Did i expect too much from my Taco (towing question...)?

So, i will keep it short and sweet.. Rented a Camplite 11' trailer for the weekend, and was surprised in just how badly my taco handled it.
For reference, i have an 08 DC, w/ towing package; V6, 4x4...

Basically, the model that i towed was like this (but more square.. an older model i think). http://www.livinlite.com/camplite11fk-overview.php
I didn't have any water onboard, so it was just the weight of the trailer.

So, my complaint was this.... even being able to keep it around 2k RPM, i was still making around 10MPG. In many cases, holding 2-2.5k might be enough to get my going 55, there were times where i had to push 4k to even keep up with freeway traffic (yes, it was somewhat hilly in places).

So, what did i do wrong? Did i expect too much out of my workhorse? Or should i look at the trailer? They said something about the e-brake being disabled.. i can't help but wonder if i was fighting the brakes somehow.

 

You should of gotten better then 10mpg and had absolutely no trouble pulling that.

Subd to see update

 

I'd say the wind drag is the main culprit here - weight not so much. You've basically got a brick pulling a bigger brick.

Were there a lot of hills where you were driving? That won't do you any favors either.

 

I tow my fathers boat, 3500lbs+ It is a tall walkaround boat so it sits a good bit higher than the truck.

Not much issues towing it at all on flat land.

Hit hills and head winds and it likes to hunt for gears and sucks fuel. I toss it in 4 and leave it there until over the incline or change of direction to get out of the wind.

Never checked mpg since it really does not matter in my eyes.

I would not tow past 4K with a tacoma personally since it is too hard on the trans.

 

That was my thinking. I know towing at near the max would be a strain, but i expected better for this weight. Having just got home, having driven 100 miles, i am to a half tank of gas, and the RPM never topped 3k.

I wouldn't think it would need a tune up. Bought it last year, already had the oil changed twice (dealer done, part of the package). Without towing, i can get 18MPG in a city/highway driving mix, so this is new to me.

I will admit i saw this a bit. It felt at times as if it would downshift when it didn't need to.

Aye, there were some hills, but I didn't think it would be that bad. On some of the large hills, i had to have the engine at 4k+ RPM, just to not slow down too much. On the way back, i tried to avoid that, and stick around 2k where possible.. which meant going 55 on the freeway at times, hoping not to get run over.....

 

I don't think it was our truck, I think it may have been the trailer. Bad bearing, sticking brake rotor, etc. a rented trailer will get many more miles put on it than a personal one and sometimes there is very little maintenance done from one trip to another.

 

That was sort of my thinking. THis is actually a trailer rented from an Air Force Force support squadron.. lets just say despite being made in 2010, it has seen many more years of (ab)use. Given that they had said the e-brake was disabled, i wonder if there are deeper issues with the trailer that, perhaps, was adding more drag?

 

Yes. Try renting a similar sized uhaul for a day and see if there is a difference, at least then you will know if you have a truck problem.

 

where you towing in overdrive? when I pull my pop up, it pulls fine in o d but get better mileage pulling in 4th with automatic. in overdrive any slight hill I keep having to it gas till it down shifts on its own. I pulled a uhaul all aluminum covered trailer 10x6 with a bedroom set in and only got 12mpg because of shape or frontal surface. what you were pulling probably heavier than either one of mine, by the way pulling my jayco pop up 15-17mpg depending on the terrain. just for an example, traveling 75 mph west on I40 going in to 40 mph headwind about 12-13 mpg. a lot variables when you are pulling, I would not be concerned unless you are towing a lot.

 

If by OD you mean having just in D, then yes, that is where i was. Didn't even consider going to 4th... when it was hitting 4k, it made no sense (at least as i think about it) dropping it a gear....

Anyway, i am concerned, regardless of how much i tow. I like the idea of a trailer (this was my first change getting to play with one), but if i only get 11MPG tugging a small box, how bad would a reasonable 18-20' kill me? I don't want to stop in literally every city i pass....

