Can I tow a 3700lb dry weight trailer with my Tacoma?

I've checked out this forum and found a lot of great info here while researching my options for travelling. I bought a new 2016 TRD Sport 6-cyl. 6-speed manual transmission with the tow package, though I didn't at the time intend to tow anything. This is a great truck- I set it up as a camper, going on 3-4 week vacation trips. I now want to rv full-time, and I am not giving up the truck for a class C, though it is tempting. It now has 24K on it, it's practically new. I want to purchase a Winnebago Micro Minnie 2106DS with a dry weight of 3700 lbs., tongue weight 350 lbs. My truck is supposedly rated to tow 6500-6700 lbs. loaded. I am sure it could approach that pretty quickly when I start packing it. Will the truck handle it? Do I need to beef up the rear suspension? (It has 4-leaf springs as I have seen suggested, but only the factory shocks). Need Sway/stabilizer bars? Need better tires? Not sure if it already has a transmission cooler installed.
I'm on my second Taco, I put 200K on a new 2005 4-cyl. Tacoma Access cab commuting, before trading in for this one.
Any towing suggestions will be greatly appreciated, thanks!

 

Yes your truck can handle it. Even if you add a thousand pounds in your trailer you are still about 2000 lbs under your tow limit. I doubt you’ll load your trailer up with more than 1000 to 1500 lbs. but if you load it up and total tow weight exceeds 5500lbs then I’d consider a different truck since your are going to be towing full time. If you were just towing it occasionally like on weekends then I’d say go with your truck. You don’t need a tranny cooler with a manual tranny.
To make your towing experience easier and more comfortable less problematic I’d suggest the following - heavy duty springs like sumo’s and/or air bags. A WD hitch. Obviously you need trailer brakes.

 

I tow a Coachmen 204RD that comes in around 3900lbs dry with a GVW of 6000lbs. I also have the 6 speed manual and have no issues. Good choice on the manual. A weight distribution hitch will be mandatory and you wont need to add to the rear suspension. Just make sure you work out your GCVWR. With me and my wife, little pup and loaded we are under by 150lbs. If your not sure what GCVWR look it up and do the math to be sure you know where your at.

 

The rv dealer said he recommends they install a Blue Ox sway bar/WD Hitch, is that a good one?

 

I went with the EAZ-Lift recurve R3 and really like it. No chains to mess with and the sway control is built into the center of the hitch. I've towed over 2000 miles with it so far and haven't had the slightest issue. The spring bars are also on top instead of the bottom so more clearance. There's a Allen key on the side of the hitch to adjust the sway control.

https://www.reese-hitches.com/produ..._Weight_Distribution_Kit___1_000_lbs,RV-48752


https://youtu.be/IrIqxT1q2FA

 

Make sure to check the max load of your wheels too. Some wheels have lower weight limits than others.

 

Blue ox is darn near the top end of wdh's. You'll see it in the price tag too.

They're also dang heavy. Around 100 pounds. The upshot is that few wdh's will fully load the front axle like this one can.

The alternative to consider is the Anderson, at half the weight, and is quicker to hitch. Downside is the Anderson doesn't support quite as much, it just gets you "level".

 

I went with the Andersen No-Sway and am happy with it especially with airbags.
Now onto the truck. For random week/weekend trips, yes the truck will be fine. However, if your version of "full time" means majority of the time going from place to place and not just parked and living in the trailer, Id look at upgrading the truck. You will find a larger truck more comfortable to drive and with the weight of the trailer, MPG may be closer than you would think.
I had actually looked at the 2106DS. Knocked it off my list due to the low shower height.

 

Probably if you pack carefully. but it isn't as simple as it seems.

Your trucks drive train will PULL 6500 lbs. But your suspension probably won't handle that much weight. Most Tacoma's realistically max out at 4000-5000 lbs. Personally about 4500 is as much as I'd pull on a regular basis with a Tacoma. For an occasional tow I might go heavier if there were nothing else in the truck.

The limiting factor is your payload. There are 2 ways to determine this. There is a sticker on the drivers door jamb listing payload and GVWR. The payload is about 1200 lbs, but will vary 100-200 lbs either way depending on the exact truck. But that doesn't take into account any modifications you've done, or any gear you keep in the truck. It is best to actually weigh the truck, then subtract the trucks actual weight from the listed GVWR for your true payload.

