My experience towing with a 1st Gen

Speak for yourself. My truck leafs candle upwards of 1,500 bed load, like it's noting.

 

I've towed from little flat bed trailers with a single bike to 30' campers and boats to 25'. I've used everything from old jeep yj's to 1 ton trucks. Everything is capable, within its limits. The taco limits are pretty low. If you slow everything down you can raise them up a but the first Gen tacomas are fairly poor tow vehicles.

 

When adding on more weight yes the motor has to work a little harder, therefore it takes in more gas.

 

All trucks have strenghts and weaknesses. Sure, I modded my truck, so as to turn it into a more capable tow vehicle. It's easier and cheaper to turn a high quality, durable and dependable truck, into a proper tow vehicle, than to turn a turd into a high quality, durable and dependable vehicle.

 

Are you running larger tires without a re-gear? That will affect your power although it doesn't explain your mileage. If you're towing at 75mph though, that's pretty fast. I tow a pop up like yours and when I go 75, my mileage is about the same as yours. If I slow down it gets better.

 

No, no oversized tires (265/65r17's). Wasn't towing at 75mph. 65mph was about the max with the boat behind. I did run 75 on the trip up and got about 20.5 mpg though.

 

Mine sees regular towing duty. My M416 weighs nothing and can handle 1500+ in the trailer. Truck doesn't even know it is there. Hauled a 16 ft enclosed car trailer when I moved several years ago, full to the gills and no issues. Same with a 6x12 UHaul when i moved 2 years ago. Even hauled one of those in the 4x4 zone in Carova in the Outer Banks with 2500lbs of food and catering gear for a party several years ago. I'm planning on buying an R-Pod in the next year or so. That's under 2800 lbs dry, and should be solid if not slow behind the truck.

Having a manual transmission is crucial to getting the most out of the V6 in the first gens, though. The automatic just robs power. I would never consider towing with my old 4R- the 3.Slow with the auto was a dog.

 

Toyota actually gave the auto Tacos a higher tow rating, than the 5 speeds. And the outer banks, are as pancake flat as my hometown of Tampa. Try towing 2,000 lbs with a 5 speed Gen 1 Taco here in CO, let's see how far you'll get!

 

Flat as a board and sandy as hell. Hauling a trailer in sand is a horse of a different feather. Snow, too. Done both, and though I wish I was hauling with a bigger truck, it did it.

Not sure where you saw a different rating for the auto vs manual transmissions. Only difference I know of on ratings was the 4cyl was 3500, the 6cyl was 5000, but the S-Runner was only 3500 in the v6. Have a link?

 

Ask and it shall be given.

Unfortunately, the link doesn't show that the 5,000 lbs tow rating is for the trucks with factory installed tranny coolers. Which of course was only available with auto trucks.

http://www.new-cars.com/2002/toyota/toyota-tacoma-specifications.html

 

Roger that, thanks. Same page, better break down for my year... http://www.new-cars.com/2004/toyota/toyota-tacoma-specs.html

Since as you said the tow pkg was only on autos, that totally makes sense. Still, 3500lbs is awful low.

Stupid question, but is there an option to install a trans cooler on a 5MT?

 

I've seen them on race cars, but I have no clue on trucks. Though my truck is daily, my love and passion go to my Miata, for canyon carving and time trial purposes.

This I can say though, better aftermarket leaf springs, and Tundra front brakes, make towing A LOT easier!

 

Upgrade the brakes for everyday driving. Or at least change those old rubber brakes hoses to steel. They wear and braking is lost. I rarely tow and upgraded my brakes for better performance, wow, I feel so much safer.

 

I have stainless lines. Absolutely amazing the difference between the stainless lines and the rubber OEM. Truck is due for a brake job this spring, looking very likely that I'll upgrade to Tundra brakes then. When I did the last full brake job it was the week before the Outer Banks trip hauling that trailer in the sand. Was January and colder than a well digger's ass, so i had a local shop do it for me. Didn't feel like laying on my back in the driveway doing a brake job...

Suggestions on a good leaf upgrade? Add-a-Leaf?

I may wind up pulling the trigger and finally replacing the OEM TRD gear with an OME kit come spring as well. 134K miles and 13 years+ since it rolled off the showroom floor...

 

I've heard that the reason they do that is the likelihood of driver error with a clutch. Since auto's have no clutch, you're not gonna burn up the clutch while towing. I also live in CO, but have yet to do any real towing, just adding my two cents.

 

^ No, no add-a-leaf. Add-a-leaf, is to lift the truck for better clearance, but it won't help jack with towing. Also, the leafs on my TRD, were SHOT by 100K miles. I replaced mine @ 120K miles, and it was literally night and day. Do your homework, here in Taco World, must have read hundreds of leafs threads! I found a place that was here in CO, who made the leafs like I wanted them. My leafs are good for 7K lbs tow, or 1,500 in bed.