The Tacoma Towing Bible

So After responding to many posts and answering many questions about towing with the Tacoma I figured I’d compile it all into one thread so that I can stop writing the same thing multiple times. About me, and where I am coming from. I have roughly 3000 towing miles under my belt in the first year of owning my 07 Taco. I had about 5000 miles of towing in my 04 Taco, and about 30,000 miles of towing in a 91 F-150 before that, and that is just in my spare time. As a short-haul trucker I pull a trailer for a living. Recreationally I have pulled everything from open top, build it yourself trailer kits from K-mart, enclosed motorcycle trailers, enclosed car haulers, boats, pop-up campers, and travel trailers. So pretty much if you want to tow it, I have towed it, and hopefully can answer your questions in this thread before you even have to ask them. I hope that by writing this thread I can help some of you to have an enjoyable towing experience because the last thing you want to do is have to "deal" with towing. Camping, boating, fishing, motorcycling, car shows, whatever are about relaxing, and you can't relax if you are all stressed out from the trip, and not able to relax once you are there because all you can think about is "in 4 days I have to hitch back up and drive this beast again."

First off I am going to say the absolutely correct thing first, and that is, tow ratings are there for a reason, and when you excede them is when bad shit happens. DON'T DO IT. If you are going to do it there are some things that you can do to minimize the risk and we’ll cover them, but it’s still not a good idea.

Table of Contents.

Post 1. About your author, Disclaimer and Table of Contents.
Post 2. Gen 1 Trucks, and their options and tow ratings.
Post 3. Gen 2 Trucks, and their options and tow ratings.
Post 4. Calculating the Actual weight of what you want to tow.
Post 5. The proper set up of your truck to tow safely.
Post 6. Brake Controllers, and their install.
Post 7. Weight Distribution Hitches and Sway Control.
Post 8. Extended towing mirrors.
Post 9. Adding hitch and wiring to a non tow package equipped truck.
Post 10. Adding a brake controller to your Gen 2 non-tow package equipped V6 truck.




I am sure that I may have forgotten something, so this towing bible will likely be an on-going creation.

 

Gen 1 Tacoma (1995.5-2004)


Gen 1 trucks came with three engine options.

The 2.4L I4 (available only in the 5 lug 2wd (non pre-runner) trucks)
142 hp @ 5,000 rpm
160 lb.-ft. @ 4,000 rpm
Max. Towing capacity 3,500 lbs.
Max. Tongue weight 350 lbs.

The 2.7L I4 (Standard in all pre-runners and in 4x4 regular and xtra-cab trucks)
150 hp @ 4,800 rpm
177 lb.-ft. @ 4,000 rpm
Max. Towing capacity 3,500 lbs.
Max. Tongue weight 350 lbs.

The 3.4L V6 (Standard on the s-runner, and 4x4 double cab, and available in xtra-cab and double cab pre-runners as well as the xtra-cab 4x4)
190 hp @ 4,800 rpm
220 lb.-ft. @ 3,600 rpm
Max. Towing capacity 5,000 lbs. (*except s-runner 3,500 lbs.)
Max. Tongue weight 500 lbs. (*except s-runner 350 lbs.)

The Gen 1 trucks were NEVER available with a “towing package”

A relatively small number of trucks did come from the factory with a Toyota class III receiver hitch and 4-flat wiring. The trucks that were factory equipped like this also came with a different pitched fan to pull slightly more air through the radiator.

Other trucks had the class III hitch and 4-flat wiring installed at the dealer. These trucks do not generally have the alternate fan unless the customer specifically requested it.

To tow most things safely, these trucks will need some additional aftermarket parts installed such as a brake controller, and an automatic transmission cooler (obviously only if you have an automatic transmission. We’ll cover that later.

 

Gen 2 Tacoma (2005-2008)


Gen 2 trucks come with two engine options.

