Help better towing?

I think you probably would need to select the gears manually unless it has a towing mode (not sure, don't have an auto). The problem the manual has is that since the motor has no torque below 1800rpms - if you have to stop facing up a steep hill in traffic or at a light it's very hard on the clutch to have to rev to 2k and slip it with a 6k load on the back. Having the auto would completely alleviate that even if the slightly better gearing on the manual lets it accel a little quicker it's really not going to be much.

For me, I'm trying to solve a way to get 2LO by dropping out the front axle lock after I put it in 4LO so when I'm in holiday traffic under 25 stop/go I can just drive around in lo range w/o murdering my clutch with a death of 1000 cuts.

 

I'm so tired of this Minivan motor garbage..... This engine has more going for it than the engines that used to pull these loads all day long.... Drive a box stock 305 half ton Chevrolet from the 80s.... this truck will pull circles around it engine wise.

 

thule should use this picture to advertise their roof racks,
but then that might be a little false advertising.

 

It's a boat trailer electric brakes and water are not friendly. Most heavier boat trailers have hydraulic surge brakes on the hitch.

 

Nice Truck and boat. Great comments, walterj. I never worry about mileage when my truck is working. Its the cost of having it do a job for you. I love Sea Rays and used a 23'bow rider this past summer up on Georgian Bay. Maybe I'll have to buy one, and give my Taco another trailer to haul. haha.

 

Manual trans I hauled my 23foot Mariah DX 5500LBS + Gear no issue. I'd live with it.

 

I do this when towing a 5500 pound boat. Yes, the truck lacks power for towing but it still works great.

I find myself in ECT and S 3/4 most of the time. We have lots of hills around here.

 

Thanks! It's a pretty sweet boat for being 20 years old in the coming spring. I've got some plans to take her up your way about 250 miles east of Georgian Bay in the Rideau Lakes. My family used to have a place on Bob's Lake near Westport, ON back when I was a kid and I have fond memories of tooling around in an old jeep Cherokee and skiing behind an old pea green open bow tri-hull. I need to take the Sea Ray out there on a little trip back in time. Like everything else - it's probably all built up and unrecognizable but it's still a way to spend a weekend on the water.

 

little friendly FYI. The S mode on an auto just sets the highest gear so no need to be constantly shifting it, 5th and 6th gear are OD thats why you shouldn't tow in them and use S mode to set it to 4th. Also ECT is exactly the same as tow/haul mode on any other truck. Toyota just calls it ECT.

Now to contribute to the thread I tow my boat over 300 miles up some pretty good grades with no issues and dont even feel it back there. albeit its only ~2000 LBS and is a feather compared to the OP's.


But larger tires, even if just slightly, kill torque. Even without towing anything you can feel a difference sometimes. So maybe get a set for just towing and dont be afraid to mash the pedal. The engine thrives in the high RMP range. that's where all the torque and power is.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/need-to-regear-nitro-gear-axle-gb.514604/#post-16226885

 

Thanks for the slushbox terminology education. That boat looks like a load of fun, and immaculately clean.

 

Shoulda bought a Prinsu!

 

So you saying s4 best for towing and s5 and s6 OD...so s4 with ect together is good way to go?

 

Yes.
and its not just me saying that, its whats in the owners manual

 

That's how I pull my 20-ft camper trailer -about 4500 lbs fully loaded with gear and people up about a 4-5 percent grade to our local mountain sites. We also go out to the desert- 55 or so max on the highway, but could go faster if I wanted without pushing it too hard.

 

I will have to try that way...

 

Yes sir

 

How come s5 and s6 is OD? I don’t get it...

 

ford f450 will get the job done

 

that allows it to shift into 5th and 6th gear. Both are over drive gears in our trucks for fuel economy reasons. S6 is no different than being in Drive. S mode limits the highest gear the transmission can shift to. You do not want to tow in over drive unless you want to destroy your tranny. Your fuel mileage will suck being in 3rd and 4th gear the whole time but it is what it is.