Hello, my husband and I have a 26ft trailer with a GVWR of 7,500lbs and a tongue weight of 618lbs.
We’re full-time RVers looking for a truck to handle mountains, hills, and sharp turns anything the road throws our way!
We’ve been eyeing Sierra and Silverado 2500s and F250s but heard the newer Toyota Tundras are worth considering too.
Would the Tundra be a good choice, or should we stick to looking at 2500s? Thanks for any advice!
If you’re going to be towing long distances, I’d lean towards a diesel. They have that extra torque and better fuel efficiency for towing.
BrianCopland said:
If you’re going to be towing long distances, I’d lean towards a diesel. They have that extra torque and better fuel efficiency for towing.
We’ve been looking at diesels in the 2500 range but don’t plan on towing every weekend. We’re aiming for a truck we can use around town too, so we thought about a Tundra. Thoughts for occasional towing?
@Broderick
Totally get it, same debate here! If you’re mostly making short trips when unhitched and towing once a month, I’d go gas. But if towing is the main use, a diesel HD would be my pick.
Flint said:
@Broderick
Totally get it, same debate here! If you’re mostly making short trips when unhitched and towing once a month, I’d go gas. But if towing is the main use, a diesel HD would be my pick.
Exactly! We’d love the towing power of diesel but want to use the truck regularly when parked too… if only we could have both!
@Broderick
If only! But for what you’re describing, I’d say try the Tundra i-Force Max (or 5.7). My Toyota’s been a solid mix of power and reliability for everyday use and towing.
@Broderick
For towing once a month, gas might be better. The Toyota turbo V6 has decent torque and mimics a diesel’s feel more than most gas trucks. You’ll pay more at the pump, though, since diesel’s still been pricy.
The new Tundra should handle that trailer fine. I tow an 8,500 lb trailer with my ‘23 TRD Pro, no problem.
Gentry said:
The new Tundra should handle that trailer fine. I tow an 8,500 lb trailer with my ‘23 TRD Pro, no problem.
Just curious, what’s the full trim of your ‘23, and how’s your mileage towing vs. not towing? Has it improved over time?
@GARAGETOY
I have a ‘23 TRD Pro. I get around 19.5 MPG on the highway and about 10-11 MPG when towing. Haven’t noticed much change over time; I’ve got 26k miles on it now.
I can vouch for this. I have a ‘24 TRD Pro Hybrid and tow a 30’ toy hauler around 9,500 lbs with all the gear. It handles it easily.
I regularly tow an 8,500 lb travel trailer and even haul an 11k excavator sometimes—no problems. If you’re pushing limits, a weight distribution hitch can help.
Don’t forget about payload! That’s the max weight your truck can carry, and the tongue weight counts against it.
It’s the combined weight of:
Most folks try to keep their payload around 80% or less to avoid pushing limits.
GVWR is the max weight for your trailer. We’ve got a Forest River model with a similar GVWR and tow with a Tundra just fine. The Tundra’s only used for towing.