The Tacoma Towing Bible

[Janster]

Check with your local/State requirements regarding trailer brakes.

In some states - it's illegal to run without trailer brakes on certain load capacities.

[maverick491]

Originally Posted by phantom

ok if possible one thing you might add for us dummies ;-D
hitch and wiring

why i say that is i have the i4 reg cab 07 toy and thinking of a hitch and receiver for towing a small boat
and been reading a bunch of post and think i will get the Uhaul hitch and looks easy to install, but the wiring has me a bit confused

don't have the boat yet so what would be the standard wiring plug? 4 pin?
and is there a kit and part number and site where they have it in a plug in setup ?
why i ask is years ago i towed a trailer and when uhaul was finished i had a total mess of wires coming out of tail lights and loosely going all over the bumper and would like a good reliable simple way of getting it hooked up
and even uhaul has so many different "kits" for wiring

and your bible is really great and see you spent a bit of time doing it but think it is worth it for sure !

Good idea. I'll try to get part numbers and photographs and add that in this week or next week. I am house sitting for my parents this week, so I am away from my garage, truck, notes, and such, but I do have that information at home somewhere as that was exactly what I had to do with my gen 1 truck a few years back.

Also, I'd say go with a drawtite or hiddenhitch model receiver over the uhaul, as I have seen uhaul hitches rust out, And just my personal opinion, but if the u-haul hitches are still being made of round tubing, they kind of look stupid as well.

I'll let you know when the addendum you have asked for is up.

Thanks.

[maverick491]

Originally Posted by Janster

Check with your local/State requirements regarding trailer brakes.

In some states - it's illegal to run without trailer brakes on certain load capacities.

Good point. At no point have I ever advocated towing a trailer that is equipped with brakes without a brake controller, and if you are looking at buying two trailers with all else being identical and one has brakes and the other doesn't. BUY THE ONE WITH BRAKES. Yes, it will cost a little bit more, but think of it as cheap insurance as the first accident you DON'T have because you were able to stop in time will more than pay for the brakes and controller.

Though if you trailer did not come with brakes no state ordinance can make you add them after the fact. Kind of like how cars made before 1986 are not required to have a third brake light.

Thanks.

[Janster]

Originally Posted by maverick491

Though if you trailer did not come with brakes no state ordinance can make you add them after the fact. Kind of like how cars made before 1986 are not required to have a third brake light.

Thanks.

I'm gonna argue with you on that one.....

In Pennsylvania - you need trailer brakes. If you do not have trailer brakes, you can't register the trailer to be on the road. Trailers are also inspected yearly - and will fail if they aren't equipped with trailer brakes.

I could be wrong - I know guys who've purchased trailers without brakes and couldn't get them registered in PA.

[maverick491]

Originally Posted by Janster

I'm gonna argue with you on that one.....

In Pennsylvania - you need trailer brakes. If you do not have trailer brakes, you can't register the trailer to be on the road. Trailers are also inspected yearly - and will fail if they aren't equipped with trailer brakes.

I could be wrong - I know guys who've purchased trailers without brakes and couldn't get them registered in PA.

It is over a certain weight limit. I have camped in Pennsylvania, and saw plenty of entry level pop-up campers that were tagged and inspected in PA in the campgrounds, and light weight pop-ups do not come equiped with brakes.

The weight limit pretty much across the board is 3,000 lbs and over require trailer brakes at the time of manufacture, and almost all trailer manufacturers stick to this guideline. However, if you own a vintage towable, it is grandfathered in this respect, the same as classic cars are granfathered with respect to third brakelights, catalytic converters, and emissions testing.

From the Boatsus towing regulation page

Pennsylvania:

Boating Law Administrator: 717-657-4538
Maximum Speed Limit: 55
Maximum Dimensions for trailer:53'L x 8'6"W x 13'6"H
Maximum Length with Trailer:60'
Minimum Weight requiring Separate Trailer Brakes:3000
Trailer Equipment Requirements:
Safety Chains:Y
Brakelights:Y
Taillights:Y
Clearance Lights:Y
License Light:Y
Turn Signals:Y
Reflectors:Y
Flares:N/A
Breakaway Brakes: Y
Tiedowns:Y
Two Trailers:N
Insurance:Y
Wide Trailer Permit Phone Number CENTRAL: 717-787-5367
DIST 1: 814-437-4314
DIST 2: 814-765-0513
DIST 3: 570-368-4274
DIST 4: 570-963-4054
DIST 5: 610-798-4169
DIST 6: 610-965-6561
DIST 8: 717-787-5918
DIST 9: 814-696-7261
DIST 10: 724-357-2832
DIST 11: 412-429-4805
DIST 12: 724-439-7343

Like I said, I don't advocate towing without brakes, I think it's a bad idea.

