Looking for advice (pre-purchase)

Hey folks, new to the forum, hoping to get an answer to my question. If it's been asked before, I apologize in advance. I'm looking at getting a new TRD Sport, mainly due to the current crazy costs of full-sized trucks, but I'm not sure it will actually tow what it's supposed to tow. I know the lab results say one thing, but I'm looking for real-world input. I have an 18' aluminum boat (I/O) that will be towed ~580km (one way) twice a year, over hilly highways. The boat and trailer should be under 3500lb, so, technically, under the max weight, but it's the highway and hills that worry me...it's a long haul. Has anyone done this before? I don't want to get into a nice truck and blow the transmission or engine because it's screaming for 7 hours straight.

Thanks!

 

Welcome

might find some info here

Towing | Tacoma World

 

You will be fine. 2018 dclb sport and I tow 18' ranger boat or a14x6x6 enclosed trailer (Aluma) loaded. No problems at all. Both are right around 3500lb.

 

I don’t tow but things to consider. It will be screaming all the way . Even without towing, it will scream in hilly high altitude. Toyota removed the at trans oil cooler FYI. It can do it but you may not enjoy it. Just finished a road trip to Carmel,Indiana from SoCal, drove thru I80 (Wyoming mountains) I can feel the loss of power in high altitudes and it was screaming just to keep up with the big rigs doing 80mph .

 

is that on hilly highways though? in the end, i'll be around 1000' above sea level, if that matters. i see lots of tacoma's there, but they're already there haha..not towing a boat up there.

 

are we talking redlining?

 

It’s a very high elevation highway. I think it’s 8000 plus feet above sea level .parts of it gets closed during winter as I’ve seen signs along the roadside .

 

ok thanks...engine wasn't struggling to maintain highway speeds? (minimum 100km/h here, or ~60mph). just worried after 7 hours the tranny and engine might hate me.

 

I would get a full size if it was me . Don’t get me wrong, tacoma can do it but it will be a dog pulling that trailer going up long stretches uphill ( I may be flamed for this but this is my experience driving thru I80 at 80mph Wyoming area going to Indiana minus the trailer)

 

No. Just the sound of the engine screaming at 80 mph on S4 with Ect on. Anything slower, big rigs (which are plenty) will keep on passing me so I just try to keep up to be safe.

 

For a twice a year tow just rent a U-Haul (or Enterprise) pickup for the trip and abuse their truck.

 

You might want to read through some of the threads on the towing forum. https://www.tacomaworld.com/forums/towing.34/ Lots of experiences there with loads like yours and more.

 

Please do not take my comment the wrong way but how can you make such claims if you do not tow? I find it difficult to believe that vehicles rated up to 6,800# would have such difficulty towing 3,500#. I was on the highway last week on a trip and saw multiple Taco's pulling fair sized 24'-26' travel trailers and they did not appear to be struggling at 70+mph.

 

Yes, that's on hilly hwy's. 65 to 70 mph, no struggle or screaming. I wouldn't do it if that was the case. Multiple times a month, 4 to 5 hrs a trip. Three and half years of doing it.

 

well, i need the new truck for other reasons, the boat is just something that will be happening as well, as my father gets passed 80, and is finding it hard to launch now.

 

That isn’t a long haul. That isn’t even half of Texas. You’ll be fine.

If you are really worried, rent a truck.

 

Hate to break it to you but prices for the Tacoma are worse than a full size .

 

First, please dont be that jerk that tries to pull a trailer doing freaking 80.

Keep it at 70 or below. Preferably 65.

Second, it'll be fine. I take my 3500 pound camper on week-long road trips, up into the mountains and then some, on a regular basis. That kind of weight does fine behind my sport. You feel it, but it does fine.

 

As I said if that was my experience driving up in Wyoming mountains without towing , I can just imagine what would it be if I were towing. Anyway the OP mentioned he’s driving only around 1000 feet above sea level so it might be a different scenario as I was driving above 8000 feet above sea level which greatly reduced hp on the Tacoma as I had expected .

 

I've towed atvs and side-by-sides through the mountains in TN and WV and the truck did fine. 7+ hours to TN and 9+ hours to WV, both in Summer. Weight was similar to what you're talking about and I certainly didn't have any issues maintaining speed. I used ECT and S4 and it only downshifted to 3rd on the longer, steeper grades. The engine is designed to make power at higher RPMs, so I let it do its thing. I would think your boat would have less drag than my side-by-side, which seems to have as much impact as weight.