2.7 only,whats the most you tow?

What about tow with 3.4 5 speed?

 

even then it's pushing it. the trailer is like a sail as @CStoy mentioned and with a good gust can move the truck

 

It sounds like regardless of our advice, he's going to go for it.

Please take pics of the results.

 

look on the bright side, he might get on TV on that "Americas dumbest drivers" show

 

I had a 97 2.7 a loaded popup camper was about max for a comfortable trip.

 

I would not risk it. Going up to the desert thru the mountains with a packed truck (quad,firewood, camping supplies) I have to really get some speed at the base of the climb to make it up going 60mph. Even then at the very peak have to shift into 3rd and keep it at 4k rpm to keep my speed at 60-70. My truck is a 2.7l with a mild lift and bigger tires. Truck gets a really good work out and drinks up the gas.

 

I think u guys are correct,i dont hv balls to do it.also 8.5x20 is little too big for my need,might get 7x16

 

that's still too much load for these trucks, 5x8 "closed" trailer or a 6 x 12 "open" trailer is about the most I would ever think you could manage safely

 

I don't see a problem with what you want to do. You will be maxing out the truck with that trailer even mty. Wind is your biggest problem and where you live that isn't a big issue except once in a while. If it gets windy you'll just have to pull over for the day and if it isn't windy you can probably look forward torunning about 40 to 50 mph all day at 3000 rpm or more.. I have a 2.7 and it's a gutless wonder even though I love it. The length of the tow vehicle to trailer is wrong . A trailer that long shouldn't be towed with a tow vehicle that short. Yep, you can do it but you'll have to go real slow even if there is no wind. If the trip turns into a 2 or even 3 day ordeal due to the speed you travel and/or weather conditions then so be it. What you want to do is perfectly possible just take your time.

A don't see any problem with what you want to do at all if you use common sense, go real slow and park it if the wind kicks up. Too many people in this country have been sissified into being afraid of everything based on the really abused word of "safety".

 

Here in NY I hear (have not confirmed) the state police read the information labels to make their decision. And that if you have a trailer and the gvw of the trailer is say 7k lbs. and your trucks max towing capacity is rated for 6500lbs it's a fine/penalty of some type. Trailer loaded or not. Your area may or may not be the same.

Therefore if someone gets hurt on the road and lawyers get a hold of that information, abuse of the word "safety"(above post) can now make your life miserable for simply towing a full size trailer with a compact truck.

Do what you want. Just don't hurt anyone else you share the road with. People WILL come after you in the event of an accident. I own a home and have small children, I wouldn't take that risk. The risk of either hurting myself, others, or getting tangled up in vehicular laws.

I have had different trucks and trailer combinations over the years. My Tacoma is an 04 DC. I have towed a small utility trailer with a frame on it to the sandblaster. I could feel that pushing the Toyota around on the highway. Just not a comfortable truck to tow with IMO. Otherwise I love it.

 

That's about the same in all states, the DOT can stop any vehicle towing a load for whatever reason and check to make sure you're following the right regulations. In states like mine, they also test light duty diesel trucks and heavy duty haulers like semis and delivery vans to make sure they're using proper highway grade taxed diesel fuel instead of the red-dyed non-taxed diesel for agricultural equipment and off highway vehicle use. Something I see a lot of, guys bring in diesel pickups to our shop and want their fuel filters replaced and it's full of red dye fuel, kinda makes me chuckle them trying to save a few bucks at the pump and risk a 5 to 10 thousand dollar fine if they get caught by the DOT...

FYI to the OP, a little Tacoma towing a large enclosed trailer that is normally seen being pulled by a crew cab full size pickup truck is going to raise a hair of suspicion in the eyes of a DOT officer if he sees you out running around, so be forewarned. I've driven OTR trucks and those guys are more places than people realize, they don't just monitor big rigs like most people seem to believe I can tell you that.

 

Two streebikes in a heavy duty steel 4x8 trailer, probably 1800 lbs total with gear. No one should do more than this, especially with a 2.7 IMHO

 

I do drive the big trucks for a living and did OTR of 17 years. You're right about the DOT and towing something that is too big for the tow vehicle isn't a good idea. The reason I said that if the OP really wants to do it he can is because if you go slow enough you can tow almost anything anywhere even with a vehicle that is too small. Depending on the state and the DOT cop if he sees you towing something that is obviously to big for your vehicle but you are doing 25mph with your flashers on he probably won't stop you. If he see you running down a steep grade at 65mph with something that is obviously too big for the tow vehicle he will. However, I see it all the time cars and pickups with trailers rolled over for one reason or another and they aren't pulling something too big for their tow vehicle most of the time either.

