What RV is right for us?

[SlideOut33]

I have not had the chance to really go look at big parking lots full of RVs for sale, so I'm asking, what brands do you all recommend for a middle aged couple who has pets and needs a little extra room than a true starter RV?  I have a Tundra to pull it bumper style, so I don't want HUGE, just comfortable and efficient. 😁  THANK YOU!

[Kirk W]

You are probably going to be limited to one of the small, ultra-lite travel trailers due to the safe towing limits of your Tundra. We would need to know more about that truck to give you any specifics but we have had good experiences with our KZ-Sportsman Classic travel trailer. Are you shopping for a new or for a used trailer and give us some idea of the budget that you have set.

[franco-bolli]

This site may help choosing a reliable, safe towing brand.

I've purchased their book " How to select, inspect and buy an RV"
as well as one of the PDF docs relating to the type/year I was interested in.

Apparently the author has passed away and there will no longer be updates after the 2021 model year.

Best of luck!!

RV.ORG

Edited July 16, 2022 by franco-bolli
added content

[TXiceman]

Honestly, about the maximum you will want to pull with a Tundra with the towing package is about 8500 LB GVWR, not dry or brochure weight.  My son-in-law had a nice Tundra that was rated to tow something like 10,000LB per Toyota.  He bought a 30 FT Winnebago Minnie plus that was about 8500 LB GVWR.  After one trip, he was out buying an F250 diesel.  He did not like the high fuel usage nor the way the truck handled the trailer.  

The better built trailers are heavier and cost more.  They were really disappointed with the Thor and Keystone trailer line up of trailers.  Honestly you will do better looking for a nice used higher quality trailer rather than a new one.

 

Ken

[whj469]

With you tow vehicle it needs to be very small,

[k4rs]

I thought I saw a commercial where a Tundra towed the Space Shuttle.  

Safe Travels...

[kb0zke]

"I thought I saw a commercial where a Tundra towed the Space Shuttle.' Just because something CAN be done doesn't mean that it SHOULD be done. Many years ago, when the Oldsmobile Toronado was being introduced, they made a commercial with an Airstream. They used an equalizing hitch and removed the rear wheels of the Toronado, then drove it around a bit. Of course, they were selling front wheel drive, which was a new idea for America back then. Years before that (and maybe this was what gave them the idea) Wally Byam towed an Airstream with a bicycle. In both cases the tow wasn't very far or very fast, and was on level ground.

Your Toyota dealer should be able to look up your VIN and tell you exactly what it is capable of towing. Then you can go to your local CAT scale with the truck loaded with the people, dogs, beer, etc. that will be in it when you tow your trailer. Get the actual weights for front and rear axles. Subtract those numbers from the sticker information on the door jamb, and you will have some idea of what you can put there. Yes, there is also a Gross Combined Weight Rating, and the difference between that number and the total weight of your truck will tell you the MAXIMUM your trailer can weigh.

[RV_]

41 minutes ago, k4rs said:

I thought I saw a commercial where a Tundra towed the Space Shuttle.  

Safe Travels...

Good one Roger. Lots of folk unlike you and the rest of us here might not know better.

My answer? Yeah but could it stop it going down a 6% grade?😂🤣😂

 

Edited July 17, 2022 by RV_

[RV_]

9 hours ago, SlideOut33 said:

I have not had the chance to really go look at big parking lots full of RVs for sale, so I'm asking, what brands do you all recommend for a middle aged couple who has pets and needs a little extra room than a true starter RV?  I have a Tundra to pull it bumper style, so I don't want HUGE, just comfortable and efficient. 😁  THANK YOU!

What year and model/engine is your Tundra. We can help you size a trailer to the truck safely. We can also show you how to interpret the truck and trailer loaded and unloaded weight rating and the all important gross combined vehicle weight rating. So let's start by you telling us about your truck.

 

[sandsys]

3 hours ago, kb0zke said:

Gross Combined Weight Rating, and the difference between that number and the total weight of your truck will tell you the MAXIMUM your trailer can weigh.

That's with the trailer fully loaded, too, in case you misunderstood the word maximum as so may newbies do.

Linda

[VC 23RSS]

I have a 21 Tundra 4x4 Crewmax and tow a 6,000# GVWR 23' trailer in safety and comfort.   I have to be very careful to prevent overloading the Tundra.  Even after removing 114# of rear seats.  Just my wife, myself and our Yellow Lab.  

[RV_]

 VC Wrote: "I have to be very careful to prevent overloading the Tundra.  Even after removing 114# of rear seats.  Just my wife, myself and our Yellow Lab."

We all have to watch our weights VC. Not just Tundra owners. 

"Towing and Payload Capacity

The Tundra's maximum tow rating of 10,200 pounds will be more than most people need, and even its least capable configuration can tug at least 8800 pounds."

https://www.caranddriver.com/toyota/tundra-2021#:~:text=The Tundra's maximum tow rating of 10%2C200 pounds,has the worst fuel economy in its class.

But that is specifically for the 2021. I guess the OP is not coming back for help?

