Still Exploring: May Go with a Toyota Tundra and a 26' Jayco

I'm exploring the idea of buying the above mentioned truck prior to buying a new TT to pull.  My reason for buying the truck first is that it will be my primary vehicle and trailer pulling will only be done about 30 days out of the year.  The Tundra is a great truck with the 5.7L motor, rated to tow 10,100 lbs, but  I calculate that I'd be able to pull a maximum of about 7,000 lbs.  This calculation figures in fuel in the tank, weight of my wife and I, our dog's weight, a W/D hitch, and, extra cargo, and extra options on the truck like running boards.  The number came out about 9,000 pounds, then I subtracted 20% (as a cushion), hence the 7,000 pound capability.  I will tow the trailer some in the mountains, as we live in California and plan on going to Colorado and Canada.  Questions follow:

Even though I calculate 7,000 pounds for a trailers GVWR wouldn't I be wise to tow less than that to have good stopping ability?

Based on the experience of others, in this forum, I'd estimate that the wife and I will have about 1,300 pounds of added weight on top of the TT's dry weight.  Hence if we get a trailer with a dry weight of 4,200 pounds are actual GW would go to 5,500 pounds.  One trailer in the consideration is a Jayco 22FQSW and it has the 4,205 pound dry weight.  I am on the right track?  What other trailers are well made that might serve us well? 8)

You are clearly on the right track.  Your deduction from published tow rating is correct.  Using TT  GVWR is correct.  If you do not load the TT up to the GVWR, the difference is the safety factor you desire, AND if you ever do load it to capacity, you still have enough truck for the job.

I commend you for your well done homework.

grashley said:

You are clearly on the right track.  Your deduction from published tow rating is correct.  Using TT  GVWR is correct.  If you do not load the TT up to the GVWR, the difference is the safety factor you desire, AND if you ever do load it to capacity, you still have enough truck for the job.

I commend you for your well done homework.

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Thanks for the compliment, I've struggled during this past week to get to this point.

Sounds like you would have about the same setup we have.  We love ours.  Good luck!

One of the numbers you haven't mentioned yet is the Cargo Carrying Capacity (CCC) of the truck.  It should be on a yellow sticker on the driver's side door post.  The CCC is the Cargo capacity of YOUR truck.  Everything that is loaded into the truck, takes away from that number.  The number reflects the truck only with a full tank of gas.  Deduct driver's weight, passenger weight, dogs, kids, tools, firewood, BBQ grill, EVERYTHING.  After that, hopefully you have enough reserve for the tongue weight of the trailer.  And the listed tongue weight is for an empty (dry weight), not your loaded trailer.

xrated said:

One of the numbers you haven't mentioned yet is the Cargo Carrying Capacity (CCC) of the truck.  It should be on a yellow sticker on the driver's side door post.  The CCC is the Cargo capacity of YOUR truck.  Everything that is loaded into the truck, takes away from that number.  The number reflects the truck only with a full tank of gas.  Deduct driver's weight, passenger weight, dogs, kids, tools, firewood, BBQ grill, EVERYTHING.  After that, hopefully you have enough reserve for the tongue weight of the trailer.  And the listed tongue weight is for an empty (dry weight), not your loaded trailer.

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Thanks for mentioning this.  The payload/CCC is 1,670 for a Tundra on Toyota's website.  As I understand they alow 150 lbs for two passengers, my wife and I total 100 lbs more than their allowance, plus a 60# dog.  Our excess weight, dog accessories, a generator, some tools, firewood, WD hitch, etc. I estimate would weigh no more than 600 pounds.  Then a deduction needs to be made for options such, as running boards, added to the truck.  For options I estimate no more than 200 pounds.  The basic truck w/o options has a payload/CCC of 1,670 pounds.  The trailer I will buy will never weigh more than 6,000 pounds fully loaded, so tongue weight is estimated to be no more than 6,000 x 13% = 780.  Doing the math our amount to deduct form the payload is 1,580, leaving a cushion of ninety pounds.  It seems like I am going to be okay, but I will definitely be looking at the CCC capacity on Tundras I look at.  I'll be going to see the trucks some time later this week.  Am I getting the hang of all the complexities???
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Steve Peeters said:

