Tacoma Travel Trailer Towng: Read If You Consider Buying An RV

It looks like towing a pop-up should be no problem with a Taco. I have a 2017 with a tow package and am looking at buying a pop-up that is around 2500 GW. Would y'all recommend a WDH for this?

 

Not needed

 

My 16' Scamp was around that weight and and a WDH wasn't necessary. Keeping tongue weight @ 12-15% of trailer weight was key for me. I did at a friction style anti-sway bar which helped in windy conditions but that's probably not necessary with a pup.

 

I have a weight distribution hitch that came with this trailer
that weighs 2500 pounds haven’t used it but thinking about trying it next time I drive a little fast

 

i have an 06 Tacoma sport 4.0 2wd trd dbc long bed firestone bags trailer brake and wdh and tow a 3600lb camper no problem.
Bigger camper itice so looking and a 4750 dry weight camper.
Anyone tow this much weight or more with their taco?

 

Yup. Many here do. It depends on where you live and how comfortable you are towing. My trailer is about 5,500lbs loaded.

 

Towing my A-frame up to Kansas in late May, with outside temperatures up into the 90s during the day, I was watching transmission temperatures with Torque Pro on my phone. The highest temperature I saw was 215, which was only for a very short period, it cooled back down to the 190s pretty quick. I was mostly towing in D or S5. MOSTLY flat-ish terrain.

The a-frame is going bye-bye, though. After that trip, I just learned there are a few things I really don't like about it. I like the idea of the a-frame, but it's really lacking in storage. The huge thing I dislike is the floorplan... it has the dinette that converts to the bed. And the pads are not very comfortable, so I needed to use an inflatable pad. So I had to set all that shit up at night, then stow it all in the morning. It's a PITA.

So I'm buying a brand spanking new RPod 176, picking it up on Friday. I'm going to swap my Progressive Industries EMS into it (the hard wired version) and install a MicroAir Easy Start on the AC. That way my little 2200W Westinghouse generator should run it just fine.

 

Nope. Manual recommends sway control for anything over 2000lb, and WDH over 5000lb. (I literally have the owner's manual open in another browser tab!)

I towed my A-frame (2400lb dry) and didn't really need either. I DID install airbags in the rear suspension, though, because the tongue weight was a bit high, and I had about 200lb of gear in the truck bed. They leveled it out fine, and she towed like a champ.

 

I had a very different experience than some of you.

I LOVE Tacoma's. I've had 4 - every generation. I wouldn't trade my truck for the world.

But - I just towed my brand new RV this weekend - and the Tacoma got destroyed. Yes.. Felt like it was working hard the whole time. Weight distribution kit installed and leveled. Dry is 4,000 lbs. No water in it and I figure I've got about 500 pounds of stuff in it.

I took a spin to New Hampshire and it was miserable. I could really only do about 60mph without going above 3,000 rpm. Gas mileage was about 9-10 mpg. The truck really seemed like it strained pulling. It was fine once you got a decent pace on the highway, but going up hill she would slow down - unless I punched it - then rpms' would go over 3,000.

It was my first RV experience and hopefully my last. I told the wife to sell the damn thing. I just do not like towing it. We bought it brand new, it's just not for me.

I attached a picture - but in the picture it's not hooked up. Just shows the truck and camper.

Sorry, just keeping it real.

 

You can't be afraid to make it work.

 

How do you like the Lance? Looking at the 1985.

 

You actually wrote that here on TW ? Then what are you doing with a taco if you dont want to upgrade it ?

 

I think one thing that is never mentioned is wind resistance of RV/ cargo trailers.
The Tacoma can move a 5000lb trailer fine, but it doesn't have the torque to maintain that weight limit at 70mph with wind resistance.
Yielding /merging is a nightmare when you can't match traffic speed and people don't understand your rigs limitations.
I am all for getting out there and letting the truck put in work, but going 10mph under speed limit on a busy highway is just dangerous.

 

I have no problem pulling this at +70mph when needed but I prefer to keep it around 65mph. It's 5,000 lbs loaded.

 

I think it all depends on your level of confort with a trailer some dont want to feel it at all some will not mind feeling it a bit and some pull to the limit. When you barely ever have pulled anything heavy you might get scared at the feelings a trailer produces on the ride, but the important thing is to be safe and to respect your level of driving experience if you dont feel equip to pull 5k then dont. Get a bigger truck if you must but a bigger truck might bring a bigger trailer because why not...

 

I am not saying the Truck can't ever achieve 70mph when needed but like you said 65mph is your prefferred speed that you like to maintain.
Similarly i found 68mph to be my sweet spot.
70+ i feel like im running the truck wide open at times and fluctuating +-5mph when terrain starts to vary. Nobody likes the person that speeds up and slows down
What is your experience/opinion on using cruise when towing?

 

One thing people often overlook is the speed rating on the trailer tires. Many tires are rated for 70 mph.

 

I prefer a bit slower speed more for safety than anything. I don't use cruse control when towing.

 

That’s pretty much my experience with towing anything with my Tacoma. It’s lifted and not aerodynamic at all and I tow open deck trailers with ATVs or sleds on them which doesn’t help either. Towing 2500lbs through hills I get about 10mpg at 60mph and have to run 3500rpm or higher to maintain speed on hills. The truck handles it fine but it’s annoying. Always fun doing that and then jumping in my buddy’s 2500HD towing 7000lbs up hills at 70mph and 2000rpm like there’s nothing there.

 

I have the same truck. I tow a Starcraft Satellite. Weighs in dry at 3200lb. Fully load around 4000lbs. I use a WD hitch and a sway bar. My truck tows it like a dream. I tow through the Pocono Mountains all the time. On a flat road it is at 2500 rpms. Might jump to 3000-3500 rpms going up a mountain.