newbie towing ????

I am looking at buying a 2006 tacoma quad cab with a towing package on it already. I already have a camper which will weigh about 5500 pounds and the tongue wt of 980. From what i have read i should be good with the 5500 wt of the trailer the only thing that worries me is the tongue wt of this trailer. I already plan on getting the antisway, wdh and the brake controller for it. WIll i be good with this setup or should i get the tundra.

 

Frankly, and this is just my rules for towing, I wouldn't hitch up more than 75% of my capacity; just for the head room on hills, strain and stress, etc. Your at 77%, assuming this is a pretty good all up weight. The ant-sway and WDH are an absolute in my book.

However, if you are considering a tundra anyway, why not ?? There is absolutely no substitute for horsepower when towing. In addition the Tundra will probabley run more efficiently as it is using a much lesser percent of its available power to do the job. The creature comforts in the Tundra are better also.

 

you need airbags with that much weight

 

You would be much more comfortable towing that kind of weight with a full size. Not to say the Tacoma isn't capable, just not the best option if you've got the choice. That's a heavy tongue weight, how big of a trailer is it (just curious)? Also, how frequently do you plan on towing this thing around and what kind of distances? That could make a big difference also.

 

Ill be towing this pop up trailer http://www.boatnrv.com/-used-2005-fleetwood-scorpion-vid70207475-p4245b

I live in savannah, ga and will be towing it at least once a month and one trip to wisconson to go fishing. Thank you for all you replies. I am also looking at a tundra too. Just like the 4 wheel drive on the tacoma

 

If your going to tow with the Tacoma why not invest in a weight distribution hitch, that would take care of the tongue weight issue.

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/prod...F11-907B-002219318F67&mr:referralID=NA&rid=10

I have towed heavy trailers, my last had a tongue weight of over 1200 lbs, the hitch worked great, along with my Dodge and the Cummings diesel, but to be honest I think a bigger truck with more hp is in order.

 

I'm jealous! That tow hauler is awesome! The good thing is it's low and you won't get a lot of drag. Like I said before, it'll tow much easier behind the larger truck, not only because of of the additional power but the wider stance, longer wheelbase and additional weight of the tow vehicle.

 

twfsa i had a truck like that but an unfornunate accident took it out and insurance isnt paying crap for it i miss that truck

I have one more question for you all. Do i need a anti sway on this trailer since it has dual axles on it

 

Yes, definitely not a bad investment, especially with the Tacoma. If you were towing with a larger vehicle I'd say test it once then make the decision. The tandem axle trailers still sway just as well as a single.

 

I dont know if you bought that trailer yet but what the msrp is you should look around there is a dealer out of Iowa on ebay that has one very similar but need Id say bigger and nicer for 11300 under the toyhauler section. The dry weight on it is 3200 without toys. I have been reserching these things for a long time and that is the best trailer by far it is a BR28TSC I think it is a Rockwood. I would imagine if you take trips to WS you wouldnt have a problem traveling. Google the BR28TSC and it will come up you can look at weight and all and if you look at ebay you can see 70 or so pics of it. Maybe you can find a dealer around you that could match it. Good luck and I am going to get one in the spring and am totally comfortable towing it with my Taco as compared to some of the other campers Ive seen people towing on this site that would make me want to pull off the road if I saw them coming or blast by them

 

silver 10
I paid no where near the price thats on the website an i got a 2 year warranty. Plus i like this trailer i dont have to unload the back to set up the pup.

 

Cool its a sweet pop up I just thought if you were looking at buying it at that price the other one may have been a viable option for you.

 

Forgot to add thank you for the look out though. I have searched and searched for toy haulers but not wanting a huge 5ver or a tt. ABout the only thing that will go on it are me and my wifes mt bikes and the kids bikes too. If you are looking for toy hauler pop up look into the livin lite sut model very lite but they are very basic

 

That tongue weight is way over the 2nd Gen tacoma's rating (650lbs)! Even a weight distributing hitch only adds 100lbs or so to the allowable tongue weight.

Don't exceed the tow ratings - they are there for a reason!

-Sam

 

I have a 2005 tacoma with tow package. I towed a boat that weighed about 5500 pounds and guessing 600 lb tounge wt and it was more then i'd like to tow with the truck. It was okay for going back and forth to the launch but I wouldn't take it on any long drives.

Now I have a travel trailer that is about 4500 pounds loaded and it pulls it fine. I use a weight dist hitch and hightly reccomend one. It struggles a little going over the mountain passes but so does everything else so I'd say it does okay.

Some notes:
When looking at a travel trailer you can't look at the dry weight because that won't include a lot of things that are probably on it. Plus you'll load it up with beer and ice and beer and clothes and food and beer... and if it has water tanks they may be full. So figure out the real weight. Fully loaded for a trip my trailer is 1200 pounds over the dry weight.

Also, even with a weight dist hitch I would not exceed the max tounge weight. The hitch alone weighs about 40 lbs and even though it pushes the load to the front of the truck, all that stress is still on a rear end (just in opposing directions).

typically the tounge wt is about 10-15% of the trailer wt. If it's not, that can be a problem, or one of the numbers may not be right.

 

personally i hate towing with my 05. it just doesnt feel comfortable towing. you need so many extra things with it to tow safley that you really could go without on a bigger truck. one of the things that i hate the most about it is that the breaks feel to weak whenever you through weight behind it. it gets horrible gas mileage when towing, maybe 7-9mpg. im sure you could better than that with the tundra,

if i knew i was going to be towing long distance, once a month i would spend a little extra and get the tundra and feel better towing

 

i think the reason for the high tongue wt on this trailer it the pop up is up front then the cargo area is towards the back

 

I am seriously looking at a Livin Lite by Camplite. All Aluminum and composites; no wood. About 1300 to 1500 lbs. The other alternative I'm thinking of is fitting out a lightweight cargo trailer as an RV.

A 4 cyl. Tacoma ought to be able to handle that easily

 

I have a 2006 double cab 4x4, towing package, and tow an 18 foot travel trailer, loaded about 3,800 lbs.

It will take the long steep hill climbs ok, but not great. With a weight distributing hitch the trailer has always felt ok, and in control without a sway control bar. The trailer is a tandem axle, with 400 or so tongue weight. Electric brakes on the trailer are a must.

Gas mileage normally at 20 mpg highway with NO trailer and 10 mpg when towing. That makes me watch the gas gauge continually.

A Tundra would certainly be a better choice with the weight you describe, in my opinion.

John M