towing trailer

Can I safely pull a jayco 22fb (4150 lbs empty) with my 2013 4wd Tacoma V6 quad cab with brake controller. Also there is no switch to prevent tranny from going into high gear ... thanks

 

Tow how far and what conditions?

Generally yes, but more specifics would help.

There are many threads you can find here on towing as well for tips and tricks.

 

keep the shifter in 4 instead of "D"

 

You'll be fine, I've pulled my 24' (4300lb) trailer all over the place and as long as your in 4th and the torque convertor stays locked you'll be good.

 

Use a weight distribution hitch and tow in 4 (not D).

My Jayco x213 weighs a couple hundred more and the Tacoma can handle it. That said, if you plan to tow it regularly with the Tacoma get an ultragauge or something else to monitor transmission temps and be prepared to install a larger aux transmission cooler if your temps are high.




Spend some time looking through this: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-tacoma-towing-bible.4031/

 

I personally would not tow something that big. Scrolling through Tin Can Tourists on Facebook and yet another wreck photo with a Tacoma as the tow vehicle. These trucks are just too light, the rear suspension is too soft to tow anywhere more than half the rated capacity IMO. I understand this is an unpopular opinion, but when my properly loaded 2000lb trailer makes me feel like I'm driving a trampoline, I question the truck's ability to tow much more.

 

When I got the yxz on my 10 foot lowboy trailer that's enough of a strain for my taste. If I need to pull anything bigger I borrow my buddy's diesel. He loves borrowing the taco so it works out for me. I would never think about pulling something that heavy with a Tacoma. Maybe the tundra with the 5.7

 

replace the leaf springs or put bags in, weight distribution system, read your owner's manual it states to tow in 4 and not use D. Definitely look into a larger trans cooler and an ultra gauge or scan gauge for trans and engine temps. I tow a 27ft 4600lb travel trailer when empty and it does fine, by all means i will not be getting any speeding tickets but it'll do it. I do however want a larger truck for the comfort of passengers and to gain some power for hills etc.

 

You need a full weight distribution hitch, with anti-sway. The truck needs to be level. Too much tongue weight and the front brakes and steering is compromised. My TT weighs 3400# empty. It is more than the taco is happy with. If you live in a flat area you will get away with it. Hills are not smart. When I ran the full calcs on my rig I am over tongue weight by #40. The most I "should" load it was 3950#... This is to be within specs. It pulls fine, stopping quick is difficult. If it starts to sway the taco is too light to get you out of it. The camper salesman will look at the max towing and say you're good, but he is lying. I have towed 10,000# with my old 2500HD duramax... There's no way in hell a eco boost f150 should strap onto that load.
http://changingears.com/rv-sec-calc-trailer-weight-tt.shtml
Here is the calculator... You need info off the truck as well as the camper to get all the info... FWIW I tow a camp lite 21rbs. As I said earlier it is actually outside the envelope for the taco. It does it but I am very cautious when doing it.

 

Remember that when you actually set out on trips, total weight of your trailer tends to magically increase - a bunch. Full freshwater tanks. Full propane tanks. Food in the fridge, a few coolers full of ice and beer. All sorts of provisions, gear, clothing, camp chairs, what have you. And often that weight is distributed in a way that's not optimal for towing (all the weight in the back makes the trailer act all squirrely; all the weight up front tends to overwhelm your suspension). Folks in Europe routinely tow much larger loads relative to tow vehicle size/weight than we do here - but they do so at pretty limited speeds (in Germany, for example, you're limited to 80km/h, so roughly 50 mph when towing).

 

good point g42... I watch it pretty close. I also make sure my trailer brakes are 100%. My tongue weight was full propane and battery included. A bunch of firewood, a bbq, and other junk in the bed and the numbers all go bad.

 

Whether towing or just tossing stuff in the bed, these Tacomas are not very useful for carrying any decent load without modifying the rear suspension. I tell people all the time that it is more of a "car" than a "truck" when it comes to loads.

 

The new Ford F-150 weighs 4200 lbs and is rated to tow 12,000 lbs. apparently, tow vehicle weight has nothing to do with towing capacity.

 

You're out of line sir. The Gen2 Tacoma was designed for work. I haul max loads on a regular basis and have naught problems with power or suspension.

 

The threads in TW are all over the place when it comes to towing. From towing anything over 1k is too much to starting at 6k dry and it tows great. Set your truck up right, use common sense, and take it easy and you should be fine.

 

Mine sagged and rode bumpstops with anything over like 600lbs. It sucked. But now with the upgrades I'm good too go. Hell it would bottom out over bumps unloaded.

 

I never heard of such a thing. Must not have put all the leafs in st the plant. My 91 would carry 2000 lbs and not hit the stops.

 

All the leafs were there. OR has a 3 leaf pack they were there. They were still there when i sold the leafs too.

 

Pretty common actually. I was hitting bumpstops with 250-300 lbs (shell and recovery gear) fairly regularly. I also have a TRD Offroad FWIW.

 

Do the off road trucks have lighter springs? Or is this just poor QA at the plant?