The 2.7L I4 (Standard in all regular and access-cab trucks regardless of drive train, not available in the X-runner or double cab trucks)
159 hp @ 5,200 rpm
180 lb.-ft. @ 3,800 rpm
Max. Towing capacity 3,500 lbs.
Max. Tongue weight 350 lbs.

The 4.0L V6 (Standard on the X-runner, and double cab trucks, and available in Pre-runner and 4x4 Access-cab trucks)
236 hp @ 5,200 rpm
266 lb.-ft. @ 4,000 rpm
Max. Towing capacity 6,500 lbs. (*except X-runner 3,500 lbs.)
Max. Tongue weight 650 lbs. (*except X-runner 350 lbs.)

The Gen 2 trucks are available with a factory “towing package” on V6 models only.

This “towing package” consists of a class IV receiver hitch, supplemental engine oil cooler, transmission cooler (again automatic transmission only), Heavy-Duty battery, 130 amp alternator, fully functional 7-way round plug, and a plug and play brake controller pigtail.

Again Toyota offers a dealer installed hitch and 4-flat wiring for the I4 trucks and the V6 trucks that did not come with the towing package. I4 Gen 2 trucks will require the same aftermarket add on parts that the Gen 1 trucks do. The V6 Gen 2 trucks could have all the factory Toyota parts installed to become a “towing package” equipped truck, or could also go aftermarket. These trucks are the ones where the owner will have to look at what they want to tow to decide how far to go with what parts they need.

Example, if your trailer has electronic brakes on it, you WILL need a brake controller. That is not an option. If you are pulling an RV then you will likely want to have the charging circuit connected so that your coach batteries stay fully charged while you are in transit, you may also want to have the bigger alternator and battery installed. If you have an automatic transmission, and are going to tow anything of substance further than say 200 miles more than once a year you WILL need a transmission cooler, and of course you will need a frame mounted receiver hitch as you should NEVER tow from the bumper. Again, more on all this later.

 

Calculating the ACTUAL weight of your trailer

Ok, first thing first. Do not rely on the brochure you got from the trailer dealer or what the dealer told you it weighed. In any Toy Hauler, Hybrid Trailer, Travel Trailer or Pop-up Camper there will be a weight and capacity sticker inside one of the cabinet doors. This sticker will tell you the actual dry weight of the exact unit that you are standing in. It will also tell you the GVWR (what the max the trailer is safely capable of weighing), the consumable capacities and their weights, and finally what the CCC (cargo carrying capacity) is.

For you boat guys, you will need the weight of the boat, plus the weight of the trailer, plus the weight of the fuel in the boat, (Gasoline is 6.2 lbs/Gallon), plus the weight of all your beer, and fishing tackle. You get the idea.

For you motorcycle and car hauler guys, there will be an as manufactured weight on the serial number plate on the frame of the trailer, usually near the tongue of the trailer, but I have seen them in lots of places. To that you will need to add the weight of the cabinets that I’m sure you installed in the trailer to hold all your cleaning and detailing supplies, as well as your spare parts, and you will need to add the weight of the car, motorcycles, landscaping equipment, and all the fuel that these things hold as well. My point being, that it does you no good to buy a 4000 lb car hauler when your 57 Chevy show car weighs 3700 lbs. My point is that it is easy to wind up well overweight if you don’t think about what you are going to be putting into or on a trailer before you select the trailer.

Here is a more detailed example that I posted a few days ago when mptaco asked about towing weights.

Model: Weekend Warrior FS2300 Toy Hauler
Axle Weight: 4125 lb.
#Axle: 2
Tongue Weight: 635 lbs.
GVWR: 7650 lbs.
Payload: 2890 lbs.
Fresh Water: 100 gal.


That 4125 lbs. is the trailer, and it's standard equipment. That does not figure in any options, consumables, or gear. Let's break it down a little more.

