First tow with the Tundra

[SeanP]

We did the trip to Moab from Sacramento last week. I am still working on getting the jeep positioned on the trailer to balance the tongue weight. On the way out I had maybe 2" of rear suspension travel before I was on the bump stops. Way back was better.

Average milage was 8MPG which shocked the hell out of me. We took HWY50 out which is about 13 mountain passes in NV. I held 55-60 in second gear at 4100 RPM and the engine had more to give.

Definately want to get airbags to help with the rear suspension.

SeanP

[TNScrambler]

What kind of milage do you normally get around town? I don't have a Tundra but my Chevrolet droped from 15-16 hiway (average, best was 18.3) down to 7.5 to 8.5 towing my scrambler on a 18' trailer, depending on how long I kept it above 70 through the mountains. Was able to keep it right at 70 in second gear pulling around 3800 rpm, but didn't feel to safe to go any faster up the mountains.

Just curious on milage,
Justin

[SeanP]

I get about 17ish when not towing, so it sounds like my V8 is right in line with yours. I like the tundra a lot, except for need some help with the rear springs and the smallish backseat. I have they release a true crew cab in the future.

SeanP

[diamonddave]

Though I know it sounds really wierd at first, I get better mileage than either of you towing with my 73' 3/4 ton International. I generally get 9 to 10 with my 392/4 speed. I think my big advantage is that my 392 just doesn't have to work near as hard as your motor, since it was build specifically for the purpose of pulling large loads. I will admidt though that I only get a mile or two better when I'm not towing.... My final comment is that when I think of a tow rig, I think 3/4 ton at minimum, no matter what the make. Yeah, they are more expensive, but the additional load rating, bigger axles, bigger brakes, etc. are deffinitly worth it. My $.02

[AGGIECJ-7]

are yall towing in second gear or third/drive(1:1) mine never drops to 2nd...i am pulling a CJ-7 with a 86 F150...both on 35's. i can pull the jeep at 75 in drive at 3000 RPMs....but it will cruise at 60-65 in drive....sounds to me like 2nd would be wound up alot higher

[TEX]

They're towing in 3rd, but the trucks are downshifting to 2nd in the mountains

My '90 GMC with a TBI 350 did about the same, 15-17 empty, 8-11 towing. 70+ MPH meant 8. Towing at 55-60 would bring 11. 9-10 when I was traveling by myself at about 60-65, which seemed to be where the truck was most comfortable.

My '02 GMC 2500HD with the 6.0 will give me 9-10 MPG towing at 70+, but that's running in OD most of the time at about 2,500 RPM's.

TEX

[TNScrambler]

yea Tex is right....towing in 3rd and it would downshift only in through the mountains.

Justin

[DSCFJ40]

Try adding air bags to the rear, a friend did this and it helped a bunch. Or you could get a set of load leveling bars which would also raise ther rear and alow plenty of tounge weight.

That's about the same milage as what I've been told by a friend that tows w/ a Tundra.

[SeanP]

I was warned not to use OD on the Tundra when towing. I guess it lugs the engine and will continually slip the torque coverter as the engine demands more speed based on throttle input. 3 gear got me 75 at about 3100.

Airbags are definately on the list. I am going to play around with where the jeep is on the trailer a bit to figure out the tongue weight issue.

And yes, a 3/4 ton truck would be nice. But the reliability of the toyota truck line seems unbeatable. Plus I only tow long listances maybe 4-5 times a year, and the rest of the year I want the nice plush ride that the Tundra offers.

SeanP

[Eskimo]

sorry if you said it already... what was the estimated trailer weight with your rig on it?

I'm loooking at a GMC 1500HD, but it would be nice to tow my Toyota with a Toyota... and I could afford the 4x4 Tundra!

[SeanP]

my trailer weighs about 1500 and my rig weighs about 4000-4200 depending on the gear inside.

I bought my 2000 tundra 4x4 a couple of months ago for $22K with 38K miles. TRD package, extra cab. Extra cab is a little small to put guys over 5'10" in the back for more than a 20 minute drive. Tundras are hard to find used, I had to drive about 80 miles to find mine. The limited's are sweet with the leather and captains chairs, but costs quite a bit more. No e-locker like the tacoma TRD package.

hope this helps,

SeanP

[rujpn2]

Eskimo, they claim 7200 lbs. towing capacity. Tundra towing has all the specs for a 2003. Not much has changed in the chasis department since their launch. Towing in D will also put the gas motor into its power range, 315 lb.-ft. @ 3,400 rpm.

hth

[Eskimo]

Oh, I know what they claim... but I've towed with a 1/2 ton at its limit... NOT fun... the trailer pushes the rig around too much.

I dunno... I just don't have a warm fuzzy about a 8.4" ring gear having to pull 11,000lbs of vehicle and trailer up a long incline in the mountains...

I'm looking now at a GMC 2500HD extended cab with the 6.0L. Strong truck, and not that expensive if I skip the leather.

It's no Cummins, but it'll get me there and back, and a 4wd gasser will do better than a 2wd diesel.

[rujpn2]

That was my concern too. I can not believe we don't put a larger rear end in them. Guess it is truely marketed for those who just want to look cool driving a truck. Time will tell.

Have you checked with the dealers on the Dodge w/CTD? I bought mine 2 months ago and the dealership was very motivated to sell the 2002, with 2003 arriving. I know they have a good size cash back on 2002 models. It will cover about 3/4 of the cost of the base CTD option. I bought mine for a little less than what a comparablely equiped Chevy 2500HD with gas stickered for. It is a Quad Cab SLT 4x4. Also, they have a little extra on the warranty. Just an idea.

[Eskimo]

Not to hijack the thread...

I have looked at '02's and such, but since I can get the dealer down to invoice pricing in under 5 minutes, the incentives weren't worth all that much...

But, at the rate I'm at, the '03's will be selling cheap by the time I'm ready to buy...