The Tacoma Towing Bible

Figured I'd post this up here. I have a couple B&M 70268 transmission coolers for sale $60+shipping. Installed them in 2 trucks with tow packages, one replaced the stock cooler, and the other was in line with the stock cooler and both show temps dropped 20*

 

Hi. I didn't scroll through all 85 pages of this forum (yikes!), so please excuse me if this is a repeat question:

I have a first gen V6 taco so I know I'm rated for 5000#, no problem. I can rent a 6x12 haul trailer and fill it with 2500 lbs of weight and still be within that limit.

But my question is how much wear n tear am I actually putting on the truck with about 4500 pounds of trailer&cargo and another 500 pounds cargo in the bed? I need to drive this cargo a little over a hundred miles on a somewhat hilly drive. Even the empty truck struggles above 65 when I'm on some of these inclines. Let's face it - these are no cummins diesels.

So I'm thinking I could rent a van from uhaul and do the same thing but it's a couple hundred bucks vs. $30. Then again, if I'm avoiding a grumpy truck, I'll spend the money to keep it happy. Most I've towed so far is a couple thousand pounds, which didn't feel too stressful.

Your thoughts are appreciated

 

First time poster...

I’m considering downsizing from my 2011 Tundra and getting a 2018 Tacoma, and was wondering about the Tacoma’s towing capacity. I have a 14’ single axle all-aluminum utility trailer with no trailer brakes. I haul my ZT mower and ATV over 70 miles of mountain highways. The gross weight for trailer, mower and ATV would be around 2,100 pounds. I know that’s well within the rated towing capacity. But is it safe to haul that load over mountains without trailer brakes? The Tundra handles it, but the Tacoma is obviously a smaller truck. Also I should mention that I would likely get a cap for the Tacoma, adding to its weight and presumably deducting about 200 pounds from the towing/hauling capacity.

One more Q.... The trucks have hauling and towing capacities. Is the towing capacity established assuming the truck is also at it’s hauling capacity? How do the two ratings interact?

Thanks....

 

Thanks... I should add that I only haul that load about 2x per year. Then I haul the trailer with just the ATV another 2-4x per year.

Adding this to my post: I did some amateur research. For Tacomas and basically all vehicles, the Gross Vehicle Weight is the Curb Weight plus the Payload Capacity. I saw this reference from AAA: “Trailers not exceeding 3,000 lbs. need not have brakes on all wheels, provided that the total weight of the trailer does not exceed 40% of the gross weight of the towing vehicle when connected to the trailer and the combination of vehicles is capable of complying with braking performance requirements.” The rules vary by state, but the few states (MD, FL, SC) that provide a formula of sorts use this formula. Most states just have a flat 3000 pound gross trailer weight threshold for requiring trailer brakes, regardless of the size/weight of the towing vehicle.

Here is the AAA link showing all of the state laws: https://drivinglaws.aaa.com/tag/trailer-brakes/

So... A 4x4 Taco Double Cab Long Bed has a Curb Weight of 4480 pounds and a payload capacity of 1120 pounds, for a Gross Vehicle Weight of 5600 pounds. I should be able to haul 40% of that (2240 pounds) without trailer brakes, even if the truck is loaded to max rated payload (1120 pounds).

Not saying that trailer brakes wouldn’t be better than no trailer brakes; but based on ratings and math, I should be okay. ...unless I’m misreading the AAA info

 

I have read that non towing package tacos have 120amp alternators and towing package tacos have 130amp alternators. I was trying to figure out if I have a towing package and I read in the fuse box under the hood and it says alternator 140amp. Is that normal on a 2011 Toyota tacoma Trd sport.

 

Looking for thoughts on towing with my 2013 Tacoma PreRunner double cab. It has the towing package. I’m looking at campers for my family and found one with a dry weight of just shy of 4,000 lbs. I’m rated at 6,500 lbs, however after researching, I’m a little nervous at this weight. I’ve only towed a small pop up camper in the past. Is this too much weight for this truck to handle?

 

The tow package also included an engine oil cooler. It's a piece that sits under the oil filter and has some extra plumbing for piping in coolant from the radiator to a heat exchanger.

 

Alright guys, I have a bit of a project ahead of me. Long story short, in a few years my old man is calling it quits on the 9-to-5, gonna buy a 19' Airstream, and then spend the next few years visiting every National Park in the US.

Now, my part in all this is I'm going to let them have my Taco for the trip in exchange for their Subaru (I primarily do city driving anyway, so why bother buying a new truck when we can just swap). I have the tow package, a trailer brake controller, and I've beefed up the suspension with an OME kit already. Now I'm looking at what other steps I can take to make it better. They're looking at a 19' Flying Cloud, which is 4,500lbs GVWR, so the truck is already adequate, but I want more than adequate when it comes to my parents and their safety/enjoyment.

Things I know I need to upgrade/replace:
- Clutch/Flywheel. I'll probably be at ~100k when this trip happens, so I'm gonna do a new clutch and all of the other fluids soon. I know a heavier flywheel will be beneficial, but is there a particular clutch type that would be more kosher for towing?
- Tires. I have Goodyear SilentArmor tires on now, which I love, but they're getting worn and Goodyear doesn't make them anymore. Thinking Michelin LTX M/S2 is the way to go for a trip such as this.
- No-sway hitch. The truck barely even notices the little Coleman camper we have, but that thing weighs 2k at most. Plus I've lived in the great plains and I know what the crosswinds can be like out there.

