The Tacoma Towing Bible

Well not the answer I was looking for. BUT I dont to be unsafe either. Was actually going to get the AIR LIFT bags as well. Any recommendations on a safer weight I should stick too? And how well does your Taco tow the 5K?

 

Bags and stuff won't increase your tow capacity but they will help you to have a nicer ride when you're fully loaded. I actually added a set of Roadmaster Active Suspension springs to my truck because I didn't want the harsher ride of AAL's. That said my truck does pretty good with the load considering I also carry my wife and two small kids. Grades are a bit slow but that's expected from any truck carrying close to it's max load. I've never really had a problem with squat and with a good WD hitch everything is nice and level. My trips are usually under 250 miles one way though and I've been seriously looking into a Tundra or F250 since the kids are getting older and more "cross country" trips are in order. I know people have done long trips with trailers as big as mine but I just don't feel comfortable going realy long distances.... not to mention the gas tank is small and it would be constantly filling up every 175 miles anyway (10mpg). Personal opinion here but if you tow infrequently like I do (seasonal) then the Tacoma does really well. If you do a lot more though I would say smaller trailer or bigger truck. I've got 101000 miles on my truck now but just under 5000 miles of towing so for me it's been a great combination the past 5 years.

 

Anyone know the hitch height on a new 2010 v6 double cab with tow package? I dont have the truck yet, but want to get a WD hitch and shank and need to know how long of a shank I need. The Hitch ball height on our trailer is 18".

 

They are adjustable. I have the Reese WD hitch up to 10,000 lbs. The shank is probably a foot long. I use a 2" Reese drop hitch for smaller trailers and they sit fairly level.

 

Towing a 350lb motorcycle and the weight of the trailer:
http://www.mototote.com/motorcycle-carriers-us/mototote-mtx-m3-motorcycle-carrier-us.html
NOTE - I have a slightly older model, might have a little bit more trailer weight to it...

All of this in my 2003 Tacoma Access Cab, with the smaller engine... thus giving me a max tongue weight of 350 lbs.

I do have a class III hidden hitch, but I am exceeding the numbers for the truck by the weight of the trailer.

Please help, I need to know if I'm going to sell this trailer back by today/tomorrow.

Best,
Bergstar

 

I dunno if I'd trust that thing with my motorcycle, but that is more of a reflection on the bike rack looking thing than on the weight capacity of the truck. I think the truck will be fine with it, it's up to you how you feel about the rig itself. I know that my hitch mounted bike rack can get swaying pretty good with just the weight of the rack and 2 27 pound mountain bikes, and that is significantly less weight than you are talking about carrying.

Regards,
Adam

 

I guess that's a fair assessment of the situation. The motorcycle is actually a scooter (albeit a pretty large scooter).

The older model is also significantly more rugged looking than the one they currently offer. The weight limit for the trailer itself is much higher than the weight of the bike and when I rolled it up on there today felt pretty confident, but was worried about the truck's suspension, etc.

I'm going to probably buy the tie downs tomorrow and actually do a test drive around the block, should be interesting to say the least.

 

When I went to the web site it showed a motorcycle carrier and not a trailer. Are you asking about a trailer or a carrier? If a carrier then you are exceeding the tongue weight of your truck.
BTW, Harbor Freight has an aluminum carrier for about $129. I have one for my pit bikes on my 2002 Tacoma Reg cab. That carrier has a clamping system that takes care of the wobbling.
You might consider a small trailer for your 350 lb bike.

 

would you recommend the drawtite activator 3 if i do tow but only a couple times a month?

