Tundra Towing questions

[barstow]

Hi - new to this forum - hope you can help. I just bought a 2012 (new) Tundra with the 5.7 V8, TRD off road package. I plan to use this vehicle to tow a horse trailer.

I have always heard that a Gooseneck trailer is much easier on the truck than a BP as it puts the tongue weight over the axle. My gooseneck trailer is 4500# empty-(not sure of the tongue weight).

I hate the thought of cutting a hole in the bed of my brand new truck. If I switch to a BP trailer would I be putting added strain on my truck? Or can these new trucks handle the BP as easily as it can handle a GN? Thanks for any help here!

 

[tbplus10]

The Tundra will pull a Goose Neck trailer as well as it's competition.
And like you were told the Gn trailer handles better than a comparative bumper pull.
I wouldnt worry about cutting a hole through the bed floor since the advantage gained from the GN trailer are so much.

 

[Loves2Ride]

Barstow-- did you stick with the Goose Neck trailer? Did you have to cut the hole through the bed floor? If I got a new truck too, cutting it would be hard for me as well. Feel your pain.

 

[supernovax3]

Your Tundra may not be able to pull that much, or at least pulling that much may not be good for it. You'll have to consider how much weight it will be carrying. So your GN is 4500 lbs, and you'll have to factor in saddles and tack, maybe some feed, grooming and basic tools, maybe a spare tire..and now you're at about 5000 lbs or a bit under. Then add a horse, that's another 1000 lbs. A Tundra is only a 1/2 ton truck, and it may not be able to handle all of that weight like that. I would maybe talk to equestrians as well and see what their set-ups are and how their vehicles handle.

 

[Loves2Ride]

Good call supernovax3. I think at times we tend to forgot the extra weight added onto the trailer by what we put in it.

 

[taogden]

While I am a new owner to Tundra, my Tacoma's have pulled loads like that for a while.
What I would recommend right off would be get the firestone air overloads for your truck, I have tried springs, beveled rubber, the air bags are the best and provide the best ride and leveling.
On the matter of the hitch, I prefer the goose neck for several reasons, better weight distribution, easier on the animals though a horse trailer is much better suited than a regular stock trailer, and the goose neck is much more stable on the road, tracks better and animal movement does not shift the tow vehicle as much as a bumper pull. There is one thing that you should never do, tow a goose neck without the brakes being connected, while I have not done it yet, it is a very sick feeling if the trailer pushes you into a ditch when going around a corner. Same thing can happen with a bumper pull, but from those who have and I respect their driving ability, I was told it happened so fast there wasn't even time to think. They were in the ditch, looking at the trailer and still being pushed backward.
I do not see the weight of your trailer as being that much, even loaded.
Holes in the bed, there are several hitch configuration which do not require large holes in the bed. The plate is mounted under and the hitch ball is placed on top of the bed. I have also seen where the cutout is saved, a lip welded around the hitch opening and the cutout gets placed back in the bed when the hitch is not in use. Leaving a smooth bed for grain or what ever you want to haul. If you see the installer approaching your truck with a torch, leave immediately, these are not the people you want working on your truck, do not let them weld on the frame, plate ok, not the frame.

 

[toyotafan]

While I am a new owner to Tundra, my Tacoma's have pulled loads like that for a while.
What I would recommend right off would be get the firestone air overloads for your truck, I have tried springs, beveled rubber, the air bags are the best and provide the best ride and leveling.
On the matter of the hitch, I prefer the goose neck for several reasons, better weight distribution, easier on the animals though a horse trailer is much better suited than a regular stock trailer, and the goose neck is much more stable on the road, tracks better and animal movement does not shift the tow vehicle as much as a bumper pull. There is one thing that you should never do, tow a goose neck without the brakes being connected, while I have not done it yet, it is a very sick feeling if the trailer pushes you into a ditch when going around a corner. Same thing can happen with a bumper pull, but from those who have and I respect their driving ability, I was told it happened so fast there wasn't even time to think. They were in the ditch, looking at the trailer and still being pushed backward.
I do not see the weight of your trailer as being that much, even loaded.
Holes in the bed, there are several hitch configuration which do not require large holes in the bed. The plate is mounted under and the hitch ball is placed on top of the bed. I have also seen where the cutout is saved, a lip welded around the hitch opening and the cutout gets placed back in the bed when the hitch is not in use. Leaving a smooth bed for grain or what ever you want to haul. If you see the installer approaching your truck with a torch, leave immediately, these are not the people you want working on your truck, do not let them weld on the frame, plate ok, not the frame.

Good points in here, thanks for sharing.

 

[Loves2Ride]

While I am a new owner to Tundra, my Tacoma's have pulled loads like that for a while.
What I would recommend right off would be get the firestone air overloads for your truck, I have tried springs, beveled rubber, the air bags are the best and provide the best ride and leveling.
On the matter of the hitch, I prefer the goose neck for several reasons, better weight distribution, easier on the animals though a horse trailer is much better suited than a regular stock trailer, and the goose neck is much more stable on the road, tracks better and animal movement does not shift the tow vehicle as much as a bumper pull. There is one thing that you should never do, tow a goose neck without the brakes being connected, while I have not done it yet, it is a very sick feeling if the trailer pushes you into a ditch when going around a corner. Same thing can happen with a bumper pull, but from those who have and I respect their driving ability, I was told it happened so fast there wasn't even time to think. They were in the ditch, looking at the trailer and still being pushed backward.
I do not see the weight of your trailer as being that much, even loaded.
Holes in the bed, there are several hitch configuration which do not require large holes in the bed. The plate is mounted under and the hitch ball is placed on top of the bed. I have also seen where the cutout is saved, a lip welded around the hitch opening and the cutout gets placed back in the bed when the hitch is not in use. Leaving a smooth bed for grain or what ever you want to haul. If you see the installer approaching your truck with a torch, leave immediately, these are not the people you want working on your truck, do not let them weld on the frame, plate ok, not the frame.

Awesome, information. Thanks for sharing!

 

[TruckRider]

While I am a new owner to Tundra, my Tacoma's have pulled loads like that for a while.
What I would recommend right off would be get the firestone air overloads for your truck, I have tried springs, beveled rubber, the air bags are the best and provide the best ride and leveling.
On the matter of the hitch, I prefer the goose neck for several reasons, better weight distribution, easier on the animals though a horse trailer is much better suited than a regular stock trailer, and the goose neck is much more stable on the road, tracks better and animal movement does not shift the tow vehicle as much as a bumper pull. There is one thing that you should never do, tow a goose neck without the brakes being connected, while I have not done it yet, it is a very sick feeling if the trailer pushes you into a ditch when going around a corner. Same thing can happen with a bumper pull, but from those who have and I respect their driving ability, I was told it happened so fast there wasn't even time to think. They were in the ditch, looking at the trailer and still being pushed backward.
I do not see the weight of your trailer as being that much, even loaded.
Holes in the bed, there are several hitch configuration which do not require large holes in the bed. The plate is mounted under and the hitch ball is placed on top of the bed. I have also seen where the cutout is saved, a lip welded around the hitch opening and the cutout gets placed back in the bed when the hitch is not in use. Leaving a smooth bed for grain or what ever you want to haul. If you see the installer approaching your truck with a torch, leave immediately, these are not the people you want working on your truck, do not let them weld on the frame, plate ok, not the frame.

I got valuable info here, thanks a lot