To that 4125 lbs you have to add some things:

• Fresh water tank 100 gal @ 8.33 lbs/gal = 833 lbs (even if you went half full that's still 416.5 lbs.)
• Hot water heater tank 6 gal @ 8.33 lbs/gal = 50 lbs
• Dual LP bottles 5 gal @ 4.24 lbs/gal = 40 lbs (add this directly to your tongue weight too)
• Deep cycle battery = 50 lbs (This one is direct tongue weight too.)
• Now we are at 5098 lbs with a hitch weight of 725 lbs. wet, but still un-loaded.

Add to that weight any of the following options if installed:
(you don't need to guess at all this, there will be a weight sticker inside the cabinet door of the unit that you are looking at that tells you exactly what that particular unit weighs dry but fully optioned)

• 20 gal- Gas Tank/Pump* (another 124lbs just for the gasoline)
• 4.0 Onan Generator w/20 gal Gas Tank (another 124lbs just for the gasoline)
• AM/FM CD w/ Int. & Ext Speakers
• Ramp Add-A-Room
• Rear Ramp Screen
• TV Shelf & Antenna (FS,SL.SS only)
• Spare Tire / Rim / Mount, 15 inch
• Alloy wall protector
• Bay Window w/ 2 Swivel Rockers
• Family Friendly Warrior Electric Loft Bed
• 12V Tongue Jack
• Exterior BBQ

I don't pretend to know what all of these options weigh in at, or if the trailer you are looking at has them, but I suspect that it would have at least some of them, so we'll call that another 500lbs.

Now stick two motorcycles in there. Call them 500lbs each.

Now you are at 6598 lbs with a hitch weight of 725 lbs. wet, optioned and motorcycled, but still un-loaded.

Now add into that your food, clothing, entertainment, water and sewer lines, camp chairs, dog toys, fishing gear, toiletries, beer... You get the idea.

The point is that you'll likely come in between 6800 and 6900 lbs wet and ready to roll, and you'll have a hitch weight of 725 lbs (or more depending on where in the coach the water/gasoline tanks are positioned)

Oh, and the GCVWR of the truck is 11,100 lbs. Subtract the truck weight of 4090 (4x4, double cab, short bed) and the wet and ready to roll weight of the trailer at 6900 lbs then you and your family and anything else in the truck itself need to weigh less than 110 lbs. Even if you figure way low at 6700lbs that is still only 310 lbs for family and crap in the truck.

You can see how easy it is to quickly wind up over your tow rating, tongue weight, and GCVWR.

 

The things required to set your truck up properly to tow safely.

1. Don't even think about putting your automatic transmission selector into overdrive.
2. Having the rear spring TSB performed (or check link for non-eligible trucks)
3. A brake controller (disregard this if your trailer does not have electric brakes.)
4. A properly rated weight distribution hitch set-up (boat guys disregard this.)
5. A Dual Cam sway control set up (boat guys disregard this as well.)
6. Extra towing mirrors

Automatic transmissions are destroyed when the fluid inside them breaks down and stops lubricating things correctly and stops allowing the valve bodies inside to stop functioning correctly which prevents the truck from being in the correct gear. The fluid breaks down when it is heated to beyond its tolerance. The transmission generated heat when it repeatedly shifts up and down under load. This is called hunting, and when the transmission hunts it builds heat. Take away its ability to hunt by locking it out of overdrive, and you’ll not only preserve the life of your transmission, but you’ll enjoy the towing experience more.

A transmission cooler can be added aftermarket. I would not bother with ordering one from Toyota, I would go straight to after market and I would only recommend B&M or Hayden. Something like this. http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10002_31948_-1.

It is pretty simple to install if you are a fair shade tree mechanic Cut the line to the initial cooler (in the bottom of the radiator) splice in the Trans cooler. Essentially so that the coolant goes from the transmission, to the primary cooler, (in the bottom of the radiator) into the supplemental cooler, (the one you are installing), and then back to the transmission. That is a very rudimentary set of instructions, but you get the idea.

