Any towing gurus in the house?

kcult

kcult

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I'm going to look at a camper this afternoon. I believe it's 17ft, but its a single axle and the owner states it weighs 3200lbs. The internet says my 95 Tacoma is rated for 3500 to 5000lbs. Mine is the xtra cab 4x4 with the 3.4L V6.

My question is; Should I be able to pull this (IRL) without issues? I know to turn O/D off.
 
If it makes you feel any better, I used to tow a 20ft long trailer with my Tacoma that had 5 round bales of hay on it. :D

I think you’ll be fine pulling it
 
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What is your hitch rated for?
Does it have a weight distribution hitch with the trailer? I doubt one would be.
 
I would think so with weight distribution hitch but depending model wind resistance might not make it ideal to win any speed races or get good gas mileage. Also are you planning on towing it every week or just couple times and to the mountains?
 
Allow additional stopping distance, easy on the brakes (heat.)

Common sense makes a world of difference.

If weight can be re-distributed forward in the pickup bed or over the trailer axle, do so.

Check tires & pressures, inspect lugs.
Preplan route to avoid stupid stuff.
 
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Stay down here in the flatlands.
 
Slacker said:
Allow additional stopping distance, easy on the brakes (heat.)

Common sense makes a world of difference.

If weight can be re-distributed forward in the pickup bed or over the trailer axle, do so.

Check tires & pressures, inspect lugs.
Preplan route to avoid stupid stuff.
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We have eight on-road trailers here on the farm (single axle tagalong up to 40’ dual tandem gooseneck) and I tow every week. Slackers advice above is good.

Keep the tires at max recommended inflation on the trailer. Low air pressure in trailer tires causes them to overheat and blow out.

If you don’t already have one, add an electric trailer brake controller to your truck (presuming that the trailer has electric brakes. IF it doesn’t - ADD THEM. Learn how to properly set the controller so that it stops the trailer w/o locking up the wheels.

Weight distribution on the trailer is CRITICAL. If you don’t have positive tongue weight (for a 3,200 lb load you should have around 500 lbs of tongue weight - give or take), when you exceed 45 mph or so the trailer will start whipping badly and will probably cause you to lose control.

Weight distributing hitches are great if your truck sags due to the tongue weight. Spring boosters can be added if you don’t use the WD hitch, but IMO the WD hitch is a superior solution.

Have the wheel bearings repacked and the grease seals replaced on the trailer axles. This, coupled with tire pressure and properly working electric brakes is the single most important maintenance item on the trailer.

Enjoy!
 
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We have a 30 ft travel trailer that I pull with a F250 Powerstroke. There's a lot more that goes into pulling properly versus "Oh, I got that." That's one reason I have that truck now instead of my F150. I could pull that camper with my F150 but it was at the top end of it's towing capacity and long term that ain't so great. You need to know the exact specs of your truck. Specifically, the Combined Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. That includes the maximum of what your rated for including trailer and cargo. People, fuel, coolers, gear, etc. It can add up quick. Your transmission will not be happy with you. I see people pulling things down the road (I'm sure we all do) that are so grossly overloaded it's ridiculous and dangerous.

Do you have an electric brake hook up, transmission oil cooler? Where are you planning on going? The mountains are far more demanding than the flats. I would suggest checking out rv.net or irv2. Those are 2 RV forums I belong to. Search "towing" and you will get more information then you ever wanted.
 
Scsmith is right. Every now and then is probably ok. Mountains might be an issue and regular towing would be as well. You will kill that transmission towing it regularly. Not to mention your truck with have the mentioned CAROLINA SQUAT mentioned in other thread. Hahahahahaha.

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I made the 45 mile trip home with the camper, but the truck did not like at all. Granted, I'm not used to driving anything towing anything, but I'm also no stranger to it. But, the trip was nerve racking.

The route was riddled with ups and downs, mostly two-lane back roads, 1/4 mile long inclines, etc. It was enough to decide that I'm not interested in doing anything to make this truck perform better.

I need a bigger truck. Lol.
 
kcult said:
I made the 45 mile trip home with the camper, but the truck did not like at all. Granted, I'm not used to driving anything towing anything, but I'm also no stranger to it. But, the trip was nerve racking.

The route was riddled with ups and downs, mostly two-lane back roads, 1/4 mile long inclines, etc. It was enough to decide that I'm not interested in doing anything to make this truck perform better.

I need a bigger truck. Lol.
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Just like "You can't have too much ammo, you can't have too much truck." :D

Although from the numbers you posted up top, any 1/2 ton should be up to the task.
 