[CornDog]

great info man, i didnt know my taco was rated at 6500 lbs. i read s/w that it was good for 5400........... but i did go ahead an pull my camper with it. got trailer brakes and alll the goodies. it pulled like a champ tooo. i hung in there with my buddies. they were pullin also but they were pullin with f250s and chevys and all. they dogged the tacoma til we got on open road then i jus got so far ahead that i couldnt hear them.

[phantom]

i agree on the brakes but
i was talking about a small fishing boat, aluminum hull say 12 ft long on a small T trailer . so total weight is not that much.
the kind of boat you see on a full sized truck camper top. so figure say 300 pounds for the trailer and a couple hundred for the boat=not much weight !
i have a 2007 toy reg cab with the 4 banger and auto trans, no trans cooler so you know i am not going to work the truck hard .
pulled one with my 74 sr-5 with a barden bumper hitch and never had any trouble

[TheMaster]

Originally Posted by tacomaman06

..........MAVERICK FOR PRESIDENT!!!

NO! He's too good for that crappy post. How about, Maverick for Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board. Now, that's more respectable.

[TheMaster]

Originally Posted by tacomaman06

.... we would be better off moving to canada!!

HA HA HA. HAAAA HAAAA HAAAA So you admit that Canada is better than the US the way things are transforming. Come on over you alcoholic war mongers. I'll meet you at the border. It might hurt a bit but consider it initiation .

[supra90140]

what are you talking about when you say to get the rear spring tsb performed?
I ve towed 4 quads and our gear for 4 guys and dont see any problems. 3 quads on a trailer and one on the truck.

[maverick491]

Originally Posted by supra90140

what are you talking about when you say to get the rear spring tsb performed?
I ve towed 4 quads and our gear for 4 guys and dont see any problems. 3 quads on a trailer and one on the truck.

I see that you've got an 08, perhaps your truck already came with the leaf spring TSB performed, or perhaps you'rs have not settled yet..

Long story short. Stock the tacoma comes with a 3-leaf pack two plus overload. post TSB they have a 4 leaf pack. three plus overload.

I too noticed no problem while towing with the stock set-up for the first 5000 miles either, but now I have noticed that the springs have settled a bit, and I'll be talking to the dealer about the TSB shortly.

[jdubh]

All this information is great but I have one big question for you...what is the max length of a trailer we should tow with a tacoma?

I really love camping and rving and I bought my Tacoma as an in between vehicle for the next 3-4 years until I can afford a dually as a dedicated TV, keeping the Taco for me. So I'd like to get the most out of my Tacoma. There are dozens of ultralight trailers that fall dry below 4500lbs but some reach 27-33ft in length, would those lengths affect towing as long as a good w/d and sway control hitch were being used? I don't expect my loaded weight to go beyond 5500lbs but I'm worried about length.

Also you made it sound as if hitch weight wasn't part of the tow weight. For instance if I had a trailer that weighed exactly 6500lbs and a tongue weight of 650lbs then I would be okay even though the trailer by itself would way 7150lbs. Is the tongue weight included with the payload on the truck and excluded from the trailer weight/axle weight? Thanks!

[piercedtiger]

Originally Posted by jdubh

All this information is great but I have one big question for you...what is the max length of a trailer we should tow with a tacoma?

I really love camping and rving and I bought my Tacoma as an in between vehicle for the next 3-4 years until I can afford a dually as a dedicated TV, keeping the Taco for me. So I'd like to get the most out of my Tacoma. There are dozens of ultralight trailers that fall dry below 4500lbs but some reach 27-33ft in length, would those lengths affect towing as long as a good w/d and sway control hitch were being used? I don't expect my loaded weight to go beyond 5500lbs but I'm worried about length.

