A big Toyota Tundra, a little Casita RV, and a kind of big Tenere.

rfulcher

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Can I do this?​
I have a 2016 4x4 Toyota Tundra with the 5.7 engine and tow package. It is rated for over 10,000 lbs towing. It is rated for 980 lbs tongue weight and payload is approx 2000 lbs. I recently purchased a 17 ft. Casita travel trailer rated at max of 3500 lbs with a 400 lb tongue weight. The Super Tenere weight around 600 lbs and will fit in the 6.5 ft. bed at an angle.​
I want to travel with cross country with my wife and dog. We will tow the Casita and with my Super Tenere in the back of the truck. Is this reasonable? I want to see new places, drag my little house with me, and ride the Tenere when I get to the good stuff.​
Would I need to do any mods to the truck?​
 

Sierra1

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Where's our engineers? But, 600lbs in the bed....400lbs on the hitch....equals 1000lbs payload? 50% payload, and/or less than 50% tongue weight, and way less than 50% of trailer capacity. Seems very do-able. Equalizer hitch should be all he needs? I am assuming that the trailer is equipped with it's own braking system. If not, I wouldn't be worried about the go, but I would be concerned about the whoa.

Edit: I agree with Highwayman. That is going to be the biggest challenge.
 

Jlq1969

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For this the Tundra was created. You do not need any modification. The only thing you have to prepare is your brain, so remember that you come dragging the Casita, and start braking earlier than usual, the trailers do not like emergency braking, don't like crosswinds either when you pass a truck and don't like closed turns. It’s what usually happens, after several hours driving, there are people who forget that they come with a trailer
 
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Mak10

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I have a 16 tundra and the Tenere fits great diagonally. It will handle the bike and the Casita trailer with ease. Loading and unloading shouldn’t be a problem if you can find some sort of berm or terrain to help. I would be hesitant to load/unload mine on flat ground.

I have airbags, just haven’t got around to installing them. Hasn’t been a big issue for me yet.

I would like a receiver mounted bike carrier for the Tenere, but am afraid that might be pushing the limits of the hitch.
 

Checkswrecks

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The Tundra will work as is and I've loaded my basic shorty F150 heavier than you plan. You won't be able to carry as much as they advertise because you need to remember that the weights include you, your wife, the dog, groceries, and gas. Even so, this was about 950# in the bed and 1400# (about 300 tongue) in the trailer so I was technically overloaded with the biggest hits being body roll (not terrible) and gas mileage.


HOWEVER

While my truck already has the tow package that includes a heavier rear axle and tires, to tow a bigger heavier horse trailer I was going to put in air bags and decided instead to try the Loadmaster Adjustable Suspension kit for $400. (Now $450)
https://activesuspension.com

I can only say positive stuff about it for the money and maybe 45 minutes total that it took to install both sides. It's much better than helper springs and the airbags I've had before on other trucks.

The unloaded truck takes bumps MUCH more smoothly and there's less sway in corners. It's definitely better than bags I've used in the past, plus this will never develop an air leak. Unlike regular helper springs the coils are progressive rate so it doesn't just stiffen the rear. The more sway in a corner, the stiffer the springs get on the low side and the truck just goes around flatter and in better control. Plus, the more you load the rear with cargo the stiffer the springing gets. And if I really want to haul something heavy like that horse trailer, I just need to turn the all-thread core rod with a ratchet to stiffen the rear.
 
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Cycledude

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If you drive reasonable your Tundra should handle it fine. If it has automatic transmission don’t be driving 80-90 mph even in states that allow it because your chances of transmission failure will go way up at high speeds pulling a load like that.
 

Sierra1

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….so remember that you come dragging the Casita, and start braking earlier than usual, the trailers do not like emergency braking....
I used to pull a 2,800lb tent camper with a '92 Wrangler. The camper was equipped with electric trailer brakes. When towing the camper, with the brakes adjusted correctly, I could stop quicker than I could without the camper. I am assuming at that weight, the Casita is equipped with a similar system.
 
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ballisticexchris

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It's doable but you are going to really struggle getting your bike on and off the back of the truck. Even with a good ramp. Big hassle.


I would recommend not even bothering with the Super Tenere. Why bring a huge beast with you when you are traveling in the comfort of your truck? Simply get a lightweight dual sport and really enjoy your trip. Easy to unload and easy to handle any kind of riding you wish. It always puzzles me why people want to truck around huge bikes when the bikes themselves are made for long distance?
 

OX-34

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It always puzzles me why people want to truck around huge bikes when the bikes themselves are made for long distance?
But the Tenere may not be the best for travelling with the wife plus the dog, Chris.

The premise here is a nice long comfy family road trip with the occasional bike ride as the bonus. Some people don't have the luxury of time to do two big road trips.

Recently I "trucked" my Tenere on a 6 day road trip but only had time for a single day of riding in the middle. It worked well for me.



That big Tundra is much higher than my Falcon ute and may be able to reverse up to a loading dock. You'll find them easily enough rfulcher.
 

Mak10

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Riding two up long distance is not my wife’s idea of a good time on the Tenere. She does love riding in scenic places.

It doesn’t hurt that we can take a roomy tent with cots and she is more comfortable. A compromise I will gladly make if she wants to come. 8D85C641-9E8A-4B01-A33B-B17E1E0F5610.jpeg
 

Sierra1

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Maaaan, y'all get all the good cars. GM (Vauxall) makes the Maloo for Austrailia. It is thr GM version of your Falcon. The Maloo has the 6.2L. What can you get in the Falcon? I used to have a Dodge Rampage, but all it had was a 2.2L. Good for what it was, but no comparison to the Falcon or Maloo.
 