The spring TSB. (This is for Gen 2 trucks only.) Putting SIGNIFICANT additional weight on the rear end is going to be a problem for you unless you have the suspension TSB performed. As the additional weight on sub par springs already will cause the rear of the truck and the nose of the trailer to sit less than level, and really enhance the proposing effect. My trailer weighs roughly 3500 wet and ready to camp, and even with the weight distribution hitch my rear springs pretty much suck when towing, and I really lean toward having this done myself, and I am only at a little more than half towing capacity.

If you have a Gen 1 truck or standard cab Gen 2 truck or you are out of warranty, then you may want to check out this link. These devices replace the bump stops, and sort of act like an additional overload spring when under load, and do nothing when not under load. Thanks to Phantom for bringing these to my attention and doing the leg work on them.

This brings us to proper attitude and positioning of the trailer. A trailer should sit either perfectly level with the road or in a VERY slightly nose down position. This will require going to a perfectly flat and level parking lot. Measure how much sag there is in the rear of the truck when the full tongue weight of the trailer is on it, then disconnecting the truck and trailer, and setting the trailer to sit level on in its tongue jack. Choose a completely horizontal frame rail that runs the length of the trailer. Then take measurements at the front and back from that frame rail to the ground until both the front and back measurements are equal. Then measure from the ground to the inside of the coupler on the tongue. Add to that the amount of rear end sag that you measured earlier, and you now know what height you want the ball of your hitch to be at when it is un-loaded. Adjust your hitch head to match that or go out and purchase the correct height draw bar. Now you are set up to tow straight and level, and you’ll be surprised what a difference that makes in how the truck and trailer feel going down the road.

 

Brake Controllers and their Install:

You must have a brake controller because with a trailer at the tow rating of 6500 pounds you are asking the service brakes of your truck to stop more than double the weight they were designed to stop. (Based on a curb weight of roughly 4000lbs.)

Also with a brake controller you can manually engage the trailer's brakes without engaging the trucks brakes. That is a lifesaver if the trailer should get a little squirrelly on you. What I mean is that you can engage the trailer brake which slows the trailer while the truck attempts to maintain its speed. This pulls the trailer into a straighter line behind the truck and takes away the room it had to sway when it was trying to move at the same speed or faster than the truck, and as such brings it back under control where if you engage all the brakes you'll likely only make it worse, as that way everything is still trying to move at the same speed.

Also, even with a properly set up brake controller you stopping distance will still likely be at least one and a half times greater than the truck by itself, so you will still have to get used to it and alter some of what you do driving when you have a trailer in tow.

Brake controller install

The pigtail for the brake controller should have been in the glove box when you bought the truck. If not go back to the dealership and ask for it as it was part of your purchase price. (This is for v6's with the towing package from the factory only)

The plug is under the dash on the driver's side right above the top of the kick panel.


The trailer brake pigtail (I believe is Toyota part number 82132-0c010, but don't hold me to that) has five wires coming from it. A black/red tracer, solid green, solid red, solid brown and green/white tracer.

The BLACK W/ RED TRACER is your (+) power to the controller

The GREEN W/ WHITE TRACER is the stoplight switch. (Where the truck tells the controller to engage the trailer brakes)

The SOLID RED is the output from the brake controller to the trailer itself

The SOLID BROWN is the ground (-)

The SOLID GREEN is the illumination circuit. (You will not need this for Drawtite and Reese controllers, just tape it up and ignore it.)

That brings you down to four wires, which will match up with the terminals on the back of the controller, after that it is just plug and play.

For what it's worth, I chose the Draw-Tite "Activator III" for my truck as I could find no good place to mount a brake controller. The Activator III is capable of mounting on any angle, anywhere, and has a hand box that comes out of it with your display, adjustments, and manual trailer brake activation switch.

Now, in all honesty with the supplied length of wire from the pigtail, there is absolutely nowhere under the dash that you can mount the controller. So what I did was to go to the local hardware store, pick up 4 feet of each color wire. The RED W/ BLACK and the SOLID RED were 12 gauge, and the others were 16 gauge. I soldered the new wire to the factory harness, heat shrunk the connections, taped the whole thing into its own harness, and then routed it down through the kick panel, under the door sill molding, and out under the driver's seat following the wiring for the seat belt light.