Maybe upgrades. These are things I'm considering, but I dunno how beneficial they'll really be:
- Supercharger. The trailer is only 4,500lbs, but I feel like the extra 40hp would be extremely valuable in mountains and such. And since our truck has a bolt-on option based on an OEM design, I don't really see a downside beyond cost.
- Brakes. The trailer brake controller is a computer, and computers fail, so I'm wondering if beefier front/rear brakes as a just-in-case would be a good choice.

Unrelated to towing:
- Bed drawers. I know they're out there, but I'm wondering if I'd be better off building my own than buying a premade.
- Speakers. Dad is half deaf. Mom grew up listening to AC/DC. Stock speakers are gonna blow out by the time they reach the next state.

Basically, my goal is to make my truck as ideal for towing as possible so they can enjoy their time off to the fullest. And yes, the side effect is I get to trick out my truck even more under the auspices of supporting my parent's retirement. Win-win situation.

 

There are people far more knowledgeable than me, but the 19' Flying Clouds I see have a hitch weight of 550 lbs (w/LP & w/o options, water & cargo) listed. I suspect they'll have to pay attention to both hitch and payload weight.... (drawers/cargo, etc.).

I've considered this exact trailer and although I drive a 3rd gen I've been interested in the super charger in terms of the power to RPM curve. Anxious to see any responses. I'm pretty sure I've seen a couple posted here. So maybe you can search and PM them; especially in regards to weight, braking, etc.

 

indeed, clothes, bedding, towels, food, beverages add up faster than you might think, especially for a full timer.

with a 4500 lb GVWR between 450 and 700 lbs will be on the hitch of the tacoma, assuming the 10-15% tongue weight rule is followed. thats a big chunk of the typical tacoma's 1000-1200 lb payload. add a large couple, and you could easily be overweight before you even get into truck cargo.

 

Rather than doing what this thread suggests (estimating and calculating your loads). Just load up, pay the $10 to get weighed at a CAT scale near to you if there is one and get some real numbers.

Nothing will be a substitute for just getting your truck weighed, first with and without the trailer.

Limits to pay attention to (for a 2nd gen DCSB) are;

5,500 lb GVWR truck (total of both axle weights while loaded)
???? lb GVWR for trailer axles (check your trailer sticker, mine's a single 5,000 lb axle for a boat) - This shows up as "axle 3"
6,500 lb trailer (gross loaded minus gross unloaded)
6,000 lb trailer-ball weight rating (mine happens to be a 2" ball, see above to calculate)
650 lb tongue weight (axles 1 and 2 loaded minus gross unloaded)
2,755 lb front axle gross axle weight rating (axle 1 loaded with trailer)
3,110 lb rear axle weight rating (axle 2 loaded with trailer)
3,415 lb tire rating (265/75r16 KO, Load Range-D) - This is the heaviest axle (loaded) divided by 2. I'll never hit this before I overwork the rear axle.

Actual payload rating is unimportant. Payload is just calculated by GVWR minus curb weight. So of course tongue weight, passengers, gear, all go into that calculation. No need to calculate payload if you're just getting weighed as you just want to stay under GVWR.

As a general rule, if you can adjust the trailer load (I can't with a boat, other than adding / removing fuel) then you'll want to be 10-15% of your trailer weight as tongue weight. You can't always control that too much, so don't stress over it, but if you're drastically under 10% or negative, then you'll have serious sway issues.

 

does Toyota specify a GCWR for these trucks? I know big trucks usually have that, its a seperate limit for truck + trailer combined

ok, i found it for 2008 4x4 w/ factory tow, its 11100 lbs. thats 750 lbs LESS than the GVWR (5350 for mine) + Maximum trailer GWR (6500).

 

Interesting, I didn't realize that. That's really frustrating that its less than those combined. Would have just assumed it would be fine with max trailer as long as you're not over GVWR when you add in the tongue weight would be ok. Guess not...

It must be due to the braking... Even with surge brakes on the boat trailer I definitely noticed that I was having a hell of a time stopping at 10k gross weight.

 

i never did care for surge brakes.

 

Can't say I've ever seen a boat trailer with electric brakes though. Seems like they're always surge brakes for some reason.

 

that. especially in salt water.

I learned the hard way, always unplug your trailerr before backing into salt water, or your freshly installed lights will corrode massively when you hit the brakes. or if the lights are waterproof, it will find SOMEwhere to corrode, even if you think you waterproofed all the splices.

 

Question about number 4 below. Why can boat guys disregard a WD hitch? If you have a 4-5000 pound boat/trailer behind you, wouldn't you want a WD hitch setup? Also regarding trailer brakes for boat trailers - what are surge brakes and can they be applied independently of the tow vehicles brakes?

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

 

boat trailers tend to have very long draw bars, with the center of gravity pretty far back on the trailer, I think this lowers the tongue weight of the trailer... as the axles are set quite far back, they have less tendency to sway, too.

 

I’m sure this has already been addressed but with 86 pages it will take me years to read through everything. Back story is I have the factory tow package and don’t tow a ton but love to be prepared for anything. My truck is lifted and I’m running 37” tires. Trans temp hits 190* at the pan on the highway completely empty. I know that’s probably not that hot but the cooler the better I imagine. Looking into upgrading my trans cooler. My question is, is there such thing as too cool. If I put in a cooler that’s too big could it cool it too much and cause issue? Sorry for the noob questions, I hate automatic transmissions so never researched them before.

 

hahahahahaah, I was just reading the fine print in my 2008 Tacoma 4x4 owners manual and came across a yellow warning box...

"DO NOT EXCEED 45 MPH or the towing speed limit, whichever is lower"

omg, been doing it wrong all this time.