Pulling capacity

I would like to buy a small (single axle) travel trailer to be pulled with my 2015 4wd TRD Tacoma. What do you suggest to be the maximum weight of the trailer?

 

Under 3700 lbs, but a tandem axle would be better.

 

Welcome to TacomaWorld

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Welcome to the TW forum cassy1218

Check out the Towing thread for a quicker response, Plus TONS of useful info

 

Welcome to TW!

 

Welcome to TW. That question is a huge can of worms.

A lot of it depends on what you are comfortable with. Travel trailers are a different beast than a utility or a boat trailer. Their aerodynamics play a much larger role than people realize. A side wind can take you by complete surprise.

Also, keep in mind that they like to advertise the dry weight of the trailer. A 3700 pound trailer, after you add battery, propane, just a little bit of water, and basic living items will easily tip the scales at 4700 pounds. And I agree with the above post, that's about the very maximum that you would want to handle with this truck.

Me personally, I try to keep my dry weight under 3000. I pull a pop-up that's 2700 dry, 3500 fully wet, and that's my personal max comfort level for this truck. But my intended use is more than most also. I wanted something that I could pull with comfort 8 hours a day for my once a year 4000 mile road trips, over both highway and rough gravel. (Emphasis on the word comfort) So a small low profile trailer makes the most sense for me. A lot of people will pull theirs 50-100 miles to the nearest campsite, maybe four times a year, so for their use a bigger trailer makes sense, and they will certainly get on here and say how their 5500 pound penthouse beast tows like a dream.

When shopping for one, know your intended use, and have an idea of your comfort level. Do you want to arrive at a campsite tired, after wrestling your trailer down the road for 5 hours? Or are you just camping an hour away so you won't even have a chance to feel the effects of road fatigue?

All I can say is that for most people, the peak of that comfort bell curve seems to be at a trailer that's 4000-4500 pounds fully wet, or a dry weight of 3000-3700 pounds.

Good luck.