Trailer towing experience

Started full time RV'ing end of September '24 with a 2017 TRD Off Road - purchased July '24 (just under 70k miles at purchase) and 2025 camper 16.6' with empty weight of 2,650lbs. I have not scaled the setup, but guesstimate total weight with gear in camper & truck bed is around 3,300lb. I added Airlift LoadLifter 5000 bags to reduce stress on rear suspension and installed Scangauge II for monitoring transmission temps.

When I installed the Scangauge II and left on my trip, I had not done any research, did not know TF2 is the TC temp and TF1 trans temp. I learned this in the forums here.

While I logged over 1 million miles driving CDL before hanging up the keys, towing a bumper pull trailer long distance is a new experience.

Started in S.W. Michigan, went to Missoula, MT, then to Quartzsite, AZ to hibernate on BLM LTVA (Long Term Visitor Area) where I've been off grid since mid November '24. Still in Q when created this post.

While getting familiar with the handling characteristics of the setup I only drove 55mph. Ended up doing 55 the whole trip.

Initially I used ECT and sport mode 4th gear. I have not noticed any difference with ECT on or off. I still use 4th gear, as 5th gear trans constantly hunted between 4th & 5th, trans constantly over 200 degrees, torque converter over 210 degrees.

On level ground, trans & TC will stay around 185-195 at 55mph 4th gear. If any sort of head wind or cross breeze, transmission frequently drops to 3rd, even on level ground, trans & TC jump over 200 degrees. On long climbs the TC could climb over 230 degrees, trans around 210 depending on grade %. The worst was the westbound grade on I-90 around Butte, MT - TC went over 250, trans 230. I pulled over a couple times to let trans cool down. There were other instances when I pulled over to let trans cool off but do not remember where, mostly when TC went over 230.

Unfortunately I don't remember engine RPM at 55mph, maybe 2,200 - 2,400. When dropping to 3rd I believe it was around 3,500. Averaged 10 mpg overall trip.

After researching the forums, I'm going to pin the trans thermostat before I leave Quartzsite heading north. Hopefully that will help trans temps stay lower and not need a bigger / extra trans cooler.

While I'm a fan of Toyota & Tacos, this rig has been frustrating due to trans constantly downshifting in a breeze even on flat level ground, sometimes when getting passed by big trucks. I found out that stabbing the throttle will make it upshift - most of the time - but then might downshift again. Multiple times it dropped to 2nd gear & engine nearly redlined.

The steel rims & new Firestone Winterforce tires where on the truck when I bought it, dealer mounted the tires.

 

The V6 needs RPM's to make power, the transmission is downshifting to do that.
Of course another part of the equation, often overlooked, is the amount of wind resistance a TT is adding.
Also, I would run it over a scale loaded, added weight adds up awfully darn quick.
I think it's great you are retired and out seeing this beautiful country though! Leave it in S4, park the right or middle lane, and have a fun and safe trip!

 

@CalvinHobbes, what size tires are you running?

 

I know I'm in a 2nd gen, but when the Taco became the pretty much full-time camper and trailer hauler we re-geared from our original 3.73 to 4.56, with only a 1 inch increase in tire size. Before regear, my 5th gear (high gear) was useless in my automatic. I would stick it in 4th and if it started shifting back and forth to 3rd on mountain passes I'd drop it down to 3rd on the stick. Now that I've re-geared, I leave it in 5th unless I'm climbing. My RPMs are obviously higher in every gear, but being able to use all 5 gears again has been a big improvement in towing/hauling.


Now on to Quartzsite... It's still a good few years off, but wife and I are planning to purchase a 2026 F450, to get it paid off before time to semi-retire. We'll throw our Scout in the bed for a couple years, but want to get a full featured truck camper to full-time. Quartzsite is top on our list for spending 5-6 months a year. How was your time in Quartzsite, was it your first time staying there? Maybe I should just ping you via your inbox. Very curious what you thought.

 

Dealer installed the Winterforce 245/75R16 tires. Spec sheet shows it was shipped with 265/70R16. The spec sheet does not show axle ratio.

 

I've never traveled for fun until now. Quartzsite is a very unique experience. In town it gets crazy when the big tent opens. Overall it's nice out in the desert except for dust, impossible to keep everything clean. Ping inbox if you want more info since it's kinda off topic.

Here is a link to a playlist of some 360 degree view drone videos I made of the BLM LTVA's - make sure viewing quality is set to 4k and use mouse wheel to make sure it's zoomed out
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLac1c2QIhN5Aab_edi1HK_ANDmLhvX0tl

 

The wind resistance from camper most definitely makes it feel like I'm pulling a wall!

