The Toyota Tundra is one of North America’s most popular pickup trucks and was launched back in May 1999.
It has always been manufactured in the US, first at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana (TMMI) and since 2009 at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas (TMMTX).
This article explains “What Can A Toyota Tundra Tow?”…
Table of Contents
What Can A Toyota Tundra Tow?
The Toyota Tundra is a very powerful towing vehicle with a capacity reaching 10,200lbs as a maximum towing capacity. The base-level Tundra with fewer towing upgrades can manage 8,800lbs, which is also very impressive in the half-ton truck category.
The Toyota Tundra can pull trailers up to 24’ in length, not to mention a huge array of boats, jet skis, and other watercraft from a 3,000-lb pontoon to a 9,000-lb cabin cruiser.
It can also easily handle just about any non-commercial fishing boat.
How Much Can You Tow With A Toyota Tundra?
The towing capacity range for the Toyota Tundra ranges from 8,800lbs to 10,200lbs depending on your exact specification.
The two tables below show the 4×2 layout and the 4×4 layout and different trim levels in the current range with their towing capabilities:
| Toyota Tundra 4×2 Layout | ||||
| Trim | Cab | 5.5’ Bed | 6.5’ Bed | 8.1’ Bed |
| SR | Double Cab | 10,200 lbs | 10,100 lbs | |
| CrewMax | ||||
| SR5 | Double Cab | 10,100 lbs | 10,100 lbs | |
| CrewMax | 10,100 lbs | |||
| Limited | Double Cab | 10,100 lbs | ||
| CrewMax | 9,400 lbs | |||
| Platinum | Double Cab | |||
| CrewMax | 9,400 lbs | |||
| 1794 Edition | Double Cab | |||
| CrewMax | 9,400 lbs | |||
| TRD PRO | Double Cab | 9,900 lbs | ||
| CrewMax |
| Toyota Tundra 4×4 Layout | ||||
| Trim | Cab | 5.5’ Bed | 6.5’ Bed | 8.1’ Bed |
| SR | Double Cab | 9,900 lbs | 9,800lbs | |
| CrewMax | ||||
| SR5 | Double Cab | 9,900 lbs | 9,800 lbs | |
| CrewMax | 10,100 lbs | |||
| Limited | Double Cab | 9,100 lbs | ||
| CrewMax | 8,800 lbs | |||
| Platinum | Double Cab | |||
| CrewMax | 8,800 lbs | |||
| 1794 Edition | Double Cab | |||
| CrewMax | 8,800 lbs | |||
| TRD PRO | Double Cab | |||
| CrewMax | 9,200 lbs |
Which Tundra Has A Tow Package?
If you’re looking at the 2021 model-year Toyota Tundra trucks, then the good news is that there is a standard tow package with every model now.
It had previously been reserved for certain models but is now standard across the range.
Previously, Toyota had reserved the tow package as an optional extra you had to purchase on lower trims and was only a standard feature on higher trim levels like the Limited and Platinum levels.
Now, however, all of the Tundra models have one.
If you drive an older Toyota Tundra, then you’ll have to look closely at your vehicle to determine whether or not you have the towing package installed (see below).
What Is The Toyota Tundra Towing Package?
The Toyota Tundra Towing package is a suite of features that includes the following two things in its current standard form:
- TOW/HAUL Mode and 4-/7-pin connector
- Integrated trailer brake controller / trailer sway control system
A third and optional feature is the Tundra Tow Mirrors which allow you a greater and expanded view while you’re towing a trailer or other vehicle behind your Toyota Tundra.
Toyota also considers the engine a key component of its towing capabilities, which in its latest form is a 5.7L i-FORCE V8 engine outputting 381 hp and 401 lb-ft of torque.
Which Tundra Has The Highest Towing Capacity?
As the table above indicates, the Toyota Tundra with the highest towing capacity is none other than the 4×2 Toyota Tundra SR Double Cab with the 6.5’ bed.
This one has a maximum capacity of 10,200 lbs, which is the greatest in the range.
