Is a 15 ft travel trailer too big?

Seriously thinking of trading up. Wasn't thinking of getting a rv trailer when I purchased

 

To be fair, you're towing a modest sized teardrop, bot an average travel trailer. Anything else will be mich taller and more of a drag.

 

I said keep it to around 80% of the stated 3500 tow rating and you’ll be fine. That pretty much limits you to small trailers. I chose the Tab because it is a bit more aerodynamic than a slab fronted trailer.
I believe a manual transmission helps too.

 

It would have only taken you months had you chosen the right truck.

 

I’m retired…. I’ve got the time
But seriously, I never go over 70 while towing. I usually keep it to 65 on interstates. I never have understood the mindset of those barreling down the road at 80mph towing any kind of trailer. My truck does just fine.

 

Do they have hills where you live? If everything is dead flat....I'd say you could get away with it. Everywhere I go has some decent hills....like, semis doing 35mph hills....there is no way a 4cyl tacoma is towing jack shit up a hill like that and holding 65mph, unless the trailer is under 1000lbs.

 

Yes!

 

I live outside Charlottesville VA. I do go back over to WV quite frequently and pull both trailers over to Spruce Knob by way of Rt 33. Anyone familiar with it knows what the road is like. I go up the hills as fast as is safe to do. I’ve pulled the Tab up Sandstone Mountain on Rt 64 in WV many times and was able to maintain 60mph most of the way. I have even passed some of hos 35mph semis. Sandstone is a miles long steep grade.
I’m curious, do you own a 2.7 with the manual transmission? Have you towed anything with one?

 

@Nessmuk I bet you would have gotten a kick out of the other thread where people were saying engines (and specifically the 2.7) can't be run above 3000 RPM, or it will basically ruin it.

It sounds like you're not afraid of letting the truck use 100% of the available power when needed.

It reminds me of when my wife says our Rav4 is slow, and I ask her if she puts the pedal to the floor (she doesn't, lol).

 

I haven’t seen that thread. I will look for it. It’s always been my understanding that the 2.7 was “detuned” and capable of more than Toyota allows in the Tacoma. They use it in buses in other parts of the world. I don’t think I’m going to hurt it by running it up to 4K on occasion.

 

Amen to that.

I tow a popup with my six-banger. I try like hell to avoid interstates at all costs when the trailer is hitched. The secondary roads are much more fun, I'm on vacation, and I enjoy the slow, "maybe there's a fruit stand that's worth stopping for" drive.

But on the unavoidable segments where I'm on multi-lane asphalt, every freaking time I get the mirrors blown off by a duramax towing a triple-axle mini-mansion going a solid 80-85. Wow, they must be in a real hurry to get to their 15 foot wide concrete pull-through so that they can plug in the double 50A electric hookup and satellite TV, and really commune with nature, man.

Everyone has different ways of enjoying things, but I think that those who insist on hammer down, making good time at all costs, those folks just don't know how to unwind. I don't think camping is for them. I see that crap on the roads, I just hang back in the right lane, watch them pass, and go back to my music and the scenery. Maybe there's a fruit stand worth stopping for up ahead.

 

I towed this 17ft all over the country. No issues towing it but I'm 3.4L v6/5sp. With the much larger 231mm tundra brakes & trailer brakes no issues stopping it even in the mountains.

 

You have summed it up very well.

 

Last summer we were in Nova Scotia and stopped on the way home at a cousins place in Dover-Foxcroft Maine. We had been gone for a few weeks and wanted to get home.
Drove the entire way home on interstates and made it back in a single 16 hour day, all interstates. I do agree with you that secondaries are a much nicer way to go.