It was a challenge keeping eyes on road as this was my first experience seeing mountains in all the different terrain.

My main concern is making the Taco live as long as possible since it's my only source of transport. That's why I drove 55mph to keep RPM down & attempt to keep trans temp lower. Was hoping to get 11-12mpg, rarely saw that.

 

Back before I had any camper setup, I towed my open car trailer quite a bit with a sxs and atv on it. Totalled around 3600 pounds. Adding a canopy, like yours, was able to get some of the air up higher or something and improved my mileage about 10% while towing. This was a regular trip back and forth from Seattle, over the Cascades, to Moses Lake, WA and back. Repeated results, so wasn't just a 1 off. With that, I'm curious if a high top camper shell might help you a little to get air up even higher on your camper.

Towing the below actually barely changed my mileage compared to my open trailer. The wind resistance was negligibly different thanks to the Scout already being that tall. I'll also add the heavy-@$$ truck makes the towing nicer, in my opinion. The trailer doesn't bother the truck as much as a similar sized trailer I had pulled when bone stock. Mileage now is in the 8-9 range when towing 4000-4500 (open trailer) behind my Scout and keeping it to 60-ish.

 

My trailer is about 2,600lb dry and somewhere north of 3,000 lb loaded up for travel

I have pulled it with my V8 F150, my v6 4L Frontier and now with my v6 23' Off Road Tacoma.

No question my favorite TV is the Tacoma. I use ETC and S mode and often times shift it myself. I even use the cruise control on long flat runs without a headwind. I find the ETC makes a big difference when towing just by raising the shift points.

I did add an Active Suspension rear system and I use a WDH.

 

Yea I'm not that impressed with the towing capability even with my dinky little teardrop.
This thing weighs in at about 1000 pounds. I figure with the bed loaded with other gear add another 500.
Not that much weight.

The wife's Subaru Forester runs about the same as the truck with the V6 but gets way better gas mileage.
The truck itself is heavier than the Forester but still.

I run ECT and mode ( 4 ) and have found myself at times shifting down to 3rd in incline situations.
And I have pushed up to 5 on nice flat areas or declines.

I will say on flat-areas I can hardly feel it but gas mileage does drop to 10-12-...16 mpg depending.

If you find yourself heading North out of Phoenix be prepared for inclines that will test your nerves.

 

Having been a motorcycle rider for 50 yrs, road, dirt and instructor I find I love the sound and feel of an engine climbing in the RPM range. The Taco's V6 running up in the RPM range does not bother me, I enjoy it.

 

YEP! mid range RPMs aren't going phase the engine, but there's is still a mentality that engines will wear quicker or use more gas when 1-2k RPM's higher than unloaded. Operating in proper RPM range will do the opposite, even if you are comfortable with some extra revs,,, it's the not so new world we live in.

 

It's not higher engine RPM but high transmission temperature that concerns me. I like to cook hamburgers & hot dogs, not transmissions.

 

That's part of the game, just do 30-40k mile drain and fills,, cheap and easy insurance.
I rarely tow, but still did one at just over 40k miles.

https://youtu.be/rNqYpEpmUng

 

Okay, those will work as they are only a tiny fraction of an inch smaller than the OEM rubber.

 

I towed a lot with my 18 DCLB. A lot before OTT and after OTT. Huge difference between the tune and nontune. Suggest you try that. I was pulling 4500lb, enclosed trailer.No gear hunting, after. Great throttle response.

 

Agree.

I took two 1200 mile trips towing at max GVW last year with a manual transmission in 4th gear all the way. 3400 rpm at 70 mph and let it eat, 11.5 mpg.

I sent the oil off to Blackstone for analysis both times, no unusual wear was noted.

 

Check out the OTT tune. It made a world of difference when towing my boat.

 

But, that forester is at your weight limit, or maybe even above, where your Tacoma has approx 6500 lb capacity. Most Foresters only have a 1500 lb towing capacity. And with a CVT transmission, I wouldnt try to tow maxed out ever, if at all. We have a Forester as well... Food for thought. Ski

 

Thank you for suggestions on Overland torque Tune, will look into that when I start traveling again. I'm going to pin the trans thermostat open.

Hopefully I don't get dinged for going off brand topic - If I had the funds I'd go OLD SKOOL NO TECH like this truck, swapping in 12 valve Cummins. This is a custom build, Dodge never built a W300 crew cab dually.