advice needed on my towing situation

i have a 2004 toyota tacoma v-6 off road package came with tow hitch and wiring for trailer but not a complete tow package i have orange on my fan

i just got a 07 fleetwood arcaida tent trailer the thing is huge for a tent trailer dry weight is 3200# and gross was around 4000#

the question is do you guys think i would be fine with just a transmission cooler and the trailer brakes wired w/controller

i do live in the mountains tows will mostly be under 200 miles maybe a couple long trips

 

You should be fine at 4k gross.
Even the non-tow package 2.7 is rated to 4500.
With a trans cooler and trailer brakes, you basically have completed what is missing from the factory tow package as long as you have a proper Class-III(or IV) receiver.

 

it looks to me like it is a class III so 5000#
i have not towed with it yet and wanted to get advise

 

Keep it out of overdrive and you will be fine with the listed upgrades. Pracyice towing it around town first though so as to get a feel for how your truck handles the loas.

 

OD is fine as long as the transmission is not hunting between OD and high.
The low engine speed is not what overheats the trans... it is the clutch slippage during engagement/disengagement during shifting that increases trans heating.
If the engine and trans are "happily" remaining in one gear, it is best to let them stay there. There is no reason to kill fuel economy over a fear of running in OD when it is not warranted.

 

While I understand the hunting issue I have never seen an OEM say it is ok to tow in OD with an automatic. I would only use my OD if towing on flat ground with minimal elevation changes with a trans cooler.

 

I bought my 08 to tow a Fleetwood Redwood14' high wall, a very similar trailer, yours probably has a slide, mine didn't. I had the brake controller, no tranny cooler, a class 3 Reese receiver and a Husky weight distribution hitch.
I towed it through lots of hilly areas of Northern Ontario with no problem. I drove it in OD most of the time and always cruised around 70mph. The most important part of the setup was the Weight Distribution Hitch, without it the truck will bottom out with gear in the bed.


I was very happy with that setup, it towed like it wasn't even back there.

 

hello, now I am not bragging but I have towed more equipment trailers than I care to count over the years, and the first tip is to just take it easy on take-offs. also, I would advise you on having the strongest hitch installed on your truck, overkill is always best and a good set-up for safety chains, and we always had bungy cords in the truck, to make sure safty chains did not drag the grounds. you want them loose, but not dragging. I am sure you will make sure the truck is serviced, make sure the auto-trans fluid is in good shape, for extra protection use synthetic. and while my uncle who was in the business for 35 years did not like ball hitches, when we used them, or sold them to customers we only used the heavy duty ones. while they cost more and good forged 2" ball has a 10,000 pound cap. and will last almost forever, and will not fail you. and keep a little grease on it, and the trailer hitch so it will operate smoothly. spending alittle more upfront will help prevent a failure on your trip and ruin a vacation. good luck.

 

thanks guys great info here i order a brake controller and wiring kit i will install the brakes and take it for a spin and see how it goes then add on based on how it pulls and feels

 

to be safe, with you being in the mountains, I would get a trans cooler installed as well. Better safe than sorry when you are going up a mountain and next thing you know your trans is overheating and your sitting on the side of the road... Just my opinion and what I would do.