The Tacoma Towing Bible

Maverick491, amazing job!!!

As a newbe on towing, this was incredibly helpful.

I'm purchasing an airstream, but before I do I'm educating myself on towing, so this was helpful. I will be using the airstream to live in while at school, so I will only be moving it twice a year, once to Seattle and then once back to Lake Chelan when I come back after the school year.

I have an '06 Tacoma with TRD package and purchasing a '68 30ft Airstream.

Towing Specs:
Tacoma:6,500 lbs.
Tongue weight: 650 lbs.

Airstream Specs:
Total weight: 4995
Hitch weight: 520
Length: 31ft

I have a lot of concerns as a newbe.

Can my Tacoma comfortably pull this (30ft rv) over two mountain passes? It's a 3.5 hour drive.

The airstream doesn't have brakes, how concern should I be about this? Makes me a little nervous coming down the passes with no breaks, but the ones on my truck.

I will get the most sophisticated sway bar you mentioned, 'cause it can get windy and I want to be/feel safe on the road. I'll get the trany cooler as well.

Should I think about using my mother's '04 Sequoia instead? Although it's a V-8, I think I read my Tacoma has a higher (200 lbs more) towing capacity.

 

Greetings from Nevada City, CA. I tried to read all 28 pages of this thread, honest! I've looked at the ID plates and read the owner's manuals, and here is my dilemma:

I am looking at buying a '99 Airstream Safari, 25ft long, with a GVWR of 6300. It has two axles. The Airstream manual says it has a hitch weight of 680lbs. My '99 Gen1 Tacoma has the V6 engine, Xtra Cab (the seat and window behind the passenger seats?) , 4WD and 5 spd manual trans.

My owner's manual indicates that I cannot exceed a total (truck + trailer) weight of 9000 lbs. I consider the truck to weigh between 4000 unloaded, up to 5100 fully loaded, and the Airstream to weigh between 4900 and 6300 Doesn't it appear that I am over the Combined weight limit by 1000 to 2000 pounds?

Does this matter, and if so how much? The Airstream comes with a Weight Distribution Hitch and arms, 4 drum electric brakes, and I could buy sway control equipment. I have good/average trailering skills, which mainly means thinking ahead and slowing down enough to be safe.

I could reduce the trailer's weight significantly by removing one of the 10 gal propane tanks, carrying little or no water, etc.

Thanks for any ideas or advice-- Walter

 

My Setup
2011 quad cab TRD
6 cyl
2x drive
tow package
Direclink brake controller
Roadmaster active suspension kit
Equal-izer WD and sway control Hitch
I pull an 2011 19 ft Airstream Bambi.
No problems even in crosswinds
gas mileage is 10 mpg though.

My guess is you guys will want smaller Airstreams or Bigger Trucks

 

I have come up with a general rule for my '99 V6 Tacoma: 19ft trailers seem to fit the weight limit of 9000lbs Combined GVWR. What I don't get, however, is how folks in the 50s and 60s were able to pull even bigger trailers with common low-powered passenger cars!

 

You're towing near (to over) capacity*, with no trailer brakes, over mountain passes?

It's not a matter of how concerned you should be. It's more a matter of, you are going to die, now how many other people are you going to take with you?


(* Slightly under, if tow package equipped and you put nothing else in the trailer and have no cargo.)
(**Yes I'm being snarky. You need to retrofit that trailer with adequate brakes, no question about it.)

 

No. No. No. No

 

Old Fat Guy is the voice of your conscience, saying to avoid going on a foolish suicide mission. I think a 30 ft. Airstream is going to be way, way, way too heavy. Without trailer brakes, well for sure, you will become suddenly acquainted with the grim reaper. Here are some wonderful trailers specifically designed to be pulled by SUVs and small pickups with a V6 engine: http://escapetrailer.com/Products.aspx

I want the 5.0.

 

do you have any idea what will happen to you if you get pulled over? if a patrolman or dept. of motor vehicles stops you, they can impound the trailer and truck. and if you give them any lip impound you. I have heard stories of people getting one ticket after another to teach them a lesson. do not do it.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA7-Y7eqNw8

 

Quick question since it seems you know what your talking about! I have a 2008 4L manual 4x4 towing 2,500 lbs of waverunners (including gas, oil, trailer and storage box). When pulling them up the boat ramp, out of the water, would you recommend keeping the truck in 2wd, 4L or 4H??

 

2wd, unless you are losing traction. Then I would use 4h.

