I tried to tow and it sucked

Usually when I haul mulch it's by the yard, but mulch is easy. Very low weight per cubic foot once it's been stirred around by the loader. Doesn't take much HP to drag that around.

 

Usually, I don't worry about downshifting on a hill. If it makes it to the top, its strong enough.
(I've never misjudged -- its always made it to the top).

 

Shrug. Just because it CAN tow something doesn't mean it's good at it. I CAN paint a picture of a Tacoma, but it'll look like an abstract done by a drunk 8 year old with palsy while riding down a dirt road. Comparatively, a Tacoma CAN tow 6500lbs, but it's not good at it.

 

I actually liked my Tacomas for towing... First one (4cyl 4x4 Manual Access Cab, lifted on 265/75R16) moved me from NY to MI with a 6x12 enclosed Uhaul. Handled highway speeds (65-70) kind of ok, got 15mpg. Like it isn't a rocket ship, and I probably had it maxed out weight wise, but honestly I couldn't really complain about it.
Second Tacoma moved me back from MI to NY (6cyl 4x4 6spd Manual Double Cab, stock suspension on 265/70R17). Same type of Uhaul (6x12 enclosed) but that trailer was loaded right to the max, bed was loaded up, and cab was fully loaded. Honestly was probably way way loaded. Truck did pretty damn fine again 65-75mph most of the way ended up with 15mpg again.

These trucks are rated for 6,500lbs max towing, but you also have to look at your grossed combine weight, the type of trailer you are towing, and how you distribute the weight. From the sounds of it you were probably 5,500lbs I would guess with the extra "junk" in it. Also assuming your truck is bone stock.

So steep grade, about 1,000lbs under max trailer weight not to surprised it gave you a bit of trouble. Another thing is making sure the load is distributed correctly, this does help with handling, and if you had to much or to little tongue weight can affect your traction. I am a bit surprised you coudlnt get it out of 2nd gear, was the pedal to the floor? I know with both my manuals I really had to rev it up higher than normal before up-shifting. Really step grade I would go up with my Kubota behind me (3,200lbs with the trailer) grabbing 3rd was a bit tough but it would hold 45/50mph ok.

These trucks are like swiss army knifes, they do a lot of things pretty well, but they are no means dedicated for a specific task

 

Just because you have to downshift doesn't mean its NOT good at it.
And as a matter of fact, I would say that Tacoma *is* good at towing 6500 pounds.

In fact, it is *VERY* good at it.

The problem isn't in the truck, its in the expectation. If you expect to be able to climb a 15% grade at 85 mph, then it isn't the truck's failing when it doesn't, its your failing.

 

its kind of like if you don't expect a little 236hp V6 to downshift when you are running max weight (or close to it) then you need to change your expectations for a midsize pickup. 5,550lbs for example is 85% max capacity versus 55% on your typical 1/2 ton.

Hell running your AC at max during that can negatively impact it to

 

You know, you can actually flip it around completely... if you come up to a steep grade with *any* vehicle, and do not need to downshift, then its geared wrong.

But who says that 236 hp (or 159 for 4cyl) is "little"? Go back to the 60's and they'd be enormous! Somehow, they did manage to move stuff around in the 60's just fine.

 

Midsize trucks in general aren't good at towing. For a midsize truck, the Tacoma isn't bad, but it's still a midsize truck.

The Tacoma is like a kid who's a local phenom at high school baseball. Great for what he is, but not on par with the big leagues (HD trucks) or even the average farm league players (full-sized half tons)

Which isn't to say the Tacoma isn't a great truck; they're awesome trucks. It's just not a great truck if you regularly tow more than a couple of tons. It'll do it, but there's better choices out there.

 

You're right. The Tacoma and the Pickup/Truck/Hilux before it aren't ideal for a lot of things but they'll get a trailer moving and stop it safely once in a while. If you're towing something that's close or even a large percentage of the max rating regularly it's going to be safer and less wear and tear on a full size. I towed a very heavy 5x9 U-Haul which was probably 2,000 lbs and it's not something I would do regularly. The difference between that one and the larger 6x12 tandem is it is not a braked trailer. I found out that the brakes in a Tacoma are not rated for that much weight (about 7,000 lbs) in the mountains for sure. A full size would certainly be more comfortable doing that.

