Towing and Load Performance Misconceptions

I was just reading through the 3rd gen towing thread and and noticed a few common comments that I wanted to throw my two cents on that is probably better suited to its own thread.

Power Mode / ETC and S Shifting
I believe there is a bit of confusion on when to use what for towing. I am guessing the confusion comes from this manual paragraph:

I underlined what I believe to be the important part; A good few of the post on the towing thread are under the impression that this entry is recommending to tow entirely in S mode, but if you look at it more carefully, it is prefacing with the underlined section. My interpretation is to use shift into S mode when engine braking, don't try to engine brake while in auto. Now to follow up with this:

in the Before towing section. (Pg. 182)

Put these two items together for the take away: While towing, keep ETC mode on and you don't have to be in S mode unless engine braking.

High RPM / Handling while Loaded or Towing
Addressing the following sentiments: "I can feel the difference even when I have passengers." and "The RPM really go up even though I am only pulling 3k lb."

This has been addressed on other threads on the this forum, but I am not sure if people really appreciate the significance; This is the first Tacoma, hell maybe even truck with an Atkinson cycle engine! It is like a diesel in reverse. Atkinson cycle engines deliver most of their power at the higher end of their RPM curve. These things are built to run at a higher RPM so that it can save fuel at lower RPM during normal usage. This is the engine doing exactly what it is built to do, it is not a bad thing (only time will tell).

I am putting this out there to make sure I am not talking out of my ass and so the real gear heads can correct me if I am wrong. This is just imho.

 

This exactly why I didn't buy the new Tacoma. I just couldn't get past the concept. If I was using it just for recreation and daily driving, it would likely be fine. Because I'm towing the max a lot, I was at least sceptical about the new power delivery as well as the stated "smaller and lighter transmission".

 

Really not that hard to grasp once you let go of the notion that the ECT button makes the engine more powerful... it doesn't. It does allow the engine to operate at higher RPM where it makes more power.

The ECT is really no different than the "tow mode" button plenty of other trucks have that change the shift point maps on an auto transmission. Likewise defeating "overdrive" gearing when towing is nothing new (we have seen this in varying forms on countless other auto equipped trucks - shifting out of a circled D into a regular D etc.) - that is all that dropping it into S does.

As others have eloquently pointed out in many threads: the default calibration of the drivetrain is focused primarily on returning the best results on the EPA test cycle.

If you are in a situation where you need more performance you have some options at your disposal. You can use the slightly more aggressive map the ECT button provides or take control of the shift points yourself with the S mode.

 

I guess I'm just not used to revving my truck engine past 4 grand. This is the first Toyota truck motor to have higher hp numbers than torque numbers.
Going to take me a while to warm up to this modern engine performance in my truck. The same thing happened to car engines about twenty years ago and I got over that so maybe one day.

 

This is some good info. Not only is this my first truck, it's also my first time towing anything (4100lbs camper). The first time I towed with the Tacoma the engine was at a high rpm and thought something was wrong, when it downshifted to 3rd at 65mph to get over a hill and was at 4k+ rpm I REALLY thought something was wrong and slowed down.

 

This truck isn't very well cut out for towing 4,000LBS+

Try towing like that up and down mountain grades not only will your motor be screaming like a leaf blower to maintain a safe speed, but your gas mileage will be worse than most full sized trucks towing the same load.

It's good for towing a little boat or a little pop up trailer something in the 2500 to 3500 range is OK but anything more than that I just wouldn't want to tow frequently. Forget about anything near max capacity.

 

Towing capacity has little to do with how tolerable it will be to drive while towing. I think factory tow ratings are a joke. Towing 6800 lbs with a Tacoma on anything other than flat roads would be a total nightmare.

 

Exactly. If I lived in Florida or Nebraska I might bump the number up a bit, but anywhere with decent grades or elevation changes NOPE

 

S4 or S5 if conditions permit the torque converter to stays locked.
Why use econo mode to tow?

 

I'm not sure how hills are rated but I am towing 5-6000 lbs regularly without any sweat. I might go into 3rd once in a while but overall a pleasurable experience

 

Not in a turd gen?

 

I live in Florida and tow a 22ft bay boat which probably weighs 5k with trailer/gas/beer etc. The truck pulls decent on roads 55mph and under. The main issue is braking which I try to leave myself plenty of room to do. I would be scared to death pulling my boat down I-95 to the Keys. Also, I'm glad I don't have to pull up anything more than an overpass or bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. All this been said, I've been taking a serious look at trading in for a Tundra!

 

If you don't have trailer brakes, a tundra won't help for stoping.
With my 6000 lb loads, I barely feel it when stoping.

 

How do you figure that? the tundra has massive brakes compared to the tacoma.

 

Vehicle weight is important when stopping and towing a heavy load

 

While the Tundra will definitely stop a heavier load better than a Tacoma, trailer brakes and a brake controller will make a world of difference on either of them.

Wait, I take that back.

The Tundra has inferior disc brakes in the rear so stopping may be compromised

 

You seem to find every extreme to get one last dig into how bad YOU consider the third gen is. Fact is steep hills work any tow vehicle more than flat roads. I had a Ram 3500 with a cummins that worked hard on steep inclines with ONLY 6000lbs behind it. It was rated for 3X what I was pulling but it worked hard enough under those condition just like every 18wheeler on that same road.

Now if you live in the mountains and pull heavier loads day in and day out I would go to a bigger truck myself. But that is common sense. But to write off the Tacoma because at the extremes with every tough situation stacked up it would struggle doesn't mean that with a 6500lb load it isn't safe or capable with the right gear like weight distribution and trailer brakes.

I sold my 3/4 ton (and the 1 ton before it) because I no longer needed that kind of towing capacity. So why own such a big truck when 95% of the time I am not towing or when I do I am well under its capacity? The Tacoma is not a 3/4t or a full size 1/2t. It is what it is and tows within its capabilities well. But like my larger trucks any vehicle at the limits of its tow capacity with steep inclines, headwinds, side winds or whatever other scenario you throw at it will struggle compared to light loads on flat calm days.

Use your head and be realistic considering your load and the conditions. As my great aunt always said: Look for the negative and you will find it. Look for the positive and you will find that too. We all know what Smitty spends his days looking for and we all know what he finds.

 

I'm not sure what everyone thinks the tundra is but it's not twice the truck as the Tacoma. In fact it's only 50 percent more. It's 50 percent heavier and has 50 percent more power. It will tow 9000 lbs like a Tacoma will tow 6000 lbs. it also needs trailer brakes to stop loads safely. You should have trailer brakes for anything over 50 percent of truck weight.

 

No I'm just using common sense and experience.

 

Do you TowBro?