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Geezer said:
I thought that was why people bought campers, so they'd have an excuse to buy a new truck.
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I wasn't trying to. I was content poking around in the Yota. I found out today that if I want to use this camper like I think we want to use this camper. The Taco ain't gonna cut it.
 
You may find that the V6 working its butt off burns as much fuel as a larger truck would loafing along. Take your rig to a truck scale and have them weigh it, RV manufacturers continually lie about the weights to get people to buy them. Once you have real numbers for the trailer loaded the way you will use it ( with water, gray and black tanks full, etc ) you'll have some sense of what kind of GCWR you need and factor in what kind of margin you want to have.
 
Geezer said:
I thought that was why people bought campers, so they'd have an excuse to buy a new truck.
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That's how I sold it to the wife! Or bought it, depending on how you look at it.
 
skiles said:
That's how I sold it to the wife! Or bought it, depending on how you look at it.
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I have the opposite problem, sort of. My wife has been wanting me to get a bigger truck for a while now. I've been reluctant because I really didnt need one (maybe until now) and to get one means I would have to get into debt. I wasn't really interested in that, either.
 
skiles said:
That's how I sold it to the wife! Or bought it, depending on how you look at it.
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That's how my wife suckered me into getting rid of my Subaru. I ended up going threw two trucks and three campers before getting out of it. I just never like towing my hotel room. I'm a hyper-attentive safe driver and always felt on edge towing. Just not for me.
 
What camper did you buy? I'll be back here in a few to post up my experience with towing campers.
 
kcult said:
I have the opposite problem, sort of. My wife has been wanting me to get a bigger truck for a while now. I've been reluctant because I really didnt need one (maybe until now) and to get one means I would have to get into debt. I wasn't really interested in that, either.
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I don't think anybody really is. That being said, to me, that truck is worth it. The trips and memories we've had as a family you can't put a price on as far as I'm concerned. We've had some really great trips.

Cowboy said:
That's how my wife suckered me into getting rid of my Subaru. I ended up going threw two trucks and three campers before getting out of it. I just never like towing my hotel room. I'm a hyper-attentive safe driver and always felt on edge towing. Just not for me.
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I hear ya'. It's a lot of weight rolling down the road and you have your most precious cargo with you. I don't like hotel rooms so I bring mine. ;)
 
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I had the same problem. I bought a 20 footer, a little over 3000 pounds, and had a Acura MDX that I was gonna tow it with. I was getting out of a 14 footer, which was 1955 pounds dry, and the Acura pulled it with no issues. The 20 footer, was a whole nuther story. It would pull it, but it struggled big time. It was rated at 3500 towing, and had the 3.5 V-6. I pulled it only once to the Spartanburg/Gaffney KOA, and that was it. Mustered a whole 7.5 mpg, lol. I then sold my Mustang, and bought an older 2002 F-1 fiddy. Even though it has the little 4.6, I had 4.30 gears installed in it, (it has the optional 255/75/16's) and it pulls it with no issues. Fully loaded, I can climb the mountain going to Black Mountain, or Asheville and can go as fast as I could want (obviously, I dont try to go real fast, just saying). The other thing, is it stops a whole lot better, which is just as important, lol. Good luck in whatever you decide on.
 
Pulling something doesn't bother me. Where I get concerned is stopping it!! I stepped up to a 2500 to pull my junk with after my trailer brakes unexpectedly stopped working coming out of the mountains of Kentucky. I was pulling max cap of my little 1500 WT (5K) and smoked the brakes coming into a construction zone. Luckily the flagman realized what was happening and was able to let me pass by without stopping. I guess I more or less panicked and forgot to pull it down into a lower gear to help me slow down. We crept to an Advance Auto and bought a new brake box and put on it which fixed it but when I got home I never hooked that truck to another trailer.
 
Been there, done that. Bought a new 21 or so TT. Light model with pull out bed slides. Looked at the plate data. It was 5000 max. OK, wife’s Volvo XC90 rated for 5500 pounds. Volvo had factory hitch.
Problematico! Weighed unit. With full water tank and minimum cargo....like no clothes and food...just our camping gear, it weighed almost 5500 pounds. Found out Volvo factory hitch was NOT a weight distributing hitch.

Unit was brand new. Dumb Business Manager at dealership kept the receipt for the certified check and gave me the check back stapled to the paperwork.

Dealer not happy when I bring it back and show him weight tickets. Called factory. They don’t weigh each unit. Was plate for early production. Had to make changes in structural area as the frame and box were flexing.

