Tacoma or Tundra

Hello Everyone. I would love some advise from you all. Here's the situation. I am working on my bucket list and bought a 20' 2018 Bennington SF pontoon, 70HP Yamaha, double axle trailer with a breaking mechanism on it. I put the cart before the horse. I am dependent on family to tow it for me which is fine for a minute. My brothers are advising along my journey as I navigate these uncharted waters..did you see what i did there..lol. They have nice fishing boats and skilled at towing their boats and have said i need a V8, 5.7L or 5.0L. I have tagged along and hunted and fished with them throughout my life. The problem is I don't like to drive BIG VEHICLES. Marriage didn't work out, but can't let that stop me from living my dream, so I'm flying solo. I went to the FJ cruiser forum, because I love the look and wanted that to work badly but have reservations even though my friend has one and said it would do it. I think Tacoma's are smaller than the Tundras, looked at specs but they become overwhelming due to my fibromyalgia. Also, it would be a older generation truck and I have been looking on FB marketplace, Autotrader, Craigslist. I'm in Nashville and would tow the pontoon over Renegade mountain, I40 east from Nashville to Watts Barr lake, a 2.5hr tow. Would like to enjoy the boat here in Nashville on Percy Priest Lake as well. I calculated the boat and trailer at 3000 lbs. without gas and gear. The truck would double as transportation for my 6'2" grandson to drive to school when I'm not useing it. Thank you for any advise given.

 

Tundra.
It's not just the weight it's also the drag from the boat. I have a fishing buddy who had trouble getting his 1/2 ton Dodge with a small V-8 to go 50mph into a head wind with 20 ft. pontoon.
I will freely admit that after 40 years of towing I don't care for less than a full sized tow vehicle.

 

Welcome to TW. Weight wise a Tacoma with a 6 cylinder and tow package won’t have any problem with that weight. They are rated around 6500 lbs tow weight. But a Tundra is always a better tow vehicle for many reasons but primarily for its power and weight.
Towing a pontoon boat is a little different from towing a regular boat. They are wider and are affected more by the wind both while towing and on the water. As far as weight you need to look at weight with all equipment and full fuel tank. I think closer to 4000 lbs. is more like it.
If you are towing in wind it’s going to blow you around. A Tundra would mitigate the wind better than a Taco. Also a Tundra with it added weight and power will give you better control and make it a little easier to stay in your lane.
I’ve had both Tacos and Tundras and like them both but if you have the choice for towing Tundra wins hands down. A Taco will definitely do it just not as well as a Tundra. Towing over the mountains a Tundra is the way to go. For me I’d go with the Tundra without a second thought.

 

There is no upside on choosing a Tacoma over a half ton for towing. Even empty, a half ton will get close or even better MPG.

 

This helps tremendously. Thank you all!!!

 

I'm on team Tundra for this. A pontoon is a big wind sail when trailing down the road. The Tacoma has the power and payload to pull it but it may not be a pleasant experience. The Tacoma just doesn't have the weight to not let the pontoon push it around.

To your concern about driving a big vehicle is valid. I went from a 2014 Tacoma to a 2020 Tundra and even though it felt massive at the beginning, I quickly got used to it. And I'm only 5'6" so I'm not a tall guy.

One option to compromise is to get a 1st gen Tundra. 2000-2006 model years. If you can find a clean one with a clean frame and well maintained, that could be a good option. They're smaller than the 2nd and 3rd gen Tundras and even with the V6 or the small V8, they would tow that pontoon fine. Plus it would still comfortable fit your 6'2" grandson.

 

Hi neighbor! I live in East Nashville.

I think I’d give the upper hand to the Tundra! For towing, I’d always prefer a full size towing vehicle to help with weight and horsepower up the mountains and to give your passengers extra room in the backseat. I’d try and find a late 10’s Tundra with the naturally aspirated V8. Those things are tanks and will run solidly for years to come as long as you keep up on the basic maintenance. Even consider a Sequoia with the V8 if you don’t have a need for the bed space. They’re built on the same platforms and the higher trims can be very luxurious and plenty roomy for your grandson.

 

For serious Towing Bigger is always better.

Different story if your moving the boat to the water a few miles from home. Less then 10 round trip.

 

Another vote for the Tundra.

I dearly love my Taco, but my 4800# camper really pushes it to the max.

 

size matters... that being said, and I have no idea how big your pontoon boat is, I've been towing a 3000 lb car on a 1400 lb alum trailer (with trailer brakes!) for the last six years with a 4.0 V6 dbl cab long bed TRD Sport Taco with tow package... I added air lift bags and I'm probably killing the rear diff but it does just fine so far, just breathes heavy on the steep hills...192K miles on the Taco ... gets around 12.7 mph towing that way. I'm starting to look for a Tundra as well...