Towing Heavy (8k lbs +) a bad idea?

Hey guys,
New to this forum, I've been reading through for a couple of days now. Read a bunch of articles on towing 6k lbs through mountains and long distances - everyone agrees that the Tacoma can handle this no problem once you get used to towing a heavier load.

I am looking for some support and help - we have a boat (1999 Sea Ray 270) that I pull from storage, trailer, and drop into the water about a mile away. You can get by with going 5-10mph on the roads. I have a brake controller, so braking at slow speeds shouldn't be an issue and I can control the tongue weight by adjusting the boat on the trailer so that the suspension isn't overloaded. but I am concerned about the weight as a whole and pulling the boat out of the water and up the ramp. Boat, trailer, beer/gas weigh in at about 9k lbs

Does anyone have any experience with pulling over-sized boats with the 2015 or 2016?
It's either the Tacoma or a Silverado - would love to feel comfortable enough to buy a Tacoma and move the boat but I haven't talked to anyone at the local dealerships that seems to have a clue about the Tacoma other than the angle on the front bumper to go up hills.

Looking for experience, thoughts and opinions on this. Thanks!

 

That's some serious weight!
The biggest part would be taking it out of the water since its a slow road and you can adjust the tongue weight

sounds like a bad idea to me

 

How often would you be doing this?

 

I'll give you my opinion since I don't have that much experience. Even though it is a short distance and very infrequently, I wouldn't do it, too many what ifs! If you do, you may do it successfully a few times, but then that one time shit might go wrong won't be worth it. I guess you are adjusting the tongue weight by shifting the load to the rear of the trailer. How are you going to secure the boat on the trailer with it shifted rearward, blocks, chains, etc.? Getting it out of the water would be my largest concern as well. What if the boat slips back when taking it out of the water?

I like the idea or renting a larger truck, or phoning a friend to give you a hand that day.

 

Sometimes, towing a load isn't a problem at all. Stopping the load is another proposition, entirely. I'm just gonna take a WAG and say you aren't 5th wheeling it. If the tongue weight is heavy enough, it will reduce the weight on the front tires to the point steering can be severely compromised. The last time I towed a load that was way beyond the weight capability of my pickup, I swore I Would Never Do That Again.

 

10-15 times a year is typically how often we launch. The boat wouldn't slip off the trailer on the way up because it's chained down but I'm sure with the weight pushed back it wouldn't make it easy for traction on the rear tires up the ramp - would then be mostly on the front. I've seen guys do this before where they don't have the power to get up a ramp and wait for someone to drive by with straps and tow hooks to lend a hand. Didn't know if Taco's had a rep for being able to pull a little extra (33%+) heavy

thanks for the quick responses

 

Do you want to risk damaging a $40k+ vehicle? Like many have mentioned, rent a larger vehicle that is capable of handling such a load. It'll save you some potential headache and worry.

 

SSalami99, if I remember correctly, towing capacity for Taco is 6500 pounds. So, 6500x133%=8645 lbs. A Taco towing 8645 pounds? Sheeeit. Just be safe and tow it with at least a half ton truck. But hey, that's just my opinion.

 

A lot of weight on the rear, and your boat trailer has brakes controlled off a brake controller?

 

Don't do it. Not worth damaging your truck. Plus, it would be over capacity. If you crash and hurt somebody, you could get sued if they weigh your truck to find it over weight. Completely irresponsible to tow that much weight with a Taco.

 

Imo, even though most full size 1/2 ton trucks are rated to pull that or a bit more, this is 3/4 ton territory to do it safely. Again just my opinion. My Ram 1500 I traded was rated to tow 10klbs but in no way would I ever be comfortable doing it.

 

Go Tow it around easy places and see how it goes. No one here really knows how it will react, they're all just guessing... and they may be right. But why not attach it drive some empty streets. To tow one mile certainly isn't a rental worthy sort of thing. Make sure it can do a hill before you get stuck in a dicey situation with getting it out of the water, you'll know if it can do it or not

I towed a 4400lbs airstream with a Venza rated at 3500lbs towing... and i did it for 50k miles until I got the Tacoma.

I think by tomorrow you can be more knowledgeable than the rest of us.

