Towing Taco 2018 SR5 w/ stock tow option

Hey guys just wanted to throw this build and info out for everyone because people seem to always laugh when thinking about a Tacoma towing anything but it’s the details that matter…stock Tacoma? Yeah don’t push it too far. But the correct mods can make it happen.

I tow my landscaping trailer every weekday with weight being anywhere from 6,000-7,500lbs going on 3 years now. The trailer is 7x14 enclosed with every piece of landscaping equipment you could need for the most part. I have two stand ons that are both loaded often, but I try to just bring one mower when possible.
I’ll list out the mods pertaining to towing mainly and I’ll also go ahead and say it up front, with the amount of money I’ve spent setting it up for towing heavy I should’ve just bought a 3/4 ton truck lol. I have enjoyed it though and I love doing this stuff

Mods:
•3” OME heavy lift kit w/ Dakar springs
•Regear 4.88 Yukons
•Corsa exhaust
•injen evo intake
•Mishimoto trans cooler (14 stack)
•aFe throttle body spacer
•power stop Z36 tow brake setup
•Redarc tow pro elite brake cntrl
•weighsafe ball hitch(has tongue weight scale made into it) - being able to get my mowers placed correctly and weight balanced is a game changer
•Nitto Recon A/T 265/70/17
•Nitro UCA’s

- - I know I’m going to get a lot of hate from this post but it’s ok. I’m just wondering if anyone has any other aftermarket mod suggestions that are beneficial to towing.

 

I’m glad you’ve found something that works for you. I’m going to follow this thread to see where the discussion goes.

 

You are towing heavy, beyond the manufacturer’s published tow capacity.That makes it illegal and dangerous. I’m not hating, I’m just telling you the facts. Causing a serious accident while towing beyond your pickup manufacturer’s requirements or limits opens the door for legal actions based on negligence against whoever is driving the tow vehicle. It’s not a good situation to be facing, especially if you own a business.
It doesn’t matter how many mods you add to your truck, the tow capacity set by the manufacturer cannot be changed. It may ride better, pull better, be more comfortable etc. but none of that matters if you have an injury accident while towing dirty. And if it happens in the scope of your business the negligence factor increases the liability and the amount of the settlement may be as high as the moon. Plaintiffs attorneys love these cases. Yes you should have got a 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton.

 

It works but you could have just bought the right truck in the first place rather than spending money and time making a marginal truck just slightly less marginal. I'd bet that towing everyday for three years the slightly higher upfront cost of the truck would more than breakeven with the cheaper fuel costs associated with towing with a good truck rather than a Tacoma.

 

You must’ve skipped the part where I said I should’ve bought a 3/4 ton…so yeah I’m aware. The other side of this is the fact that I didn’t know I’d be starting a landscaping business when I bought it so that wasn’t something I took into consideration….but the fun part about all of it is the company’s that have given me sponsorships and free product just to try out or to just rep for them. But I’m not sure what you mean about using a “good truck” rather than a Tacoma? Tacomas are definitely a “good truck” and are widely recognized as that also….i mean if it wasn’t a good truck than it wouldn’t be getting the job done or doing well for me either…also for the other guy with the whole legal analysis - that’s what an LLC is for. I’ve got myself covered legally to the point that if that were an occurrence(God forbid), that lawyer wouldn’t get much settlement.

-can anyone explain why every post on this forum has to include a plethora of people with negative comments and responses?

 

Tacoma is a perfectly good truck, just not for what you’re doing with it. I definitely missed where you said you should’ve bought a 3/4 ton, that’s my bad. I didn’t get the chance to go to the Center for Kids Who Can't Read Good and Who Wanna Learn to Do Other Stuff Good Too.

 

Post #3 summed it up pretty well, but I'd just add: if I do something illegal (especially related to my livelihood), I don't post it on a public forum.

That out of the way, what did you see for transmission temps before and after the cooler install? That's the largest one I've seen.

 

It’s not like I’m committing some kind of crime with money involved, or a heinous act or something…anyways I haven’t monitored it like that, I just knew it couldn’t hurt to have that trans cooler especially in the summertime.