Towing Experience - 6x12x7 cargo @ ~3500lb (3rd gen)

Hoping this is useful for this community; plus some of you more experienced towers may be able to give some advice! This was a trip to California, totaling 800 miles.

- 2018 Tacoma - SR5 2018 V6 AT - 4x4 - Tow Package - Stock tires, stock lift, all stock. (max tow for my specific truck: 6,400lb). Using ScanGauge to monitor temps.

- 6x12 tandem axle cargo trailer V-Nose 8'6" height from ground to top (7' interior) - ~2400lb dry after some add-ons.

- Loaded with about 1000lb camping gear, food, etc.

- Added Curt trailer sway bar, as advised by manual for loads >2000lbs (weight-distribution hitch is advised >5000lbs).

- Driving: S4 Mode or lower + ECT mode, as instructed by manual.

- Truck bed sag: Noticeable, but not excessive. Did not impact steering whatsoever. ~tongue weight: ~350lbs. Trailer remained level

- Truck load: bed empty; 1 driver + 2 adults in cab + small cooler, etc.

Power: I pretty much always felt I had enough power IF I needed it, unless already at high-temps and climbing at elevation; but that was partly my fault in not maintaining a speed at the start of the climb. Head-wind was pretty noticeable. Maintaining the 4600rpm for max torque during a climb was key.

Engine Temp/Coolant: Was perfectly fine, even in 100-108-degree ambient climbing conditions. 208-degrees, generally. Hardly ever spiked.

Trailer tracking/driving feeling: Overall the trailer handled extremely well in all conditions. In windy parts (near windmills), I started getting hellish crosswinds, but trailer sway wasn't bad at all. Just had to counter-steer a bit and drop speed to 50-55 for a couple of minutes, but other than that the thing tracked very well. I was worried the tall profile of the trailer would be a problem and cause an uncomfortable feeling of driving into head-wind, but it really did not. Near the end of the trip racing daylight, I was going 73-75mph on the interstate (with a bit less weight after the trip) and practically forgot the trailer was back there. As truckers would pass me I'd get a small dose of turbulence but completely manageable. I have no clue if the sway bar actually did much or not, but overall I felt very safe towing this. Kept the kids out of the trailer for this initial maiden voyage, but I'd feel content having them in on future trips.

Braking: I had to hit my brakes pretty hard about 2-3 times on the trip (sudden traffic slowing on California highway, etc.). Trailer didn't drag me; nor did it push me. I stopped *nearly* as well as if I didn't have the trailer on me. Using Tekonsha Prodigy P3 dialed in at 8 with Boost 1.

Transmission

THE MOUNTAIN CLIMB

I'm a newbie going up hills and tried a few different things:

1) On the initial part of the hill climb I tried following a tractor trailer up the hill - both because I didn't want to block the cars flying past, and was a bit nervous initially going up the hill as I didn't fully know the characteristics of my trailer, but he was going almost too slow for me to maintain my power-band; then I was in 3rd when I should've been in 2nd at that speed, which put me in a dilemma between trying to accelerate and pass him on a climb or just stay low. My mistake for not being in 2nd.

- Later tried ~48mph in 2nd at peak torque (4,600RPM) on lesser hills which seemed to work okay.

- Later tried keeping my momentum up and going 65mph in 3rd. This felt the best and kept temps down the most with the amount of air over the radiator, it seems. HOWEVER, it's not a 1-1 comparison for a few reasons: the climb is longer but less steep on the return, and we had less cargo weight with eaten food, beverages, etc. On the other hand, I did have one more adult passenger in the cab than I did before.

For a sustained 10-15 minute climb in 9% grades, my TF2 hit >230 for probably a 1-2 minutes and peaked 235 for 30 seconds. Meanwhile TF1 was 208-212 the entire time. This was less than ideal, but I also think I tackled the climb incorrectly, and was at the hottest point of the day as well. Reading old threads on these forums and elsewhere I'm not entirely sure this is a huge deal, as it seems TF1 represents actual transmission fluid temp better?

Now I could TRY letting it in S4 mode and let it shift when it wants, which it does rapidly cool in 4th, but I was afraid the constant gear-shifting between 3rd and 4th would generate heat and wear in itself. (Thoughts?)

Mileage: Averaged about 12mpg for the trip; you can get slightly better if trailing a tractor-trailer and dropping your speed; finding the sweet-spot between wind drag, your RPMs, and your sanity. I read some on here saying 89 octane seemed to tow better for them, so I decided to give it a try. Seems slightly dubious and I have nothing to compare to though, but it was low-risk so why not.

Things I'd do differently:

1) Going to try buying a high-performance air-intake filter right before such a big trip.

This engine LOVES cooler temperatures. You can tell there is a massive difference in power between a 78-degree day, and a 100-degree day. Plus if you take this at altitude >3000 feet + higher temps, you really notice a massive drop in horsepower and torque. So I theorize getting a brand-new high-performance air-filter could offset this a tiny bit.

2) Depart ultra-early to beat the mid-day heat on the mountain pass climbs.

3) Change my strategy going into the big hill.

If these three things don't work to keep temps lower, I'll get a larger after-market cooler.

... Or I might consider looking into the iForce if towing has been tested and improved; or just a bigger truck (which I don't want to do).

Future: Might add a pair of leafs to bed.

Overall I'd rate the towing experience an 8/10. It actually exceeded my expectations! My old man who's run F250s and F350s his whole life was impressed. Just note to not even remotely try to save fuel mileage: prioritize staying in that torque power-band and ensuring you hit that and keep your momentum before the hill. I justify this by noting the cargo we hauled would've taken 2 or 3 pickups to haul otherwise. The acceleration under strain is what gets you a lot; if you can *maintain* a speed through the hill you'll be much better off.

 

OK, it's not worthless, but consider posting a pic or two of your truck + trailer.