 

You can do it if you set up your suspension properly. 2" AAL, Air Lift helper bags, Icons, beefed up UCA's and beefy All Pro end links, which replace the OEM spaghetti end links, and E rated 33" Kevlar sidewall tires. The beefier end links eliminate plowing (under steer) when cornering down hill, but you lose 'articulation', as the serious off roaders call it. I don't crawl, so I don't care about that. I have, however, pulled some serious weight down logging roads and across fields.

I've hauled 4 ton of hardwood, several tonnes of aggregate, and a shit load of metal in this 5 ton trailer, plus the weight of the trailer:



... and this tractor and float which comes out to around 6480 lbs. ... and I have to keep reminding myself that it's behind me...



As for load limits, I have Farm plates which allow for total weight limits on both truck and trailer/cargo of 10,000 kgs (22,000 lbs), but I wouldn't go there. That would be stupid.



Also, never, ever, use overdrive unless you are up to speed on flat ground. I prefer an auto as well, it's a work truck and not a race truck. IMHO there are no advantages in having a manual in towing situations. I just take my time and use common sense, which comes from experience in part, and observations of other's fuck ups. Pay attention now, or you won't be able to afford to pay for it later.

Check my build thread for an overview of the set-up.

 

9k lbs is nearing tow capacity of an F150.
Even if one could get away with that on a Taco, I wouldn't try. I tow 9-13k lb trailers with my 250. Can't imagine doing that with a midsize.

A boat that heavy needs a full size. You are risking not only damaging a very expensive truck but an expensive boat. You don't want to run into problems trying to pull that thing out of the water.

The Taco costs as much as a full size as it is. While you can build a taco to tow big time loads, how much money do you have to just piss down the drain? Lol

You need a Super Duty

 

Drive it around the block and see how it goes. If you don't hear any loud metallic popping noises, and the truck keeps driving, nothing broke. If you feel comfortable with that load on the back of your truck, give it a try. You have to yank it back out of the water, right? Have to put that into the equation.

 

For a mile twice a year you may be OK. For pulling it out of the water. Just use low range and drop the shifter into the lowest gear. That is what gears are for. The other option is to get a friend with a bigger truck twice a year.
Happy Boating!

 

Nobody has mentioned this - but you are going to want a rear locker if you tow that boat out of the water with the Tacoma.

I have pulled my '87 4R that has 33" Swampers and a SAS with my Tacoma a lot. I was not overloaded; but I was close to max after all the other wheeling stuff was added to the load. Once I got on the park roads I always found that I wish I had a rear locker for traction on the loose dirt. Boat ramps tend to be slick so a rear locker will make a world of difference pulling the boat from the water. That said - I still think I would look at getting an older 3/4 ton for this. The wear/tear it is going to put on the Tacoma plus the potential for an overweight ticket would quickly make this a non-issue for me.

My Tacoma has Firestone air bags and the TSB leafs for towing. I still need to get a brake controller for the trailer but have not hauled as much in the last year.

 

What is the tongue weight?

 

The Tacoma will be fine.

I use mine to tow a friend's Sea Ray 260 (almost identical to your boat) to and from the local marina every spring and fall. It's a six-mile trip over rough, curvy, hilly rural roads. Since your trip is about a mile over I'm assuming quality roads, I wouldn't hesitate to tow it.

I will say, make sure your trailer brakes are in working order, because there's no way the Tacoma is stopping that load on its own. But, just have a good sense of the weight/physical force of the load and anticipate it for corners, stops and hills.

I do recommend beefing up the rear suspension. I use Firestone air bags inflated to 35 PSI, and they're more than capable of handling the load.

I've never seen the need for a locker at boat ramps, but you should definitely use low-range, first gear for pulling the boat from the water.

 

This ^^

Having towed a lot in general (not with taco) I would say if it was once or twice a year for a mile, you have brake controller and say you will control the tongue weight, so if it was mine, I would try it out and see how it handles. There is a wide margin of safety in those numbers for liability reasons, both safety and structural. Also depends a lot on the ramp/slope/tread whether that will be an issue.

My concern is the 10-15 times a year. What will inevitably happen is someone else will help load the boat, or you will be distracted loading the boat, and you will have improper tongue weight etc. If it was a beater..., but its not.

I would test it out, but if it seem iffy with that regular use, I might go another route.