 

It doesn't seem to make much difference what you tow as far as weight if it sits up high your gas mileage is going to suck. I tow around 3200# and 12 is about it slow down to 50-55 it goes up but still no prize the air drag is a killer. Mine is a 6spd and I can cruze in 6th but not in the hills.

 

There are a lot of variables that by themselves are negligible, but combined, they will wreak havoc. Where are you towing from and to? I have a 12' similar that I just towed from Amarillo, TX to Eagle Nest, NM and got 8 mpg. Now, there were head winds of 30-40 and a fair amount of rolling hills. Wind is a killer when hauling a giant wall.
10 mpg may not be bad at all given terrain and wind conditions. 4th gear is absolute in this case, and I would only use Drive when wind is behind and flat land. Normal RPM is 2000-2400 @ 60-65.

 

Huh.. i guess that will teach me. Next time i will stick it to 4 and see how it goes. In my case, i was towing from Albuquerque to Abiquiu Lake..

 

I think the book says to never tow in Drive. I got a little better than 10 mpg, but not much: 07 Xcab, 6 cyl., 5x8 enclosed trailer in Florida. I suggest: keep gear shifter on 4, and never use cruise control (it sucks!)

 

That is exactly what it is. 4 is Tow Mode Most vehicles designed for towing have special switch for tow mode. On Tacoma Toyota decided that 4 will be tow switch.

 

Well then, i guess part of it is my problem. Having never pulled anything like this, i have never even considered something like a "tow mode". Guess i need to go through the book again.. *sigh*

 

How much tongue weight did you have?

 

A few things to ask you;
1). Did you have any water on board?
2). How much gear did you have?
3). When you say you drove over hilly terrain, how steep and how much?
4). Average speed?

From my own personal experance:
I own this trailer:
http://www.forestriverinc.com/Trave...t.aspx?page=floorplandetails&floorplanid=4863

I have a 2010 DC w/ towing package, family of 4. We are every bit of 3800-3900 pounds loaded with the trailer, not to mention all the stuff we throw into the truck. I would guess we are probably around 8000-9000 pounds fully loaded (truck is rated for 11,100, or something like that). I live in West Virgina, so pretty much anywhere you want to go involves going over some moutains (no rockies, but very steep, prolonged grades). My MPG averages right around 10mpg's. It seems like everyone is getting somewhere around the same. If you where truly that lite with no water, not a lot of gear. It sounds to me the problem is with you be in D. Would put it into 4, see what happens. When I tow the trailer empty, my MPG usually bump up to 12 mpg's, RPMs are usually around 4K on the highway. These trucks will tow, but remember, that wasn't their primary purpose. If you really look at it from an RV perspective, it really isn't the best truck to tow, but for me, it works. We tow our trailer very comfortably at highway speeds. Sure, we start slowing down on steep grades, I could kill the truck and have it accelerate, but I would rather dip 5 mph under the speed limit and save the tranny. I am happy with the Tacoma, but probably wouldn't tow anything larger that what I have (there are some on this fourm that tow things massive, I don't think that is the safest thing to do). From everything you said, you are nearly getting the gas mileage that I do, but where towing something that was much lighter...

 

My Taco pulls my 2100 pound boat with no problem in D. Dont even know its there.

 

I'm running to the same thing, 9-11 MPG with light towing and speeds in the 55-65 range.
It pure sucks.
For hunting towing my honda 350 atv (400 lbs) and a little trailer (50-75 lbs) I use for hauling a bag of corn or deer loaded on the big trailer 14' single axle ATV trailer about (900-1100 lbs)....

Ask Toyota about it and was told the trailer is heavier then it looks and the truck is overloaded pulling it. Trailer has a 3500 axle and GVWR.

Just last week I towed for a cookout, several 20 lb propain and turkey burners, tables and so on. The MPG the same and that was flatter road going to the beach. Nothing was higher the the tailgate on the trailer and I have a flat cover on the truck.

Others have pulled the same trailer in a jeep and small chevy truck, they all got 18+ mpg.

My thinking is the gearing and lack of torque in the Tacoma so it needs to be pulled back in a lower gear or changes gears all the time.