Towing with automatics

I think he may have got the 2 confused. Is the new Tacoma getting a 6 speed? I don't know so I just assumed the 2 were transposed.

The wife and I have named the different trucks to avoid confusion for just that reason.

 

I'd absolutely agree with you. I've been in a newer Silverado 5.3 with 10,000 lbs behind it. It's even worse than my truck with 6k behind it. You'd slow pretty badly on every hill even with your pedal to the floor. Got about 8 MPG highway.

Of course, put the same weight behind the two and it'll do much better. It's got more power and it's heavier.

 

Yeah, if he bought a Tundra towing will go 100 percent better. Mileage on a Tundra is absolute garbage though.

 

I agree, I do wish it was up there with the other brand, full size trucks. But, there again, it ain't the other brand trucks!

 

I bet the Tundra's mileage would be better than the Tacoma if both were towing 5000 lbs. (Irrelevant and off topic, I know)

@bodgerbloe52 Good luck with the new Tacoma. At the end of the day, if you are happy, who gives a shit if you're right. That goes for all of us. Personal preference and priorities are different for everyone. Let's see a pic of the new truck and trailer.

One comment I would make is consider getting a good set of 10 ply tires for towing like the Michelin ltx m/s2 in load rating E. The firmer sidewalls will make your vehicle a bazillion percent more stable when towing heavy weight.

 

Why do folk insist that I am towing far more than I am?????????????. My 4800 lbs is not even close to Toyotas 6500 limit and the trailer has some of the best aerodynamics in the industry. The 6 speed manual does a good job.
Yes, my fault I mistriped Tundra instead of Tacoma, ( it happens at my age) I do fully appreciate the difference between the two models.
I beg to differ on the "overdrive" point. I am a old school engineer from way back with a lifetime experience with things on wheels.
A true OVERDRIVE is a device that is mounted at the gear box out put end. Most, but not all, were electronically activated by a button or a small lever in the steering column or gear stick. The over drive unit is a small two speed epicyclical gear box. One gear is direct, the other gear steps up the ratio by about 10%.
Many modern car, truck and motorcycle gear boxes now have far more gears than of old. To accommodate these multiple gears the transmission engineers have no room to make the highest gear a "direct", (incidentally the most efficient as there are no gears in operation) it is a lock up of the inlet shaft and the outlet. The gear ratio is set only by the axle differential final drive.
The engineers now pack in one or more gears over and above the direct gear. Look at the internal ratios of any vehicle will clearly show how this is done. These extra gears are never termed OVERDRIVE by the transmission engineers, it is simply the expedient way to manufacture modern gear boxes.

 

4800 lbs is your dry weight. Add on the propane tanks, water, and your gear and your trailer is over 5500 lbs. That's within 1000 lbs of the Tacoma towing rating. You aren't over weight and with the proper trailing equipment you will be fine. All I was saying is that you would have much more control of your load if you towed with a half ton instead of pushing yourself so close to the Tacoma's weight limit.

As for the overdrive it's not worth arguing about. Look up the Aisin transmission on google that is in the Tacoma and it is listed as having overdrive. I know what you are talking about with the second set of ratios, but with newer transmissions you almost never see the O/D button anymore. The transmission just uses O/D when in D all the time and does not when in any selectable gear. Transmissions continue to "dumb down" since the more complicated something is, the more likely someone who has no clue what they are doing will mess it up.

Also, since you are talking about lock up, that's what all of us were trying to tell you about towing in 4 on the Tacoma automatic. When you select 4 you prevent the transmission from locking and unlocking going in and out of 5th on hills. If you don't tow in 4 on the Tacoma you will overheat the fluid and reduce it's lifespan. On your manual you obviously won't have that problem. You also mentioned you are from england. Towing with a manual Tacoma will feel much more natural since you are used to under powered and manual cars over in Europe. For most people in NA like myself we prefer the comfortable feeling of towing with our trucks not struggling at all on hills and climbs, hence we rarely push the weight limits.

Enjoy the rig. It looks nice. Please try to understand we aren't berating you. We are trying to give you information that you are not aware of.

 

That's a nice set-up you've got there. Beautiful trailer.

Aside from the 10 ply Michelins I suggested, one other thing I would recommend is Pro EFX towing mirrors. I have them and I love them. No comparison to those clip on mirror extension.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/proefx-towing-mirrors-gb-3.366610/

 

I simply have to give up with Sterdogs insistence that the trailer is far heavier than actuality. I can't put it any clearer. On the weigh bridge on the way back home the trailer had three full propane tanks, full fresh water, half full grey tank, empty black water tank and two batteries. it also had all its tools and equipment and my 550 lb tool box. The weigh ticket which I have in front of me reads 4750 Lb . The manufacturers DRY weight number is 4450. The trailer is a extremely rare one, designed and built on European lines with great attention to weight reduction by using all alloy and other weight saving modern but expensive materials. It has no leaf springs and heavy solid steel axles, it has instead independent suspension for all four wheels via torsion and disk brakes. Sadly the company went bust after making just a few due to manufacturing costs exceeding the selling price, they are now highly sought after and commanding high prices. This is why I had to tow it all the way back from Fargo to Spokane, the only other one on the market at the time was in Montreal Canada, now sold at $32.000.
I am a happy camper now with my new Tacoma with 6 speed do it yourself gearbox and no overdrive and expensive transmission coolers to fuss with. It pulls my properly designed trailer very nicely.

