Show us what you tow.

I watch the transmission fluid temp on my scangauge II. On what page of the manual do the engineers recommend 4th gear when towing?

 

well hell i tow at 70 and 75 when i do. towing 2500 to 3k at those speeds it does just fine unless you get slowed down behind a truck on a hill. i as long as you maintain the same speed up the hill it dose just fine.

and i’m towing at those speeds doing the speed limit, if i don’t i’m holding up traffic and probably about to cause a wreck.

 

Page 170.

I don't care what the scan guage says, I don't want the converter unlocking and locking that frequently under load. It is not just about heat. It is bad for other components and the OD gears are not designed to handle that much load. In my brief experience in OD on a flat run it usually shifted out or unlocked anyway. If you tow less than 10 times a year it would probably take awhile for the tranny to wear out and break the OD bands or mess up te torque converter. May never happen. Just not ideal. They are built well to begin with. My old Tacoma had a button to lock it out of OD for towing amongst other things.

 

The 2013 Owner's Manual does not mention towing in the "4" position for the 5-speed automatic transmission.

Pages 145 and 240 from the owner's manual:





Page 170 of the 2013 Owner's Manual is about windshield wipers.

 

Mine is 2008. Still does not change the principle.

It is probably in there in the appropriate section. For the record, engine braking is not enough in OD for a 5,000lb load. So in a way your link above DOES say to use 4.

My manual states the following:


When towing a trailer, in order to maintain engine braking efficiency, do not use "D".


Same thing.

 

I dont see it either for my 2007. http://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/om/OM35869U/pdf/07omsour/2007/07tacoma/17.pdf

http://www.toyota.com/owners/web/pages/resources/owners-manuals#Owners-Manuals

 

In the 2012 manual 0n page 237 it talks about not using D for engine braking efficiency..ie downshifting to help maintain speed going down hills etc. Nothing mentioned about tranny temps, hard pulling, up hills, not using D when towing etc.

To each their own I suppose.

 

Read page 173...

 

(Not trying to be a pain, the line is just a blurred to me when to put it in 4...just want the best for my truck)

What do you consider hard towing?

 

If you're towing on anything but flat road for a hundred miles straight with anything over a 1000lb trailer, it's hard towing IMO

 

^^^^What he said^^^^^ Totally agree!


The bottom line is not using overdrive for towing has been and continues to be the norm. I would agree that anything over the bed payload of the truck would be the starting point to switch to 4 from D.

Exactly, to each their own. Engine Braking efficiency and towing 2.5 tons goes hand in hand. Hills or not and Toyota states that in the 2008 manual.

 

What happened to "showing what we tow"
IJS

 

Back to your regularly scheduled program. I am just tired of people misinforming other owners that "D" is blessed by Toyota engineers. It is not. If I had a nickle for every time, I could help pay for their future transmission replacement.

Here is what I tow. I don't use "D", because ethe Toyota engineers had the owners manual writers tell me not to. And it's just common knowledge after towing for 21 years.

3900 dry 5500 max

 

dig the wheels! I saw a TRD Sport towing a similar trailer the other day doing about 70 down the road! Obviously wasn't having an issue!

Where in NY?

 

Thanks.

Saratoga Springs.

70 is not an issue in the 4,000 lb range around here. Somewhat hilly, but not bad. Get into the Adirondacks or the Berkshires and it is just smart to slow down. 24feet is the max length i would tow with this wheel base.

 

Here we are all loaded, hooked up, and ready to go later today!









This will be my first time towing with the new truck, and I'm expecting a huge improvement over our 2006 Sienna. I'm pretty sure the previous owner added a leaf (I don't think it was under the TSB). This trailer is very tongue heavy (~500# as is), and even with the trailer, the cap, and stuff in the back, the truck sits pretty level.

Happy Labor Day!

 

I know, its not the taco, but i don't pull with the taco because I still have the powerstroke.

Anyways I was only about 10,000 lbs over the weight limit for the truck.

 

Nice popup. That's a big fella! We have a Rockwood Freedom that's getting a little long in the tooth. I would like to move up to something like you have.

How much does it weigh?

 

Towed my dad's car into the city yesterday to sell it for him. It towed nicely, 6th gear in cruise all the way home, never needed to downshift up the small Hills between Camrose and Edmonton.
'13 Spruce mica ac.