Other high contenders are as follows:
- 4×2 Toyota Tundra SR Double Cab 8.1’ Bed – 10,100 lbs
- 4×2 Toyota Tundra SR5 Double Cab with 8.1’ Bed – 10,100 lbs
- 4×4 Toyota Tundra SR5 CrewMax with 5.5’ Bed – 10,100 lbs
How Do I Know If My Tundra Has A Towing Package?
If you own a 2021 Toyota Tundra, then you can be sure that you have the towing package installed because it is now a standard feature on all Toyota Tundra trucks.
If you have an older model, however, you’ll need to do the following steps to determine whether or not you have the towing package.
A number of Tundra trucks will have it, but others will not.
First, take a seat in the driver’s seat and direct your attention to the middle of the dash, around the center stack, and close to the air conditioner controls.
Once there, see if you can find a button underneath the air conditioning controls marked “Tow/Haul.”
In Toyota’s recommendations and guidelines on towing, it is this button that they tell drivers to push when they are preparing to tow any kind of vehicle, be it a trailer, watercraft, or whatever else is within the capacity of the Tundra.
If you have the “Tow/Haul” button, then your Tundra is equipped with the tow package and if you don’t have it there, then you haven’t got the tow package.
You can then confirm your findings by looking at the rear bumper to find a metal object attached to the frame at the center. This is the hitch receiver.
Can I Tow A Tundra With Another Pick-Up Truck?
Yes, you could. The curb weight of a Toyota Tundra pickup truck is somewhere between 3,935 lbs to 5,680 lbs depending on model year.
The early-generation models from 1999 to 2007 were lighter than the current generation.
Given these curb weights, and the fact that many trucks have either similar or better-towing capacities than the Toyota Tundra, it is perfectly feasible for another truck to tow a Toyota Tundra.
The GMC Sierra 1500, for instance, has a maximum towing capacity of 11,800 lbs, so towing even the heaviest 5,680-lb Toyota Tundra is definitely possible.
How Much Weight Can You Put In The Back Of A Tundra?
The payload capacity of a Toyota Tundra in 2021 ranges from 1,520 to 1,730 lbs. The first-generation models from 1999 to 2007 could handle from 1,337 lbs to 1,924 lbs.
The Toyota Tundra model year with the greatest payload capacity was the 2015 model, which had a range of 1,500 lbs to 2,110 lbs.
That has since come down to a maximum of 1,730 on the newest 2021 models.
The average household washing machine weighs about 170 lbs, meaning that the 2021 Tundra can carry the equivalent of about 10 washing machines.
The heaviest type of grand piano is about 1,400 lbs, so a Tundra could carry the equivalent weight of an entire grand piano with the capacity to spare for a few washing machines.
Besides Weight, Is There A Measure Limit? (US Road Laws)
Besides weight, the height and width of the load you are carrying are also subject to legal requirements.
The current law allows for any payload to be no more than 8.5’ (102”) in either height or length.
If we’re talking about payload in the back of a pickup truck, then the width isn’t as important since you’re restrained by the natural width of your rear bed anyway.
The height, however, does matter. The payload can’t be higher than 8.5’.
It also applies to trailers. Anything from 8.6’ in width is considered “Wide Load” and has to be labeled as such.
Very large trucks with huge payloads sometimes have to be escorted by cars known as pilot vehicles, but this isn’t necessary for any pickup truck like a Toyota Tundra.
Can Toyota Tundra Tow A Tiny House?
The average dry weight of a tiny house is 10,000 lbs. The full range goes from as little as 3,000 lbs to as much as 17,000 lbs.
The maximum towing capacity of the Toyota Tundra is 10,200 lbs. This means that the Tundra can tow many tiny houses, but not all.
Below are some typical average weights for tiny houses of different sizes:
- 12-14’ tiny house – 5,700 to 6,550 lbs
- 18-20’ tiny house – 8,550 to 9,500 lbs
- 24-28’ tiny house – 11,400 to 13,300 lbs
- 32-36’ tiny house – 15,200 to 17,100 lbs
Based on these numbers, a tiny house of up to 20’ in length could be realistically and safely towed by a Toyota Tundra, but anything over 20’ is likely too heavy.
RELATED POST