Towing with 3rd Gen

That's what a weight distribution hitch is for - to move some of the weight to the front wheels of the tow vehicle. Properly adjusted, the trailer and truck should be fairly level with a WD hitch. From a safety standpoint, you should use a WD hitch on a Tacoma for anything much over 1,000 lbs.

 

I have a friend that tows with '16 Tacoma. His tongue weight is 637 pounds and he uses a weight distribution hitch. Without timbren system his truck sagged ALOT! He was totally on the bump stops.

 

Thanks @aggie77

 

It's been a well known fact for over 40 years that automatics are superior for towing, unless you're driving an 18 wheeler. But if you live out west and want to tow a camper "for significant distances in the rockies" why are you even considering a midsize pickup with a V-6? I'd be looking for a full sized with the largest V-8 or diesel I could find. Wow, over 2600 posts on here and you don't even own a Taco?

 

I towed my 20 ft. boat about 60 miles a few weeks ago and it was fine. It started on twisty roads through the Texas hill country and eventually on a flat highway into west Austin. Had no problems whatsoever and got about 15 MPG. Sorry I didn't get a pic with the boat hooked up.. I'll do that when it warms up and it's time to hit the lake.

 

Guess your reading comprehension skills are lacking. Just mere pixels from this sentence it tells you I own a Tacoma.

 

That is impressive! As I understand, and I may be wrong, but weight distribution hitches don't really remove large portions of tongue weight. Distributing a portion of the weight to the front wheels of the tow vehicle and the rear wheels of the trailer it will do, but not eliminate tongue weight. I have been in contact with the large manufactures of wd hitches and they all have informed me that their systems will distribute roughly 10-15% of the tongue weight. I have seen first hand what 400 pounds of tongue weight looks like on a brand new Tacoma off road without timbren or airbag and someone wouldn't want to be driving at night like that because their lights would be illuminating the sky and not the road. I'm no towing expert by any means. Just saying what I saw first hand. Right now even a slight load in the bed causes my truck to drop an inch in the back, triple that and put it on the southern most part of the truck and it will squat.

 

Just out of curiosity, after you set up your wd hitch how much tongue weight do you think you will have and how much do you think you will be able to distribute? Is the information I've been told not correct. You seem very knowledgeable on this subject.

 

I pulled 4000 lbs (300 lb tongue weight) with my DC LB OR two weeks ago for about 70 miles over some pretty hilly terrain. I used the ECT and limited the trans to 5th gear to keep the revs up a little. I even knocked it down some ahead of the computer to keep the power up at the bottom of some steeper inclines. It pulled great and didn't expect it to do as well as it did. The trip down with an empty trailer netted me about 20 mpg (1000 lb trailer/90 lb tongue wt). The trip back was just over 15 mpg.

 

What were you towing and did you use a weight distribution hitch? Lets see some pics!

 

Sorry, no pics of that trip...wasn't expecting to show anyone. I don't have a weight distribution hitch, the guy just loaded the trailer with a loader and I knew the tongue weight because he weighed me coming into the yard (truck then trailer) and the same thing going out. The truck weight increased by 300 lbs. The trailer is a 7x10 single axle with a double folding ramp and solid 18" high sides. It was a load of coal.

 

Ah...gotcha. Well i'm glad you had no issues towing it!

 

Passed a third generation on I 25 last Sunday pulling a Mini Winnie double axle and he was barely doing 60 mph up a 3 percent grade.

 

Heh, I rarely exceed 65 anyway. No issues towing a small skiff, barely noticed it.

 

Do you have air bags or timbren setup on your truck? How much squating was there from 300 lbs tongue weight?

 

The truck is still in stock configuration...no mods yet. I thought about it more last night and I think the tongue weight was probably closer to 390 lbs since I didn't add the original tongue weight with the empty trailer. When I took the trailer off with the tongue jack, I don't think it had squatted more than a couple inches. I wish I had paid closer attention but I didn't think I would become a member of this forum...this is a first for me.

 

Thank you, you're such a gracious human being! Sorry I didn't pay more attention to what you're driving, I was simply awestruck by your comments about first new vehicle and inane desire to tow with a manual. Since you own a 2002, don't you already know how a Tacoma will tow your load?

 

Thank you for taking the time to explain this. It helps me to understand the concept of wd hitch systems.

 

I tow a 5,000lb MasterCraft (weighed at a CAT certified scale) with my 2014 Highlander Ltd V6 AWD. Right at its 5,000 max tow rating. I usually tow with the 4 of us and gear about 150 miles one way on pretty flat land. I primarily use 4th gear (sometimes 5th) and set the cruise at 70mph with the AC on. It pulls straight, quiet, no wiggles or chassis shutter and stops adequately (trailer has 4 wheel discs). I range between 10 - 12 mpg when towing that boat. And that is a bit less power than the '16 Taco V6. I also know another MasterCraft owner who just bought a '16 DCSB 4x4 V6 and tows his 6,500lb 23' MasterCraft Surf boat in the mountains of southern California and loves it (he was towing with a Sequoia previously). Both without any WD hitch.

My point...tow. Tow hard. These are Toyotas and while the RPMs may run 3,100 all day long and sometimes 4,800 towing up hill at 70mph, it is a Toyota. Oil coolers, tranny coolers, Power steering cooler, class 4 hitch, trailer sway control, etc. These trucks are set up to tow a lot. Hitch what you got and go. It's a Toyota.

 

I posted in the other thread while back. With 400 miles on clock, I towed a single axel trailer loaded within out 3l in side by side, coolers, gear, and about 600 lb in bed through the Texas hill country. No WD hitch. No trailer brakes. No problem. 70 mph on interstate. I have MT and put it in 4th a few times up the steeper stuff at hwy speeds. Like someone said. This is a gas Toyota that redlines at 6k. Run it at 4K all day long under load.

I also towed a 5+k lb industrial pump trailer skid across Houston no problem. Single axle and 110 gallons of diesel sloshing back and forth.