Can I tow this trailer?

Hey everyone,
I'm trying to figure out how much my truck can tow.
I feel like everywhere I look I find a different answer.
I found a great travel trailer that I want to travel across the U.S. with but I don't want to go over my limits. I have a 2017 Tacoma SR5 4x4 6L engine.
The trailer in question is: Surveyor Legend Sub 19RBLE
https://forestriverinc.com/rvs/surveyor-legend/19RBLE/8335

What are your thought? I would love some help.

Thank you!

 

Check out page 16 of this PDF.

http://www.tfltruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/2016-toyota-Tacoma-Technical-specs.pdf

 

Welcome to the forum

Start here, lots of info: https://www.tacomaworld.com/forums/towing.34/

 

Can you tow it? Yes, but I personally wouldn't.

You'll absolutely want a break controller. I would also look into beefing up the reason suspension. Perhaps something like: https://activesuspension.com/products/toyota-tacoma-2023 or airbags.

You'll likely want a bigger truck to tow long term. At 449 lbs hitch weight, it doesn't leave much payload room for people + gear.

Put the truck in S4 with ETC on and it's gonna sit at high RPMs and likely get <13 mpg.

 

No, you found the same answer stated different ways.
6K lbs is max for these trucks. I have done it short distance and as an experienced trailer guy I wouldn't do it again. My rule of thumb is 1/2 max or 3K lbs.
I bought a Tundra to pull the 6K trailer, sold them both. You make the call.

 

Towing locally you’d probably be fine. You said you want to tow all over the US. So guessing up and down mountains and what not. Long trips you’re going to have the Tacoma probably packed and the trailer too. Your weight will probably be at or around the max a Tacoma can handle. Can it? Sure. Won’t be pleasant. And you’d want to get a few things to help you out. Trailer brake controller, weight distribution hitch, airbags, etc. The 3rd gen isn’t really a great towing truck. No mid sized truck really is in that regard. But if I was getting a Tacoma for some towing I would of waited for a 4th gen or got an older 2nd gen

 

Don’t forget to ask yourself “Can I get my truck and this trailer to stop?”

 

You can tow 6.400 pounds up and down mountains. If the trailer has some surge breaks on it then the truck can handle keeping the speeds down on the down hill. Just stay to the right and leave plenty of room. Try to avoid the big cities etc if you can. I had to tow at max capacity from Northern Utah to Southern California. Utah the people seem to drive aggressive but they have some common sense and get out of the way when they see what you're doing. Las Vegas, California NE, they see Ya leaving extra room for caution and they jump in there and hit the brakes. So is it fun? Actually it's not too bad on the open road and low traffic. Would I buy that trailer for this truck to tow long term, no. That is my honest opinion from "been there done that."

 

I've towed right around 3000 pounds, utility trailer and side by side several times and my Tacoma had absolutely no problem. We are looking at getting a camper and I'm going to keep the weight right around the same if at all possible.



.

 

It’s not the weight, it’s the wind resistance.

 

Can you? Yes. Are you going to like it? No, as has been previously stated. Good rule of thumb (which i believe someone already mentioned) is tow about half the towing capacity to be well within limits and comfort zone.

 

I think that’s too big to be enjoyable and maybe not even possible depending on what you carry. There’s a few people on Tacomaworld who don’t believe that the Tacoma can tow at all and that’s total BS. It’s all about payload and your expectations. My trailer is about 3500 loaded and it’s aerodynamic. I was interested to know how well the Tacoma would do pulling it but I was really pleasantly surprised at how well it handled it. I never felt like the truck was having a hard time at all. Gas mileage was lousy but that’s expected. I’m taking it on a 5000 mile trip next summer.

Things that I find make a difference are respect the payload and 60mph max. Stay in s4, maybe s5 on the flats. I couldn’t pull the trailer you are looking at. That trailer is going to be 500 lbs on the hitch when loaded.
My payload is 940
For that trailer:
Trailer on the tongue 500
WDH hitch 100 (you’ll need it)
Cargo in truck 80
Tonneau cover 30
5 gallons extra gas 50
Dog 60
Driver 180
Passenger 135
Total 1135

 

I towed a very similar trailer from MN to the other side of SD. Truck did great pulling it up and down the mount Rushmore. Pulling on the highway I was fine as long as there was no real wind. I got 8mpg normally at about 65-70 mph, but when there was wind I couldnt get much past 50 mph.

So in short, yes you can pull it, no it wont be fun.

 

Yes

6000 > 3917

Equip your truck correctly but most importantly drive like you are towing something = fine

 

6 L engine? I want one!

 

I've pulled my camper on half a dozen 200+ mile camping trips this summer. It weighs 3600# empty. I have the equalizer weight distribution hitch and a redarc brake controller. To me these are must haves. My truck pulled it ok. The man to answer your questions though is @mosccat. He's pulled his 4700# camper all across the country with his Tacoma. He has a thread here on TW about his adventures towing.

 

Towed a 5klb TT about 10k so far, did 2k miles last week.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...4-700lb-travel-trailer….760812/#post-27122598

 

Friday smart ass answer on a Saturday:
You can't tow it by yourself. Use a truck.

 

I just wrapped up a 3500 mile trip in this.



If you're touring long distance, you either want it to be under 17 feet hitch to bumper, or you need a diesel tow pig. If you're touring the US and want to see something besides interstate traffic and RV park style campgrounds, you need the former and not the latter.


I saw many combos like what you're asking this week. I only saw them on the busier roads and they were annoying the 18 wheelers due to their inability to maintain any kind of speed. Any hill that forces the big trucks to crawl up, the v6 gassers pulling a double axle were crawling even slower. It looked painful to watch.

But more importantly, I didn't see many twin axle trailers on roads like these:


Dirt and loose gravel, tight switchbacks, one lane mountain roads, 10 foot wide wooden bridges, places where the people who would rather sit in their class-As and watch satellite TV won't even dream of. The places that are the whole point of touring the US, where you see something unique, where you aren't buying the T-shirt from the nearest truck stop.

The bigger trailers are more comfortable, but the smaller trailers have more fun. Get a big trailer if you want to sit 50 miles from home and burn firewood. Get a small trailer if you're wanting to explore.

 

We just picked up a 25 foot travel trailer and did one trip so far. Dry weight is 4200 pounds and loaded would be at least 5000. I'll weigh it next season to be sure. Andersen weight distribution hitch and a Redarc brake controller do the job. We are only planning local trips no more than 4 hours from home so there will be no issues. Driving across the country can be done as long as your not expecting it to drive like a 1 ton truck. Take your time, pay attention to other drivers and temperatures on your truck and it'll do it. Get an OBD bluetooth connector and watch everything carefully as you go.