Towing Tacoma Vs. Tundra

I'm thinking about trading in my 05 Tundra V8 4x4 for a 2010 dual cab Tacoma V6. My boat is 4000lbs. Anyone towing that kind of weight? How much of a difference will I feel with the V6?

Thanks

 

My '05 Tacoma 4.0 (with towing package) has the same weight limits as my Moms '03 Sequoia with the 4.7 (also with towing package). Food for thought.

 

The towing capacity is 6500 lbs. A buddy pulls his ski boat with his 1st gen reg cab 4 cyl.

 

we have a 23' welcraft and it pulls it just fine

 

I know there are people on here that tow some heavy trailers with the tacomas 4.0 but I don't think it will compare to the tundra V8.

 

My boat weights about 3k loaded and you can def. feel it back there especially in the hills of KY. Does it struggle? Not at all, you can just feel it back there and your gas millages drops to about 10-12.

 

Thanks for the info guys.

 

snip. double post. see below.

 

.7L makes that big a difference?

The power output of the 4.7L is not terribly much higher than the 4.0. The following is from Wikipedia with all the metric units taken out so people can understand what the hell the power ratings are:

The 2UZ-FE is a 4.7 L (4,664 cc/284.6 cu in) cast iron block version built in Tahara, Aichi, Japan and at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama. Designed for low-revving, high-torque SUV applications, its bore is 94 mm (3.7 in) and stroke is 84 mm (3.3 in).[1] Output varies by implementation, but one VVT-i variant produces 271 hp at 4800 rpm with 315 ft·lbf of torque at 3400 rpm. JDM versions produce 232 hp at 4800 rpm and 311 ft·lbf at 3600 rpm, while Australian models produce 230 hp at 4800 rpm and 300 ft·lbf at 3600 rpm.[1]

So 35 more to 6 less horsepower, with torque 25 to 35 ftlbs. ahead.

I'd think the 4.0L taco could handle whatever the first gen V8 Tundra could, albeit with a bit more wear and tear in the long term.

 

I went from a 06 Tundra 4.7 to a 4WD DC V6 auto & tow and do not notice a difference. The gas mileage is as said earlier around 10-12.

 

Thanks
I'm getting 11mpg (per scan gauge) on my 700 mile round trip (Philadelphia to Nags Head with my current 05 Tundra

 

Check my thread "6 Cylinder Towing Review" for some detailed info on towing a 4,500lb trailer with my 09 Taco.

 

Nobody here has mentioned 'controllability'

I don't care if its V8 versus V6 and I don't care about the towing capacity either.

When you're talking about a small truck versus a big truck - there's a HUGE difference in controllability of the towing experience.

The overall weight/size of the vehicle towing....makes a big difference. I used to tow the same exact load with a 4.7L Grand Cherokee for several years. I then upgraded to a Dodge Ram. MAJOR difference in how it felt.
Towing with the Dodge, you couldn't even tell there was a trailer back there (the load was 6500lbs).

So... I would think LONG & HARD before getting rid of the Tundra. Because if you're used to towing the with Tundra and how easy it feels - YOu're probably gonna HATE how the tacoma feels to tow with. If you go with a TAcoma, you'll have to add some things to it (Weigth Distributing Hitch - for instance) to help with the towing experience.

 

that's a good point janster, but the 05 tundra and the 2nd gen tacomas are almost the exact same size. yes the tundra weighs a bit more, i have found wheelbase too be one of the greatest factors. My dad has an 02 sequoia (same kind as the 05), and i've towed with that, while i think it handles the load abotu the same, the ride is actually rougher than the taco.


for the op, fully loaded, the boat i tow is right at 6500 lbs. acceleration is great, the v6 is one strong little engine. even turning is good. i don't ever feel like the trailer is going to break the rear end loose and jacknife me. just take it easy on turns (but you already know that since you've towed before). the biggest problem we seem to have when towing heavy loads with our trucks is breaking. it's not like the truck gets squirley or anything, it just takes a long time to stop. that's where a slightly larger vehicle (like janster said) will really help. if you have brakes on your trailer, it will help a huge amount.
that being said, i am basing this on the towing of a 6500lb load. i also tow a 3000 lb sailboat, and i cannot tell it is back there, even when breaking.

bottom line, the tacoma will feel a little different than your tundra, but you'll be fine towing 4000lbs with one.

 

I'm not too sure about that. The weight difference of my current 05 Tundra and a 2010 Tacoma 4 door is not that much. I don't need a Weigth Distributing Hitch I have a boat trailer which has brakes. I wish I could borrow the truck for an hour or two from the dealer and try it out but I don't think that is going to happen.

 

A weight distributing hitch has nothing to do with the brakes.

It's all about 'distributing' the load and you don't have to worry so much about having the 'perfect' tonque weight.

 

you shouldn't have to worry about tongue wait with a boat.
They design those trailers so that how the boat sits, makes it perfectly weighted.
boats=easist thing to pull
i had a 4000lb boat behind the dbl cab taco, no problems at all, just slow down earlier

 

26ft toyhauler weighs 6500lbs

 

Maybe not, but the Springs, Transmission, BRAKES, do make a difference.

 

I tow my 07 Air Nautique 220 with no problem. Total weight of boat 4070 lbs and tandem axle trailer is prolly about 900 lbs and I have no problem.