Tacoma vs 1956 F100

I need to tow my 1956 F100 800 miles from my dad’s to my house. Pro’s con’s do’s don’ts ?any and all info would be greatly appreciated.

 

Including the weights of vehicle and trailer would be helpful.

 

Use ECT and S4 a lot, it will help. Also be prepared to stop for gas a lot, these trucks get very bad mileage when towing.

What is your estimated vehicle + trailer weight?

 

Not enough info, but probably not a good idea. Empty trailer weights run about 2000 lbs. Around 4000-4500 lbs is a sensible amount of weight to pull with a Tacoma. I don't know how much a 56 Ford weighs, but it's probably more than 2500 lbs.

On paper most Tacoma's are rated to PULL 6500 lbs. But that assumes only a driver in the truck with no other cargo and on level ground at sea level. I see you're in Colorado. Most gas engines lose power at altitude due to less O2 in the air. About 3% for every 1000' above sea level. Below 5000' it's usually not noticeable, but most of Colorado is 5000-7000' on level ground. You'll lose about 30% of your trucks power if you have to cross 10,000' passes.

It's your payload rating that is the true limit and a 4X4 DC Tacoma will typically have around 1000 lbs +/- 100 depending on the exact truck. You just have to check the numbers printed on the sticker on the drivers door jamb for your truck. It varies.

A 5000 lb trailer will put about 650 lbs on your trucks suspension leaving around 350 lbs for the driver, any passengers and cargo in the truck.

Let's just say that it might be possible. Especially if you don't have to pull it through the high country. But it all hinges on accurate weight information. If you're going to be around 5000 or less I might go for it. But if you're 6000+ not with a Tacoma.

FYI, a lot of 1/2 ton trucks aren't significantly better. Some will do it with ease, others aren't rated for any more weight than a Tacoma. You just have to be sure of the specs of the individual truck.

 

I used to have a 1959 F100… Everything about that truck was heavy. Steel gas tank (behind the bench seat inside the cab). Cast iron block, cast iron everything. Heavy steel body. And so on. 800miles of towing that is going to suck with a Tacoma - even if it is a supercharged like mine.

 

Rough calculations for 800 miles from Firestone could be SoCal, Houston, St Louis… All very different drives with the terrain.

 

10-15% of tongue weight is going to be 600-800 pounds for a 4000 pound vehicle plus trailer weight, and that's if you somehow magically balance the load. Trucks are front heavy, which means you're probably going to be extremely tongue heavy. You're going to need a WDH and very likely a suspension helper.

However many days you have budgeted for the tow, add more. Don't attempt it in one day. Split it into two per leg. And then add a buffer for breakdowns (ie, plan for work when you get back like normal, but maybe don't have important meetings scheduled.)

Take it slow. Expect the brakes to fade at every off-ramp, hard stop, and heavy traffic. They won't burn out, but the hotter they get the harder it becomes to stop. It happens, so anticipate and add distance.

Don't enter any parking lot that you can't immediately see the exit plan. Not unless you want to back a trailer onto a busy street to get unstuck.

 

I had a 76 F100 long ago. It was heavier than hell. Everything solid steel, like a tank. It weighs a lot. If you tow it on a trailer the combination is going to exceed your tow capacity but at least you’d have trailer brakes. If you attach it directly to your Tacoma you won’t have brakes and thus it will be a dangerous hazardous tow. Without brakes when you go to stop you’ll end up in the next county. Either way I wouldn’t to that with a Taco.

 

Thank you all for your suggestions,I’m definitely going a different direction.

 

U-haul. Abuse their equipment. How much is it worth to not have that wear and tear on your own vehicle.


edit: I had a '53 F100 with the flathead 8/ 3 on the tree. Never should've sold it.

 

I paid $50 dollars for my 1956 F100 when I was 15 years old and $100 for my 1955 F100 a year later. Still have both.

 

Maybe make a real adventure out of it and drive the F100 the whole way?

 

I am by no means an expert on towing so take this thought with that in mind. Looks like the weight of the truck is 3100lbs. As people have said trailer is ~2000lbs so total load is ~5000lbs. I think this is doable. Like others have said you need to balance that load. Trailer brakes are a must. Maybe load the truck backwards to take put the lighter back end towards the tongue to keep the tongue weight lower. I would also buy a OBD dongle and use an app like OBD fusion to monitor your temps. Just my uneducated $0.02

 

You should always aim to have 60% of the trailer weight in front of the axel.

 

Did that in1984 in my 1955 F100 no air, tunes,or cruse control it was an adventure all right, the longest 2 days of my 20 year old life. At 61 I’ve learned to appreciate the finer things in life.

 

Everyone thinks old is heavy. Nobody believes me when I tell them what my 54 chevy 1.5ton dumptruck weighs..

 

I towed a bmw z3 on a car trailer 300 miles with my tacoma. I wouldn't do it again unless I was in a bind. It did fine. Slow but did fine with the weight. I was in S3 or S4 the whole trip and had the motor over 3k most of the time. A truck is less aerodynamic so it might be worse. I beat on my vehicles but that trip bothered me keeping RPMs so high for so long. Some people tow 5k campers with these trucks and I don't know how unless they drive 45mph on the highway.

 

Yeah.

The steel bumper is probably heavy.

The doors, seats, 3 speed transmission, etc., are probably lighter than the Taco's equivalent parts. And the iron block may be heavier than the Taco's aluminum block, but add up everything in the engine bay, and it's probably way more in the newer truck

 

Waiters gonna wait