Could really use a hand figuring out how much my (hopefully) Tacoma will tow...

I am about to purchase the truck for the rest of my life, but there is some seriously conflicting information.
Carmax says this truck towing capacity is 3500lbs.
Everything else I can find from Toyota says this truck can tow 6500lbs.

Can someone who know their stuff please weigh in and set my mind at ease?
Images are attached for verification

VIN: 5TFUU4EN9FX137214
Model Code: GRN245L-CRFDKA
v6 - 4.0L 6 speed manual
Factory installed "TW V6 Tow Package for Off-Road package"
From Toyota's VIN spec sheet.
The oil filter has the doughnut
It has the rear diff lock

Any help or suggestion is appreciated!

Erm.. for some reason, I am not able to attach the gallery... try8ng to figure it out.

 

I'd trust Toyota's own ratings before Carmax.

A quick search came up with this:

"The towing capacity of the Tacoma is between 3500-6400 lbs. The difference in towing capacities is dependent on the engine that is equipped and whether or not a towing package has been added. The minimum towing capacity of 3500 lbs is for both the 4cyl and V6 engine that powers the Tacoma. It’s only when you add the Towing Package to the V6 engine that the towing power is lengthened to 6400 lbs."

Apparently Carmax is assuming that particular vehicle does not have the towing package.

 

There is what it's rated to tow and there's what it will realistically tow. I towed my 22' high performance boat many, many times for many, many miles with my 2014 TRD Sport with the 4 liter automatic and the towing package. It weighs right around 3,500 pounds on the (single axle) trailer. I also towed up to 5,500 pounds with it occasionally doing work for the marina I work at.

Let's just say it was waaay more comfortable towing 3,500 pounds. Although it towed more - with an experienced driver behind the wheel - I wouldn't recommend it.

 

I won't be towing 6500 regularly, or at all. 3-4 times per month I maybe towing 2-3k lbs, MAYBE 4000 sometimes, and not that far.
Just paranoid. THis much money is... a lot for us, and I have to have a reliable vehicle for occasional weirdness.
Thanks for getting back to me.

 

That is what I found, it has the tow package (as demonstrated by the imaged I figured out how to upload), and the v6. it is just super odd. THanks for getting back to me!

 

I see the *2 and *3 there, but it doesn't say what that means? Is *3 with the tow package? If so, that's your answer.

Oh....and it it was me I'd put in a brake controller and make sure my trailer had electric brakes. I believe that some sort of trailer brakes are required for over 3000 pound trailer....but IIRC Toyota recommends trailer brakes for 1000 pounds and over.

 

Yep, I already have the brake controller. Thank you!

 

I would not rely on carmax for anything at all.

check for a bigger alternator, factory installed tow hitch, etc.

It’s not a tow rig. Only thing I care about is can it handle moving sometimes. Like the max size Uhaul 6x12 which is 2000lb empty.
No idea what my stuff weighs or how to determine that. If there is a cheap scale nearby. Maybe. Pretty sure it’s required to weigh for military relocating.

according to Uhaul the average persons stuff does not weigh a lot. not everyone’s a mechanic though. So with heavy tools and toolboxes it’s probably more.
Or spare parts anyone on here has, also heavy metal.
Was light enough to keep at home and carry so hopefully not too crazy.

is it fun towing that? No. But it can.
Worse economy on a small tank.

what I like the least is how the trailer jumps around and screws with the feel of the truck especially clutch work.
Just rented a 6x12 $30 to finish regear break in per ECGS policy.
And even empty the movement on that thing basically felt like a second clutch engagement interfering with the real one every time it pushed or pulled on the truck.

maybe it’s just an annoyance nothing more. Last time I towed moving old clutch pulled out looked fine. Little bit of wear sure but realistically probably all I needed to do was adjust the master rod (12 and 14mm I think)

 

4.0 V6 with the factory towing package is rated for 6500lbs, so that's what your truck is rated for from factory.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/forums/towing.34/

 

So far, unanimous, is 6500. Sweet! Carmax is WRONG!

 

Nice, thank you!

 

3500 lbs is the base tow rating, I'm sure Carmax would rather err on the side of caution when selling. That's a lot better than telling customers it is rated for the max when it isn't.

