6000 lb load from VA to CA and back with my Titan with no issues at all, 5500 miles and no airbags needed. I just got a new tractor and trailer and towed that 100 miles last weekend without breaking a sweat, over 7000 lb load.

Sure a 3/4 or 1 ton diesel may have towed it easier, but I don't want to drive around everyday on a stiff 1 ton suspension when I only tow occasionally. A 1/2 ton is all I need for what I tow, and thankfully that gives me more choices in pickups than in the 3/4 and 1 ton market. My next new truck will probably be a diesel and unfortunately today that would force me to a 3/4 ton Dodge/Ford/GM. If Toyota or Nissan came out with a Diesel I'd buy it tomorrow.

BTW: I have a 95 K1500 extended cab 6.5TD with Z71 package that I'd gladly trade for same year Tacoma.

JoeinTX · May 27, 2007

The new Tundra is impressive for Toyota's first real shot at the true full-size market......nice motor, some overbuilt components, etc. Looks? Well, ****, it looks better than the new GM PUs but I do realize that's not saying a whole lot.

It's rumored very likely that Toyota is planning full 3/4 and 1+ton models with diesel engines that will compete directly with the HD models out of the big 3. Engine make? Toyota owns Hino, who is a major producer of engines, but some speculate they may be cozying up to Caterpillar.........who is a major sponsor for one of the Toyota NASCAR teams.

Tundra 1-ton crew cab 4wd with a true Cat engine...............does that get anyone's attention

workinallthetime · May 27, 2007

so whats the GCWR of the toy? of titan? of the f150? anyone know?
i think the thing to be said here is toy upfitted a 1/2 ton to tow 10k and gm put "1500" on a "2500". Iam not here to get into the chevy vs toyota fight i just want to see actual numbers. I am under the impression that the ToY has a GCWR of 10,500 but cant find that info on the toy website, where as you can find those actual numbers on the gmc.com or chevy.com.
I remember a time when gm started putting 3/4 ton frames in all 1/2 tones because they were breaking frames behind the cab. i have seen frames bent from towing to much with a half ton. I cant count the transmissions i have seen that were "smoked" from towing to much. I sure hope ToY has taken all that into consideration, cause dem rednecks are going to tow 10501 lbs at 75 mph in a school zone at 2:30 and i sure hope they can stop.
on a lighter side i dont tow every once in awhile i tow 6 days a week, either my b3030 or my zd326 and if this gmc breaks i am under warranty for 5 years or 100k. If its goona break im going to do it and I will be on here telling you fellas about it, unless i talk the wife into a d-max

have fun be happy but post some facts not just thoughts i wanna see some numbers and links to where the info came from not buba says

Jaybr · May 27, 2007

JoeinTX said:
The new Tundra is impressive for Toyota's first real shot at the true full-size market......nice motor, some overbuilt components, etc. Looks? Well, ****, it looks better than the new GM PUs but I do realize that's not saying a whole lot.

It's rumored very likely that Toyota is planning full 3/4 and 1+ton models with diesel engines that will compete directly with the HD models out of the big 3. Engine make? Toyota owns Hino, who is a major producer of engines, but some speculate they may be cozying up to Caterpillar.........who is a major sponsor for one of the Toyota NASCAR teams.

Tundra 1-ton crew cab 4wd with a true Cat engine...............does that get anyone's attention

I've heard those rumors, and holding off awhile on a new truck

JoeinTX · May 27, 2007

Nothing wrong with that. And when Toyota does market these rigs you'll see a number of people jump that way. Why? A reputation for quality and the draw of the engineering involved......be it Hino or Cat.

Many here, like the U.S. auto industry in the early 1980s, dismiss them out-of-hand while they can eat your lunch. Until the Big 3 can focus on the future and figure out their legacy cost issues, they are vulnerable. The best thing that Detroit can do is pay off/buy out their UAW elements, redraw their employment guidelines, and move ahead. They are at a disadvantage until then. They also have to engineer and produce better than the comp'. The quality of Big 3 pickups right now is very good, but, they need to improve upon it markedly and regularly in order to hold ground against the foreign brands who are looking to make some hay here.

If the domestics don't want to lose here, they need to bump-up their game and wow the buyer.

Jaybr · May 27, 2007

JoeinTX said:
If the domestics don't want to lose here, they need to bump-up their game and wow the buyer.

Exactly, and they have yet to wow this buyer. In the past 25 years I've owned Chevy, Dodge, Toyota, Nissan, Infiniti, Honda, Mazda, Hyundai, VW, Porsche, Mercedes, and BMW, and in my personal experience Chevy and Dodge are at the bottom of that list for quality.

I'd love to buy American again, but when I'm spending my hard earned money I want a quality product.