 

Edited July 18, 2022 by RV_

[VC 23RSS]

I'm getting anywhere from low 9s to mid 12s when towing.  Keeping it at 65+ in headwinds drains the tank.  Staying on the lesser traveled 55 MPH roads gives the best MPG.  I tow in tow/haul mode and put the transmission in S4 to lock out the two overdrive gears.  Keeping the transmission temps within a reasonable range is important since Toyota omitted the external cooler on the 19-21 model years.

[kb0zke]

To get back to the original question, the smart-alek answer is "The one you can afford." That actually isn't all that bad of an answer, in that it is very easy to fall into the trap of, "Well, I can afford this much, so I guess another $2000 won't kill me." Then it is easy to add another $1000 to that, and pretty soon the number is WAY too much.

Perhaps a better part of the answer is asking the question, "What do I want to do with my RV?" A person who wants to go out hunting or fishing where no one else has ever gone is looking for something far different than the family with three young children wanting to go to the local state park once or twice a month. Both are looking at something far different than what my wife and I have for full-time travel.

My suggestion is for the original poster to go visit a few campgrounds and talk to people there. Yes, there will be conflicting information given, but generally he can get a pretty good idea of what to look at/for and what to avoid. Also, maybe he can think "backwards." Can that Tundra be towed by a MH? If so, that opens up another area to consider.

[Ray,IN]

This online weight/towing calculator will accurately and safely match your Tundra with a travel trailer.

https://changingears.com/weight-calculators/

[TXiceman]

The one thing that many people, both old and new to RVing, is that selecting the right tow vehicle and trailer involves TWO things.  One is can the vehicle pull the trailer.  And second can the vehicle handle the pin or tongue weight within the vehicles GVWR, payload capacity and rear axle weight limits.

Sure, you look at the brochure and it says something like it can tow up to 23,000 LB.  There is usually a footnote noting something like..."When properly equipped".  Now comes part two of the towing equation.  If you are towing a 23,000 LB 5th wheel RV, the pin weight can easily be 4,600LB or more when loaded.  If it is a bumper pull trailer, the tongue weight should be 2760 LB.

You have to now look at the tow vehicles GVWR, payload capacity and rear axle GAWR.  The load to the truck is the hitch or pin weight, PLUS cargo in the vehicle, PLUS passengers beyond the 150 LB Driver, Plus the weight of the hitch.  The sum of these items plus the truck load on the rear axle must be below the vehicles rear axle GAWR.

The only way to know for sure is to take the tow vehicle to the scales and get a total weight, front axle weight and rear axle weight when loaded.  Now subtract the actual axle weights from the axle GAWR per the door jamb sticker.

The towing calculator is a good starting point to get you headed in the right direction.

The park we are in right now there are two people with 42 FT 5ers and both are using a 3/4 ton truck. All they know is the brochure said that the truck could tow up to 23,000 LB.  They have never weighed the truck and trailer, but one has added air bags.  And these folks are full-time, so you know the trailer is loaded heavy.

Just learn the proper way to match a tow vehicle to a trailer and ignore the sales person and brochure.

Ken

[RV_]

Here is a website with an excellent article demystifying RV weights and ratings. 

Excerpt:

"For the safety of your family and others around you, it is crucial to understand and stay within the weight ratings of your RV and tow vehicle.

Unfortunately, understanding RV weights and capacities isn’t straightforward. So let’s break them down into digestible pieces.

Actual/Scale Weight vs Rating/Limit/Specification/Maximum

• Actual weights: Measured weight of the vehicle or its components. Factory quoted weights may be averages or estimates of actual weight.
• Ratings: Weight ratings are limits placed on the vehicle or its components, which should never be exceeded. Ratings are typically maximum capacities. 

Ratings are generally set by the OEM manufacturer and cannot be changed no matter what aftermarket modifications you make.

Weight and load are generally used interchangeably. RVs have weight, which can be measured by a scale because loads are imparted to the tires and hitch. 

For instance, GVW is how much a vehicle actually weighs when measured. GVWR – notice the “R” for rating? – is how much the vehicle can possibly weigh as limited by the manufacturer.

The most common confusion about weights occurs when the two above categories are mixed.

"Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is the maximum number that the GVW or GTW should never exceed. GVWR is applied to trailers as well as vehicles, but you may see this rating referred to as the Maximum Loaded Trailer Weight."

GCWR: Gross Combination Weight Rating

Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) is the maximum number that the tow vehicle GVW plus towed vehicle GVW (or GTW) should never exceed."

These excerpts are a tiny portion of an excellent and comprehensive article that can help beginners get the ideas. and the whole article, a must read if you are new to RV weights and ratings is here:

Demystifying RV Weight Ratings - Changing Gears (changingears.com)

[franco-bolli]

I wonder if the OP is even still monitoring this dicsussion. 4 days and no comments from them.

[Kirk W]

17 minutes ago, franco-bolli said:

I wonder if the OP is even still monitoring this dicsussion.

If you hover your pointer over his avatar you will see that he has not checked into the forum since he made his initial post. 

[RV_]

28 minutes ago, franco-bolli said:

I wonder if the OP is even still monitoring this dicsussion. 4 days and no comments from them.

