[A/S] 2004 Safari - tow vehicle

["Richard McFarland" <estatewagons@xxxxxxx>]

I have an '01 Tundra with the V-8 4x4 drivetrain and the Limited option.  I
love it.

It's the smoothest-quietest vehicle I've ever owned.  I'd choose it for a
freeway trip over my old '74 Mercedes(which I love) and my '77 Mercury
station wagon (460 equipped) (which I love) anytime.

I have only towed one "travel" trailer with my Tundra and that was a light
tent trailer and it towed as if it wasn't even there (logically).

I have not towed a large (heavy) travel trailer with it - and at this point
I'm not keen to.

Here's why.

I have towed my car trailer with a heavy load on it (full sized American
station wagon) - a load that was getting up towards the tow/weight limit of
the Tundra - and while my car trailer is an aluminum Featherlite trailer -
and in my mind is comparable to an Airstream in that it is light and strong
and generally tows like a dream, the overall weight of the tow was more than
I was comfortable with - behind my Tundra.

And I'll point out that if that same weight had been behind my Tundra in the
form of a slab sided (or even or more slippery cuirved sided...) travel
trailer - that I most likely would have been even more uncomfortable.

The loaded car trailer (open - not enclosed) did not present quite the same
package in terms of wind resistance as a travel trailer of similar
length/weight would - i.e. - a semi or mother-nature blast of wind would
certainly affect my car trailer - but I would expect that that same blast of
wind from a semi or mother-nature would affect a similar length load in the
form of a travel trailer "even more so".

Now to be clear - I was not towing on the freeway - and I was not towing in
windy conditions (so I speak of wind in terms of logical theory) but I was
towing on rural roads with numerous hills - (hills that were not approached
via long straight gradual freeway grades) - hills that required slowing down
for approaching turns etc - and then accelerating to get over those same
hills.

I really had to work my automatic and my throttle to do it (I had the
overdrive shut off) and as a result I felt like I was working my drivetrain
more than I cared to.

Some people would simply work a drivetrain as needed at the time....I on the
other hand think about the whole package...and the fact that I like to keep
my vehicles in strong shape and I like them to last....and I while I think
they should be used as needed....I don't try to overwork them.  I felt like
I was overworking the drivetrain in hilly terrain.

For some reason Toyota does not seem to offer optional axle ratios - and
that is one of the factors here that affects the fact that I had to really
work the transmission.

And I know that someone will suggest that I should just let the transmission
do it's job and shift as it wanted to...but in terms of fuel economy and
heat build up it was my choice to assist it as much as I could.

So there you have it - my opinion - a Tundra owner who loves his Tundra -
but who would prefer not to tow a heavy trailer with it.

Take Care.  RL