Thanks for mentioning this.  The payload/CCC is 1,670 for a Tundra on Toyota's website.  As I understand they alow 150 lbs for two passengers, my wife and I total 100 lbs more than their allowance, plus a 60# dog.  Our excess weight, dog accessories, a generator, some tools, firewood, WD hitch, etc. I estimate would weigh no more than 600 pounds.  Then a deduction needs to be made for options such, as running boards, added to the truck.  For options I estimate no more than 200 pounds.  The basic truck w/o options has a payload/CCC of 1,670 pounds.  The trailer I will buy will never weigh more than 6,000 pounds fully loaded, so tongue weight is estimated to be no more than 6,000 x 13% = 780.  Doing the math our amount to deduct form the payload is 1,580, leaving a cushion of ninety pounds.  It seems like I am going to be okay, but I will definitely be looking at the CCC capacity on Tundras I look at.  I'll be going to see the trucks some time later this week.  Am I getting the hang of all the complexities???
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Steve, I suspect the CCC of the Tundra on the website is based on the base truck. Everything that is added will take away from that number. So, if you move to the double cab from the extra cab (the base Tundra) that will take away from the CCC, so will 4x4 as well as other options. Since every truck is differently optioned, the CCC needs to be seen for the individual truck. The best way to find out before you buy what the approximate number would be is to go to a dealership and find a truck on the lot that is optioned like what you want and check the CCC on that truck.

That's true!  You CANNOT go by the brochure, advertisements, salesman's word, websites, or anything else.  You have to see what the yellow sticker on the door of the actual truck says.  Every truck is weighed after they at built and an appropriate sticker for THAT truck is placed on the door post. 

As far as including a driver and or passenger in the weights, I believe since 2015, that CCC does NOT include anything except a full tank of fuel and of course any factory installed equipment..

Steve Peeters said:

As I understand they alow 150 lbs for two passengers

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Without actually researching how Toyota does it, the Payload (CCC) does not include an allowance for driver or any passengers.  You must add the weight of everything you put in/on the truck (except fuel and fluids) and  compare that to the CCC as the truck left the factory, i.e., the door pillar sticker number.

I think the allowance for two adults applies to towing capacity? - but don't worry about that because if one is so close that that allowance makes a diff, then one needs more truck/less trailer. MHO

Am I getting the hang of all the complexities???

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It looks like indeed you are!! . So glad to see your efforts are paying off.

As X Rated said, look at the Yellow Label on the driver door B pillar.  It is SPECIFIC to THAT truck.

Payload = CCC = Yellow Label,  or how much my truck can carry, includes a full fuel tank ONLY.  It does NOT include a driver or any passengers or cargo. 
Payload on some chart is for bragging rights and applies to a base model with NO options, passengers or cargo.

Max Tow Capacity  does include a driver and passenger.  No cargo

Tundra has max GVWR 7,200 lb. A Tundra can weigh 6,100 lbs with just the driver and a full tank of fuel. This leaves 1,100 lbs for hitch weight and additional passengers/cargo. I have similar size TT with @ 5,000 lbs. on axles and between 600- 680 lbs. on hitch depending on battery I use and propane fill. I am over Sonic's GVWR  of 5,200 lbs. (5,000 lbs + 680 lbs. = 5,680 lbs.) but not axle capacity of 5,600 lbs.  I have 1,750 lb springs and 2,040 lb D load tires. You'll be right at your limit towing grades.

Just as a heads-up: the yellow sticker on the door of my Tundra is a "warning" that modifications to the truck have resulted in lowering the GVWR by 50lbs. The GVWR is listed, but it's on the white sticker that also includes the axle weight ratings. You'll need those as well to make sure you don't overload your rear axle.  I guess that's just the way Toyota handles it since our RAV4 has the same arrangement.

You should have no problem at all.
For the past several years, I have been towing  a 25 foot, 5500 pound trailer with a Dodge 5.7 liter and I never even know the trailer is behind me and it has tons of power to pull over the high NC mountains


Jack L

JackL said:

You should have no problem at all.
For the past several years, I have been towing  a 25 foot, 5500 pound trailer with a Dodge 5.7 liter and I never even know the trailer is behind me and it has tons of power to pull over the high NC mountains


Jack L

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No you never know until you have to stop fast and your brakes fail...LOL