We get a lot of those and few are illiterate or poor writing. In fact I am convinced someone is the author of many of the one off posts with recurring questions to generate interest here.

 

[Second Chance]

4 hours ago, franco-bolli said:

I wonder if the OP is even still monitoring this dicsussion. 4 days and no comments from them.

According to their profile, their last visit was on Saturday - 15 minutes after they posted.

Rob

[sandsys]

1 hour ago, Second Chance said:

According to their profile, their last visit was on Saturday - 15 minutes after they posted.

Rob

In today's world many people expect responses in way less than 15 minutes. Us retired folks don't tend to have all our alerts turned on so sometimes we lose the impatient ones.

Linda

[Jinx & Wayne]

On 7/16/2022 at 8:14 PM, k4rs said:

I thought I saw a commercial where a Tundra towed the Space Shuttle. 

Yeah, but the Shuttle doesn't have screen doors and is miserable to back into a campsite. You need a BIG pull thru.

Nobutseriously, you will need to be be small with that truck. Like Kirk said, before we can give more information we need to know more about the truck. The question involves more than just "towing capacity" specs for your vehicle. Axle capacity and payload are two big issues. All of the relevant information should be on a plate inside the driver's side door frame.

My daughter and SIL are full-timing in an R-pod that is about 19 or 20 feet and pulling with a Tundra. They are within towing capacity, payload and axle weight limits. They say it handles well and gets reasonable mileage. They also picked out the Tundra pretty carefully. And they don't have dogs.

Jinx and Wayne

[Dances in Rain]

I recently was taken aside by a DOT inspector who was also my best man 20+ years ago. He heard of my late life (post 2nd stroke) purchures and travel plans and shared with me several words of DOT's wisdom.   There are 100 things that need to be right but just one not in sync can ruin your day or worse.  The info on the door panel is only for that vehicle stock, if your or dealer has altered anything you can get that info certified. For instance I knew that the area a will be drive to get in and out of my new home required adding 8" of lift to truck and trail, the road is a mixture between deep loose gravel and sharp shell rocks. Add to that it is one lane with two way travel, blind hair pin turn, with few pull off areas to allow passing and final strength have 300 foot drop offs and no lights I forget watermelon size rocks like land mines.  The road is only 8 miles long but is only 3 miles  by the crowfly, there is an elevation change of 2300 feet in the valley to just under 9000 feet when you enter the town, one mile climb in eight miles. On good day the trip can do in 45 minutes, if you don't overheat the typical temperature is 110f at the bottom and drops to 60-70 closer to town. I carry 2 full spare for both the F250 SD CC FX4 Diesel and the Thor 20TB hybrid toy hauler with a ATV and 1 dirtbike, extra fuels, full tools shop and a full 75 gallon water tank plus as much as it will carry. They are no repair shops or parts stores within 65 miles and no cellular service except from on top of the peaks, the town has no water and currently a population of 3 people and several the animals.  No utility will service the area, although the road is country they don't have the resources to worry about a few, road repairs, propane, fuel, water, septic, electricity has to be done ourselves. Recently the Death Valley floods washed away the entire road. My F250 has been updated, extra large radiator and coolers on transmissions 4 wheels parts, cooler on oil, brakes [trip down with full payload and towing is not only hard on the truck brakes and transmission but the trailers brakes were beefed up and customized, I am hitting the trailers brakes first and harder to control the whole rig from sliding. So with that in my head my buddy beats into me that when possible only carry enough water and food little as possible wait til your are near destination to stock up.  Balance the loads in trailer and in the truck, the trail and truck need to be level before you start every trip, tire pressure checked when tire are cold [not hot] all tires should be on a monitor system, the trailer braking should be set every morning and during long trips.  Improper tire pressure and unbalanced loads and the two being level is the cause of most towing accidents.  Maintain a lower speed, don't use speed control, practice grapping the trailers brake control and slam it just the trailer starts to swing, you must slow the trailer not the truck you have only 3 swings before it flips.  Keep the trailer braking system clear of everything and be trained to hit that first not the trucks brakes.  It not enough to match the two vehicles but make should they are able to handle the conditions and environment where you are going.    I am doing final mods to truck trailer and my toys, I plan to be up the mountain before the snow season start in Oct.  As far as have extra space, outside kitchen and entertainment area, the loading ramp can be made into an enclosed patio area and I have added a 270 Bat wings on both my truck and on the trailer opposite side of the awning this shades the pop out tent bed, the back stays living and garage.  With the options we can enclose the ramp surface, the Thor's awning 16 feet wide and both the batwings. If you are looking for area living area this is the best way I've seen, my late project is to setup the back part of the roof for my new auto tracking telescope on mount, nice chair and cooler maybe small BBQ for ISS/Star watching and mounting an extendable tower for a ham radio antenna. The roof surface will be max out.   The new Couchman Freedom Express or can't remember  the other toy hauler with outside kitchen and live room inside. both under 30 feet and 6000 pounds.

[justRich]

On 7/16/2022 at 8:45 AM, SlideOut33 said:

 I have a Tundra to pull it bumper style. . .

That stopped right there.
Did you really mean a "bumper"?