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I need your help guys! Will my truck pull this?

Discussion in '1st Gen. Tacomas (1995-2004)' started by Buckaroo1993, Mar 28, 2016.

  1. Mar 28, 2016 at 4:39 PM
    #1
    Buckaroo1993

    Buckaroo1993 [OP] Who?? ME??

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    17x9 HELO HE878 with Hankook RF10 DYNAPRO AT-M LT275/70R17 RCD/Billie's Front and Rear with OME 883's and HS Progressive AAL Resulting in 3"+ Lift LR SPC UCA'S Diff Drop K&N Cold Air Intake LED's Exterior/Interior
    I am looking at purchasing a camper that weighs 3700 lbs dry. I have a 2003 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD with 230,000 miles. The towing capacity of my truck is "rated" at 5000 lbs. I am sure that is based on a "new" truck or at least a truck with fewer miles. Stopping will not be an issue as it has electric brakes.

    So...do y'all think it will pull it?
     
  2. Mar 28, 2016 at 4:44 PM
    #2
    NMroamer

    NMroamer Well-Known Member

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    Two words come to mind. No way!!
    Would be hard on a new truck like yours.
     
  3. Mar 28, 2016 at 5:32 PM
    #3
    travelfeet

    travelfeet Well-Known Member

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    Lots of factors involved. What sort of terrain, are your shocks and brakes well maintained? How fast or far do you plan to go?
     
  4. Mar 28, 2016 at 7:20 PM
    #4
    CodeSeven

    CodeSeven LOC: 33.781461, -115.867251

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    does your truck have a towing package that's wired for trailer brakes?
     
  5. Mar 28, 2016 at 8:03 PM
    #5
    Buckaroo1993

    Buckaroo1993 [OP] Who?? ME??

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    Yes. Well it WILL be wired for trailer brakes and it WILL have a weight distributing hitch.
     
  6. Mar 28, 2016 at 8:07 PM
    #6
    Holy schmidt

    Holy schmidt Well-Known Member

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    Will it? Yes
    will it like it? No
     
  7. Mar 28, 2016 at 8:21 PM
    #7
    mtxsub

    mtxsub Well-Known Member

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    Come on you know you want a tundra. That baby will tow that trailer no problem.
     
  8. Mar 29, 2016 at 1:32 AM
    #8
    Wyoming09

    Wyoming09 Well-Known Member

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    It all comes down to the towing your truck will see.

    The truck can handle it but how often and how far is the question

    a few times going less then 100 miles or a grand adventure going thousands of miles

    going down Mountain passes in the Mountain West

    You also don`t say auto or manual at 230,000 miles will your auto trans holdup even with installing a cooler.

    The big question have you towed things this big and are comfortable with backing in tight spaces and making right turns in tight intersections

    My tow vehicle is my Ford F250 7.3
     
    Markcal likes this.
  9. Mar 29, 2016 at 6:11 AM
    #9
    Toyota4x46921

    Toyota4x46921 Well-Known Member

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    I pull a kayak trailer. Weighs maybe 350 with my kayak ... Feels like a damn ship anchor dragging behind me. Get shitty milage however the lake is about 3 miles from my house. I wouldn't pull it.. I have a 6 x 10 trailer too. I can definitely tell it's back there even empty.
     
  10. Mar 29, 2016 at 8:12 AM
    #10
    chowwwww

    chowwwww Well-Known Member

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    If you're not towing it far and often, I think it may be fine. I tow a 20ft skipjack boat that weighs about the same. Flat ground, no hills, and only about 10mi each way. Maybe tow it once every other month. Tows fine but I can really tell the boats back there. Make sure your brakes are good.
     
  11. Mar 29, 2016 at 9:16 AM
    #11
    Buckoma

    Buckoma Well-Known Member

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    As others have mentioned, a lot of variables to factor. It will range from "you're not doing your poor truck any favors" to catastrophic failure.
     
  12. Mar 29, 2016 at 9:16 AM
    #12
    neegdogdig

    neegdogdig Untrained with bad experiences go go go!

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    Too much weigh for the taco you need bigger truck or leave the trailer alone
     
  13. Mar 29, 2016 at 9:22 AM
    #13
    neverstuck

    neverstuck Well-Known Member

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    This, and this.

    You'll be fine. Make sure your truck is in good mechanical order, fluids are fresh, tires are good, and take your time. 3700 dry turns into 5000 pretty quick though once you load it up. You also have to consider how much weight and passengers you need to load into your truck and how that affects your towing limits.

    On ideal terrain, the towing limits are pretty conservative. On mountainous terrain, they're pretty liberal.
     
  14. Mar 29, 2016 at 4:48 PM
    #14
    68dave

    68dave Well-Known Member

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    Toytec Boss kit & OME leafs, 231mm tundra brakes SCS wheels...
    I tow a 2500lb Casita fiberglass camper with my 04 taco 4x4 v6/manual trans. Been out Mid-West, down South & up North. I stay in the right lane right at the posted speed limit. I do have to downshift into 4th sometimes when in the mountains but i just take my time. It surprised me how well it handles my camper & gear. I did upgrade my front brakes to the much larger 231mm tundra brakes, that was a huge improvement when towing. I also wired it for trailer brakes. You might want to upgrade to a bigger truck or do what i did and down grade to a smaller/lighter camper.
     
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  15. Mar 29, 2016 at 5:57 PM
    #15
    Buckoma

    Buckoma Well-Known Member

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    Similar. I towed a 2500lb boat around for 4-5 years, sometimes up moderate inclines. It did pretty well all things considered... the biggest issue being a fairly long stopping distance (no trailer brakes). I would not want to consistently pull any more than that though.
     
  16. Mar 30, 2016 at 7:24 AM
    #16
    Hansel

    Hansel Well-Known Member

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    If you have an automatic transmission, I would recommend changing to synthetic ATF for any towing.
     
  17. Mar 30, 2016 at 3:42 PM
    #17
    keakar

    keakar Well-Known Member

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    well without getting into the specifics where others have already told you its not recommended, the old rule of thumb comes to mind when anyone asks "Will my truck pull this?" and that answer is: "if you have to ask, then no it cant handle it"

    people only think of towing something in terms of being able to move something and slow it down, but that is a far cry from the real things to consider like being able to "safely" stop that load in an emergency stop situation or quickly accelerate with that load in order to avoid an accident.

    these trucks are only designed for hauling 100-200lbs in the bed or pulling (at most) small 8-10ft utility or flatboat trailers and the brakes are pathetic even for that
     
  18. Mar 30, 2016 at 4:01 PM
    #18
    Kaerntner

    Kaerntner Well-Known Member

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    Really?Are you serious?
     
  19. Mar 30, 2016 at 4:13 PM
    #19
    oldtoyotaguy

    oldtoyotaguy Well-Known Member

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    It will do it. If it's in good condition it won't hurt it. I pull an aluminum slant load horse trailer with one horse in it with mine for a total trailer weight of under 5000lbs. My truck is rated for a 6400lb trailer with the tow package. It's not a problem because I take it easy. The truck feels the load, but it's tough. I pulled two horses with a 1980 Hilux 4X4 back in the day that had a 20R motor. It had 250k on it and never even burned oil.
     
  20. Mar 30, 2016 at 6:03 PM
    #20
    DSMJRV

    DSMJRV Well-Known Member

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    justin
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    get a properly wired brake controller, and crank up the weight distribution hitch until the truck sits level... don't fill it with water until you are within 10mi of your destination...

    with 230k some new shocks and leafs will do wonders... i assume its a 3.4, but even so, if you live in the rocky mountains or some place like that then you should get a bigger truck
     

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