The 350 lb tongue weight is BS from the manufacturer. Figure 13% of the trailer weight. A 4500 lb trailer (which is about where you'll be loaded) is closer to 600 lbs on your tongue. With a 1200 lb payload that only leaves you about 600 lbs for the driver, passengers and cargo in the truck. I weigh 220, my wife 140 and I also have a 180 lb cap on my truck. If I were towing a 4500 lb trailer with my truck that would only leave me 60 lbs of available payload for cargo in my truck. No way I could tow 6500 lbs and stay within the max payload.

You'll just have to do the math for your truck.

 

All the manu's play games with tow ratings and GVWR simply as a sales tactic, you actually have to do the math based on your payload.

 

I have DCSB with V6 and 6sp, make sure you do the math on your payload for the truck. I just recently picked up a Jayco 184 which is about 3200 dry and 4000 maxed out. I was originally looking at one that was about two feet longer, and 1000lbs heavier dry weight, until i did some maths and realized between all the people/stuff in the truck I had approximately 150 or so pounds to spare on payload after hitch weight. The low payload capacity seems to be the limiting factor for towing. But with a WDH and brake controller truck pulls great, especially with the super low first gear to get moving.

 

This is great info guys! I’m watching videos and searching for the real deal tow specs! Y’all have provided some great insight! I have a 2020 Taco, as y’all call them, SR5 6 cylinder automatic w Tow package. The specs say Tow rating is 6700 # and hitch rating 670# (10%)
I’m looking at Rockwood 2205s GVW 5000# dry
So I’ll say that I’ve been told two things;
1. Add 1000# to dry rate and use that weight or 6000# gvwc . If I have a 6700 limit, I’m thinking I’m good?!?
2. Figure 70% of the spec total and that is a safe easily towed load for the truck. 4900# for my truck. Im looking for feedback on these methods guys!

 

I think you will find that a 5K trailer will be just a little too much weight. Once you fill the water tanks and load it up you probably end up around 6K to 6.5K which will be a tongue weight around 650lbs. Now add yourself and the wife in the truck, any accessories, cargo in the back and you will most likely be over your payload number. It's not the tow rating of 6,500lbs that the concern, it's the payload number your going to go over well before you reach max towing number.

 

Towing at the max is a miserable experience. Especially if you’re putting on thousands of miles.

Short pulls are one thing, but long hauls with hours behind the wheel day after day can be exhausting.

I’m conservative with this stuff but I always take the max rating and divide by two. My truck is rated for 6400 and I pull a 3000 lb fibreglass trailer and I can definately feel it. Any heavier and I would upgrade to an F-150 or bigger.

 

One of the reasons I bought a now Tundra in the fall.

 

My camper is 4810 dry and we are light packers also. I don’t ever carry water in mine other than the dump tanks to the dump station at the front of the campground. The taco does haul it but I would much rather be in a full-size truck. It’s just tiring when you tow it in the Tacoma. The hills will pull you down and I get about 8 mpg. Plan on stopping for fuel every 2 hours. Each individual is different when it comes to towing and their comfort level. Just because I’m comfortable doing it doesn’t mean the next guy is. So take that for what it’s worth. We plan on buying a 5th wheel next so my next truck will be a 1 ton diesel which this camper will be like a 5x10 trailer behind that.

 

One of our hunting group has a Ram Cummins 3500. 4 of us in the cab taking turns driving for 26 hours straight on our yearly moose trip. Tremendous amount of room inside.

Pulling a flat deck with 3 quads, all of our supplies, a tinny boat, food, water, etc etc it’s like it isn’t even there. The truck is in total control. And it gets better gas mileage (by a wide margin) than an unloaded Tacoma. Haha

 

That’s actually what I’m looking at. Guy I work with has one with the mega cab and he deleted it about a month ago. That thing is a beast.

 

I’m coming to the realization that most of us wish we had bigger beastier trucks To pull bigger trailers and more people, get better mileage and look awesome!
But the fact remains we have what we wanted at some point. I love my Taco and will figure out what I can tow and my girl and I will enjoy it! Or she’ll be unhappy with what we are left with and we’ll be vacationing in the Hilton campground ! Lol

 

My trailer is 3800# dry and was within expectations bringing it home. I do not want a bigger truck so my tolerances are probably higher than others. We go on our first trip this weekend so I'll see how it goes once we are loaded. Me, wife, and one pup. I have been reading many of the responses and am cautiously optimistic it will be great.

I have a blue ox and so far I like it.