Towing with a 3rd gen

same, love the little bastard…buuuuuut, it is very easy to overwhelm it. Great daily run around vehicle (except for the piss poor mileage) but traveling/towing with it kinda sucks. Did a simple 2 day moto event this past weekend and maxed out what I could stuff inside with all the bullshit I had to bring. Just isn’t big enough. At these events there are hardly any midsizes, but 3/4-1 tons or larger rule.

Need two trucks really. One for farting around town, and another for doing actual work.

 

If money was no option then a supercharger and gears would be my choice

 

That's still cheaper than a new vehicle.

 

3500 loaded with gas, ice chests, gear, people, etc. I don’t care what anyone says, if you tow 5000 up routinely, you should have a full-size.

 

I towed 2 sleds in a clamshell, which essentially a wall. About 3500 lbs.

I towed with the tranny in sport mode - 4th gear for level ground, 3rd gear for hills, on occasion 5th gear for slight decline.

long story short, I tried to keep it spinning at no less than 3500 RPM’s.

Get that thing hummin’ in 4th at 4,000 RPM’s or more it will haul the mail!!


I could never get used to the sound of that engine over 4000 RPM’s.

Sold the sleds, don’t plan on towing anything at this point other than a utility trailer.

 

Then walk into a dealer trade it in and cut your losses. If it won't sell privately and you don't want to change it that's what's left.

 

So, if OP cannot return to stock and is unwilling to re-gear to improve his trucks towing performance, this is basically just a piss and moan thread.

 

Actually if you read the first post it’s more of asking what people tow and how their truck is setup. But feel free to misinterpret it as much as you want

 

There's a whole subsection in TW for towing... More than plenty of info about 3rd gen owners towing. Don't need another thread about it.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/forums/towing.34/

Tacoma's doing work is another good one to see 3rd gens at their extremes
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/tacomas-doing-work.574940/

Re-gear to 5.29's (PLENTY of testimonials, use search function) or sell your Tacoma and get a 1/2 ton... The 2grfks on 35's with stock gearing is going to be undriveable imo even without anything behind the truck.

 

I'll take a different approach and ask what you think the likelihood is you'll upgrade campers, and to what size? If you reach a certain size, this discussion will become moot.

 

If you move up to a 1/2 ton you're still going to have to choose carefully. Tacoma's biggest problem is a lack of payload. A typical 3rd gen is 900-1100 lbs. The engine (with stock size tires) will PULL plenty of weight. But you run out of payload with a trailer much over 4500-5000 lbs unless the truck is empty with only a driver. The more weight you put in the truck with passengers or cargo the less you can tow.

This is true of all compact and 1/2 ton trucks. The payload on a typical 1/2 ton 4X4 crew cabs is still only 1600-1800 lbs which in the real world limits you to 6000-7000 lb trailers. And a lot of 1/2 tons have 1100-1300 lbs payload which means those trucks won't tow any more than Tacoma. They are unicorns, but they make a few 1/2 tons with 2000+ lb payloads that will tow 8000-10,000 lbs. But finding one is the problem. Forget about what the charts say any truck will tow. Those are only accurate with a handful of trucks.

 

People answered,
You said your situation was different and the Taco sucks,
People told you why, and even gave suggestions to fix it,
Then you bitched that you're not going to change it, and the truck always sucked.

 

Tows my 7x14 dual axle all-alum toy hauler with 2 track bikes and accompanying stuff OK - not great, or even very good, but still doable. Even with an OVTune, it's just 'OK'.

Sure, more power, better breaks and better fuel economy would be really nice, but it fits in the garage and for all my other needs, it's perfectly fine and overall, I really enjoy the vehicle.

 

We will be upgrading sizes but I do not know how large.

 

Our plan for next year is to order an F450. That way, no matter what we decide we can haul or tow it. We'll be keeping the Taco though. Can even tow it around behind us as long as we stick with a truck camper.

 

I towed a 5th wheel camper for many years, and I can say having adequate torque makes all the difference in the world. My situation was different (diesel tow vehicle) but not worrying about holding speed going up hills was worth having a 3/4 ton diesel as my daily driver. It was a pain in the ass in parking lots though. Only you can answer what you're willing to put up with.

Good luck.

 

Most trucks are overkill most of the time. But it’s nice to have them when you need them and power is also important

 

So OP, where are you in upstate NY? I spent 5 years in Saratoga. The fishing and hunting there were top shelf.

PS: Sorry I was busting your balls there.

 

I kept my truck pretty close to stock for this reason. It has 1” up tires (265/70R17) and sliders for the occasional off-roading trip. My truck is at stock height.

I usually pull 4k-5k lbs. It usually consists of lighter sports cars on an open car trailer. I thought my truck did fine pulling that.

I do plan to add the 2LO mod sometime. Because the reverse is geared so tall, I have to slip the clutch a lot when backing up the trailer.

 

So you're at a crossroads;
-get 5.29 gears, still be unhappy, and trade in for a full size.
-don't get 5.29 gears, still be unhappy, and trade in for a full size.

Tough decision