towing a trailer or 5th wheel

I have a 07 TRD off road 4X4 , auto 4.0
we are thinking now we would like to buy either a travel trailer or a 5th wheel,, something in the range of 22 to 24' would like to have some thing with a slide, owner manual says that I am rated for 6500 lbs
and suggestions, am I looking for trouble, what would you look for, I did have the factory under a recall beaf up the rear springs,

 

If you get a 5th wheel you'll need a bigger truck.

 

untrue, they make small 5th wheels

 

First off, welcome! You posted this under 1st gen Tacomas but you have a 2nd gen (2005 and newer are 2nd gen).

I do not think the Tacoma is set-up for a fifth wheel travel trailer. 5th wheels are supposed to tow better but I think you'd have a tough time finding a 5th wheel set up for a mid sized pickup and then finding a 5th wheel trailer that the Tacoma could handle.

Take a look at the threads below, it's the towing bible and a 'show us what you tow' thread so you can see what people are dragging with these trucks and how they handled it.

Personally, I think you're looking for trouble when you start pushing the 6,500# mark. If you tow that heavy and frequently, you'd be better served to get a bigger tow rig in my opinion.

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/towing/4031-tacoma-towing-bible.html
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/towing/27460-show-us-what-you-tow.html

 

damn, you guys are quick!

 

your answer was way better than ours though haha

 

I've never seen one, so I'll agree to disagree.

 

Bam!

 

DAM YOU!

 

why the hell does this trailer have twin axles??

 

Cause fat chicks ride in it...
lol idk.

i got more pictures than you, but tacomas are pulling yours... so you win

 

I've never seen a Tacoma w/ a 5th wheel and the fact that its a 5 lugger and has a 5th wheel just seems a little dumb. You proved me wrong.

 

There's a great picture of a 6 lugger towing a big ass 5th wheel down the highway somewhere on TW, I just couldn't find it. It looked hilarious but definitely unsafe and made me glad it was out on the west coast and no where near me!! In general, I would agree with you though, a Tacoma has no business with a 5th wheel hitch. They are generally for heavier trailers so they tow better. I would guess those pics are from outside the US where bigger trucks are harder to come by.

 

I just googled tacoma 5th wheel, and my signature pic shows up. I thought it was pretty funny.

 

I always think it's funny when I google anything Tacoma related, TW is always the first 5 responses!

 

We have a 2006 4x4 short bed Tacoma with trailer towing package plus the TSB rear springs fix, and tow an 18' travel trailer (see link for specs, our model is not the photo displayed on the link, ours IS the floorplan shown).

http://www.cruiserrv.com/fun-finder-x/x_189fbs/specifications.html


We especially like this model as it is 7' wide and so we do not need extension mirrors, but it also has a slide out as you see. Dry weight 3,300 lbs. plus it has tandem axles. We use an equalizer hitch.

Our average mileage on trips is close to 20 mpg, but hook up the trailer and it drops to 10 -12 mpg. We've been caught searching for gas stations way quicker than we thought it would be necessary on the early trips; now we just fill up when the opportunity presents itself.

It handles the hills ok, not stellar. I'd guess our loaded weight is a little over 4,000. The listed truck towing capacity is a stretch in my opinion. The truck does fine with our trailer but can't imagine 6,500 lbs.

John

 

thank guys
sorry about posting in the 1st gen and not the 2nd gen, my bad

I think for starters I am off a 5th wheel,

would still like to know more about pull trailers, I was thinking maybe an Airstream,, but the cost on some of these are really expensive

 

Hey I think these trucks are good only for a pop up trailer, sure they will pull something bigger but they struggle, and the people that pull a big trailer over load them over what the manufacture of the truck states.

 

You can easily find a travel trailer that your truck can handle. Hell I tow a 3500 lb rated flatbed with my 5 lugger daily. It's no speed demon, but I don't feel it's unsafe. I have plenty of brakes to stop it, even with my "oversized" tires. Just see if they'll let you hitch it up before you buy for a test drive.