 

Adam, thanks for the work you did to compile the towing information. I am sure that I will be rereading many times over the next months. I have an '07, 4x4 TRD Offroad w Towing Package and 6500# towing capacity, short bed and dual cab. I'm considering two trailers. One trailer has a 4770 GVWR while the second has a 5743 GVWR. The first trailer is a very nice trailer, but the heavier trailer has more space and comfort features. But, I'm concerned with the extra weight. Although "compliant" from a specifications standpoint, I will be towing from my location in northern NM to mountainous areas in CO, UT and the northwest. Assuming that the trailer is properly set up as you have suggested, I don't want to find myself "not having fun" while towing near the limits for long distances. Thoughts on this very subjective topic?

 

Thanks for this, I don't know how I missed this for the last two years.

 

Yes the Taco will pull it but it will not stop it!!!!

If you going to pull something like that with out brakes you should be using a truck that has the brakes to stop it, say 3/4 ton or greater. I have been pulling for some years now and I would not do what you are considering, great hitch or not. It should be noted that in most states trailers brakes are required for trailers over 1500-2000 lbs. Get the brakes working on the trailer or install some if they are non-existent. If you pull a rig that heavy w/o brakes in a Taco, which weighs 4200#, and you are coming down a good grade you will be like the tail wagging the dog and you could jack knife and seriously injury yourself or others. Now injuring or killing yourself is okay with me that is your choice, it's the others you may take out with you that concerns me.

Be safe, be smart and do it right the first time. Get a bigger truck and brakes or have someone haul it for you.

Good luck

 

You should be getting a bigger truck to haul either of those rigs. You will max out the Taco very quickly once you get your rig loaded. I have been pulling my 4500# rig with my Taco for a year now and it is okay in the flats and rolling hills but once I hit the bigger climbs the 4.0 is working . The hardest thing for the Taco is the wind resistance. I can pull a 6000# flatbed with no problem and get 14mpg as well, once I put the travel trailer on the wind resistance takes it toll on the truck. I am now looking at a a full size 1/2 ton to ease the pulling and to add comfort to the longer runs. The Taco is a great little truck but after a couple of hundred mile hauling a heavy rig is starts to show it weaknesses for long hauling. It just becomes uncomfortable driving.

Be safe, be smart, do the research before hauling a heavy load.

 

All: Thank you for your helpful replies. I think that I misled you on several of the numbers that I gave you. However, I don't think the overall summary will change. Rather than use the worse case max trailer weight of either 4770 (Trailer #1) or 5743 (Trailer #2), I started with the trailer dry weights of 3383 and 4311 and added in the fluids, etc. Here are those numbers:

Tongue Weight's: 510 o 710. The 710 number is over the max prescribed tongue weight of 650 UNLESS I keep a spare battery in the truck bed. That's not really an option I want to do.

GCVWR's: 9201 or 10129. Barely OK for the larger trailer

Max Towing's: 4206 or 5134. Both are OK, but...

As some of you have indicated, throw some wind and grade into the mix and both trailers, especially #2, are too heavy to enjoy.

If anyone thinks that Trailer #1 would be OK, please chime in. Thanks again for all of your help.

 

Thanks much for this well detailed thread on an important topic. Well done

 

Thats the #1 reason for a pop up! We (family of 4) just rented one and pulled it over a 8500ft pass no problem. i got 16mpg including the mtn roads and some 4 wheelin. 5th gear on the flat hwy no problem. It was a 17ft Starcraft that folded out to 24ft (king and queen beds) approx 3000lb loaded without water. It was so much fun we're in the market to buy one. Going up the mtn you knew it was there but not too bad. as some have said I just shifted gears manually and the temp guage never moved. All in all if you going to pull 5000lb + regularly I would get a full size V8.

 

One thing I would like to ad that I learned from my uncle who started building tag-a-longs in 1965 is that the "stance" as he put is of the truck is important.
The width of the truck, its wheelbase, and how wide its tires are(and how many, single rear or duel) all ad into the towing equation.
If you are pulling a 22-30 foot camper trailer and at the max it might only weigh 4500 pounds that is still alot of mass behind you, that is why people are concerned if you get into a dangerous situation, wind, rain, have a blowout, that the truck wont be able to control the load anymore.
He used to always preach to me that there is a tremendous difference, and it might not seem like much on paper, but on the road if you have a heavy duty or full size truck, compared with a medium duty truck, how well it will grip and stay gripped to the pavement.

 

10-4 on the pop up or the hi-lo type travel trailers that lower for traveling.