Is my Tacoma Experiment Over?

I'm thinking of ending my Tacoma experiment. I finally got tired of the battle with poor quality F150s and bought my 2017 Tacoma 2.7L manual about 18 months ago. It only has about 46k miles now and has mostly been a good thing, but the negatives are starting to weigh on me. Maybe this crew can talk me down from selling.

I don't normally mind the low power, and the manual transmission is no problem. It's just frustrating that 1st gear is too high and 5th gear is useless, and it will cost $4k to re-gear to 5:29s. Worse yet, I have a 3500lb box trailer and I can barely pull it at highway speeds, and I bang the truck's rear axle on the stops under even moderate use. I've ordered a set of air bags, but I feel like it's just another band aid.

All I've done to it is installed a Pedal Commander, installed a receiver hitch, put on a cheap contractor shell, made a removable platform for camping, picked up an extra set of wheels with Firestone M/S tires for off road use, and installed a hidden winch behind the bumper facade with remote control and removable license plate cover for fair-lead access.

It's a sweet little rig for truck camping, and the potential for mods are crazy. But the inability to haul a load or pull a trailer is maybe too much. I need to use this as a truck, and it sometimes just feels like a toy. I get the feeling a V6 would only be a partial step up in power, and no improvement in payload.

Do I need to be realistic and go back to an F150?

 

I have a '23 V6 and pull a 21' pontoon with no problems, as well as a heavy trailer loaded with 2500# of hay that I pull 50 miles loaded every couple of months - not sure of the weight, but they're probably around that 3500# you're pulling.

 

I don't see how a 3rd gen 4cyl tacoma could stand up to anything a f150 could offer.. A V6 tacoma, 2nd gen from experience, could be a good match if you don't need the towing capacity of a full size truck.

 

So... why did you buy a model with the worst power to weight ratio of any vehicle in Toyota's lineup?

 

I looked at the Gen2 Tacomas, but I just couldn't find anything that wasn't worn out or over priced. I don't know that the situation has improved. I basic full size truck with more power and payload can be had for less.

 

That's a fair question. And like I said, I'm not normally bothered by the low power. In fact, if the gearing was better matched, the power would be very tolerable. But the combination of low power and low payload with high cost to upgrade has been a bigger detractor than I expected. Shame on me for getting it wrong. Now I'm reluctant to dump a bunch of money in the rig to upgrade, and then still be feeling like I'm short on capability.

 

I have been looking at the later model V6 Tacomas. I think I would be happier with the power, but the price tag is up there. I know the full size trucks depreciate more quickly, and reasons they depreciate (lower quality and reliability) are what led me to try the Tacoma. I wish I was in a position to keep the Tacoma as a camping and hunting rig, but I do still need more capability on occasion.

 

You bought a 4 cyl to tow and are complaining about its lack of power? Is this a Friday thread?

If you like the truck that much, trade it in for a V6. Otherwise start looking at a full size that will better meet your needs

 

If I didn't like this little truck so much, there wouldn't be any discussion. But I do like it, a lot. It's simple, reliable, looks good, and is almost exactly what I need 80 to 90% of the time. If I put $4k into a re-gear, and may $1k to $2k into suspension upgrades, it would probably be as good a running around and camping rig as I could want. But for that 10-20% of the time I need to pull a loaded trailer or haul a pallet of material, it would probably still disappoint. It's a hard compromise to work out.

 

The 2TR makes its power down low. Shorter gearing with more revs won't necessarily help. The question has come up many times before. It isn't worthwhile doing power upgrades to the 4-cyl, vs. trading it in for the V6 or another model.

If Ford reliability is a concern, V8 Tundra is an alternative.

 

I certainly didn't buy the truck to tow. I bought it to camp and have fun in. It does that very well. I know I'm asking to be abused by posting such a thread. Every vehicle is a compromise, and a person should be capable of sorting out their own solution. Perhaps I should count myself lucky for not jumping into a $50k compromise that isn't working. I've got maybe 1/2 that tied up in it, and I can continue to live with it if necessary.

 

this, aren’t lots more components beefier? The overall weight of said vehicle doing the towing, wheelbase, etc?

 

Yes, and I'm considering that. I looked at a few before getting the Tacoma. Couldn't find one in my desired price range that was in decent condition.

 

Have you looked into an 18-21 Tundra? I wouldn’t expect too much from any 4 CYL.

 

If you haven't already, you may want to research a tune.

 

Yes.

I own both a 2007 Tacoma and a 2014 F150. Both are good trucks but different tools for different jobs.

 

I've been online looking. And looking. And scratching my head. It's such a pain to sell/trade a vehicle, and there's always a gamble. I can continue to make due with my current setup, but I can't end up with a truck in the shop and nothing to drive. That's always a risk when you buy someone else's vehicle, and exactly how I got into my Tacoma. I spent weeks shopping for what I needed, then weeks waiting for my F150 to get out of the shop.

 

Thank you. Someday when I'm retired and settled and only need a camping toy or a small boat puller, a Tacoma like I have now might be perfect.

 

Tundradude 34 on YT has some good info if you are considering a Tundra.

 

My four-cylinder didn’t even come with a hitch because Toyota probably didn’t expect anyone to try to tow with it. I had to install one aftermarket, which I only use for a bike carrier.