The controller itself will have four openings and four screws in the back of it. Each opening will be marked as I have described above. You would then strip a quarter inch of insulation from the correct wire, insert it in the opening and tighten down the corresponding screw to clamp the wire down and make contact. Repeat for the remaining three wires.


I Velcroed the controller itself to the carpet under the seat, and then when I am towing, I plug the hand box in and leave it sitting in one of the cup holders in the console.

Now, if you don’t have the Gen 2 V6 with the plug and play wiring, you can still have a brake controller. You’ll just need more wire, and a solder less quick connector. You run the positive and negative wires from the battery to the location of your controller. You route the output signal from the controller back to the trailer brake pin (pin 2, bottom left) in a 7-way round plug. Then you just splice the input signal wire into the brake switch wire. You’ll need a wiring diagram of your truck for this, as I do not know which color wire that is off-hand.

You may also see something called a pulse preventer mentioned in your brake controller instructions. A pulse preventer is not required in Toyota and most other foreign applications because the turn signals are a different bulb and socket from the brake lights. A pulse preventer is used for vehicles like Fords where the turn signal and brake light are the same bulb, so the pulse preventer stops the trailer brakes from engaging if you were say driving up a steep grade with your hazard lights on.

Just for the record the activator III controller has been discontinued, not because it had any problems, but because it was fairly expensive compared to its competing models. IMHO, however it is the best controller for the money and the only practical one for our trucks. You can still find them through some retailers as well as on eBay from time to time.

Setting up the Brake Controller:

Ok the brake controller is relatively easy to dial in once you have it installed. Long story short there are usually two different adjustments on a brake controller. There is the output and there is the gain.

The output controls how hard the trailer brakes grab. The gain controls how quickly after pressing the brake pedal in the truck your trailer brakes are at the max output you have set. If the brakes feel like they are grabbing, either you have the output or the gain set too high, so either the brakes are receiving too much power and stopping faster than the truck or they are getting to that level of power too quickly.

For a point of reference, with my trailer (2006 Jayco Jay feather Sport 197 single axle 3500lbs wet and ready to camp) I usually have my output set at 2.5 and my gain is at 0 or 1, (I can't remember without going outside, connecting the trailer to the truck and checking) but it is a trial and error kind of thing. Get all your camping stuff, food, pots, pans, toiletries, etc, and don't forget to fill the fresh water tank, and then go to a big open parking lot, and practice braking with different settings to find what is right for your truck trailer and driving style.

 

Weight Distribution Hitches and Sway Control Systems:

A properly set up weight distribution hitch takes some of the tongue weight off of the rear of the truck and transfers it to both the front of the truck and back to the trailer axles. This makes for a stable and level tow, as well as a great reduction in porposing (that undulating motion that you experience when going over bumps with a trailer.)

To set up a weight distribution hitch system go here for your instructions, as I could not do a better job of writing this up myself. Weight Distribution Link.

There are two main types of sway control for trailers. A friction type, and a dual cam type. The friction type is the less advanced kind, and is sort of like a spin-out bar on a big wheel (I hope you understand that reference), but what it does is link the tongue of the trailer to the hitch of the truck along another plane and another angle. It is a telescoping bar, and by tightening down on its bolts, you change the amount of friction between the two sections of the bar, and that friction makes it so it requires a deliberate motion to turn the trailer. However it can only stop the sway once it has started, so with heavy trailers it is still a nerve racking event when you get slammed with a crosswind or passed by a semi. It also must be removed before backing the trailer as it will not permit a hard turn or near jack-knife.

The Dual cam sway set-up doesn't let the sway start in the first place. It essentially secures the weight distribution bars to the trailer tongue in a second place forming two triangles when you add in the attachment point on the hitch as well, and as well all know from basic geometry and physics a triangle is the strongest shape. This is the only type of sway control suited to a heavy application or long distance towing. The Weight Distribution link above also covers a Dual Cam sway control.

