Getting worried. The new 5TA is 1100 pounds heavier. Ok with Tacoma??

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by itoddday

No disrespect to anyone, but I personally think that everyone way overthinks this. I searched for years for a trailer and stayed confused about all of this. Then it was explained very simply to me. If your tow vehicle has a tow capacity less then the GVWR of the trailer, then you should not tow it. If your truck can pull 6000 pounds, then a 5500 GVWR leaves you room all the way around.

Sadly, life is not this simple. A typical pickup with a 6000 pound towing capacity can only tow that if there are no passengers, no cargo, and not even any options on the truck... it could easily be overloaded with a 5000 pound trailer, even if the tongue weight is ideal. On the other hand, my 3500 pound rated minivan can still handle 3500 pounds of trailer even with 800 pounds of passengers and other stuff in the van.

If your truck is rated to pull up to 6000 pounds, then a trailer with a 5500 GVWR may not leave you any room... it may be overloaded.

Originally Posted by itoddday

If your TV has a Tow Capacity of 3500 pounds and you have a trailer GVWR of 5500 pounds (even if empty weight is 2500 pounds), you will get hurt.

Again, not so simple. My trailer does weigh about 2500 pounds empty, and 3000 pounds loaded for travel; my van does have a tow capacity of 3500 pounds, and the rig is just fine... within all limits (axle, hitch, GVWR, GCWR, trailer weight capacity) and performs well. There are other tugs with a 3500 pound rating which would be overloaded with the same trailer and same load in the tug.

[alanmalk]

Agreed - not simple at all...

I have the detailed specifications in front of me for a 2014 Tacoma. The most important one, in my opinion, is the Gross Combined Weight Rating. With either transmission, V6, 4X4: it is 11,100 pounds. With the truck curb weight of 4100 pounds (which I was told by one of the above forum members, includes a tank of gas) leaves 7000 pounds to play with. If I leave the firewood at home, and keep the passengers at 300 pounds, I believe I can keep the truck & 5.0TA combination under 11,100. And if I did my math correctly, that gives me a 1500 margin for error.

Let me thank everyone for their contribution - its probably time to move on to other topics. And sometime between now and Monday morning I will be talking to Reace about this concern. I think his word should be the last - and I will be paying close attention.

[sturski]

I found a picture that I thought might help. This is what I looked like on vacation last summer. Wet weight on the BMW is ~600#, tongue weight for the T@B was 150#. This is a 2009 Tacoma SR5 6spd manual with the towing package.



I did 70ish from Boulder to Yellowstone with minimal problems. You can see from the picture that I'm pushing the bed and load capacity; but it didn't really cause me any problems. I've traveled west, similarly loaded. From Georgetown to Silverthorne, I will be one of THOSE people in the right lane trying to urge my truck up. 3rd/4th gear 40-45mph is the best I can do.

[Buddy]

I have a 17B that I tow with a 2011 Tacoma Access Cab, manual 6 speed transmission. and am pretty comfortable with that combo. Careful, as too many overestimate the tow vehicles capacity and get too large of a trailer for it, then need to either upsize the tow vehicle or down size the trailer. I've talked to a few who towed a 19' with a Tacoma, they seemed satisfied as well. Not sure about a 21 or larger.

[Jubal]

Originally Posted by alanmalk

Agreed - not simple at all...

I have the detailed specifications in front of me for a 2014 Tacoma. The most important one, in my opinion, is the Gross Combined Weight Rating. With either transmission, V6, 4X4: it is 11,100 pounds. With the truck curb weight of 4100 pounds (which I was told by one of the above forum members, includes a tank of gas) leaves 7000 pounds to play with. If I leave the firewood at home, and keep the passengers at 300 pounds, I believe I can keep the truck & 5.0TA combination under 11,100. And if I did my math correctly, that gives me a 1500 margin for error.

Let me thank everyone for their contribution - its probably time to move on to other topics. And sometime between now and Monday morning I will be talking to Reace about this concern. I think his word should be the last - and I will be paying close attention.

"It really depends on what your expectations are".

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by Jubal

"It really depends on what your expectations are".

For a reference point, my (now wrecked) 4Runner with no tow, could barely do 55 from Georgetown to Silverplume (7.5%), and even less the last mile before the tunnel. So my expectations are somewhat constrained.