Also you made it sound as if hitch weight wasn't part of the tow weight. For instance if I had a trailer that weighed exactly 6500lbs and a tongue weight of 650lbs then I would be okay even though the trailer by itself would way 7150lbs. Is the tongue weight included with the payload on the truck and excluded from the trailer weight/axle weight? Thanks!

What do you mean by the weight question? If you parked the trailer on a scale and unhooked the truck it shouldn't exceed 6500 lbs. Even then, I heard several people not recommend towing that much frequently. The tongue weight of 650lbs mentioned before is the max weight the trailer should put on the truck, not that the trailer's tongue weighs an additional 650lbs.

Not being an expert, I would say length depends more on you and how comfortable you feel with towing a longer trailer, or where you're going with it. As long as it's under the 6500lbs, and distributes the weight so that it only puts a max of 650lbs of pressure on the truck's hitch you should be fine.

[supra90140]

OK ill look next time i think about it. And what does TSB stand for?

[piercedtiger]

Technical Service Bulletin. Like a recall, but they only do the work if you bring the truck into the dealership and complain about the problem addressed by the TSB.

[maverick491]

Originally Posted by jdubh

All this information is great but I have one big question for you...what is the max length of a trailer we should tow with a tacoma?

I really love camping and rving and I bought my Tacoma as an in between vehicle for the next 3-4 years until I can afford a dually as a dedicated TV, keeping the Taco for me. So I'd like to get the most out of my Tacoma. There are dozens of ultralight trailers that fall dry below 4500lbs but some reach 27-33ft in length, would those lengths affect towing as long as a good w/d and sway control hitch were being used? I don't expect my loaded weight to go beyond 5500lbs but I'm worried about length.

Also you made it sound as if hitch weight wasn't part of the tow weight. For instance if I had a trailer that weighed exactly 6500lbs and a tongue weight of 650lbs then I would be okay even though the trailer by itself would way 7150lbs. Is the tongue weight included with the payload on the truck and excluded from the trailer weight/axle weight? Thanks!

Tiger mostly covered it, but just to re-inforce what he said.

I wrote it up like I did to try to prove the point that everything you add to or put in a trailer effects all three weights, tongue weight, trailer weight, and GCVWR. Once you go over on any one of them it is a problem.

To use your example from above, if the trailer weighed exactly 6500lbs, then the trailer weighs exactly 6500lbs regardless of the tongue weight. The tongue weight is still a part of the trailer weight, and is not figured in with the payload of the truck. Payload of the truck is just what is physically in the truck, ie what's in the cab and what's in the bed.

To answer your other question as far as trailer length goes. So long as you are within your tow rating, tralier length really has no bearing as far as the safety of your truck goes. Now what trailer length does affect is your turning radius, your center of gravity, and your approach and departure angles. So depending on where you want to camp you may want to take some of that into consideration. For example, if you want to camp off the beaten track, and will need to haul your trailer down some trails that are in less than good repair, you run the risk of bottoming a longer trailer our and or high-centering it. So you'll want to take that into consideration when purchasing your trailer. The other thing you will want to consider is that the longer the trailer the more porpusing that you'll be asking the Weight Distribution and Sway Controll system to over-come, so your ride quality may suffer some with a longer trailer. This is just a personal comfort kind of thing though. Any good RV dealer will let you go out for a test tow. Take advantage of that and see if you are happy with how the truck handles the length, and make your decision from there.

[petersharp]

That's some great info there, thanks Maverick. I am in the market for a pair of rear view mirrors as I tow a wide pontoon boat, seems like I don't have to research it now!

Re the TSB for the extra leaf, is this something that the Toyota dealer will do free of charge if I whinge about it?

[petersharp]

Disregard, I saw the answer somewhere else on the forum. Thx.

[piercedtiger]

Short answer: yes. Long answer: you may need to whine A LOT. Or go to another dealership. Depends on how much that dealership likes doing warranty (free) work.

[jdubh]

Originally Posted by maverick491

To answer your other question as far as trailer length goes. So long as you are within your tow rating, tralier length really has no bearing as far as the safety of your truck goes. Now what trailer length does affect is your turning radius, your center of gravity, and your approach a