How To Determine The Towing Capacity Of A 2012 Toyota Tundra  

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To determine your towing capacity you'll need to subtract your truck's curb weight from its Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating (GCVWR). The GCVWR is the maximum weight of your loaded truck and the weight of its attached trailer. The GCVWR can be found in the owner's manual of your 2012 Toyota Tundra. You can have the truck weighed at a highway weigh station for a more accurate curb weight number. You'll want to keep in mind anything you load into the truck, including people, will count towards this number.

From there you'd subtract the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of the trailer from number you got for the truck. If you have the capacity for it then the next step would be to find the right 5th wheel trailer hitch. Depending on the bed length there's a few different options to ensure you have enough turning clearance so that the nose of the trailer doesn't come into contact with the cab of the truck.

For a 5-1/2' you would need a hitch like the Demco Autoslide 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch w/ Slider # DM8550040 along with the Demco Premier Series Above-Bed Base Rails and Semi-Custom Install Kit for 5th Wheel Hitches # DM8552020-71. This hitch has 22-1/2" of travel for additional turning clearance and will automatically slide back as you turn.

For a 6-1/2' bed you could still use the same hitch and rails as above or switch the hitch out for the Demco Autoslide 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch w/ Slider # DM8550034 to save a bit of money. This hitch has a shorter travel length of 14", but will still have all the same features as the other one, as well as a higher capacity of 18,000lbs.

For an 8' bed you could use the B&W Patriot 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch # BWRVK3200 along with the B&W 5th Wheel Installation Kit with Spacers for Toyota Tundra # BWRVR3204-00. B&W is known for being American made and top tier in quality. This specific model has a 16,000lb capacity and fixed base since an 8' bed wouldn't require additional turning clearance.

expert reply by: Kevin C

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