The joys of towing - 10mpg!

It’s not the transmission, it’s the tune that’s garbage.

But with that said, the gen3 Tacoma is a miserable tow vehicle. It doesn’t produce enough torque on its own. Then toss another 3k-lbs behind it and it really goes to shit.

 

meh

 

Recently I took a 2400 mile round trip to get a car, my trailer weighs 1500 and the car weighs around 3100 so 4600 pounds total. I use a weight distributing hitch & electric brakes.
The truck is completely stock down to the Firestone LE2 tires.
This was across Ohio, Indiana, Illinois & Missouri so flat for the most part.

My truck is a manual so all 1200 miles of loaded driving was done in 4th gear maximum at the posted speed limit so about 3400 RPM maximum. At this RPM the engine is well into the power band and normal grades on the highway were no problem.

Slow speed driving was a bit of a chore due to this engine having the off idle torque of a moped but ultimately workable.

Total miles -- 2412
Total gallons -- 155
Fuel cost -- $549.87

MPG empty trailer -- 18.23
MPG loaded trailer -- 11.39

 

The Gen4 will be waaay better at towing than the 3rd gen.
The Gen4 makes peak torque at 1,700rpm and the Gen3 makes it at 4,600rpm. This is why you have to rev the Gen3 so much and why it always downshifts.

 

Maybe if you road force balanced your tires it would do better.

But seriously what did you expect the torque curve is high not low the programming from factory is trash. If your not tuned try that and report back. I tow a smaller jet boat on 295's and typically heavily loaded and don't have quite the struggles your reporting.

 

I've towed several trailer loads to the dump. It's definitely not my first choice for a long haul tow vehicle, but it'll get the job done...slowly.

 

A miserable tow experience into a headwind (light trailer with a motorcycle, but the ramp acts like an air brake) for a couple hundred miles in my 3rd gen was all it took to push me back into a 1/2 ton. Still kick myself for downsizing out of my Tundra. Loved that truck.

 

Your trying to drive 70+ at near max towing capacity with a midsize truck, of course it's gona want to downshift to maintain that speed with that kinda load. It's a V6, the power band is in the higher RPM range.
You wouldn't be able to maintain that speed with a manual in 6th gear either, in any case it's not a good idea to tow a heavy load in overdrive or to lug the engine anyway.

 

Truth.

 

someone gets it!
The transmission isn’t going to change the RPM range of peak engine power. Now, they (MTs) do have slightly different gear ratios, but that’s not going to equate to a couple thousand RPMs difference, maybe 100 or RPM. Add to that a torque converter on an AT does quite well doing its job, a torque multiplier.

 

if you buy a Tacoma for long range hiway towing you made a mistake

 

^

 

I towed my 3500 pound trailer 5000 miles this summer. Over the Rockies, around the top of Lake Superior and on the flats. Got a realistic 12 mpg most of the time. Not towing I usually get around 20. Truck did fine. I never tow over 65 and usually roll along at 60. Never once felt like the truck couldn’t handle it.

As far as towing experience, my last setup was a fifth wheel and full size. Interesting anecdote, my son has a ram with the hemi and a trailer about the same weight. He got better mpg towing BUT I had his truck for 4 days to bus my grandkids around and anyone who says they get better mileage than a Tacoma when not towing is full of crap. That thing had a drinking problem.

 

Exactly, moving twice the mass = slower and low m.p.g.'s.

 

Better you than me.
I towed a 4,000ish pound trailer a few hundred miles this summer through the Smokies with the same truck you used, and as any logical human being would expect, it sucked.

 

Towing a heavy load (?) @ 78 m.p.h.

 

This has got to be a troll post... no one is seriously this naive, are they?

 

I'm sorry, I am not satisfied with mediocrity. Friend with a Colorado tows his 5000lbs boat all the time and he gets 16-17 mpg and at highway speed. This isn't a case of running the extreme and this isn't 1978 where we have 55mph highways. 70mph isn't uncommon on highways. It's a truck and I should be able to use it without the nonsense I experienced and that is driving in Fla. I couldn't imagine driving like this in a hilly area let alone mountains.

 

Haaaa, you know my pain!

 

But now you have a Fitty