Can I tow this trailer?

Short answer, "no".

Unless you are the only passenger in the vehicle, with absolutely no additional accessories or gear in the truck (or the camper)... the answer is "no".

 

In my youth we had the Sportsman 13 model below.
10 feet of body, 3 feet of tongue.
It had a 2 burner stove, propane light and an icebox you put a block of ice in every 2 days or so.

With a deck of cards, Yahtzee game and a transistor radio we never wanted for anything.

 

@danir1 I was one asking the same question you did - got talked out of a larger travel trailer and into a smaller one:



Jayco 195RB, single axle, 3000lbs UVW, 3750 max. I am reasonably certain I exceeded the max weight and my Tacoma payload by hauling my generator, fuel, water, and a lot of "extra" stuff in the trailer.

The Taco pulled it OK, but did struggle going up grades - I would see 4000+ RPM as the transmission would drop to 3rd then 2nd gear. Transmission temps as reported by my Scangauge would climb into the 240° range as well, and wouldn't come down until I got over the summit and was able to start coasting down the other side.

Headwinds or crosswinds were white knuckle times. The Taco would struggle if the winds were strong. Overall, I would get 11-12mpg max while towing. I moved up to a Tundra earlier this year, and it had zero effort towing that same trailer, and was able to accelerate/pass other vehicles going up steep hills while towing - it's like the trailer wasn't even there. Night and day difference.

I see the trailer you referenced has a loaded weight of 4849lbs. That's a lot for this truck. You probably COULD tow it, but as others have said, it won't be fun and could even be dangerous depending upon your setup.

As others have said, the recommendation here is to not do this - at least for a TT of this size.

 

Another consideration is that a trailer that size that weighs that little is a cheaply built disaster waiting to happen. A quality trailer that will last and not be a constant headache is too heavy for a Tacoma.

 

That Bigfoot spare tire cover is awesome.

 

Thanks everyone for the info. I think you talked me out of it. I know the trailer is a bit too big. I'm looking for something smaller now. I'm avoiding upgrading my truck. I love my taco.

@mrkabc I'm looking at the 2023 Jayco Flight SLX 195RBW now. Its a bit smaller. But still big enough to be comfortable on longer trips.

 

You'll want this...

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/my-redarc-tow-pro-liberty-install.773860/

 

The tongue weight is too high for my liking. You are going to be over half your allowed payload with the trailer and a WD hitch alone. The weight of the trailer itself is doable, but it sounds like a miserable time.

 

@Lt. Dangle are you referring to the trailer in my original post? Or the other option I threw out there: 2023 Jayco Flight SLX 195RBW

 

The Jayco will be about a 500lb tongue weight, plus 50ish pounds of weight distribution hitch. Eats up about half your available payload but is doable if you aren’t hauling a family around in the truck.

 

i have a second gen but ill chime in, hopefully it translates. I tow 3500-4000 loaded and i wish i had a bigger truck. The main thing im unhappy with is power. Through mountains im really hitting the high rpm range more than i want. I never feel unsafe but the power really gets you in the hills.

I went through all this, and i see it asked constantly. On rv forums, this forum, etc. Some come in hoping everyone says its fine, but they get answers like you need a bigger truck. They already had their mind made up and get camper anyway. Some get a smaller camper. Some get a new truck.

after all my research i tried getting the lightest camper i was happy with, and still knowing i would NOT be taking this cross country unless it was a pop up or similar.
My rv is 3000 dry, 4000 max loaded. I estimate ive been towing about 3600 lbs. its a load up hills. I can do it, but im only doing it for 2-3 hours. If i was driving across the country, i would be tired. The constant correcting i have to do with wind and banging those rpms.
Now if i lived in flat land usa, no issues.

Thats all my feeling, and some have no problem pegging that odometer constantly. I do, taco is almost at 140,000 miles

But, there are limits and people dont focus on one key number, payload. I bet that trailer you linked to ends up near 600 lbs tongue. Lets add 400 lbs for you and another in the truck. What do you have left, 100lbs? Dont forget any mod you added, or tools in the back, yup, your coffee too all 16 oz of it. Kidding, but it counts. Make a spread sheet and put it all down, it adds up quickly.

If i could afford a new truck i would, but also love my taco for all else. For now im happy sticking around new england.

 

Yes.

This one is better. Much.

 

My dad took a month vacation each summer. He drove this setup all over the west, including on some tight passes. My brother and I would get so dirty playing outside that mom would hose us down in the shower before dinner. Then we'd play games at the table. Best times ever...

 

@danir1 that's exactly the trailer I had in the above picture, the Jayco 195RBW.

Great little trailer and it served me well. If you get it, run over to the Jayco forums and look up my mod threads there to customize your new trailer.