Would not have to update plate until next model year.

Have been towing stuff since 1963, so this ain’t my first rodeo. Dealers Dad was pre AZD and followed me around dealership slapping a tire iron in his hand. When I told the dealer that unless he took back hitch and refunded my deposit, I would call cops and take out a warrant. He and his brother called their mom and brought some muscle and meds to deal with dad.

I now am one of the moderator and owners of a 5500 member Motor Home group. Driving a 40,000 rig and towing a 6500 pound SUV teaches you a lot about safety and tires and what can happen.

My advice. Get it weighed with your full gear, water and food and clothes.

Look at the “cargo capacity “ of the Tacoma. Pack for camping...truck alone. Take it and wife and any other passengers and have the Tacoma weighed. Then strip out the cargo and such and any tools and mess you have.

Have you exceeded the Cargo Capacity ? If so.....what about the trailer weight? Is it more than 5500 pounds? If so....new truck time.

If you are above the Tacoma Cago capacity, which would not surprise me, can you off load some of the gear to the TT or vice versa if you have surplus in TT.

Next up is the tires. What is their load rating? Some folks will put lower load rating tires on to save $$.

A blowout on a TT tire can do upwards of $5000 if it takes out plumbing or critical items. Friend blew a tire on his TT this summer. Totaled it due to bathroom and plumbing and electrical damage.

Never run tires rated for Lower than the axle.

We have incidents all over the country where travel trailers blow tires and flip pickups. I saw a 23 ft trailer roll a Dodge Durango outside of Myrtle Beach. Guy had got tired and swapped drivers. They were running right behind me. She got it sashshaying and kept yanking the wheel rather than locking the TT down by hitting the brake controller. Rolled it and took out an oncoming car.

Freaked out my family and I hit the gas to get away from it.

Do your homework. Scales are your friend. I put 1800 pounds of gear into a 1970 Impala Station Wagon. OPPS...it was rated for 1200 pounds. Rack only 200. Had the rear loaded and the luggage rack overflowing with tent, screened room, stoves, play pens, baby stuff and food. Bulged two tires on the big bridge in Charleston. Lucky they did not pop. Did not believe how much I had until I unloaded at home and weighed stuff.

Hope this helps. Enjoy the new truck

We decided to abandon the TT route and bought a MH....and then traded the gasser for a diesel pusher...
 
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ripv2 said:
I went to rv.net after reading your post.

Our arguments here are child's play. Glock vs 1911 and 9mm vs 45 have nothing on 1/2 ton vs 3/4 ton towing capabilities! :eek:
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HaHa! I was going to mention that 1911 vs 45 argument as an example in my post but I had a feeling this crowd would lose the objective and this thread would go off the rails! There are some folks who are SERIOUS about towing and capacity! On the the RV forums they are called the "towing police".

It's similar to firearms in the sense that when something goes wrong it goes wrong quick and and can have a really bad outcome.
 
No one ever thinks, man this is to much truck for this trailer, especially in a panic stop. Any make of 1500 series or above will handle the job easily. Be careful and increase following distance dramatically until you decide.
 
kcult said:
I'm going to look at a camper this afternoon. I believe it's 17ft, but its a single axle and the owner states it weighs 3200lbs. The internet says my 95 Tacoma is rated for 3500 to 5000lbs. Mine is the xtra cab 4x4 with the 3.4L V6.

My question is; Should I be able to pull this (IRL) without issues? I know to turn O/D off.
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Let me call everyone back to reality.

You're fine with the taco. Check your tire pressure, keep the bearings in good shape, don't pile a lot of junk in the back of the trailer. Don't carry a bunch of crap you don't need.

Stay in the flatlands and don't get in a big hurry. A mini pickup is fine to pull a single axle trailer.

Listen to these guys and they will have you buying a Freightliner for a pop-up.

Sent from my XT1565 using Tapatalk
 
GoWolfpack said:
Let me call everyone back to reality.

You're fine with the taco. Check your tire pressure, keep the bearings in good shape, don't pile a lot of junk in the back of the trailer. Don't carry a bunch of crap you don't need.

Stay in the flatlands and don't get in a big hurry. A mini pickup is fine to pull a single axle trailer.

Listen to these guys and they will have you buying a Freightliner for a pop-up.

