Tow limit - is this too much for a short haul?

Long answer:

Lots of people have mentioned the towing capacity, but almost nobody mentions the total payload.

Payload includes you, and everything in and on the truck- fuel, fluids, running boards, tonneau cover, whatever, and the tongue weight of the traller.

Make a trip to a scale with your truck set up as you would normally have it. If you don't have recycling center or similar near you, a CAT scale at a truck stop will cost you about $13.

Compare your trucks gross weight and axle weights with the weight limits listed on the data plate- then you will have a better idea of what you can legally and safely haul.

Toyota says my truck can haul 6400 lbs. But my payload is only 982 lbs. My truck with a full tank of gas, me and my wife, and all the usual stuff weighs 5220 lbs. My GVWR is 5600 lbs. That leaves me with a max tongue weight of 380 lbs, which correlates to being able to legally pull a trailer of about 3800 lbs, unless I don't fill the gas tank all the way or I leave the wife or some tools at home.

You can be well under your max towing limit, under your GCVWR, under your axle weight limits, and still have your truck over its rated payload.

Short answer:

You can probably do it, but you will more than likely running overweight- only you can decide if the potential negative ramifications outweigh (ha!) the positives of hauling this kind of weight. It probably won't break your truck on one trip.

I would recommend against it, but it is your call.

My experience towing with pickups/cars/SUVs is somewhat limited (mostly utility trailers with motorcycles & quads or brush/yard waste), but I do have 15 years experience as a truck driver hauling 53' trailers, 28' doubles, and containerized freight.

One last thing to consider is that if you were to get stopped by the wrong cop, and you are found to be over your weight limits, they can make you park your rig until your load can be made legal- you could end up having to find someone to bring another truck and trailer to pick up a coulpe of your cows. Unlikely, but possible. And could be expensive.

 

I pull 5500 easily. With airbags it's adjusted to a perfect level. Dual axle trailer with electric brakes.
Never usually go over 55mph. Rides great. Not overly "feeling it back there". No sway.
Tranny temps normal even in 95 degree weather.
All level terrain, hills I would not do.
Airbags are the best mod I did.

 

How does that set up do with over 8K?...Thats about the weight the OP would be at.

Airbags are nice.

 

Bales of hay are dead vegetation and don't move

 

Airbags may smooth out your ride, but they do not increase your maximum capacities. Those are still determined by the vehicle manufacturer.

 

Exceeding the tow rating isn’t the largest concern for me, if I were in the situation if the OP. The truck will do it.

MUST have a brake controller and a weight distribution hitch. Those are certainly must haves.

It certainly does seem many here are forgetting about the weight of the trailer.

This is something I would do for a short trip, as in 20-30 miles. I wouldn’t attempt this myself for the distance the OP is traveling. The biggest concern would be stopping. Even with trailer brakes, this would be some sketchy crap at best.

 

OP and his rented Uhaul utility trailer:

 

Sorry to hijack, but in regards to towing…

Why can I not find any stamped weight rating on the OEM receiver? Uhaul asked me over the phone the rating and I could not verify due to my blindness or no markings?

 

The OEM tow package has a class IV receiver:

Class IV hitches used as weight carrying are rated up to 10,000 lbs. gross trailer weight (GTW) with a maximum trailer tongue weight (TW) of 1000 lbs. Class IV hitches used for weight distributing are rated up to 14,000 lbs

 

Never would do that and I realize the question of the original post. Just me 2 cents added.

 

I don't know that I'd make a habit of it, but it should do the job this time as long as you drive careful.

 

I think many here are not saying that our Tacos can't tow this load. Just that the OP's scenario is definitely pushing the envelope a bit and thus adding risk to an already risky activity.

Again, just be very careful if you go for it and also be willing to turn back if you get out there and your spider sense starts telling you that this is a bad idea!

 

Rent a full size w a hitch from Home Depot or Lowe’s maybe?

 

Overlanding threads - My truck weighs 8,900 lbs and half that weight is three feet above my bed, what rear springs should I run?

Towing threads - OMG! you will be three grams over the rated weights, you and everyone within a 500 mile radius will be killed.

 

To a point, sure.

However an overlanding "build" should have careful consideration to distribution of the weight, they don't just add heavier springs and start piling things up in the bed.

Hooking 8000+ pounds behind the truck isn't the same thing, when the trailer weight approaches double that of the tow vehicle it (the trailer) exerts a lot of leverage on the truck. Add in that the livestock load is a dynamic load rather than a static one and it just compounds the problem.

 

Hallalueh! A comment based on direct experience! I bet he doesn't bet his life and others on the road by what the sticker on the door frame says.

 

Poor cows!

 

I’ve never seen a taco pretending to be a farm truck. Post pics.

Are you sure the 4 cows only weigh 5400 lbs?

What are you going to do with that much beef?

 

When I had my Tacoma, I towed a light 16’ tandem trailer with a bunch of small livestock, chickens, rabbits, turkeys, ducks, and a few goats. Loaded trailer was in the 4,000 - 4,500 lb range, with hutches, crates, fence panels, etc…

Sitting in the driver’s seat, I felt the GOATS moving around in their cramped little area of the trailer when going down the highway. Think about that for a second. Then think about how much bigger a walking T-bone is when compared to 50 lbs of goat.

I’ve done some crazy things, but no way in H. E. double hockey sticks would I try what OP was asking about with a Taco. I MIGHT consider it with my current Tundra, depending on actual trailer weight, at 0DARK:30 when roads are deserted, and take my sweet a$$ time. But probably not.

 

Brief article about GVWR/GCWR from MotorTrend.

And one from the bloodsucking trial lawyers.

The legal ramifications could be pretty steep.

Mechanically, you might not do any damage to the truck. Then again, you might. And you might have a warranty claim voided because you were exceeding the design limits of the truck.

There's a lot of "mights" involved.

The final decision is up to you, but I wouldn't do this. Not even with a static load. There are some good posts here from people here with experience hauling livestock, and I would take their advice into account more so than mine or the guys that say "just pull it and go slow."