Towing new (to me) Winnebago Micro Mini

2023 V6 SR5. Picked the trailer up about 500 miles from home. Have a wdh. Trip home was no big issues but a few observations...

MPG was worse than I expected - about 9 MPG. We were going about 60-65 and it was reasonably flat (Green Bay to St. Louis). We rented a _slightly_ lighter trailer that was fiberglass and more rounded and streamlined a couple months ago and the towing was noticeably better in terms of mileage (about 12) and smoothness of ride. Before I put more tension on the wdh it was porpoising moderately on the roads with concrete joints. With more tension it was better but still a little. And the ride without the trailer for some local trips seemed rougher so it was at least partly due to rough roads.

Had just a bit of impact from passing big rigs. Nothing concerning but a very slight pull. I think I could tighten the wdh some more but didn't want to get to carried away and risk a bent frame on driveway entrances and other uneven places.

Was pretty reserved on the throttle but still noticed I ended up downshifting (3rd? How do you tell what gear it's in?)on not that steep of hills. I have read about hunting and some place recommend OTT tune. One option is to shift manually on hills I suppose.

I did read just a bit on transmission cooler being dropped a few years ago. Need to read some more and will likely get a scan gauge. Might get a cooler. Does the TC lock in all gears and just work for shifting?

Some people other places have already told me I need a bigger truck. That's not unexpected but I don't want a bigger truck although I might consider something similar size with larger engine.

Not related to towing but the radar in cruise slows down for vehicles ahead WAY before I thought it was needed. It would slow down before I expected it and then speed up when I changed lanes.

 

I'd hold off on a tune. At least give it a year to break in.

When I tow my little camper I was surprised that the V6 didn't perform that much better than my wife's Subaru Forester.
Of course the Forester is a bit sleeker ( and lighter ) than the Tacoma to begin with.

I get about 15-19 mpg but it does struggle more than I expected on inclines for sure.

I run it ETC and S4 most of the time.

My little camper probably tips the scales at a scant 1,200 so it's not that heavy at all, coupled with camping gear in the bed and
two live bodies and cooler in the truck I suppose the weight does get up there. Fully loaded I suspect you are closing in on 5,000 pounds?

 

Congrats on the new truck and camper!

regarding the gear and transmission temps- Fusion app and OBD II Bluetooth are cheap and easy, and satisfies both. Plus more info in there too,,, lots of it!
Cruise- you can change the distance (strength) and also cancel the radar function all together by holding the cruise On button for a few seconds.

GL!

 

I have a blue tooth aOBDII dongle (used it for seeing what errors on other vehicles). Will have to check out the fusion app.

Not sure what ETC and S4 means - will need to do some more reading...

 

Don’t bother with a tune. I tried that when I bought my Micro Minnie 1708. It was stable, and did good in the flats, but the long grades of the southern Nevada desert were misery. I cannot express how much better a tow vehicle a half ton is.

 

the manual also states you should be in s-mode, and leave in 4th for towing. 5th and 6th gear are overdrives, and not really rated for towing power.

 

There is no need to “wait a year” to get your truck tuned. Get the OTT tune, use S4 (sometimes even S3 when going up severe grades), and enjoy it.

 

Had to do some reading on S4 and ETC. Sounds like I should be in S4 when towing and probably also ETC.

 

it take some fidgeting to work with various phone models and updates, but it is nice to not have another device wired and cluttering space, I just plug my phone in to charger as I always do, but not needed.


https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/obd-fusion-tips-and-tricks.590248/

 

Your truck is plenty big enough and powerful enough to pull a small travel trailer. Some folks don't understand that the Taco V6 needs to be up in the RPM range to produce its power, it's not a V8.

What WDH do you have and how did you set it up? Usually it is set up by taking before and after hitched up measurements from the ground to each wheel well. The goal is to shift the weight back to the front of the truck and get the hitched measurements to come close to the unhitched ones. I think most stock Tacos need some sort of suspension assistance in the rear to be a better tow vehicle.

I have no problem pulling my rig that weighs in about 3,500 lbs loaded with my 23' Off Road, nor did I have issues pulling that rig with my Frontier v6 that had almost identical HP and torque numbers. I have pulled that rig with the V6 over some of the steepest passes in the Sierras and the Owens Valley. Ya don't get much steeper than Town Pass in and out of Death Valley. Prior to that I pulled that rig with a V8 Ford F150. I don't miss the F150 at all.

 

It’s not that it doesn’t have the power, but the spread between 4th and 3rd is too large. Combine that with the transmissions tendency to hunt, under certain conditions, it is not a fun experience.

 

Does your Taco have ETC? I use mine when towing and the transmission hunting for gears is not objectionable to me. I also use S mode on hills, ascending and descending.

Not every model truck works for everybody. We each have to find the truck that meets our needs. Hopefully you get it worked out, hauling a TT and camping should be enjoyable.

 

That Casita does not weigh much at all. We towed one all the way to Alaska with a 1/2 ton 5.3 Chevy Silverado. Not sure how it would do with our Tacoma, but our president camper is 4200 total weight Passport, all Aluminum w/steel frame.

 

BTW does anyone have the Scan-gauge 2 Code for transmission oil temperature on Gen 3? It worked fine on my 2015.

 

Yes, and tuned. There are slight grades here that go for 20 or more miles. There is not enough power to keep it in 4th. Third had so much power on tap, it required very little throttle input, and was very uncomfortable. On the flats and in the mountains, it was a completely different vehicle. It would have been a different story if there wasn’t such a big gap between 3 and 4.

 

I would suggest investing in an auxiliary transmission cooler early on, and to get the biggest one that will fit in the space in front of the condenser/radiator. I have had the stacked-plate designs from Tekonsha, Hayden and B&M. A gauge is fine too for peace of mind, but the cooler will likely keep the temps under control even under the worst conditions.

My truck has the factory one that comes with the tow-package, but I feel it should be at least twice/three times the size as it is not a stacked-plate design cooler which has much more surface area than the fin design.

 

Re: >>>Not related to towing but the radar in cruise slows down for vehicles ahead WAY before I thought it was needed. It would slow down before I expected it and then speed up when I changed lanes.<<<

I can't speak to your 2023, but on my '14 the Tow Package includes electronic anti-sway control/capability as part of the stability control systems. It senses you are towing a trailer, (likely when the trailer harness is connected to the towing plug on the truck) and uses the stability control to detect sway (yaw) and control it with throttle adjustments to reduce speed, and ABS application at each wheel to control it. It even activates the brake lights while it is activated and working. Nine years is a long time ago for a 2014: perhaps your '23 systems can now detect that you are towing and adjusts the auto cruise control accordingly to allow for more space ahead of you in case you encounter a panic-stop condition? Wouldn't surprise me.

 

On the recent trip the weather was fairly cool and no long or steep hills so I doubt the temps got too high. But it's something I will keep an eye on - probably will try an app for starters and maybe a scan gauge. Will need to look at where I could mount it that would look good and be easy to see. As for coolers where to start? I am pretty handy and have worked on vehicles some so could probably install myself but I'm not really into aftermarket mods. Where to go to get the parts? I guess look for some youtube videos...

 

Not sure if mentioned yet, but you can adjust the radar cruise control distance with the button on the steering wheel. When you first turn it on, I think it always defaults to longest lead distance of the three settings. I always adjust it to shortest distance when not towing (still plenty of distance for me). I don't use the cruise control when towing.

 

Did I miss the Micro Minnie model number? It appears the dry weights span from 3,300 lbs to 4,600 lbs. The former should be getting better than 9mpg at 62 mph on mostly level ground.