The Tacoma Towing Bible

Hey guys, I bought a set of the Firestone airbags model numbe 2407, new in the box (box opened but never installed, hardware still sealed etc) because I had a son and life became hectic then I traded my Tacoma for a Tundra. I have it posted on the for sale section on this website first as I got a lot of help towing my camper from this thread. Let me know!

 

I have a 2014 Keystone Bullet, 4,371 dry weight. I bought a Draw Tight brake controller, a Equalizer hitch and a Reese sway bar, and attached them to a Tundra.

(Still love the Taco, but want to keep it upright and not in the median when I'm towing. Campers are bullies, they'll flip you and then flip themselves.)

 

Did you try pulling it with the Tacoma?

 

Haven't tried it on the Taco. We live in the Blue Ridge, anywhere we go we have to climb mountains. We had a Jayco 165M Sport (2600 lb dry, 18 foot), and it was fine with the Taco, but when we towed it with the heavier Tundra, it was like towing a balloon. Much more confident. Knuckles much less white.

I'm sure my Taco could pull it empty, but I need a little bit of stuff--propane, air conditioner, battery, luggage, music instruments. I also need the confidence that I can make a controlled stop.

We had a horribly scary moment on the interstate when a car darted in front of us , slammed on the brakes and took the emergency vehicles only cut through. We would have been killed in the Taco, it doesn't have enough weight to muscle back on the camper.

(yes..we still have the Tacoma and the Tundra. The Tundra is a driveway queen.)

 

So i have a 2002, factory tow package and 4 plug wiring etc...

My tow package says 2002 and newer, rated for 6,000 and 600 tongue capacity....


anyone know why i can haul 1k more than most 1st gens?

 

So there was a very nice looking 4Runner in a parking lot that we stopped to look at. If I understand the truck/suv relationship, the 4Runner is a Tacoma with a little more sheet metal and glass in the back, all the drive and components are the same right?

...but on the toyota site, the 4Runner can only tow 4K lbs compared to the Tacomas 6K. That's more than a little different.

How come such a large difference for two vehicles that ought to be so much the same?

 

How does the 4Runner compare to the Tacoma? Weight, HP, etc? Our Nissan Pathfinder is similar to the 4Runner, has a 4.0 V6 like my truck, but has 30HP more. The V8 version is rated 6,000lbs, still can't find what the V6 can do. The PF is also at least 500lbs heavier than the truck, so that could affect tow capacity of the 4R too. The weight from the rear seats, and the rest of the rear end could drop tow capacity.

 

The link mentioned under gen1 mentioning what Phantom did goes to a dead thread. Is there more info on what it is.

 

A rear seat, some glass, and a little sheet metal can't possibly weigh 2000 lbs to account for such a large difference in towing capacity. There's got to be something more mechanical, different transmission, different brakes, different suspension maybe?

I mean, I wouldn't have expected the two numbers to be identical, but I was surprised they were SO different.

 

The original 4Runners were basically the truck with a shell on the back with a back seat added. I had an 88 4Runner years ago & the interior is almost identical to Tacoma's all the way up to 2004. If I'm not mistaken, the engine and trans are the same for the different generations of Tacoma/4Runner as well except for the 4.7L V8 4Runner which gets its engine from the Tundra. Both vehicles have a lot of similarities, but they are far from the same. Originally they were very similar, but as both models came out with new generations they became less similar. For example, my 2006 DCLB is 221 inches long while a 2006 4Runner is 189 inches long, but the 4Runner is a bit heavier even though it is shorter by almost 3 feet. Also, the wheelbase on my Tacoma is 140.9 while the 4Runner is 109.8 which makes a big difference when you're towing. The 4Runner's fuel capacity is 23 gallons while the Tacoma is 21. It's only a 2 gallon difference, but it goes to overall weight. So even though the transmissions and engines are identical, the weight, wheelbase, & overall length are different. That's why my Tacoma is tow rated for 6500 lbs & the V6 4Runner is rated at 5000.

 

Thank you. That makes a lot of sense that the models have morphed separately over time.

 

Does anyone out there know which shops install a transmission oil cooler at a reasonable price. I've been quoted $900 and $1000 by a shop and dealer. That seems really high. I'm in San Antonio, Tx.

 

I imagine those prices are for a Toyota factory cooler and install. If you go with an aftermarket cooler like a Hayden(50-60 range) I imagine any decent local shop should be able to install it for maybe an hour labor.

I have a

$51 Hayden 678 Universal Rapid-Cool 9.5” x 11” Add-On Transmission Cooler – Not for Direct Replacement of the OE Cooler

Hayden 678 cooler installed on my truck and it works just fine. I think it was around 50 bucks at a local auto parts store.

 

Nobody has bothered to mention that if you install the Firestone 2704 air bags, you kill the ride. You lose about 1/2-3/4" of rear suspension travel if you hold the ride height at stock due to the thickness of the bags and their mounting system. When you have only about 2-1/2" of jounce travel to start with, losing an inch of that delivers a jack hammer ride, even unloaded.

I may remove them and go back to the spring bars and weight distributing hitch, possibly with lighter bars for my 4200# trailer, but I'm first going to install the on-board compressor and see if I can smooth things out a bit, possibly re-aiming my head lights to maintain visibility at night. I also plan on removing the "overload" 3rd leave in the spring pack to see if regaining a little jounce travel will help.

 

Always wondered what air bags did to ride quality. If you don't do a lot of towing, a properly sized weight distribution hitch may be the way to go so that you can enjoy the ride when not towing. I also know that tire inflation affects ride quality. Maybe lower the tire psi a bit if you keep the air bags?

 

I recently installed a set of Air Lift bags (kit 59561) on my 2012 double cab with great results. I only keep around 8psi (suggested minimum of 5psi) in them when not hauling. The great part about these is the adjustment options when you load up the back of your truck. Just add air and you don't ride on the bump stops or add a lot of stress to the springs. The ride quality may be slightly rougher, but that's a small price to pay for stability.

It's also a good idea to have the weight distribution hitch as well. They move the tongue weight ahead on the truck to the front tires as well. This becomes mandatory when pulling anything above 3500lbs with these smaller trucks. Not so much of a necessity when using a larger vehicle.

 

Please forgive me if this has already been asked, I am in the market for my first Tacoma and have a question concerning the second gen (or any other generation) mentioned on the first page of this thread.

Does the 6500 lb towing capacity only apply to a 4WD Tacoma? Or if (can?) I get a 2wd Tacoma with access cab and factory towing package does it have the same 6500 lb capacity?

More questions to come!

Thanks, Terry

 

The 2wd Access Cab V6 with the tow package can tow up to 6500lbs.

 

Thanks for the reply. One other question

What exactly about the tow package (basically) doubles the tow capacity as compared to the basic truck? I realize all items mentioned play a part, but is the transmission, suspension, wheels, brakes etc. "beefed up" or is it simply a stronger hitch that makes it physically possible to claim a higher capacity?

Thanks!

 

If i get a 2013 with tow package it doesn't come with a trailer break system correct? so that means it has no trailer break capabilities even with the tow package unless I get after market parts?