 

Extended Towing Mirrors:

Extra towing mirrors are also a must. A typical RV/toy hauler is 7 1/2 to eight feet wide. With the stock mirrors you'll never be able to see what's along side the trailer much less what's behind it, and without a team of spotters on FRS radios directing you, good luck backing it into a campsite.

These are the mirrors that I use.

I did a pretty extensive search, for something like the mirrors that you can get for the big three trucks where they just replace the stock mirrors and can telescope out when you need them, but it seems like nothing like that exists for Toyotas.

So I did the next best thing and went to a campground, and walked around and looked. Then I talked to people driving Tacomas and 4-runners and such.

These mirrors came highly recommended, and I have used them for over 3000 miles this summer and have no complaints other than the little rubber feet are cracking from the sun, but I am going to e-mail the manufacturer and bitch and see if they send me some new ones, but if they don't I'm happy enough with the product that if all I have to do is replace the rubber feet every two years or so then I'll be ok with that.

Here's how the look on the truck.



Also, when you buy them, in the box will be an order form for mirror storage bags and wide angle replacement glass. I'd say pass on the storage bags, but to go ahead and get the wide angle glass for the passenger side mirror as it makes it so much easier to adjust that mirror and see to back the trailer.

Oh and there are these "supposed friction tabs" that go on the rubber feet. Just throw them directly in the trash, as they make the mirror less stable not more.

How they mount to the stock mirror.


There are two types of mounting hook in the box with the mirrors. Use this one for the top of the mirror.


And use this one for the bottom of the mirror.

 

Chapter 9 Adding hitch and wiring to a non tow package equipped truck:

Ok for those of you who have a Tacoma already and have now decided to tow with it. Here are the part numbers and instructions for your hitches and wiring adapters. The listed adapters give you a standard 4-flat wiring connector. This is standard for flat-bed light weight utility trailers, and most small to medium sized boat trailers. This can be adapted to a 7-round RV style plug as well and I have included the part number for that item, but it will only provide lights and turn signals without some additional modifications which I'll get into at a later date.

Gen 1 Tacomas:
4-flat wiring adapter: Hoppy Litemate part number 43315 (for 84-94 trucks {except T-100} and 95-04 Tacoma)

Instructions here.

$50 Victor 22-5-00414-8 Radial Tire Patch Kit, Multi, One Size

Buy it here.

Class III receiver hitch:
Hidden Hitch part number 87579
Hitch is rated for up to 5,000 lbs. Gross Towing Weight with a maximum of 500 lbs. tongue weight.
Hitch is rated for up to 5,000 lbs. Gross Towing Weight with a maximum of 500 lbs. tongue weight when combined with the use of properly installed weight distribution equipment.

http://Drawtite part number 75078
Hitch is rated for up to 5,000 lbs. Gross Towing Weight with a maximum of 500 lbs. tongue weight.
Hitch is rated for up to 5,500 lbs. Gross Towing Weight with a maximum of 550 lbs. tongue weight when combined with the use of properly installed weight distribution equipment.

Gen 2 Tacomas:

4-flat wiring adapter: Hoppy electronic tail light converter part number 43355 (for 94-98 T100 and 05-08 Tacoma)

Instructions here.

$59 Hopkins Towing Solutions 43355 Plug-In Simple Vehicle Wiring Kit

Buy it here.

Class III receiver hitch: Hidden Hitch part number 87581
Hitch is rated for up to 5,000 lbs. Gross Towing Weight with a maximum of 500 lbs. tongue weight.
Hitch is rated for up to 5,500 lbs. Gross Towing Weight with a maximum of 550 lbs. tongue weight when combined with the use of properly installed weight distribution equipment.