 

Gearing and expectations.
I towed almost anything up to 4000 lbs with my 5spd 4cyl 04 Mazda b2300, (I'm new to the Taco thing, so haven't towed more than 100lbs yet with this truck) but it only ever felt dangerous when I got a BAD case of trailer sway once, which was due to poor loading and a LOOOOOONG load (my fault, not the weight. Had to throw out my underwear after that one).
That truck was very slow, and I was revving a lot in 2nd and third gear up hills, but slow isn't dangerous; overheated automatic transmissions on the incline, and smoking and faded brakes, and trailer sway on the decline are dangerous.
Adjust your expectations to the vehicle, I think, and figure out if towing large un-aerodynamic objects is the exception or the norm.
The brakes on these trucks are not that great for the amount of weight they are rated to stop, IMHO, so actually using the tranny to keep it slow helps.

 

Without knowing more about the actual weight of what you're towing it is hard to say. I'll only say that most Tacoma's should tow 4000-5000 lbs without much trouble if they are set up right. Dropping down to 2nd gear on an incline is perfectly normal and not a concern.

 

My Tacoma is strictly for fun. If I actually want to tow something that’s what the wife’s 3/4 ton diesel is for.

A Tacoma is the wrong tool for that kind of job.

 

yeah like I moved twice (different tacomas) and it did it, it was an adventure, but I would not use this as a hot shot type truck. It suited me fine towing around the lawn tractor and doing some lawns for extra cash. But this was in town and not on and off the highway. It suited me just fine and I didn't need to drop the extra $5k-$10k more on a full size or 3/4 ton. That yes could handle the weight better, but then I would have to do deal wit the larger size truck and problems that come with them

 

But here is the problem with looking at it in that way. There will *always* be a bigger load. So now you've got an "HD" truck, whatever that is, and it moves a 5000 pound load like its not even there. But now you want to move a bulldozer that weighs 20,000 pounds. So now you're in the same position with that HD truck where you previously were in with the Tacoma, but instead of dealing with a load of bricks, you're dealing with a bulldozer.

So by extension, HD trucks "aren't good at towing" either.

Either that, or they're BOTH good at it, and its just a question of SCALE.

 

Wait until you have a 30mph wind and step outside carrying a sheet of plywood. Wind plays a BIG factor. The worse the dynamics the larger the factor. That's towing in general, not toyo specific . Pulling a tt behind a 1/2 ton at 70mph and having a semi pass me at 80 has come close to pushing me into a ditch more than once just from the wind.

Fwiw I've owned 1/4 ton to 6 ton trucks, never moved a bulldozer though

I'm not sure what a 1980 chevy luv is rated for, probably 2 fat chick's and their lunch. But it was my first.

 

the new cars/trucks are hauling around a lot more weight due to the safety features, sound deadening, and added creature comforts. Yes they shaved weight by going with lighter materials and thinning stuff out but for the most part a lot of cars are now heavier then the 60s counter parts. Think of a 1960 ford pickup, there was no AC, power anything, and little insulation to it. But yeah I get what you mean though

 

Everyone talks about the power which baffles me. My Taco had plenty of power, that's not the issue. The thing it didn't have was wheelbase and weight. Trying to tow this trailer loaded with sleds in the snow with a crosswind was a humbling experience and it had nothing to do with the power.

 

I can just imagine what that would be like.
But its not just Tacoma's that have problems with trailers like that in the snow. Or driving in the snow in general.

In fact, more often than not, its the bigger and heavier vehicles that have the worst time in the snow, because for whatever reason, the people driving them end up overconfident. Just watch the ditches this winter and see how many of the vehicles stuck in the ditch are actually the bigger heavier vehicles.

Whether it feels planted or not doesn't change the fact that at the end of the day, it comes down to 4 rubber tires trying to stick to ice.