Sent from my XT1565 using Tapatalk
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But towing shouldn't have to be nerve racking. I towed a 3000# Mustang drag car on an open trailer from Rockingham Dragway (tow vehicle went down) to Mint Hill. Truck did fine, didn't stop very well, but damn, what a mentally tiring episode. Just because it can, doesn't mean you should. My safety on the road is paramount also. Iv'e towed race cars, motorcycles, campers, and just a few years ago, had a 36 ft. Damon Challenger motor home pulling a 28 ft. enclosed trailer for my drag racing photography business. I've traveled all over the S/SE from Florida to Atlanta to Holly Springs Mississippi, and about anywhere in between there was a drag strip. I've seen some pretty rough accident's that involved tow vehicles that were not designed to tow what they were towing. Getting there safe and not completely wore out is worth it's weight in gold. Not to mention, slowing everyone down while you go 35-40 mph pulling up hill while your too small tow vehicle struggles to pull those terrains. Not trying to start a flame war, but people that tow a lot, usually end up where TomGCherry and I are. Wear out a few trans, burn up a few rear ends, and you decide, that little truck wasn't really designed to do what I want it to do, lol.
 
He is not fine with the Taco! Go today and buy a new truck, mini van or whatever. Send me the address so I'll know where to come pick up the Taco. Will you take a check?

Seriously, those trucks are hot right now. Might not cost as much to upgrade as you think, if you're planning on selling the Toyota.
 
SimpleMan said:
He is not fine with the Taco! Go today and buy a new truck, mini van or whatever. Send me the address so I'll know where to come pick up the Taco. Will you take a check?

Seriously, those trucks are hot right now. Might not cost as much to upgrade as you think, if you're planning on selling the Toyota.
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Yeah even a 96 Tacoma is going pretty good. I've seen a wide range of prices. I would sell not trade and you will be surprised what you get for your new truck.
 
SimpleMan said:
He is not fine with the Taco! Go today and buy a new truck, mini van or whatever. Send me the address so I'll know where to come pick up the Taco. Will you take a check?

Seriously, those trucks are hot right now. Might not cost as much to upgrade as you think, if you're planning on selling the Toyota.
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It's a whole nother topic, but for sentimental reasons and barring any circumstance beyond our control, if and when it's replaced as my daily driver, the Taco will most likely rot on our property. Meaning, we don't intend to ever sell it.
 
GoWolfpack said:
Let me call everyone back to reality.

You're fine with the taco. Check your tire pressure, keep the bearings in good shape, don't pile a lot of junk in the back of the trailer. Don't carry a bunch of crap you don't need.

Stay in the flatlands and don't get in a big hurry. A mini pickup is fine to pull a single axle trailer.

Listen to these guys and they will have you buying a Freightliner for a pop-up.

Sent from my XT1565 using Tapatalk
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Fellow Wolfpacker, I can't let your post go by without a comment and maybe bringing it REALLY back to Reality,

The gist of my post, which was liked a lot, was that you need to do the following.

Determine if you are overloading the Tacoma with your intended passengers and camping gear. Do NOT exceed the rated Cargo Capacity. It is a formula for disaster for the driveline, suspension and braking. IF OK....proceed to Step 2

Check the dry weight of the new Travel Trailer. No fluids, gear ,etc. There are truck stops all over the place, gravel scales, moving companies....probably one within 10 miles.

Load up the unit with the water you intend to travel with, if any. Put in your tools and mess and what you normally carry. Check the weight again. That is your NORMAL traveling weight.

Then load up (or you can weigh the stuff at home in the driveway with a bathroom scale....this ain't for selling gold. Add that weight to the Normal Traveling Weight...

If you exceed the rated GVWR or the Cargo Capacity of the Travel Trailer, then you will have to skinny it down and/or offload to the Tacoma.....assuming you have surplus.

If you don't have a surplus and are overweight, then either get a larger Travel Trailer with an increased GVWR or get a larger Tow Vehicle that has more Cargo Capacity.

You don't need a Freightliner. You just need FACTS...

From our point of view here, if you purchase a shotgun and it will take 3" shells in the chamber....and the chambers, like on my 1924 Fox are marked at 2 1/2, I don't think that many folks would to duck hunting with it and routinely run 3" 12 G Magnums through it.

Same point. Until you KNOW that you are within the stated specifications, do NOT take long trips....and if you are OK, then don't overload. You WILL be sorry and you can kill or injure your family or someone else.

If I had saved all the reports of accidents around the Raleigh Beltline where a "contractor" was towing a flat bed trailer with 7500 pounds of bricks, sheetrock, cement mixer, etc.....then I would fill up 20 posts here.