Abercrombie tenere

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I throw my FJR or Tenere in the back of my Tundra all the time. I only have a 5'5" bed so I use a sheet of 3/4" plywood to distribute the weight on the tail gate. I've also mounted a front wheel chock to prevent the bike from V-ing the front of the box in case of an emergency stop. I use a ramp that is slightly over 6 feet long, drop my rear tires in a driveway approach gutter to take a little angle out of the ramp and its a piece of cake. Drive it on under engine power or back it off controlling my speed with the front brake. Excuse the photobucket water mark. I can't believe they won't let me down load my photos back to my computer unmolested.
As far as loading goes, the Tenere or FJR squats my pickup down pretty good and there is no way it would handle the tongue weight of my travel trailer without some air bag assistance. Even with an equalizer hitch, my 30' travel trailer causes so much sag I wouldn't even consider throwing one of my dual sports in the box while towing the camper.
 
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Abercrombie tenere

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The Tundra will work as is and I've loaded my basic shorty F150 heavier than you plan. You won't be able to carry as much as they advertise because you need to remember that the weights include you, your wife, the dog, groceries, and gas. Even so, this was about 950# in the bed and 1400# (about 300 tongue) in the trailer so I was technically overloaded with the biggest hits being body roll (not terrible) and gas mileage.


HOWEVER

While my truck already has the tow package that includes a heavier rear axle and tires, to tow a bigger heavier horse trailer I was going to put in air bags and decided instead to try the Loadmaster Adjustable Suspension kit for $400. (Now $450)
https://activesuspension.com

I can only say positive stuff about it for the money and maybe 45 minutes total that it took to install both sides. It's much better than helper springs and the airbags I've had before on other trucks.

The unloaded truck takes bumps MUCH more smoothly and there's less sway in corners. It's definitely better than bags I've used in the past, plus this will never develop an air leak. Unlike regular helper springs the coils are progressive rate so it doesn't just stiffen the rear. The more sway in a corner, the stiffer the springs get on the low side and the truck just goes around flatter and in better control. Plus, the more you load the rear with cargo the stiffer the springing gets. And if I really want to haul something heavy like that horse trailer, I just need to turn the all-thread core rod with a ratchet to stiffen the rear.
Thanks for the tip on the Roadmaster Active Suspension product. I just picked up some literature on Air Bag systems the other day to help my 2014 Toyota Tundra TRD super crew out. That thing sags pathetically with any type of load. With just my son and I deer hunting along with hunting gear and a couple bucks in the back it is maxed out. You can jump on the rear bumper and there is hardly any suspension travel left same as when I hook up to my travel trailer.
 

OX-34

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Maaaan, y'all get all the good cars. GM (Vauxall) makes the Maloo for Austrailia. It is thr GM version of your Falcon. The Maloo has the 6.2L. What can you get in the Falcon? I used to have a Dodge Rampage, but all it had was a 2.2L. Good for what it was, but no comparison to the Falcon or Maloo.
Sierra, both the Ford Falcon ute and the Holden Maloo ute (a modified Holden Commodore ute) were made in Australia. My 2015 Falcon XR6 runs the 195kW 4.0L straight six, but there was a factory turbo (270kW) version and until about 2010 a 5.4L V8 was available.

Unfortunately both Ford and General Motors Holden have ceased all car manufacturing in Australia :(

 

Checkswrecks

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Checkswrecks the airbags are about the same as far as cost. I like they are adjustable. Never saw your setup before. Looks intriguing. They may not even be needed. It all depends on the rear sag. You are way below its rated tow rate . . .
I had to go back and look and you're right in that with the tow package my truck has something like a 9,200 combined GVW so it is well below that. It carries two bikes with no effort at all. However, putting the camper in raises the CG high enough to get body roll. I've had airbags in previous trucks and the Active Suspension springs are definitely better.
 

rfulcher

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This is all good stuff.

My Tundra has a knob on the dash headlight to compensate for load, kinda cool. The Casita trailer has a GVWR of 3500 but only weighs 2500 itself. Some of the gear can be loaded in the trailer to shift weight from the truck. l will get airbags and a weight equalizing hitch if needed.

Truck, RV, and MC seems like a way to have my cake and eat it to. Tour the country for a month or months, ride the motorcycle when the roads are good, and have a comfy clean place to stay every night. I think I would be very upset to be out west and see the Rocky Mtns and not be able to ride a motorcycle.

I look forward to further posts.
 
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ballisticexchris

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. I think I would be very upset to be out west and see the Rocky Mtns and not be able to ride a motorcycle.

You would be upset. I was! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
There you go!!

This thread is a mind blower. It's impossible for me to understand why anyone would want to put a touring bike in the back of a truck to go touring in the truck. Makes no sense whatsoever.

Conversation with the wife before leaving on a long trip: "Hi honey, just give me an extra hour to load up my touring bike in the back of our truck so we can tour across the country in our truck".

A lightweight dual sport or dirt bike for when you get to destinations yes. A 650lb bike that is designed to be ridden long distances no way!! Kind of reminds me of Harley riders who truck their bikes 300 miles to the Laughlin River Run.
 
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