 

You never clarified this. My apologies. 99% of people assume when they hear trailer weight that it is dry.

My trailer is 4200 lbs dry. With water, two 20 lbs propane bottles, battery, and gear I'm over 5000 lbs on a scale. I'm not sure how with a scale weight of 4450 lbs dry and a 500 lbs tool box your trailer only weights 4750 lbs. Must be magic or there's a reason why that company went bankrupt .

At the end of the day it's whatever makes you happy.

 

That's a pretty light trailer if it only weighs in at 4750 pounds. Although the "rated" tow capacity is like 6400 or 6500, that is just figured in controlled environments hooked up to a properly loaded flat bed trailer. I had a 2006 double cab short bed Tacoma V6 6-speed and it didn't tow nearly as well as my 2005 Tundra double cab V8 which actually has the SAME A750 5-speed trans as the auto Tacoma. Double cab 4x4 Tundras were rated around 6750. Bigger, longer, slightly wider truck just adds up to a better tow rig. Even towing 10k the Tundra did well, can't say the same for the Tacoma. Having 100k+ miles towing experience with various pickup trucks ranging from compact-midsize-1/2-3/4-1 ton/ dually, I think that the 2nd gen Tacoma has an overrated towing rating.

I do agree with Sterdog's statement about just towing better with a bigger truck. Alot of the guys on this forum are really pushing their trucks and as you said you were even in 2nd gear! Wow. That's not towing "fine" and with "no problem" as some members would describe it.

Sounds like you got a decent truck for your needs there, good luck and be safe.

 

OP I to hope you will be happy with your 6 speed manual Takoma. I have just a few observations. 1st I am a 75 year old retired OTR trucker with 4 1/2 million accident free miles. 2nd I have towed just about every type of trailer ever made with trucks / cars ranging from class 8 tractors on a heavy haul to RV with midsize sedan and an auto trans with torque converter will out perform a manual trans every time. 3rd so if its you or the trans that decides when to down shift the shift will have to be made to protect the engine. and maintain speed. 4th back to the overdrive argument your 6 peed does indeed have an overdrive and you should not use it to tow at or near max load and yes you can over heat a manual transmission. you have an awesome rig so drive safe and enjoy. Oh and look up the ratios for your 6 speed you probably have 2 overdrives.

 

My tripeing error again. It should be 50 lbs tool box not 500. Yes it is a light trailer, that is exactly why I bought it, very pleased with it indeed. There is nothing else like it but that is probably why they went bust, they were a small group of engineers with a vision who for sure were not bean counters. Google EARTHBOUND RV to see what it is all about.

 

At the end of the day a 4400 lbs trailer that's made of wood and 19 feet long is going to behave close to the same on the highway as a 25 foot trailer that's the same weight but made out of NASA leftovers. The weight and the aerodynamics that effect how the truck handles the load will be the same. The only thing that would change are the issues with crosswinds and sway control.

Nothing wrong with a light trailer. OP don't get me wrong I like my Tacoma but after towing with it for a year and moving up to an F150 with it I would never go back. Not for anything close to what my trailer weighs.

That being said you've committed to your Tacoma and that's a nice looking rig. Have fun .

 

Thanks neverstuck for the link on Mirrors, I will consider those as they seem to do a great job.
I am a huge Michelin fan from way back. I have them on car, motorhome and motorcycles. Would be nice to replace the Dunflops but as they still have the moulding fuzz on them they will have to wait a while.

 

PS
The trailer has Michelin's fitted as standard.

 

Thanks for the link, what distance do these expendables extend past the oem mirrors? My trailer is 8' wide.

 

Great job welcoming a new member guys...

 

Hi all! I am new here and am considering a 2000 tacoma.
looks like the towing cap is better than the 2006 GMC canyon i was looking at.
they have the same i4 engine, but i know nothing about towing except that I must have rear wheel drive for best towing.

any suggestions? I have a small 5x8 enclosed trailer I use to cart my wares to shows. I prefer a V8 but beggars cant be choosers....

they want $4900 for the Truck.
http://www.ospreymotorcars.com/2000_Toyota_Tacoma_Osprey_FL_241423192.veh

what could i expect to pay for a topper for the truck?

And what the heck does the 3.42 Axle Ratio mean?

 

I will get back to you this evening.