Drawtite part number 75236
Hitch is rated for up to 5,000 lbs. Gross Towing Weight with a maximum of 500 lbs. tongue weight.
Hitch is rated for up to 5,500 lbs. Gross Towing Weight with a maximum of 550 lbs. tongue weight when combined with the use of properly installed weight distribution equipment.

Then to set either up to accept a 7-way round RV style plug you would need the following two items.

4-flat to 7 round vehicle end adapter.

7-way round harness mounting bracket

I'll cover taking this set-up and adding a brake controller to it as the information becomes needed.

 

Chapter 10: Adding a brake controller and all required wiring to your non-tow package equipped Gen 2 V6 Tacoma.

As allways, if you are un-sure or un-comfortable with your wiring abilities please do not attempt this and take your truck to your local RV dealer and they will be happy to install a brake controller and associated wiring for you. I accept no responsibility for damage to your truck if you choose to attempt this install yourself.

OK, first off I owe a big thank you to boser65 who asked me about this and then proceded to help me with photos and voltage measurements from his truck so that I could figure out exactly where to splice and route the wiring to. So any of you who this benefits, should definately sent him a thank you and some positive rep for putting up with my questions and being the test subject for this.

Ok, This is going to assume that you have already added the receiver of your choosing, the Hoppy 43355 4-flat wiring harness, and the 4-flat to 7-round adapter and mounting bracket that I covered in chapter nine. This also assumes that you have already also purchased and selected the mounting location for the brake controller of your choice.

Ok, here we go...

Needed materials:

-30 Amp auto reset circuit breaker

Stud Type Low Voltage Circuit Breaker with Bracket, 30 amp (813030BP)

Something like this
-10 feet of 10 Gauge wire (RED)
-10 feet of 10 Gauge wire (WHITE)
-30 feet of 10 Gauge wire (BLUE) (more for double cab long bed)
-5 feet of 16 Gauge wire (BLUE)
-Electrical tape
-Heat shrink tubing of appropriate sizes
-Lighter
-Wire strippers/crimpers
-2 10 Gauge round or forked terminals
-10 Gauge solderless quick connect
-One quick splice for 16-22 Gauge wire
-Assorted zip ties for tidying up the wiring harness when you are done.

I am going to base this on using an Activator III mounted under the driver's seat as I have done, if you opt for a different brake controller or location you will have to vary your cable routing.

Step 1. Disconnect the negative battery terminal.

Step 2. Remove the driver's side sill plate, dead pedal and kick pannel Covered here starting at step 13.

Step 3. Find the truck's main wiring harness running through the firewall and under the dash and unwrap the electrical tape that secures the harness to the grommit.


Step 4. Feed one end of all your 10 Gauge wire from the engine bay into the truck. Pull enough wiring to reach your desired location, in our case carefully down through the rats nest of cables behind the kick pannel, under the door sill, and then along the exhisting harness under the driver's seat.

Step 5. Locate the factory brake controller harness, it's up there just above the kick pannel and it looks like this.


We are looking for the solid blue wire.


Step 6. Use your 16 Gauge blue wire and quick splice, and connect them with the solid blue wire above. Tape up your connection and then routhe the other end of your 16 Gauge wire to the under the seat location with the rest of your wires.

Step 7. Secure all the wires you just ran so that they are not obstructing any moving parts such as clutch linkage or the like, and prepare to go under the truck.

Step 8. Route the 10 Gauge Blue wire down to the fuel lines, and along the fuel lines. Securing it with zip ties as you go.


Continue along the fuel line untill you are roughly under the driver's door where you will see the wire loam for the harness that runs to the rear of the truck. Switch to running your new wire along this wire loam, or if you are really resourcefull you could route it into the wire loam, securing it with zip ties as you go.