 

Hello all, I have a wiring harness dilemma that has plagued me for 3 years now. I have an 07 Access Cab, I4 2.7, 2WD. I had a Class III hitch and 7 plug wiring harness installed after market at a local shop where many of family/friends have had good experiences. I have been having issues with the controller module. I tow a Glastron SX 195 (3000lbs) twice a year (20 miles each way) to where the boat is dry docked. My truck is never used to put the trailer in water, only for towing two and from dock/storage. I have had to return to the installation outfit 4 times as the controller module has blown fuses, burned up and now only right turns signals fail. Each time the installer has told me that I require a heavier duty module. I have upgraded three times to what is now the "top of the line" controller which has failed again (right turn signal issue verified on two trailers and another tow vehicle tested the trailers). Before I contact the installer again is this a common issue with Tacomas or is it an installation issue? I have wired my own fog lights/car stereo and I am an electronic technician with 20 years experience so I know I can wire this myself but now that I have spent the money I want the installer to fix this. Has anyone experienced these issues? I was on a vacation in SC the last time my lights failed and I had to drive to Walmart to get a pair of dikes and actually cut the feed wires to the control module so I could replace the fuse and continue on. I am giving the installer one more shot (haven't called him yet) but wanted to throw this out to the forum to see if there is a gotcha with these installs. Sloppy work or module/model issues?

Thanks for your input.

 

great post and learned a lot. Question though, I ripped my 7 pin harness off while off-roading last year. I wrapped it in a bag and stuffed it in the bumper over winter. I would like to fix it now, is there any way to re-locate it into the bumper? Like, next to the license plate?

 

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/technical-chat/4838-cheap-free-mods-2.html#post45560

 

I purchased a Manual trans 06 sr5 4x4. The truck has an aftermarket hitch welded to it. I already installed the wiring harness but had another issue. Does anyone know if the 4x4 sr5 came with a factory oil cooler? I just noticed that the factory towing package has this, but thought that maybe it was standard on the 4x4's. Seems feasible...any input?

 

Check under the oil filter. Without going out to check, I think there's 2 lines under the filter that run to the oil cooler in front of the main radiator.

 

Oil cooler is only available with the tow package, no matter what driveline or trim level.
You could add it, But if I recall, the parts alone from Toyota are grossly expensive.

 

I can't say I had the same problem but a bad install can cause a lot of stuff to go bad. All the wiring issues I have had, have been from my Trailer and not the truck FWIW. This install for a boat, is only for lights though.. it has surge brakes.. doesn't it?

 

Thanks, I'll check asap.

So is it really worth it? I think the added PS cooler is ridiculous and definitely not needed. (since when does towing something increase the temp of your PS fluid. If anything it has to work less with the weight being taken off the front from the load in the back) And trans is null in my situation, but I could see the oil cooler possibly being needed.

 

That depends statistically or rationally.
Statistically, the oil will run hotter when towing a load, especially on hills or longer hauls. Your trailer rating is still 3500# per the manufacturer no matter what you add after it's built. Under 3500# your GTG no matter.

Rationally, if you intended purpose is to use in town towing moderate (3500-4000#) loads, despite what other may say, you will be alright. Just calculate in the duration of the trips with moderate to heavy loads (4001-6500+) and determine if your working the engine in hills, don't forget A/C in hot weather or longer (50 miles or more is what I consider) durations.

As for options, there are good aftermarket kits out there that are 1/3 the cost of the OEM. If you fall under the top of the moderate to heavy load category, oil cooler (OEM or aftermarket) is essentially required as well as a trailer brake system, HD flasher, higher output alternator to run trailer lighting and electric trailer brakes, and a HD battery that can take the loads.

I'm not saying your Tacoma can't handle towing heavy loads (it will), just the longevity of the vehicle will increase with the added features you get from a towing package or getting the upgrades yourself.

 

Thanks for the input. the most I toe on a regular basis is about 2,000lbs. So I am good to go. If I ever toe more than that It is the rare car trailer with one car. And that is no more than 300 miles one way. That would be pushing at around 3500 to 5000lbs depending on the vehicle. But like i said, that is rare and far between. I may look into the oil cooler for the peace of mind though.

 

exactly what im looking, for thanks!