Will my truck pull this all right?

Hey guys. I have hardly ever used my truck to pull ANYthing, but I have been thinking about getting a travel trailer. My truck is a 2008 4X4 TRD with a 6-speed manual tranny and no optional tow package.

Here's the truck:

Here's the trailer: http://www.webstercityrv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=cRVs.dspRV&RVID=5978

How would I do???

 

You could pull that no problem but i would do 2 things to your truck first...

1. Make sure you have class 3 or 4 hitch
2. Get electric brake controller for your truck.

 

X2

I have pulled a trailer that size with my ol 3.0 toy and didn't have a problem. It just didn't like hills. Your 4.0 will not have a problem. Just make sure you do get the right hitch and I would recommend sway bars too. Also the brake control.

 

I have an 18' but it's about 1000# lighter my 2011 V6 6 spd .pulls it all most like it's not there (long steep hills then I know) I do have the factory hitch set up so buy the best aftermarket hitch you can find and breaks are a must and probably a WD draw bar would be a plus to put a little more weight on the front axle. How are your springs 4 leaf?

 

Hell, you guys are awesome. What the heck did people do before the internet?

I will look into sway bars and brake controls, but I bet the guys at the RV dealership would know more about that and could get me on the right track.

Thanks again, fellas. Y'all have a great weekend. Dontcha looooove Friday nights??

 

So curios if anybody knows how much a 70's or 80's 18-19 foot trailer weighs? I've been looking but my budget is slim so I have to go older. Nobody that has them listed ever knows.

 

type in "year, model of trailer, specs" in google and it should come up

 

Isn't it funny that back then nobody seemed to give a crap what a trailer weighed? As long as the vehicle pulling it had an engine, it was assumed to be good-to-go. Makes me feel silly for even asking the question I asked, but hey, I wanna make sure I'm protecting the investment I made in my truck.

 

I'm surprised no one said anything either... The truck will handle it fine but legally you will be over weight. Without the tow package you're only rated to tow 3,500 lbs (it will tow more but there's nothing you can do about the GCVWR sticker).

 

No joke? I'd be illegal??

 

No joke, with the tow package the Tacoma is rated to tow 6,500 lbs, without it's reduced to 3,500 lbs. Sadly, there aren't that many upgrades that come with the tow package to warrant that kind increase in payload but again, there's nothing you can do about the sticker that comes on the truck from the factory.

 

Hmmm! So the possible repercussions of towing over 3,500lb would be....what? Not being smartassy; genuinely wondering.

 

For a standard trip, there would more than likely not be any reprecautions. It's highly doubtful a LEO would pull you over just to weigh you, especially since a Tacoma with the towing package would be well within it's limits. If you got into an accident, the reprecautions could end up being severe. Even if it wasn't your fault, it would give someone a reason to point the finger at you.

 

That is assuming you don't upgrade to a tow package. If you went back to the dealer to have the hitch installed they wouldn't change the sticker either.

Buy the aftermarket hitch. It will have a tow rating sticker on it for how much it can pull with your type of vehicle it was designed for.

No I wouldn't attach that to my bumper, but I wouldn't use just the truck breaks by them selves either.

Get the hitch, and brake controler and you will be fine. Just have a reputable shop install the system.

 

So, I'm supposed to get a Class 3 or 4 hitch. What did my truck *come* with???

 

depends... you say your truck doesnt have the factory tow package, but... if you have the larger factory hitch with the 7 pin connector you likely have the class 4 hitch

 

No receiver comes with a sticker that dictates what the vehicle can tow. The ratings on the receiver are for the receiver itself. I put a class 3 on mine which is rated to 5,000 lbs but that does not mean I can legally tow that high, I'm still limited by the sticker on the door jamb with tops me out at 3,500 lbs.

If you didn't get a truck with the tow package it didn't come with anything. You'll be able to find a class 3 receiver pretty easily, the only class 4 receiver you'll most likely find would be an OEM receiver.

 

Correct in that that reciever isn't going to come with a magic sticker to attach to your truck that now says I have the ability to tow a house now. The dealer installed hitch you go back to buy isn't going to say that either.

The difference is the hitch and wiring kit, alternator, and oil cooler. The alternator and oil cooler isn't going to change the towing capacity. Structurly tieing into the frame with a hitch and not towing from the bumper is what is going to give you the ability to tow more weight.

The suspension isn't changed by the dealer putting a hitch on the rig. Buy a hitch and put the hitch on there and you will have the same towing capacity as a truck that came with one from the assembly line.

This isn't complicated. Class 4 I believe.

 

Smart phone and auto correct. Nice to have but hate the auto correct feature.

Yes very good at EVOC. Thanks for asking

 

Lots of folks pull more than their vehicle is rated for and in most cases it works out just fine. That is until you have an accident. At that point if they check and discover your over the allowable weight you may end up with a ticket as well as your insurance company may not pony up. Now with that said if your truck is rated to pull 3500lbs and your pulling 3800lbs your probably fine. If your rated to pull 3500lbs and pulling 5500lb that may be an issue. Just remember its not the ability of the truck to pull the weight its the trucks ability to stop the weight.