How will it do towing a 28' travel trailer?

Hey everyone! I'm new to Tacoma, new to pickup ownership and soon new to towing (purchasing an RV this month).

I am leasing a 2017 Tacoma Ltd with Tow Package (rated to 6,400 I believe) and also am in the process of purchasing a 28' travel trailer that weighs 5382 lbs.

I keep hearing concern from friends about my Tacoma's ability to handle this trailer however I have been told by both the Toyota and RV dealership that I will do fine (I do understand the easy assumptions here that dealers want to sell you stuff - I was talked down from many other RV's at higher costs because The RV dealer didn't feel comfortable selling me something too heavy that might make me feel unsafe).

Bottom line, I've seen many threads so far with mixed reviews. Is what I'm planning either unsafe or dumb? Or if I take it slow, have both trailer brake and sway control, and don't overload the trailer will I be ok?

Thank you for your time!

 

By the time you load the truck and trailer with gear you will be at the max or over. I mean the truck will move it but it will be a pig and you will know you are on the edge. I would not tow a trailer that big with my 2nd gin but that's just me.

 

Not a chance.

I tow a 28' camper with my Tundra. No way would I even attempt to tow it with a tacoma.

 

I think you are making a mistake

 

I wouldn't go that big personally... I tow a 19' ski boat with my 1st gen and it's right near the edge of the trucks ability. I can't imagine towing a 28 footer. Although to be fair the 1st gens aren't as powerful or big as the 3rd gens.

 

I agree with above comments from JJ and koditton, et al. Too much trailer for a Tacoma or too little truck for a 28 foot RV that weighs empty close to what a Tacoma should tow when the trailer is fully loaded. And that's if the weight given by the RV dealer is as it sits with all options on the lot. Load a little water and some gear and the Taco will grunt at the first incline and struggle to stop it going down hill. I know the Taco rating is between 6400 to 6800 depending on whether 2 or 4 wheel drive and double cab or access cab but it's misleading. The 3rd Gen Tacos have enough transmission issues without giving it a job it can't do. If the RV dealer were honest they would tell you to shoot for a weight of 70-75 % of the rating for safety sake. When you load your truck with gear and family and the trailer with gear and liquids like water and propane you will surely exceed the total gross for truck and trailer combined. Any mishaps and your insurance will balk. Not to mention the Tacoma dealer leasing you the truck. Long answer here but it is meant to discourage you from making a big mistake. Bigger truck or smaller trailer.

 

Upgrade to a Tundra.

 

If you want to put you and your family at risk every time you tow go ahead. If you want to pull something that big get at least a full size truck. I wouldn't worry about the power. I would worry about stopping. There is nothing scarier than going downhill and knowing you cant stop. I know there are trailer brakes but those can fail. I've been in that situation and wont risk that ever again. You have 2 options. Lease a bigger truck, or get a smaller trailer. Just some advice for thought.

 

I don't know very much about towing, but it sounds like that trailer is too big for a Taco. You're going to be at the max or over, and that usually isn't a good idea for much of anything.

 

There is more to towing than just weight. I can carry a 4x8 sheet of plywood, no problem. Add in a 80mph wind, problem. I can overpower my son, no problem. Give him a 28 foot lever. Problem. Attach 7 4x8 sheets of plywood to a 28 foot trailer i can pull it by hand. Add in that 80mph cross wind...

 

I towed a 4500lb boat up through the mountains a couple weeks ago. Flat was tolerable.. going up any sort of a hill i was struggling to maintain 40mph in 3rd gear.

As other posts above have stated, adding people and gear will put you over the gvwr of the Tacoma. If i were to buy a trailer that size I'd be looking at a 3/4 ton truck with a diesel

 

Most people don't understand you'll need to stop safely. A Tacoma may get a large load moving but the brakes aren't up to the job to stop it.
You'll get pushed through an intersection or jackknife. Transmission will roast also.


You need a 3/4 ton to safely haul a 28 trailer without worry. I tow mine with a Superduty.