Your drivetrain is rated to PULL 6500 lbs. But your suspension isn't designed to support the tongue weight of a 6500 lb trailer unless you only have a driver in the cab. And that is only on level ground and at sea level. Start putting passengers and cargo in the truck, start towing in mountains, or at elevations over about 5000' and that 6500 lbs needs to be reduced. Sometimes significantly.

And there is a HUGE difference in wind resistance between a travel trailer and a boat or utility trailer. Pulling a travel trailer is like driving with a parachute deployed behind you. Boats and open utility trailers don't' catch wind and are easier to pull.

I see your trucks payload is 1140 lbs, it is printed on the yellow and black sticker in the pic. That is what you need to use to determine the max you can tow. Even though tow rating is the same, every truck has a different payload. They tend to be somewhere between 900-1200 lbs. Your truck is better than most. Somewhere around 4000-4500 lbs is a sensible max for a Tacoma, and even then, you have to pack carefully.

You need a minimum of 10% of the trailer weight and a maximum of 15% on the hitch. Most people shoot for 13%. 13% of a 6500 lb trailer is 845 lbs. Subtracted from 1140 leaves you 295 lbs. That's just enough for a driver and a few things in the truck.

A 4500 lb trailer would only leave you a bit over 500 lbs usable payload. You could make that work, but you'd have to pack carefully.

 

//That// is the sort of info I needed to see. Thank you!
I took most of that into account when determining which truck I needed to get, or at least it had a hand in the decision making. I do not ever expect to be towing (pulling) more than half of the limit for more than 10 miles. Any normal haul would be about 2000 or so and mostly less than 20 miles. My wife is an engineer; maximum limits are divided by three and minimum requirements are multiplied by three.
I'll mostly be hauling logs for short distances a few miles, but I have to plan for sketchy terrain, unexpected loads, etc.
Thanks again!

 

so realistically what does this mean
That one should ideally be trying to place their heaviest items in a trailer and choose specifically light things to fill the truck?

 

I rented the same trailer last weekend myself to haul some furniture to my kids' houses. The 6 X 12 UHaul trailer includes some really $hitty surge brakes. I think what you were feeling was like this....Accelerate, Clutch (SURGE BRAKES KICK IN), Accelerate in next gear, Clutch (SURGE BRAKES KICK IN).

With an electric brake controller...it would have KNOWN you didn't have your foot on the brake, so the trailer brakes won't try to grab. That surge brake system starts setting the brakes as soon as the trailer's momentum pushes it towards the back of your truck.

I've pulled a lot of trailers in my life....that UHaul 6X12 is one of the most annoying I've ever messed with. But it was cheap and they don't charge you mileage.

 

I was thinking exactly that too…that’s definitely how it felt

cheap local yes $30

apparently to actually move states (the plan) = $2k…
Thinking about a workaround
Seeing whole trailers of similar size for sale for around that same price potentially buy use resell get money back.

but so far they look 5x10, single axle, no mention of brakes, seller states in ad they can do bill of sale but have no other documents that seem might be required for legal registration like title etc making me wonder if it’s stolen.

 

I also looked at the local market for used trailers.

Honestly, you can buy a new one for what people are asking for used ones. It probably varies from state-to-state, but in Indiana you're supposed to title a trailer.

Trailers are required to have brakes if GVWR (federal reg) if GVWR is 3000 pounds or more. I'm seeing a lot of single axle trailers they list as 2990 GVWR. They do that to avoid having to put brakes on them. I even contacted a nearby trailer builder to see how much they'd charge to add electric brakes and they wouldn't even quote it.

 

yeah…
according to Google surge brakes are horrible

I wonder how necessary trailer brakes are period
Found a 6x10, single axle, that I assume has no brakes. Just axle bearing wheel.
Probably lighter than Uhaul 6x12.

I believe the smaller Uhaul trailers don’t use brakes and had no issue with those before. Felt better than the 6x12.

buy use sell sounds better than rent.

used seems around $2k which is what Uhaul wants just to borrow one
Old roommate did the whole buy use sell thing worked great but it was open non enclosed, guess he didn’t have much stuff to bring or maybe wasn’t worried about rain and may have used a tarp.

open trailer seems more aerodynamic less like a parachute
Guess I’ll load up see how much overflow there is and eyeball what size needed