The Taco will tow it just fine.

 

I like the micro Minnie I tow. Dual axle makes a better towing experience even in a lightweight trailer. Very similar layout to your first trailer. I do not pack it heavy and I don’t go across country with it. https://www.winnebago.com/models/product?GroupID=GROUP260&ProductID=PROD659&VariantID=VO203

 

We went through a similar thought process for a new to us Lance travel trailer, with a dry weight of around 4000 pounds.

When we tow a flat trailer with two ATVs, the mileage on our Tacoma (2020, 6 cylinder) drops from 22 to 12. That is probably around 2500 pounds with little wind resistance. There are LOTS of stories on the net about people using their Tacoma to tow 5000 pound travel trailers, and getting 6 to 7 MPG, getting tired of the engine screaming, going painfully slow up hills, and selling their Tacoma for a bigger truck. A camper adds a lot of wind resistance.

We chose to buy a 5.7 Sequoia (2013, 200k miles) for towing. The tow rating is similar. Mileage drops from 14 MPG to 12 MPG, which tells me that the Sequoia is not working very hard, and should hold up well as a comfortable tow vehicle.

Compute your payload! Start by weighing the hitch weight of a trailer when it is FULLY loaded. You will likely run out of payload long before you reach your towing capacity. Then the issue is not comfort, but safety and liability.

https://www.rvtravel.com/maximum-towing-capacity-smoke-mirrors-1076-2238/

 

I've been looking at travel trailers too. I have a pop-up now but it's too small is starting to have a few little issues and now that I'm not single doesn't meet all the other's wants and desires in an RV.
I'm still trying to find the best model for us. I'm down to these requirements:
Bathroom, not a wet bath
Ac and heat
North South queen bed.
10' or bigger awning

I found the KZ sportsman classic 160QB at 2,960# UVW, 400# hitch weight, 3500 GVWR, 22' total length.
I think that would be just fine for the Tacoma to pull.We probably aren't going to go cross country and not likely to go farther than 8 hours away.

I think we need to just find a dealer and both see it because my partner thinks it will still be too small and wants one with a slide out, oddly most of the campers that are still close to this ones weight don't have the north south bed layout once you add a side out.
Picking something out could be a challenge depending on what your requirements are.

 

i like that layout of the 160QB. n/s bed while staying under 7' width. Every little bit in wind resistance savings helps.
My wife and i decided against a slideout, although the little extra room would be nice. more leak points, things to go wrong, added weight. ended up buying a used 2017 wolf pup 16bhs, has been the perfect size couples camper. We went used because around us fee's were adding up to $3000 more without wiggle room. fees vary widely.

 

I'm a but agaisnt the side outs for those reasons too. The Wolf pup looks good but as a couple what do you use the bunks for? I think it would become storage space for us. Does the Wolf pup feel crowded for you all.

And when you say fees, what are these fees? I've seen dealers adding cleaning and prep fees to used units and Transportation fees to new ones. they also want to sell you the most expensive weight distribution hitches and stuff.
One thing is I'll never go to Camping World. the salesperson I got my popup from in 2018 was great but when it came time to pick it up from the Harrisburg location everything went to hell in a handbasket. they seemed to forget I was coming I sat and waited for my Jeep to be taken to service for the brake controller to be installed that was part of the deal for an hour + before they found me and figured out they messed up their scheduling. I was there all day for a 2 hour appointment. then the title came, they spelled my last name wrong on it and I had to go back and make them fix it which they didn't want to because Penndot charges $53 for that.

 

i can only speak to my area in mid summer. The worse i found was camping world. They charged freight of $1500, like 800 prep and 500 doc. The fee's werent going anywhere. Whether or not all places charge the same and its just hidden in the costs is besides the point. I spoke with friends and family and pre pandemic fees could be negotiated. Not so now, who knows for how long. Again, thats around me. I got sick of the way dealers were trying to hide these fees until the end. Stack on top the huge rise in prices over the past three years and just got very pissed at the whole situation, so we looked used. Used is also expensive, but no fee's.

For us, we got the bunk for a place to have a guest, niece or nephew, or for the dog to lay on and still have dinette up. And if we used it for neither, its great storage. A place to put our hiking packs and other gear. For clothes we pack big duffles and chuck on top bunk. its been great for the storage, and unfortunately lost our beloved aussie month and a half ago, but he was a big part of our decision.
Storage is key. Also, the bottom bunk bed flips up, and through the back door you can put a couple bikes in that area.
We dont feel cramped, in fact we got a late start to the camping season, went out twice and rained a good portion of both weekends. just enough space for two on a rainy weekend. you'll spend most time outside, but when theres rain, i like to have a place to sit at a table, all i need.