Towing Questions For My Tacoma Prerunner, Towing with Tacomas Options

[svandy1]

I own a Tacoma PreRunner Crew Cab V6 TRD short bed with the tow package. The specs say it will tow up to 6500lbs and I have confirmed this with and been given the "go ahead" with my local dealer.

I am planning on purchasing a 29' UltraLite Travel Trailer. 4520 Dry weight and don't plan on hauling more than 5500lbs loaded, most likely around 5000-5200. This will be 1000 lbs below max capacity but I am still aprehensive and just want some feedback if anyone else hauls travel trailers with their trucks.

Has anybody pulled long trailers with approximate weights with their Tacomas and how is the performance???

Thanks

[Pongo]

Make sure you also check the Tongue Weight of the trailer and compare to your Class 3 Hitch spec for your vehicle.

Also, ensure you do NOT tow in Overdrive. Stick to under 90 kph (55 mph). If I were you I would (for a couple hundred bucks) have an extra transmission cooler installed (unless yours is a manual tranny, then it won't matter).

[svandy1]

Thanks for the info Pongo. I'm a newbie to the forum as well as RVing. 15 years ago I drove a Big Rig for 2 years out to LA each week, but that was long ago and it only reaffirms that I need to have my act together when all this goes down and I start pulling.
With that said, the Toyota has the tow package and the extra trans cooler as well. With the extra suspension and package I bought, it should haul as much as a 1/2 ton PU, maybe more.
Thanks again.

[Pongo]

I notice that you're a "flatlander."
If you know Canada, I'm in Winnipeg, Manitoba....must be close to you relatively.

Since you're RV'ing....you must come up here. Give me a shout. PM me or email me. I'm listed in these forums. Take care.

[davf24]

Nice choice of vehicle.

I own a 2003 Tacoma Double cab TRD (supercharged) also towing package, clutch fan change (green), tranny cooler from factory. I pull a 27' TT 8"wide and I never go over 60mph and yes keep it out of Over Drive!!. I can towe 6000, my trailer is 4230lb dry and 5400 loaded (I never tow with fluids in the trailer just my wife and kids 1000lbs of cloths (IMG:style_emoticons/default/w00t.gif) . I get about 14 to 16 mpg towing and I live in new england, you should do fine if your flatland towing. Give your self distance and let the loons go by, I see guys pulling fifth wheels doing 70mph (nuts)


Have fun Davf24

[davf24]

I added my truck & camper (IMG:style_emoticons/default/banana.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grin.gif)

Check out my profile.

[Maxy]

Ive pulled my trailer which is a bit over the limit. Its about 6000 lbs dry weight. It was a bit wavy going 60mph so I took it slow. Got about 10 mpg though.

[J.B.]

I have been towing a 19' camper trailer weighing close to 4200lbs fully loaded, with an '07 Pre-Runner SR5 for a year and a half. Until I installed overload springs (very soon after purchase) I considered the trailer weight at, or just over, the safe handling limit of the Tacoma. Naturally I use a weight distribution hitch. What this means is that in my opinion the trailer controlled the truck far too much until the overload springs leveled the Tacoma.
I drive very conservatively and 55mph is my max speed. For me it is foolish to think I can drive as fast while towing as I do when not on the freeway. For one thing, it isn't safe. For another, and for me, 55mph is fine. In the mountains I don't mind dropping down to even 40mph, when I'm forced to. My philosophy is hey, I'm on vacation and in no hurry. If I was, I would have bought a bigger truck. What I'm saying is that I realize the Tacoma has 235HP. I'm not going to push it to its limits
The weight of your trailer is important, but so is your trailer's hitch weight. You may wish to obtain that figure. The max tongue weight for the Tacoma hitch is 450lbs. That the safe limit of the Tacoma's frame design. Period. This should be kept in mind when you consider towing your 29ft trailer. I could only guess, but I'll bet your 29' trailer's tongue weight exceeds 450lbs, even if it is a "lite."
The Tacoma owner's manual allows for towing in overdrive, which I do. My gas mileage is 10mpg in overdrive, 9 mpg in 4th gear. The automatic transmission down shifts when necessary.
I believe I could tow more weight, but on the other hand, the likelihood of additional hitch weight would probably prevent it
I find that if I take my time, don't push my truck or luck, I do well with my rig.

[Dan G.]

Hey, J.B...

You made reference to both a weight distribution hitch (so called "equalizer hitch"???) and overload springs. Did you add them at the same time, or did you start out with just the weight distribution hitch and found that the Toy needed a little extra help (overload springs)?

Thanks in advance,
Dan Gerber
Anaheim, CA

[spawnman]

So I just got back from towing a 19' Jayco about 5,000lbs loaded, I'm guessing here. Need to get the whole rig weighed next time. Anyways I pulled fine. Sometime in overdrive, sometimes in 4th only. Not sure why you can't tow in overdrive?? It just drops down when it needs to. Got about 12-13 MPG total while towing. I also have a WD hitch

[Dan G.]

Hello, Spawnman.

I too wonder why some people think towing in OD is a no-no. The very conservative owners manual makes no mention of it. My feeling is let the transmission (and control module) do what it's designed to do. Maybe someone can chime in and tell us what reliable source came up with that advice. There are a lot of "urban legends" being repeated by very well intentioned people that are just plain not true. Is this the case with the "no OD while towing" info???

Anyway, did you also equip your Tacoma with overload springs or air bags? Or, just the WD hitch for that heavy of a trailer?

Thanks for your input, by the way.

Dan G.
Anaheim, CA

[TomChemEngineer]

Hello Forum.
New Member here... first post.
Bought a 2008 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner yesterday with 11K miles. It seems to have a factory tow package on it. It sounds (in this forum) like it can handle 6500 pounds with 450 pounds tongue weight. I'll check for the transmission cooler since that would be a good thing to have. I think the tranny cooler comes with the factory Tow package, and I think the factory tow package also comes with heavier-duty brakes, suspension, and a heavier-duty alternator. I don't have any numbers on these things, but I'll look around. I have not yet towed a trailer with this rig.
One item that the forum might help me with is a "feeling" that when I take my foot off the gas going downhill it sounds like it downshifts. Is this the downhill transmission braking or whatever it is called? I have not felt this on any of my other Toyotas, so I just want to be sure that it isn't something weird that I need to have looked at.
We are now a completely Toyota family, having traded my Jeep Liberty 4WD for the PreRunner.
I like the composite bed. no worries about scratches of rough treatment, or paint scrapes on the inside.
So, are there any weird things or quirks that I need to be aware conerning this new Toy? Any "watch-outs"?

[Dan G.]

I sure would like to know the source (that the person on this forum used) of the "no more than 450 pound tongue weight" information. I'm 99% sure that the hitch included in our 2009 Tacoma tow packages has a Class 3 rating. A Class 3 rating, by definition, is capable of supporting tongue weights up to a maximum of 600 pounds. I cannot, for the life of me, believe that a large, reputable corporation like Toyota would install a Class 3 hitch on a vehicle that can only support 450 pounds tongue weight. Another thing to consider: Towing guides recommend that the tongue weight be at least 10% of the loaded trailer weight to insure stability (ie.e, no sway) of the truck/trailer combination. That means a tongue weight of at least 600 pounds if you're your towing a 6000 pound trailer

Besides, I don't see any warnings in the owners manual about specific tongue weight restictions associated with Tacomas equipped with the towing package.

So, can someone tell me where the 450 pound figure came from? Or, if that is not correct, what the max. tongue weight should be? It's not that I'm trying to start an argument. I really do need to know what the correct limits are.

Thanks in advance,
Dan G.
Anaheim, CA