Towing With the Taco

4130

 

It amazes me all the people that say they can’t tow anything with their Tacoma. I tow my 24’ camper with no problems. I tow a 10’ enclosed trailer with my tools and sometimes materials in with no problem.

 

People don't understand how this truck works. Turn on ECT, let the engine work at 3500 rpms or wherever. It's actually going to be harder on the engine if you have it lugging in low rpm space. This engine just makes power in the higher rpm band.... let it work there.

I towed a 3500lb popup the other day and my truck pulled it fine. I pull my Honda Foreman on a small utility trailer and it works fine.

I will say if you are going to regularly tow heavier weights, I'd get trailer brakes and a good weight distribution hitch going.

 

Couldn’t agree more. I have a p3 controller installed it works great. I have a manual transmission so I have a little bit more control but nun the less let that engine work.

 

Nice to read these last 2 posts...

This engine makes peak torque @4600rpm.....

Let it work, let it rev. Give it fuel to make the power, and let it run....

Dont buy a Tacoma TO tow.. mistake.

It's a good all around platform that CAN tow.

If you're that critical of towing, get a large displacement engine, or a diesel.

Just my 2 pennies...

Chase

 

Maybe I don't set the bar high but I have a PJ 16' utility trailer that's around 1500lb and haul my deere 2305 thats around 3000lb or 2 ton gravel and I use 4th gear keep it out of overdrive and have P2 brake controller and it tows fine by me.
I do have a 2nd generation tacoma if that makes a differance.

Doug

 

s4 and ect mode like the manual states and it will help. 5th and 6th gears are OD. This engine is high reving. 2500 maybe if your on flat ground with a tail wind, other than that let it rev and accept your fuel milage will suck like with all trucks and towing. also accept it will not handle the same. not necessarily poorly but definitely differently.

FYI boat is about 2,800 lbs with fuel and gear plus 4-5 adults in the cab.
Rzr and bikes plus gear about 1,700 lbs and then add 4 adults in the cab.

tow both no issues. even up the cajon pass in socal.

 

You need to be higher in the power band. When climbing (depending on the grade) I'm typically between 3000 and 4500 RPM. 2500 is great for cruising but doesnt make enough power to climb much of anything.

The biggest thing is just learning how the truck performs and shifting early before you've started to slow down and lost your momentum. The MT tows MUCH better than the auto due to the gearing.

 

I just towed my 3900 lb sailboat, trailer and 2 weeks worth of gear over 1400 miles. Did fine. I averaged about 12 mpg going 70 mph most of the time. Going past 70 was like hitting a wall with all the wind resistance on a tall hulled boat. I used ETC and cruise. It was annoying shifting sometimes. But then it always is.

 

Found this thread. I'm going to be flat towing my 1993 Jeep Wrangler across country, from NC to AZ. This is a one time thing unless we move back in 3-5 years. I'm glad I did some searching because I've flat towed it around town and it was OK. Of course, I wasn't in the high rpm range. It won't be ideal flat towing a Wrangler on 35's but it will get the job done.

Anyone flat tow their jeep with the Taco?

 

Im looking to buy a boat .... lookin at a ranger 19’ aluminum bay Roughly 4000lbs boat and trailer is this doable??

 

I regularly tow a 24’ travel trailer, 19’ bayliner, and a small utility trailer with my taco with no problems whatsoever. I use a brake controller and wdh with the travel trailer. Also, I have the SSP and use ect all the time. I guess I don’t get the complaints about towing light loads (under 5,000 lbs), but I have a decent amount of towing experience.

 

I think some of us got a "hot" tow hungry unit when got our trucks!! Ha...it really is about, expectations and education. Any time one is trying to make it or thinking it should, drive same as when unloaded just is not deep in towing experlence. In the past year I sold a GMC dually that seemed to groan pulling a ton or Eight ton about the same! Not an indication of issues its just difficult to "gently tow" no matter the weight. So what i dip into single digits in MPGS with 3900 lbs behind me. I am not yanking the weight or stopping suddenly at each sign etc. i am just using this motor to tow what its more than cable of doing.

With above said, I do think many make the mistake of buying or relying on a trailer that is to heavy and eats up a third of your tow capability before even loading an ATV cooler, not to even mention the 1400 hundred lb. desert runner coming on next.
If towing often with these, aluminum is your friend (a costly friend but one you might have to bite the bullet on). Their lower weight allows more toys, boxes and other items to go against your GVWR. A good thing.

 

You guys who don't enjoy towing these light loads with the Tacoma need to get over yourselves. 2000 pounds of snow mobiles on a flat trailer is absolutely nothing, especially with your manual. Tow something that makes real wind drag before you start complaining.

Go buy something bigger to tow with or change your expectations.

 

Holy sheeet! You win.

 

We tow this (4,500lbs loaded). It’s not amazing, and a bigger truck would obviously be better. But it does fine. I monitor trans temps and they have been fine, even in hilly areas. The tow rating IS 6,400lbs for our model - so we’re around 70% of that number. I wouldn’t want to be much higher than that. Gas mileage is anywhere from 9.0 to 11.5 depending on wind, terrain, and speed. Point being - you should be fine. I wouldn’t want to tow this trailer in the mountains with this truck though.

 

Knew when I ordered this truck that it as some one else put it "it is not made to tow, but it can tow". Mine is a 4 cyl 5 spd and the biggest thing I tow is a 16 foot runabout with 2 motors and a canvas top. I don't know what it weights, but I know it is back there for sure. She does OK at 60 in 4th and will get over 20 mpg doing it. That said, glad I got the 4 and not the 6 but I sure wouldn't want to tow anything in the mountains with it.

 

I have a 2017 TRD OR and regularly pull a pop up camper that is coming in at ~3,000 lbs. (I have installed a brake controller.)
Last summer, I pulled from Memphis, TN to Columbus, OH and averaged 15-16 mpg running 65-70 mph. (My former 2006 TRD OR was about the same.) I run with ECT on and limit it to 5th gear.

The transmission liked to downshift a LOT in hilly areas, BUT I just had the latest TSB done for shifting issues and have noticed a tremendous difference in how it acts. I am pulling the pop up on a 3 1/2 hour trip next weekend to Arkansas and am anxious to see how it does.

 

Anyone towing with a manual? I tow my Casita and my truck pulls it very well but some times if starting uphill from a stop ,say from a stop sign or something, if the hill is steep enough when I rev the engine and let off the clutch the rpms drop way down and I may have to slip the clutch a lot to get moving. Some hills on gravel road campground I have had to burn a bit of the clutch to get the thing moving. Any suggestions from you more experienced manual tow guys?

 

That's just the way it is. It's like that with every manual, even dump trucks. Try to limit the amount of "slip" you do (really hard on the clutch) and avoid those situations if you can. I'd rather spin the tires a bit then ride the clutch.