 

I would say 24' lightweight tops. You can find 24s that way in low 4000s. I just bought a 22' Bay and,scaled it at 4,620. It has about 350 lbs of gas which is all I will ever have in it. It will hold close to 700 lbs. Something you have to consider is fresh and waste water along with gear. The other thing is TTs are like a towing a brick. Kind of like Bay boat versus low profile bass boat.

 

Reminds me of the guy that I saw at the campground at Mesa Verde NP once. He arrived late at night, parked next to us.Next morning as we were having breakfast I heard banging and cursing. I looked out, and saw the poor fellow trying to hook up his WD hitch on a jeep Grand Cherokee and a 28' Airstream.

I went out to help him, and noticed that both Jeep and trailer had dealer tags from the same place in Denver. I mentioned that I didn't think he had enough truck to pull his trailer, and he told me that the salesman told him he would be OK. To this day I wonder if he made it home safe.

 

I'll chime in with the potential when the tow vehicle is too small.

About 10 years ago, there was a couple towing a travel trailer with their Chevy Trailblazer on 495 north in MA. It was a little windy, not hard winds, but just on and off. They were down the road not near anyone and the trailer started to sway. Trailer pull the truck's rear end and they lost control. Flipped the truck, ejected the driver. He died on the scene and his wife died a few days later in the hospital. To me, it seemed like the truck wasn't heavy or long enough for the trailer.

 

Do not do it.
I repeat, DO NOT DO IT.

1) New to towing and trucks in general.
2) Close or over weight limit.
3) You're not only putting your and your families life at risk but everyone else on the road's as well.

Glad your asking for advise but have some damn common sense man:/

 

WAY TO LONG of a trailer!!! like everyone has said above DO NOT DO IT!!!

the cross winds alone that trailer will pull you off the road and flip the truck, the frame on the tacoma (or any small truck for that matter) is not built to tow a long trailer like that.

my personal preference I would not tow longer than 22' with a weight of 3500 (Unloaded weight) lbs. I may go up to 4000lbs Dry weight but that would be it.

Yes the Taco will have the power and tow capacity to tow more but why be at the limit all the time. Its hard on the poor truck. Any Truck..

Stiff

 

Tow ratings are calculated by the auto manufacturer. They base it off of stress on all the moving parts of the vehicle as well as safety. Some of it is marketing but mostly a ton of testing and agreements between the manufacturer and their lawyers.

It isn't a rule per say but I use it as a rule of thumb, take your trucks tow rating and buy a trailer that is 30% less your max. So if your truck is rated to tow 6400 lbs, buy a trailer that is 4480 lbs or less. These are mid size trucks and people are trying to pull full size numbers behind them. Will it pull down the road, sure but not safely at all. Also, you have to remember stopping is more important than going.

I use my F-150 to tow. It is rated to 7800lbs tow because it has the lower gears in the rear and I would never put that behind it. The power is definitely there but the gearing dropped the numbers. 3.55 is what is in it, optional 3.73. The 3.73 changed its rating to 9400 lbs from 7800 lbs. I have had 6500-7000 lbs behind on multiple times and that is about as much as I was comfortable with. It is actually a little more than I like having behind it but it does fine. Just stay aware of your surroundings because people suck and have no common sense and are ignorant to the fact that you aren't stopping 10,000 lbs as fast as they are stopping their 4000 lb car.

TL/DR: No freaking way would I ever put anything close to that behind a Tacoma.

 

So...anymore questions?

 

Always love this stuff. "Pull over 5k lbs and you're going to kill yourself and everyone around you" "I'd only pull that with a super duty"

As of a few years ago, tow ratings are not just calculated by the manufacturer, there is a standard for them, SAE J2807, which Toyota uses (http://www.trucktrend.com/how-to/towing/1502-sae-j2807-tow-tests-the-standard/)

No, the truck will not be a rocket when towing near its max weight. Nope, it will not handle or stop as well. If you do not have your load set up correctly, it will not tow well. A heavy trailer will move around your truck some. If you can't figure that out on your own, don't bother towing anything. The same people who bash the smaller vehicles towing abilities are the same who feel the need to do 80+ MPH down the highway dragging a trailer behind them.

Go hook up the trailer and pull it around for an afternoon before buying it to see if you're comfortable with it, then decide.