The reason you see people running the red diesel as well as pulling the def systems and such of their diesel trucks is because those ruin the engine and have increased breakdowns by about 80% over the years and what is worse is anything they do to save the planet are most probably negligible. Ford even has a special package for their ambulance chassis that deletes the deadly emissions garbage because people were dying while on the way to the hospital due to breakdowns. That stuff has ruined the diesel engine making it very unreliable, drastically reducing ruining fuel mileage, increasing maintenance costs drastically and the ULSD has added it's own set of problems as well due to reduced lubricity. The red is far better for your $30,000 dollar engine but you're right. It is a huge fine in the 10's of thousands of dollars depending on the state.

Me personally? I have a 2004 regular cab 4X4 with the 2.7. Toyota says it has a payload of 1700lbs and can tow 3500#. It would be a cold day in hell when I ever did either. If I was in a situation where I had to yes but that's a situation I don't see myself ever getting into. I'd never put more than 1000lbs in the bed and wouldn't ever even think of towing more than 2500. I've never done that either. It has nothing to do with safety. i just don't want to stress the truck out that much. It's so gutless to begin with I could only imagine having 3500 lbs behind it. Traveling at 35 mph isn't my idea of traveling. This thing has a problem maintaining 55mph up the mountain grades out west empty. If I have to drop down to 3rd and rev it to 4500 rpm to get up a hill I need a bigger truck.

 

I know what you mean by the emissions junk ruining diesels. We have a 55 gallon drum of that DEF in our shop we frequently have to add to customers' trucks and when it's exposed to oxygen for awhile it turns into a white crust and is hard to get off the pump and such. Can only imagine what that crap must be doing to the exhaust and emissions system in those newer trucks. That's why I have a 1997 Ford F250 7.3L diesel truck for towing the real stuff and hauling big, heavy things the Tacoma can only dream of. It rattles, it shakes, it smokes, rides like a horse-drawn hay-wagon and is anything but comfortable to drive around in like the fancy new trucks but I know it's reliable, could survive armageddon, and run off frying pan oil if I needed transportation in hard times. Something all the petrol powered cars/trucks and newer diesel trucks would be stranded where they were parked if that ever happens.

 

I'm planning on buying a new super duty in another year or so. With the diesel. It does worry me but the one thing I've found out about these newer diesels with all the exhaust clogging emissions stuff on them is that maintenance is key. The key word being "filters". If the various filters aren't changed religiously you definitely will have big, expensive problems. I've noticed that the companies I drive for that change those filters when they are supposed to be changed have far fewer problems. I live in a state that has no smog reqirements but having all that crap removed so the engine can work the way it's supposed to work costs around $3000 and then if they decide to make it mandatory some day it's another $3000 to have it all put back on. That just isn't feasible for me. What they really need to do is just reverse the idiotic "zero emissions" requirements for diesels back to 2007 right before they put the EGR's and def garbage on them and leave it at that. Most people don't know this fact but cars and trucks are NOT the biggest cause of pollution especially since these newer cars put out virtually nothing. Big Industry is and it's far easier to have them clean up their act than it is to mount an exhaust purification system on a diesel engine and still have it work. Furthermore, it ruins the fuel mileage so what are we really gaining?

 

Not positive but I think it's illegal to drive with flashers on in all states, and the cop will pull you over just for that.

Emergency lights are for when you are stopped on the side of the road, or funeral processions.

Found this, apparently not all states.

http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/tag/hazard-light-use/

 

Definitely not all states. I see people whig out and turn their flashers on for the dumbest reasons but if you are going way below the speed limit or are any type of hazard in any way to the normal flow of traffic then I doubt you'll get pulled over.

 

no no no no no no no

Our trucks were not designed to handle anything. 2 things they are terrible at: gas mileage and towing. 3 if you count the 4x4/pre-runner balljoints, lol...

So you know how to drive toyotas. That's cool. But that has nothing to do with trailers. An 8' uhaul trailer is not a 20' car hauler. That thing is a parachute, and a slight breeze will blow that thing around and your truck simply isn't heavy enough to maintain control of it.

What's the togune weight of that trailer?? Bet you it is a few hundred pounds over the max limit of your truck (empty) anyway. It's usually 10% of the tow weight, so that'd be 330 pounds for your 4cyl. My 3000# travel trailer's tongue weight farts more than that.

Just rent a full size pickup from U-haul.

I guess I'm a little confused now, why are you wanting to tow this trailer? I just assumed you were delivering the 20 footer to a friends or something. Why else would you tow a trailer you could only put 200 pounds of stuff in?!

Are you buying this trailer for yourself? What do you plan on putting inside it?

Even the capacity of a 7x16 is going to be way too much for a 4cyl to tow (more than double your tow rating). Sure, you don't have to load it to capacity but you're carrying a bunch of extra unnecessary weight with that kind of trailer which means you can't load as much cargo in it.

If you have enough junk that needs to fit in a 7x16, get a Tundra, at least.

 

Not sure how heavy the trailer is but the machine is 2300 lbs.