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Old 12-25-2014, 07:55 AM   #1
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Toyota Tundra towing

Is anyone towing a new 5.0TA with a 2014 or 15 Toyota tundra, and do you have adequate clearance between the top of truck bed and bottom of camper with bed ? Thinking of buying a Tundra next week and already have the camper.
Thanks, Mark
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Old 12-25-2014, 07:59 AM   #2
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Tundra towing

To elaborate, i'm presently towing with a 2008 f-250 at 54.5", and the Tundra measures in at 56.5". I know the hitch is adjustable 2.5", but just wondering about the clearance gap.
Thanks,
Mark
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Old 12-25-2014, 09:06 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Weldingmedic View Post
To elaborate, i'm presently towing with a 2008 f-250 at 54.5", and the Tundra measures in at 56.5". I know the hitch is adjustable 2.5", but just wondering about the clearance gap.
Thanks,
Mark
Hi: Weldingmedic... Sounds like a good question for Reace at Escape. If your trailer was set up for a 3/4 ton F 250 pickup the placement of the trailer axles should leave enough room for 2"s of extra truck height. I'm thinking you'd be at the max truck height for the 5.0TA.
Once while down east camping on the side of a mountain I nearly touched the box sides to the trailer pontoons while leaving the site. Alf
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Old 12-25-2014, 02:37 PM   #4
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Both the pinbox and a typical fifth-wheel hitch are adjustable in height to get the front of the trailer to the desired height, but box clearance also requires that that the rear of the trailer body is high enough off the ground to be about level and adequately clear the box sides... and for that you need a suitable trailer suspension height. As Alf mentioned, there is a setup choice with the 5.0TA suspension (the classic spring-under versus spring-over leaf spring mounting); how is the trailer suspension set now? For an F-250, I would have guessed it would already be at the higher setting, but that's only a guess.

Someone posted photos of their 5.0TA chassis a while ago, providing a nice illustration of one of the setup options, but I can't find it right now. This eTrailer page shows the two configurations (but ignore the notations about welding, because ETI equips the axle tube with dual spring perches so switching configurations is just a nuts-and-bolts operations).
  • springs over axle tubes = higher trailer
  • springs under axle tubes = lower trailer
  • height difference between high and low: about 4"
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Old 12-25-2014, 04:03 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Weldingmedic View Post
To elaborate, i'm presently towing with a 2008 f-250 at 54.5", and the Tundra measures in at 56.5". I know the hitch is adjustable 2.5", but just wondering about the clearance gap.
Thanks,
Mark
Obviously height depends on the specific option set of the individual vehicle i.e. towing package, TRD or not, Limited vs. SR5, tire choice, etc. but my 2010 Tundra Crew Max TRD Off Road with 275/75R18 BFGs measures 55" at the box rails. At least that's as near to an accurate measurement as I could get with the cap still on the truck. I'm quite sure I took the rise of the rail under the cap into account properly when I measured it.

What is the congfiguration of your Tundra that would make it 1.5" higher than mine? Oh, it just occured to me the cap may cause mine to settle a bit but it's a fairly light cap on a short box. I guess my shocks may have settled a bit over the years but not from wear, I wouldn't think, it only has 47,000KM on the clock.

Hmmm?
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Old 12-25-2014, 05:41 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
Someone posted photos of their 5.0TA chassis a while ago, providing a nice illustration of one of the setup options, but I can't find it right now. [*]springs over axle tubes = higher trailer[*]springs under axle tubes = lower trailer[*]height difference between high and low: about 4"[/LIST]
Maybe this shot? By the way, I don't think the pinbox on these is adjustable, at least I don't see anything that is.

This is the mid position for my F150, I may reverse the axle as it sits high in the front. I had told ETI it is 56" at the tailgate and they set it up at the middle of the 3 heights.
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Old 12-25-2014, 05:58 PM   #7
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Tundra towing

Thanks for all the replies and picture. Very helpful !! At Fire Department working Christmas, so cant see the axle right now, but there is always a solution, especially after I talk to Reece. I can adjust the pin box 1 setting higher, and if necessary the axle, so as to have at least a few inches between truck bed and camper.
Selling my Ford tomorrow, so no camping, except for in my driveway until I buy a replacement truck.

Happy Christmas !!
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Old 12-25-2014, 11:17 PM   #8
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Maybe this shot?
Thanks Bob That's the one I remember, showing the spring-under-axle lower-height configuration. You can see the extra spring perch/pad on top of the axle above the one which is currently in use.

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By the way, I don't think the pinbox on these is adjustable, at least I don't see anything that is.
There should be two or four bolts per side fastening the pinbox to the frame mounting brackets, with multiple holes to allow multiple heights, as Mark mentioned. This was perhaps more obvious in the 34-degree Atwood AB-34 pinbox that was used previously; the more recent units all seem to have a different model which adjusts straight up and down.

