Tacoma Off Rd w/towing package

[Bumpacamper]

My Tacoma has a towing capacity of @ 6,500lbs. It is a v-6. How large of a camper can I safely tow? I am retired and expect to spend a lot of time out west and some time in Alaska. Please advise.

 

[Larryjb-HILO]

You'd have to consider the following:
GCWR of your Tacoma (probably about 8000 lbs)
curb weight of your Tacoma (around 3000 to 3500 lbs)
weight of a Trailmanor: about 3000 lbs for a 2720

Adding up the Tacoma and Trailmanor: 3500 + 3000 = 6500.

That leaves 8000 - 6500 = 1500 for people, propane, people, camping gear etc.

You'd have to travel light, but it's certainly doable.

I'd certainly consider a weight distributing hitch. The weight of the trailer on your hitch removes some of the weight from the front wheels potentially reducing steering control, but there are many here who don't bother with the weight distributing hitch. I use one because when we travel with 5 people and our gear, we come close to going over the Tahoe rear axle weight rating.

 

[michaelrhonda]

We tow with a 2016 Tacoma as you describe, towing a 2006 2720SD, just my wife and me. We tow in Colorado. We really like the rig. It does slow some on the uphills, but does a good job. Towing fairly light. Our weight distribution hitch helps alot - glad we have it. Made a trip to Seattle and back - performed very well.

 

[oldstick-TMO]

I have a 2007 Tacoma 2WD sport, and factory tow package. Same rating 6500. It does fine for our relatively limited use, avoiding too many miles in hill country.

But the use you describe, out west and Alaska, sounds like a LOT of miles of fairly heavy duty towing with a Trail Manor. As much as I love my Tacoma and have had 10 years with no significant problems, I think I would feel a lot better with a heavier duty truck if I had similar plans as yours.

Not based on any bad experiences with the truck but simply my non-expert gut feeling after a few years towing a TM 3023 around GA and FL with limited hill country compared to other regions.

 

[rickst29]

All about towing with My 2007 'nearly equivalent' 4runner "sport" v6 ...

My 4Runner "Sport" is the direct predecessor of today's "TRD off-road" models. It tows great on going up and down mountain passes with a heavily loaded 2619 (I have 5000 lb suspension, like a model 3124.)

But you can't leave the transmission to make it's own decisions when driving on hills. It will tend to stay in 5th, or 4th, lugging along at low RPMs when you NEED to hand-shift it down by another gear. (To 4th or 3rd, or even 2nd, raising the RPMs to provide enough power.) On CA-120, from the Nevada side, I have also used "low". But that road has crazy grades, well above 20% in a few places.

The "cruise control" in my 4runner is also wonky, frequently jumping by two gears (into excess RPMs) both with and without the Trailer. I only use it on long, flat straightaways, with very limited nearby traffic. (In Nevada, we have a LOT of roads where it fits. But hills into and down from mountain passes are absolutely no-no from cruise control.

The V6 engine/tranny combination which 'oldstick' and I share was a 4.0L engine, with slightly more displacement than newer models ones. My engine likes 2800-3800 RPMs on stepper hills, while the Auto-Tranny often lets it fall into the range of 2100-2400. Newer models (I've driven a few) can rev a bit higher on steep hills, and have different shifting logic, but the overall situation is roughly the same - they prefer to "lug" then engine at lower RPMs to save gas, when you should be running higher RPMs to have more power.

Higher RPMs can allow the Tranny to "lock" and reduce RPMs. (It can do this in all gears 3-5, and maybe 1-2 as well) This helps to "win back" gas mileage being spent by higher RPMs, but much more more important - it keep tranny fluid from sloshing around between unlocked clutch plates, working too hard and overheating. The biggest danger in "lugging" Tacomas and 4Runners in low gears is overheated transmission fluid.