There have been many deaths....not an exaggeration where a local guy in a 1500 series truck either lost it or a wheel came or a tire failed. I can remember at least 3 deaths within the past several years.

I don't own stock in Freightliner and don't own one. But I do NOT exceed the capacity of my MH's towing or the hitch or the tow bar. I don't exceed the capacity of my hitch on my Yukon and check the tires before I haul...and they are RATED for the 3500 Axle....

Sorry for the long reply to your comment....but this is serious.....and maybe I sound like a "COP", but no one would go to a range where there was open shooting and no range control officer to keep order and safety...
 
Since people might burst over my attitude, let me modify my earlier post thusly:

Your Tacoma will pull any single axle trailer that isn't overloaded for it's stated capacity. Since the highest possible capacity of one axle is 3500 pounds, barring some kind of wacky 8 lugged monster, you will be well within the capacity of your truck provided you stay within the capacity of the trailer.

You will have to curb the urge to accumulate a bunch of stuff to take with you on trips, because it is totally possible to put too much stuff in either truck or trailer and also possible to get the balance way off on the trailer because of its size. I addressed this already.

If you look at the trailer, ask to weigh it at a truck stop. Then you'll know for sure.

In Europe they tow dual axle campers with Volvo station wagons. You guys afraid to haul three bags of mulch without an engine brake would lose your minds.

Sent from my XT1565 using Tapatalk
 
No doubt. But in Europe, they DO pay attention to the load ratings.
Experience is a dear school. In my case, the Tranny in the 2004 XC90 was a bust. Some Volvo Engineer spec'ed out and put it in the Turbo 5. BAD. The tranny was original used for the lower HP and Torque 4 banger. Don't know WHO owned Volvo at that time....Volvo or Ford or whomever. Sure was not the quality of my old 1983 DL. I towed a long pop-up with surge brakes and Koni HP shocks and a good hitch. That was a manual and I never had an issue or a clutch problem - 4Spd with Electric OD.
From Canada to Florida and backed UPHILL into a lot of camp sites. It was the biggest StarCraft that they ever made....circa 1980 or so.
Volvo had class action suits and paid a bunch of money when the tranny's in the XC90 5 Turbo AWD started to fail....approx. 50K and there was NO upgrade or fix. The OH was in the $2500 range and would only last for 25 - 40K. Bottom dropped out of the resale.
The local Volvo dealer would not sell one without including an extended warranty on the driveline....which was added to the price.
If you asked the service managers of each of the Weaver dealerships, they would personally tell you to NOT to buy one if you could avoid it....at any price.
The NEWER V8's had a much more robust tranny and has, based on my feedback, worked well.
Fortunately, I did a LOT of digging....AFTER I took back the overweight "Lightweight". Then traded off the Volvo and got a Hummer H3 that I could flat tow behind my DP. Ran it for many years....No issues....
We are probably on the same page....time to chill for the BB game.
 
Considering we'll take the camper out of town or out of state a half dozen times, give or take a trip, I think I'll just rent a vehicle from the local Enterprise.
 
kcult said:
Considering we'll take the camper out of town or out of state a half dozen times, give or take a trip, I think I'll just rent a vehicle from the local Enterprise.
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Way way cheaper than a new truck payment.

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kcult said:
It's a whole nother topic, but for sentimental reasons and barring any circumstance beyond our control, if and when it's replaced as my daily driver, the Taco will most likely rot on our property. Meaning, we don't intend to ever sell it.
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Pretty sure I understand why and I agree wholeheartedly.
 
GoWolfpack said:
Since people might burst over my attitude, let me modify my earlier post thusly:

Your Tacoma will pull any single axle trailer that isn't overloaded for it's stated capacity. Since the highest possible capacity of one axle is 3500 pounds, barring some kind of wacky 8 lugged monster, you will be well within the capacity of your truck provided you stay within the capacity of the trailer.

You will have to curb the urge to accumulate a bunch of stuff to take with you on trips, because it is totally possible to put too much stuff in either truck or trailer and also possible to get the balance way off on the trailer because of its size. I addressed this already.

If you look at the trailer, ask to weigh it at a truck stop. Then you'll know for sure.

In Europe they tow dual axle campers with Volvo station wagons. You guys afraid to haul three bags of mulch without an engine brake would lose your minds.

Sent from my XT1565 using Tapatalk
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It's not often on here I find a reply to a thread so ridiculous that I actually feel I must respond. I'm not sure if you're just trolling, ignorant or both. This isn't Europe, my family travels on these highways.
 
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