I just got off the phone after a long conversation with Reace. He is of the opinion that the weights are reasonable. The only one really in question is total payload (max 1470). "Keep the 5.0TA in balance at 750-800 lbs on the pin and no firewood in the truck, and I should be ok." OK does not mean going the speed limit on the uphill sections, which for benefit of the flatlanders, means a couple of hours or more being the slow guy at the head of the line. Not ideal for anybody, but I use the pullouts and let others pass as often as is safe. Should bother the driver more than the truck. No gear hunting with the manual transmission and a proper gear on the downhill. If it doesn't work according to plan, I'm willing to bet I could get a fair resale and downsize in 2016, but let's assume that is a worst case scenario.

So, by mid summer 2015, I may be the guy with the little truck towing a big 5th. wheel.

--
Alan

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by alanmalk

...... So, by mid summer 2015, I may be the guy with the little truck towing a big 5th. wheel.

--
Alan

Doing the HAPPY DANCE!

[sturski]

Originally Posted by alanmalk

So, by mid summer 2015, I may be the guy with the little truck towing a big 5th. wheel.

--
Alan

I'll have my 19 by then.
Tacoma/Escape races up I-70?

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by sturski

Tacoma/Escape races up I-70?

Hmmm, sounds like the tortoise vs. the snail.

[Jubal]

Certainly consider your alternatives. I know this is what you want but this tow and trailer are going to be marginal requiring a constant balancing act with little room for error.

[bledsoe3]

This won't increase you towing capacity, but it will help with the hills.

TRD - Superchargers

[dave macrae]

Just curious why another tow vehicle with more capacity is not a option ? I have heard before from many others to buy the trailer that will check all the boxes and then get the tug that will do the job for you

[daveandsandyclink]

Towing vehicle threads are always a hot topic with lots of opinions and preferences. I read these with a smile. I choose to tow my 5.0 with a Dodge 2500 Cummins Quad Cab. No concerns with power, towing capacity, braking, passenger capacity, or load capacity. Getting 21mpg without and 19-20mpg towing with all my cast iron cookware. I sometimes forget the trailer is back there. Others may disagree with my overkill choice for towing but it sure makes towing enjoyable and effortless.

[sturski]

Originally Posted by dave macrae

Just curious why another tow vehicle with more capacity is not a option ? I have heard before from many others to buy the trailer that will check all the boxes and then get the tug that will do the job for you

I wouldn't speak for Alan; but most of us need to use the tow vehicle 52 weeks a year. Parking a Tacoma in Boulder or squeezing one up the nasty, narrow roads to some of our outstanding hiking trails is adequately painful. The Tacoma is already a compromise (to the larger side).

[dave macrae]

I do apreciate that for many a vehicle has to be multi purpose but in some cases people just fail to see that another vehicle choice may be a better option. I have a another vehicle for daily driving because the yukon is not pleasant to park and is hard on fuel around town. Fortunatly I can park the Yukon @ parents condo out of the way, if I didn't have that option three vehicles in our drive way is a pain in the backside.

[daveandsandyclink]

I am not suggesting my choice is for everyone. Heck...the tree huggers with their Subaru Outbacks in Boulder hated me for the big carbon footprint I projected. No one likes to be hated. But as Escape trailers get bigger and heavier + everything folks want to haul up the hill with them, maybe adequate towing torque and GVWR should take more importance. We are very comfortable driving, towing with, and parking our full size tow vehicle down here in "Biggerville". In my opinion ( and it's just that) your not saving a thing by owning a vehicle you expect to tow with that can't perform and meet your expectations when used for towing. It's simply your choice as I smile and read your postings.

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by sturski

I wouldn't speak for Alan...

Actually, Struski has hit the nail on the head. The new Tacoma will be doing triple duty as my daily drive to work, my weekend off-roading (jeep trails rated easy), and my tow next year. 3 vehicles would fill the 3 positions better but harsh reality dictates otherwise. It's that 4 letter word - compromise.

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by bledsoe3

This won't increase you towing capacity, but it will help with the hills.

TRD - Superchargers

Quite true. And it will lighten my wallet by $4000 plus!

Tempting, but I better not. The extra speed might make me forget that I am on the edge with my GVWR. Better to be humble and slow...

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by bledsoe3

This won't increase you towing capacity, but it will help with the hills.

TRD - Superchargers

Nice, but it also won't increase the ability of the engine or transmission to handle sustained high power use, making it easier to overload and damage either engine or transmission. Generally, mechanically driven superchargers are for short burst of high power; it is not by coincidence that their most popular application is in drag racing, and they are not used on heavy-duty equipment.