What have you hauled lately

Hey guys,

I don't think anyone has done this yet, but I will be towing a 6x12 uhaul trailer from Texas to NY for the next few days. Trailer is around 2000 lbs empty, I probably have about 1000 lbs of weight (at least) in it. I also have about 400 lbs of weight in the bed. I do have the tow package on it, so hopefully it'll be smooth sailing. Going through TN, VA and PA can be a bit hilly to say the least, so we'll see how it goes.

 

Hauled this strange setup from Portland Oregon to a Willows, CA for a Race Weekend.

2 Bikes total and a bunch of gas, water food and gear

I estimate ~1100 lbs in the trailer and 600 in the bed.

She did great, averaged 17.5 mpg w/ stock tire setup

 

Some of you should invest in helper springs or sumosprings

 

Can't say that I do and my load is extremely tongue heavy until I get a better weight distribution hitch set up. What tires are you running and what motor, transmission, and transmission setting are you set up with? I've got the the stock TRDOR tires, V6, auto with ECT. I could see it happening with super hard tires or a manual but otherwise it seems odd.

 

Do you have a brake controller? Stock taco in 16 did not, I haven't kept up with Tacoma news so if yours has a brake controller youre good. If not I'd hold off until you out one in. That much weight absolutely will push you around and having no ability to control the trailer can lead to dangerous conditions in a split second.

Towing with a bad set up will get you in trouble before you can blink. Been there, done that, done fuck with it.

 

I do all my towing with my diesel tacoma

 

Picked up my mower from it's tune up...perhaps seasonably late

 

Don't have the time to do that. The trailer does have a surge brake system installed.

So I guess we shall see how it turns out....

 

When I test drove the Gen3 I was not able to test towing performance so I'm trying to get your feel. I'm gen2 with 4L auto. I had an 06 with MT but found it to be weak when taking off with load. The clutch would squeal. I don't think tires matter too much as I've done it with various rubber. The main consideration for me is the fact it breaks loose at 1500 rpm which demonstrates good bottom end torque.
As far as tongue load goes, it's important to have enough. Although I don't go as far as to measure it, I try to visually offset my loads forward of the axles the goal being 10 to 15 percent. When towing my 27" RV with WDH, it's very easy to spin. When I set up my WDH, I don't remove all the load from the rear, about half. Without WDH, the sag is 2". With WDH, the sag is 1". I'm guessing 600 lbs tongue load without an 300 lbs with. Anyways, just trying to see if the 3.5 had any balls at all at low rpm. If not, is it the computer chocking it out? I used to tow with a 97 4Runner and although it would not break loss, lol, it would tow fine at moderate speeds. The 4Runner didn't have the rear suspension to handle the tongue loads and it lacked power.

 

Fully loaded SnapOn Epic tool box. Finally got out of the industry.

 

Even without a load being towed the 3rd gen isn't going to win any drag races. That being said, I've had to pull off on some up hills and then get back up to speed with a 6000 pound trailer and it's easy enough to get up to speed.

 

Thx Mr Torque that's good to know.
When accelerating to highway speeds with said 6000lb load, without bring in a hurry, what rpm range are you in? In other words what rpm do you take it to before it downshifts? Do you set the shift to 4th or 5th when towing?

 

I'm usually in the hilly terrain getting to the desert so I'll set it to S4 with ECT. If it's flat or downhill for a long ways the I'll shift up to 5th. It's been awhile but I believe it was usually running 3-4k rpms with the load and ECT on while doing 65-70.

 

Hauled my ass to Walmart and back this morning.

 

I personally don't know go over 60 mph with heavy loads. Not for lack of power but more so for stopping in a hurry. Just me being aware that my load is heavier than my truck, brakes or not. So at 60 mph I'm running at 2500 rpm in 4th. It takes quite a grade to make it shift to 3rd then it goes to about 3500 rpm until I round the top.

 

My 2016 TRDOR with: Snugtop Rebel, another 300lbs in the bed, a tongue weight of 275lbs, and nothing other than SumoSprings. They do the job just fine.

 

Just picked up a half cord of seasoned firewood today. The sag isn't as bad as it looks, I'm on a hill.

 

Fair enough, I believe the 16 shifts closer to 4k when cruising but I don't remember for sure. I do leave larger spaces between me and other vehicles while towing, but I'll cruise along the same speed. The brakes and tires on the trailer are pretty solid and I believe it stops pretty close to the same distance as without. I've got the brakes pretty dialed in with the Tekonsha or however it's spelled controller. Trailer doesn't push or pull the truck when slowing down.

 

I have the same controller. Works very well. This what I'm normally towing.