Will a 2.7 handle pulling/ carrying a camper in the mountains???

Hi , I'm looking at possibly buying a 2013 4W 2.7 L auto with SR5 and tow packages.
My plan is to build or buy a truck bed camper or tow behind camper. I now live in FL and I'm an electrician and just turned 60 and I'm wanting to hit the road next spring an work in other states to make some good money and I'm thinking of living in camp grounds while working on the road. Then also traveling the country on vacations.
Thus my concern is if a 2.7 4 cyl will have enough power to do the mountain driving or is a 6 cyl really needed? I like the extra mpg the 2.7 has but I don't really know if there is that much difference when carrying a load ? I know the 4 cyl seems to last for ever as my 2.4 has 262k mi but I not sure about the 6 as far as that goes.
What are your thoughts???
Thanks

 

I just made a 2000 mile trip from central Texas to Denver and back in my 2.7/auto AC . I pulled a small U-Haul trailer with a total weight of about 1300 or 1400 pounds. Truck did fine, but really got a workout going over some of the passes. If you're in a hurry, the 2.7 is probably not the way to go, but if I were buying a new truck, I'd get another one. Went from about 325 feet above sea level to over 5600 feet. Actually topped 7400 near Castle Rock. Still averaged 17.5 on the way up, so I'm pretty happy.

 

I am not in a hurry going through the mountains. I have towed a 5X8 enclosed trailer loaded with a 2003 HD Sportster , luggage and a few guitars in cases with my 98 2.4 up through the mountains from VA to PA . Just don't know how much more power the 2.7 will have and if it is enough that I would notice. I also am wondering if adding headers to the 2.7 will give it more hp at the lower rpm for pulling the hills.

 

Depends on the condition of the engine and weight of the tow. I towed a small Uhaul from Alaska to Montana with a '97 Taco 2.7, 5-speed with 100K miles. The trailer was maybe a little heavy. It seemed to tow fine but died a day after dropping off the trailer. I burnt all the exhaust valves. I didn't have a tow package tho.

 

Can't speak from personal experience about adding headers, but go to the 4 cyl. thread and check out what Tooter has done. Says he's raised the torque and it comes in a thousand revs lower, which would be ideal for towing. On my trip to Colorado, I kept the speed between 60 and 65. On some of the long gradual inclines, the trans downshifted to 3rd, which put the engine rpm right at 3000, which I didn't think was too bad.

 

headers ,air intake/filter seemed to do alot. He removed the AC and power steering. That's not going to happen as i live in FL and the air is a mustbut perhaps turning the AC of when climbing hill would help some. He also made a part for the intake manifold I think that dropped the torque peak to a lower rpm. I've put an AFE air filter in my 2.4 so if I decide to keep it a little longer I will put LCE headers on it.

 

I would think that it wouldn't be a comfortable experience. The older trucks with the camper portion (such as the early 80s) could handle stuff because they were very little weight. Newer trucks are much heavier, and campers have grown as well.
To correlate, my dad towed a 1994 Lance 5th wheel which was 24' long with a '99 Dodge diesel 250. It served the family well for many years, other than braking on hills could have been better. Now he's looking for a new 5th wheel or a trailer and he's finding that his truck is too small to handle the newer units. Everything just keeps getting bigger and heavier.

go over to the towing section of this forum and continue asking questions, they will be most helpful. Let them know you plan to tow here, where a 6% grade for 11 miles with double hairpins exist and it isn't the only killer.

 

This is about all mine will http://www.tacomaworld.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/421980/size/big/cat/500/ppuser/119094