Quote:
Originally Posted by padlin View Post
This is the mid position for my F150, I may reverse the axle as it sits high in the front. I had told ETI it is 56" at the tailgate and they set it up at the middle of the 3 heights.
That would be the spring-over-axle configuration (about 4" higher, or less if other changes are made at the same time). I still don't know exactly how the third height is done, but if Bob's is the mid-height then the mystery configuration is the lowest one... longer shackles on the rocker and higher holes on the frame mounts, perhaps? Anyway, I doubt Mark is currently at the lowest position (with an F-250), so it doesn't matter for now!
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Old 12-26-2014, 02:45 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
There should be two or four bolts per side fastening the pinbox to the frame mounting brackets, with multiple holes to allow multiple heights, as Mark mentioned. This was perhaps more obvious in the 34-degree Atwood AB-34 pinbox that was used previously; the more recent units all seem to have a different model which adjusts straight up and down.
Never noticed it before.
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Old 12-26-2014, 02:54 PM   #10
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Tundra Towing

That is the setting my box is at right now. Reece said I have 2.5" adjustment left, so those upper holes would be that.If I needed more I would have to put axles under springs or use blocks. Hopefully the pin box is enough and it looks like it is.
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Old 12-26-2014, 03:12 PM   #11
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Never noticed it before.
Thanks again Bob With six bolts per side, this looks really secure... and adjustable to just two positions (the current and one setting which places the pin higher).

When I looked at this during a visit to the factory (after which I obviously forgot how many bolts there were) it seemed to me like the upper section might be custom-fabricated by the frame shop, perhaps to fit the unusually low height of the relatively small (for a fifth-wheel) Escape. Looks strong, in any case.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Weldingmedic View Post
That is the setting my box is at right now. Reece said I have 2.5" adjustment left, so those upper holes would be that.
...
Hopefully the pin box is enough and it looks like it is.
Moving the pin up works if all you need to do it match the pin to the hitch. If it's that easy - great!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Weldingmedic View Post
If I needed more I would have to put axles under springs or use blocks.
If your axle tubes are currently on top of the springs (like Bob's), blocks (which go between the springs and axle tubes) would actually lower the trailer - putting the axle under the springs is the only change to raise the trailer.
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Old 12-26-2014, 07:20 PM   #12
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I don't know about everyone else's setup, but on Ten Forward the pin box has the same number of holes as the above pic, and the king pin hitch also can be lowered or raised about three holes. I had ETI's outsourced hitch place mount it in the bed of my truck. When I picked up Ten Forward in Sumas, Dennis mentioned maybe lowering the hitch "one notch," but decided against it since the truck was brand new and he said it would "settle" with age... a bit.
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Old 12-26-2014, 07:48 PM   #13
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My hitch is all the way down and it still sits nose high a bit. Now that I know the pin box is adjustable I might try messing with them again, but not till spring. I've got 4x4 with the big load rate E tires, it may sit higher then yours.
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Old 12-26-2014, 08:54 PM   #14
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My hitch is all the way down and it still sits nose high a bit. Now that I know the pin box is adjustable I might try messing with them again, but not till spring. I've got 4x4 with the big load rate E tires, it may sit higher then yours.
I agree with Bob's logic - the pinbox is all the way down, so if he moved the pinbox up to the other position, it would not push the trailer up as much, and the front of the trailer would sit lower. Good (especially since tandem-axle trailers such as the 5.0TA should be level)... as long as there is that much clearance to spare between the trailer and the top of the truck box sides.
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Old 01-05-2015, 04:42 PM   #15
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Tundra towing

Bought the 2015 Tundra Double Cab 4x4 and it works great with the 5.0TA. Can't even feel the trailer. Now I just have to make it 14 more months at the at the Fire Department, grab my pension, my traveling nurse wife and hit the road to wherever.
Thanks again for all the advice !!
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Old 01-05-2015, 05:02 PM   #16
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Hi Mark
While your here, have you been to Long Point park or Sebastian Inlet State Park north of Vero Beach? looking to make reservations at one or the other, or maybe both. If you've seen them, any preference?
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Old 01-05-2015, 05:44 PM   #17
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Camping Sebastian

Bob,
I have camped at Sebastian State Park and it is nice. It is across A1A from the beach, and sits on the Intracoastal on the west, which is a half to a mile across to the mainland and dotted with little islands in the middle that are neat to visit if you have a boat. You can even camp overnight if you want. The park is also right on the inlet to the ocean, so lots to see and plenty of fishing. I don't remember any shade trees though like at Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine which is beautiful, on the beach and shaded. Directly across the Intracoastal are some nice restaurants, bars and antique shops if that is your thing. Captain Hiram's Resort is a cool place to get a drink, food and live music on the water. Nice big Tiki bar area.
Hope it helps, and have a nice trip.
Mark
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Old 01-05-2015, 06:08 PM   #18
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Old 01-05-2015, 09:25 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by Weldingmedic View Post
Bought the 2015 Tundra Double Cab 4x4 and it works great with the 5.0TA. Can't even feel the trailer. Now I just have to make it 14 more months at the at the Fire Department, grab my pension, my traveling nurse wife and hit the road to wherever.
Thanks again for all the advice !!

Very nice choice ,
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Old 01-05-2015, 09:58 PM   #20
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Used to surf camp/surf Sebastian in late 60's when living in Cocoa Beach. It is still a special spot even with the condo row to the north. Great jetty break.
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