Step 9. Once you reach the back of the truck you'll be looking at your 4-flat to 7-round adapter. You'll have the 4-flat connectors plugged into one another and secured already, and you'll be looking at a few bare wires. Trailer wiring colors are supposed to be universal. That should mean that the blue wire on your 7 round adapter is at pin two. (bottom right, the 5 O'clock position as you are behind the truck looking at the plug) Regardless of color, (hopefully it is blue) that is the point where you are going to join the wire you just ran to the 7-pin connector. Make sure to slip the heat shring tubing over the wire before you join them, strip some insullation, use a solderless connector, and crimp the hell out of it. Slide the heat shrink tubing over the connection and shrink it up, then electrical tape it up just to make sure it stays dry. Finish securing the wiring and get ready to move back into the engine bay.

Step 10. Clip the RED 10 Gauge wire so that it is a little longer than it needs to be to reach the mounting location of your choice for the circuit breaker. Connect the end of that wire to one post of the circuit breaker. Connect the remnants of the RED 10 gauge wire between the other post of the circuit breaker and the positive battery terminal.

Step 11. Route the WHITE 10 Gauge wire to the negative battery terminal, and adjust the length of the wire as needed. DO NOT CONNECT TO THE NEGATIVE BATTERY TERMINAL AT THIS POINT

Step 12. Return to the interior of your truck. Look at your brake controller, and you'll see that there are 4 screws on the back side of it. One marked Stoplight, One marked Ground, One marked Battery, and One marked Trailer Brakes.


Strip a quarter of an inch of insullation from each of the 4 wires that you previously ran to this location and insert them and tighten each screw down as follows:

RED 10 Gauge wire goes to Battery (+)
WHITE 10 Gauge wire goes to Ground (-)
BLUE 10 Gauge wire goes to Trailer Brakes
BLUE 16 gauge wire goes to Stoplight

Step 13. Re-tape up the grommit and the main harness with your additional wires under the dash to prevent water from entering the cab. Finish securing any wiring as well as the brake controller inside the truck, and put the interior trim pieces back together.

Step 14. Finish connecting the white wire to the negative battery clamp and re-connect the negative battery terminal.

Step 15. Start the truck and step on the brakes. A small dot on the brake controller display will indicate that it is receiving a signal. It will not display a brake power read-out unless it is connected to a trailer with brakes. Back up to your trailer, and ensure that you get a full numerical read-out.

Step 16. Adjust the output and gain as described in the trailer brakes chapter of the towing bible.

Any questions, or if there is anything I can clarify please let me know.

 

wow alot of info thank you for taking the time to put all of this together
1 ques the first gen tacos that came with the hitch and the wiring that is not a towing package

 

Technically, no. If you were going to do serious duty towing you would need the oil coolers, and the brake controller wiring. A towing package by definition includes those things. At no point have I said that a gen 1 truck is not capable of towing, just that it didn't include everything from the factory. Sorry if I offended.

 

no you did not offend just asking i never tow more than a couple atvs anyway

 

Awesome write up man. It really helps out us newbies in the towing sector. Much appreciated.

 

Ok - I finally had the time to read through all of that.

EXCELLENT INFORMATION!!! This is perfect information for anyone that does any regular towing!

 

awesome stuff in there maverick!!!


and im gonna say this..................MAVERICK FOR PRESIDENT!!!

 

Thank you all. I just figured I'd put it all in one place instead of answering towing related questions all over the place. I left myself some room to expand, so please let me know if there is anything you would like more detail on, or anything that I forgot to include at all.

As far as President. I'll leave the job of running the alliance to ND, and I'll leave the job of running TacomaWorld to tcBob, but maybe a nice cerimonial moderator position... But just don't give me banning powers, ok Bob. The way my temper gets, that could be bad.

 

As far as President. I'll leave the job of running the alliance to ND, and I'll leave the job of running TacomaWorld to tcBob, but maybe a nice cerimonial moderator position... But just don't give me banning powers, ok Bob. The way my temper gets, that could be bad.


i was actually meaning for the presidency of the United States( we would be better off moving to canada if hillary clinton was to win)!!!!

 

Amen brother!

 

Check with your local/State requirements regarding trailer brakes.

In some states - it's illegal to run without trailer brakes on certain load capacities.