2017 Tacoma towing - need feedback

Get a WDH and give it a shot. The elevation changes in AZ would have me question it...

I towed my 2003 Regal 2000 boat with my 2002 Tacoma. It really didn't like doing it, but it worked. I did slow down on hills. It was close to 5000lbs. I believe 5K was the max for a 2002.

 

Watching the video...they had a piece of advice about checking the tongue locking mechanism by feeling underneath to see if it's mated up to the bottom...don't do that...good way to lose a finger if the tongue hasn't seated on the ball fully and falls...

 

i wouldn't be super comfortable towing that much, however it depends how far and where. Also how often. the engine and trans will be ok, it's the braking I would be most concerned about. Obviously the trailer will have electric trailer brakes so just make sure everything is adjusted right. If you're easy on it you'll be ok, but I'm sure there are going to be a few times you say to yourself maybe this isn't the best idea. All in all I always recommend hooking your vehicle up to a trailer before you buy if you have one. That way you know whether or not it's going to handle it. Any good dealer looking for your business will be ok with this as long as your not planning a 3 day road trip lol

 

Also, it's not just the power (engine/trans) that can be an issue. As already mentioned brakes are something often overlooked. In addition, your trailer now weighs as much or more than your truck and can cause handling problems. With improper loading of the trailer the tongue weight may be too high also.

 

Seems pretty decent size. Might ask him how it does.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/travel-trailer-kids-tacoma.490547/page-2#post-15137190

 

Damn, that's a big trailer for a taco truck.

 

TFL Did the Ike Gauntlet with 5,600lbs, and I think the Tacoma spent the whole time at 5,500rpm. To me that trailer is best for a 1/2ton. Could you do it, yeah, but it will be less than ideal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCkBmiZV09w

 

OP, some people are only happy if they tow with this...

I think some people are looking for that feeling of stability they get when they drive their passenger car when they tow...but it just doesn't exist esp if it's not a fifth wheel or gooseneck...i.e. bumper pull. When you tow with anything you will have to drive slower, use the slow lanes, turn wide, plan and prepare steep grades, brake sooner, and feel lateral oscillations that you may or may not respond to.

 

And some people feel the need to compensate.

You can make just about any vehicle tow anything you want with the right gearing and setup. Can the Tacoma tow a 2+ ton trailer? Absolutely. Can it do it safely? Yes, with the right setup. Will it be ideal? Hardly.

I think OP is really asking if he SHOULD. I think the general consensus is a no here.

 

Op, read the Tacoma towing bible thread I listed for you before you make any big decisions of your own choosing.

 

I agree with Smitty, it'll be slow and you're close to capacity for the truck but it should do it. Make sure you have good brakes, a heavy trailer like that can run away with the truck on a steep hill. Cooling might be an issue, but as long as the truck is new, under warranty and you're sensible you can do it.

 

When TFL did the towing test between the 3rd gen Tacoma and the Tundra Crewmax (5.7 Liter V8) towing the exact same 5600 pound trailer up the IKE gauntlet, when they measured the fuel consumption afterwards the Tundra only used 0.5 MPG more fuel (I seem to recall the Tacoma was at 10 MPG, the Tundra around 9.5 MPG?). That is for a truck that weighs around 1500 pounds more than the Tacoma with 2.2 Liters more displacement and 2 more cylinders. If you were towing on flat ground not too far I'd say try it and report back, otherwise any regular hills and/or longer distances I say go Tundra.

 

OP mentioned that he should have gotten a full size truck and I would tend to agree. If he is willing to work with what he has and does things the right way he should be fine. IMO trim doesn't matter much. Suspension is different, but not different in a way that would improve towing ability in any significant way.

OP: Good on you for asking the right questions before possibly getting yourself into trouble. At this point I think you have enough info from both sides to make a decision you are comfortable with. It is worth seeing if the seller of the trailer you are looking at will let you hook it up and take it for a test drive. That may give you a better idea of what your truck will do. Certainly a brake controller and (depending on the tongue weight) a WD hitch would be a good idea if you plan to go longer distances.

I'm out.

 

Smitty doesn't think it can do it. NVM good truck brakes, a trailer that big needs proper trailer brakes.

 

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Apparently even a full size with 6.2 liters isn't enough, so well, maybe "you" just need something bigger to handle 6000lbs...

btw those uhaul car carriers are notoriously unstable, hard to get the proper tongue weight and also the stupid surge brakes are less than ideal.

 

Damn you are a negative person! I bet you are fun to be around!

 

Thanks for the input guys. Much appreciated. All this is very useful information. Although this is a brand new truck, we are completely new to the towing and buying a trailer process. One of the RV dealers tried to sell us a trailer with a 7000 lbs GVWR, so that goes to show you that most of them are interested in a sale and could careless what happens after you get the trailer home. His justification was that we would never load it to its full capacity. While that may very well be true, I told him that I would never buy anything heavier that what the truck was rated for because it would be a good reason for Toyota to negate the warranty if something was to happen. We are definitely going to downsize our trailer expectations and look for something smaller with less weight.

 

Pretty sure if you got in an accident and were towing over capacity there could be some legal liability there as well