TV Questions Toyota Tacoma V6

Toyota is notorious for over engineering their vehicles and understating their capabilities.

A 4 cyl Taco is rated at 3500lb. A V6 at 6500 means it probably has a better class IV receiver and maybe a tranny cooler. The aftermarket class III would derate the vehicle to 5000lb. The drivetrain is no different on the two V6 trucks. There may be other options that make it more expensive like prewiring but the truck is the same. Same 8.25" axle, same tranny and motor. The 4 cyl truck comes with a smaller motor obviously and maybe the 7.5" rear end unless it is a 4x4. The TRD package is basically an electric locker and shocks.

Personally, I wouldn't believe a dealer. I would believe the factory. If anything happened, do you think the factory (of the dealer for that matter) would stand by the warranty if you were towing over 3500 pounds?

Is the TO package you are talking about the TRD package?

I willing to bet you, if you fried a tranmission without a factory or dealer installed system, you might get an argument from the manufacturer.

I am only going by what two different...competing...dealerships said.

No the TRD package is different, though I think in order to get a TRD you have to have the TO.

I have a V6 4x2 PreRunner with TRD off road package. I don't know how you really verify whether it's rated for 5,000 lbs or 6,500 lbs....but as mentioned by larsdennert, Toyota is known for understating their capability. In my opinion, any Taco will easily handle any of the TMs. There's a great website with some really good information for Taco or Tundra owners:

http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/towing/

It's kind of like this forum...except you have experts on Taco, Tundra, towing, etc....

If you are the original owner check the hitch and engine. If its a class 4 hitch and you have cooler for the engine oil and the transmission you have TO option too (6,500 lb).

[rickst29]

*if* you know how the 5 spd works and adjust your driving to force lock-up. If you just want to stomp on the gas and run, without assuring lock-up, then the upgrade is good idea if you're gonna tow on steep grades with a heavy, heavy trailer.

Read about it here: http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ead.php?t=5982

I am not a mechanic so I do not claim to be an expert in this area but I have been towing camping trailers for 15 years. I have fried transmissions on two V-6 engines towing a pop-up that weighed loaded around 2000lbs (Jayco 1406). I was not towing in overdrive, was going a maximum of 65 MPH, and was not on any severe inclines (North Georgia and Shenandoah Valley). Each time I was towing in the heat of the summer. I have towed with my inline-6 (4.0 L) on my Jeep for the last 7 years towing the Jayco and now my 3326 Trailmanor and I have not had any transmission troubles. The only difference that I can contribute my better reliability with the transmission on the Jeep is that I installed a transmission cooler. In my opinion a transmission cooler is cheap insurance to reduce problems with an automatic transmission.

[Bill]

A transmission temp gauge can head off a lot of this. Rocky Mtn Ray went to a lot of trouble and expense to have a conventional gauge installed in his Tundra. This required finding a mechanic who would drop the transmission pan, then drill/tap/braze a sensor into the pan, and install a gauge in front of the driver. He reported that it works really well.

An easier (and I think cheaper) approach is the Interceptor gauge. It simply plugs into your car's OBD (on-board diagnostics) connector - every vehicle sold in the US since the early 90's has one. It turns out that the transmission reports its own temperature to the engine computer, and the Interceptor simply intercepts (hence the name) that computer message and displays the result.

I bought one, and it's great. I think Keith Wire bought one as well. It doesn't cool your transmission, but it lets you know when the temperature is rising so you can either downshift, or ease off the throttle. At $200, it is not cheap, but it's cheaper than the sensor-in-the-transmission approach - and certainly cheaper than a transmission rebuild.

This gauge was brought to the board's attention by dcairns (no longer a member). See the discussion beginning at post #9 in
http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ead.php?t=2900

The manufacturer's web site is
http://www.aeroforcetech.com/Interce...eral_info.html

Bill

If Nathan purchases a Tacoma with the 6500 pound rating he will get a transmission cooler. That is if he gets the vehicle with a automatic transmission. The 6 speed like mine does not come with a transmission cooler.

Mike