Can I Really Tow 6,500lbs Without Breaking Anything?

I have a 2005 Tacoma 4.0L 6spd manual TRD Offroad with the towing package, so unless I’m mistaken, the truck’s rated towing limit is 6,500lbs...which seems ridiculous to me, especially with an 8” ring gear in the back. It also has 190k miles on it.

I don’t tow often, just on occasion, and usually not more than 1-2k lbs. I need to move a seriously built Jeep 1000 miles over a major mountain range and across the desert though, and it’ll cost me nearly $2,000 to pay someone else to move it. My idea is to flat tow using a brake buddy to use the Jeep’s brakes so I don’t need a trailer. Realistically, the Jeep weighs about 4,000 lbs, 4500 max.

Is this doable? I can time it so I hit the mountains in the early AM so I don’t cause traffic or overheat. If I break down or break the rear diff I’m screwed though. I’m talking driving across the Sierra Nevada and the entire Great Basin of North America.

BTW, you can probably tell how surprised I was to discover these trucks only have an 8” ring gear. That’s smaller than a Dana 44, and I get nervous about breaking the D44 in the Jeep when I wheel it...

 

I never exceeded half the max rating on any truck, pulling isn't the problem, stopping is.

 

If you don't have any family or friends with a full size truck, why not rent one from Enterprise or National? I rented an F150 not long ago, although I did not pay attention if it had a receiver hitch. I would rather pay a small rental fee rather than risk breaking my own vehicle. Just a thought.

 

I agree stopping is more important. I can tune the device that applies the Jeep’s brakes so in theory I could have the Jeep slow me down though. Assuming that avenue is covered, and I have a dash cam because there are scammers in the area that have tried to box me in and cause me to rear end one of them, do you think the truck can handle that kind of load over such a long distance?

 

Many do, just don't get in a hurry.

 

I just checked, it’s $400 to rent plus any mileage fees, plus I’d have to buy a one way plane ticket.

 

Personally I would find a different avenue if possible. If it were a short trip, sure. If there weren't mountains, sure. It also sounds like you'll be in the middle of nowhere if you break down? A lot of things to consider.

 

It cost me $600 to ship a car from California to Florida.

 

The limiting factor is your trucks payload rating and GVWR, not the tow rating. Look at the sticker on the drivers door jamb. Your truck will PULL 6500 lbs, but I seriously doubt the suspension can handle the tongue weight of a trailer that heavy. Tongue weight is going to be 13%-15% of the trailer weight, so figure 845-975 lbs tongue weight. You'll also need the required weight distribution hitch for any load over 5000 lbs, so add another 100 lbs. That means the 6500 lb trailer will eat up 945-1075 lbs of your payload.

My trucks payload is 1200 lbs. That leaves me 125-255 lbs for my weight, any passengers weight and any cargo inside the truck. Since I weigh 220 lbs and I have a 180 lb cap on my truck I'm overloaded before I put any passengers or cargo in the truck. Even without the cap I'm right at the limit or over.

Realistically these trucks max out at about 4000-4500 lbs so you might make it work if you tow as you plan. There would be no tongue weight to deal with. I'd weigh the Jeep 1st though. It might weigh more than you think.

Another thing to consider is the altitude. Your engine will lose 3% of its power for every 1000' of altitude above sea level where tow ratings are calculated. If you are at 5000' that is a 15% loss of power, and about 15% less weight you should tow. If you have to cross a 10,000' pass you're engine is only working at 70% power. 70% of 6500 is 4550 lbs.

And if you have larger than stock tires you've effectively changed the axle ratio to higher gears which also limits towing.

Don't assume a 1/2 ton truck is any better. Roughly 50% of the half tons on the road are rated to tow no more, and often less than a Tacoma. They make 1/2 tons that will do this with ease. But you had better look closely at the tow ratings and payload of those too.

 

I shipped an FJ-40 from California to Florida for about $800.

 

He's planning to flat tow the Jeep, so the tongue weight is basically zero.

 

It will do it. I towed a buddy’s CJ5 on a 14’ flatbed (about 3500lbs combined) from Alaska to Washington with my overloaded Tacoma (weighed at 6480lbs without me, my dog, some random stuff and tongue weight). It went fine and had no issues aside from being quite underpowered and only averaging 10.5mpg.

 

Let's do a quick summary. A brake buddy cost $1100 and you're going to spend several hundred in gas, a couple hundred for a tow bar, + time to set aside that up + however much time off of work to make the trip... To save $500 in total shipping costs.

The phrase stepping over dollars to pick up dimes comes to mind.

 

Any chance you could point me to a company that will only charge $500? I’ve been getting outrageous quotes.

As far as the brake buddy goes, they sure are expensive. I got lucky and picked one up cheap that had a bad solder joint and fixed it. I already have the Jeep and tow bar setup for flat towing from when I drove a 3/4 ton, I even installed a sealed output bearing on the tcase so I don’t have to pull the driveshaft. I would need to take a 3 day weekend anyway to go there and prep the Jeep, so really it’s free if I tow it with my Tacoma...assuming I don’t break anything.

 

I just went online, there's a billion shopping companies out there, and a they will hound you and undercut each other. My mustang from wy to Florida cost $500. A 50s giant boat, $700 from California. It took a couple weeks to pick up so you can't be in a huge hurry, but it went door to door and insured.

 

I shipped a 78 F150 from OKC to Tampa, Fla last year for $600 through U-Ship. Have you tried them?

 

Ok, so something you need to learn;
The pressure being applied to the differential comes from the ENGINE, not the road and not the load. It doesn't matter how much of a load you are pulling, mash the pedal to the floor in 1st gear and it will maximize the force applied to the differential. Less mass means that it will accelerate more quickly, but the SAME force will be applied.

Second, I bought a 91 YJ for plowing snow about 15 years ago, and flat towed it withOUT brakes behind an S10 (which I would have plowed with instead, if it had a frame that wouldn't crumple into a ball under the load), which is basically a piece of rusty tin foil. It did fine. I wouldn't hesitate to do that with a Tacoma for a SECOND, especially with a brake buddy. The only thing I would suggest is that without tongue weight, you would probably find the experience a whole lot LESS stressful if you add a few hundred pounds of dead weight into the truck bed to load it down. By a few hundred, I mean something around 700+.

Something that I would NOT do with the S10, but do regularly with the Tacoma, is pulling a flatbed trailer with, for example, a 5000 pound tractor, that S10 (on its way to be given away), etc.

There is nothing for you to worry about. Just don't drive stupidly and you'll be fine.

 

Drive the Jeep. Fly back.

 

I tow a 5,400lb single-axle enclosed trailer about 2,000 miles, 4-10 times per year, for the last 10 years with my 09 DCSB, automatic with a TRD SC. Zero issues, ever! You're way over thinking this. Just go.