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Old 10-15-2019, 09:14 PM   #1
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Smile Towing a 19 Escape with a Tacoma 2016 wt Tow package

Hi All,
We are thinking of selling our 2018 17B and replacing it with a 19 Escape. We just have a lot of stuff and its a bit tight in the 17B. Which btw, I love!

We have a 2016 Tacoma Off Road TRD 6.0 with tow package. Does anyone have any input on how well it would tow a 19?

We have absolutely no problem towing the 17b, except for when I drive and find myself almost at 90mph on I-70 in Utah! Yikes! Even going over high altitude passes, the Tacoma is a champ.
Any comments, suggestions, etc are welcome! Thanks a bunch, you guys.
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Old 10-15-2019, 09:39 PM   #2
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I towed both a 17B & a 21 with a 2016 Tacoma with the 3.5 engine. Loved it with the 17, hated it with the 21. Too much time at 4000 RPM & 10 -11 MPG. I tried for 9000 miles because I loved the truck, but switched to a F 150 3.5 EcoBoost. A much better combination for the 21.

I suspect the 19 will be somewhat between the two. Since there are those that are comfortable with the Tacoma & a 21, it might work. Less frontal area, probably 800 - 1000 pounds less weight. I'm sure you will hear from other Tacoma users.
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Old 10-15-2019, 10:56 PM   #3
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Common mistake to buy a trailer to fit your tow. Not saying that is what you did(we did), yet if I were in this situation I would be looking at 19 & 21 trailers then decide which one really fits your needs- then seriously consider tow vehicles. I say this after owning a 17B first (which we too loved) then bought the trailer we've been very happy with for 5 years now. Very glad we traded an almost new Highlander for a Yukon for the 21 and now the Expedition with same 3.5 the F150's have which is incredible.
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Old 10-16-2019, 08:32 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vermilye View Post
I towed both a 17B & a 21 with a 2016 Tacoma with the 3.5 engine. Loved it with the 17, hated it with the 21. Too much time at 4000 RPM & 10 -11 MPG. I tried for 9000 miles because I loved the truck, but switched to a F 150 3.5 EcoBoost. A much better combination for the 21.

I suspect the 19 will be somewhat between the two. Since there are those that are comfortable with the Tacoma & a 21, it might work. Less frontal area, probably 800 - 1000 pounds less weight. I'm sure you will hear from other Tacoma users.
Thank you Jon!
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Old 10-16-2019, 08:33 PM   #5
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Common mistake to buy a trailer to fit your tow. Not saying that is what you did(we did), yet if I were in this situation I would be looking at 19 & 21 trailers then decide which one really fits your needs- then seriously consider tow vehicles. I say this after owning a 17B first (which we too loved) then bought the trailer we've been very happy with for 5 years now. Very glad we traded an almost new Highlander for a Yukon for the 21 and now the Expedition with same 3.5 the F150's have which is incredible.
Thank you Rossue!
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Old 10-17-2019, 12:21 PM   #6
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Common mistake to buy a trailer to fit your tow.
This advice is often given, but it assumes that the buyer is able to dedicate a vehicle to towing, or that towing is the dominant use of the vehicle and more important than all other use. For many travel trailer owners, the tug pulls the trailer for two weeks per year, and drives around town commuting and running family errands for the other fifty weeks.

If you are comfortable with the size of trailer which is suitable for the vehicle that you drive every day, and a second vehicle is not practical, it makes far more sense to me to chose that size rather than go out and buy a trailer is bigger than you need, then a larger tow vehicle to tow it, and so live with an excessively large vehicle all of the time.
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Old 10-17-2019, 03:02 PM   #7
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Towing with a Tacoma

I towed an Escape 19 for 8 years with a Tacoma and had no complaints and averaged 14 plus mpg at at 60 mph on freeway but a bit less in the rocky mountains. Currently tow a 21 Escape with a new offroad Tacoma with no WDH but airbags. Since you already have a Tacoma it seems a "no brainer" to use it for a season towing the 19 and if you are not satisfied then move up in size.
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Old 10-17-2019, 03:03 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sprinkledavid@gmail.com View Post
I towed an Escape 19 for 8 years with a Tacoma and had no complaints and averaged 14 plus mpg at at 60 mph on freeway but a bit less in the rocky mountains. Currently tow a 21 Escape with a new offroad Tacoma with no WDH but airbags. Since you already have a Tacoma it seems a "no brainer" to use it for a season towing the 19 and if you are not satisfied then move up in size.
If it is the same Tacoma (over 8 years) it has the 4.0L engine. That is a different (and better for towing) beast from the 2016.
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Old 10-17-2019, 03:16 PM   #9
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Towing a 21 with a Tacoma

My 2018 21ft. Escape is towed with a 2019 Offroad Tacoma. I also have a friend towing a 21 Escape with a 2018 Tacoma Sport and has over 11000 miles to date. He says he " loves" the truck and the trailer. Yes, the rpms run higher than the previous generation Tacoma that I had but performance and mileage has not suffered. Tacoma engines have always been reliable and this engine, I suspect, should be no exception.
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Old 10-17-2019, 06:39 PM   #10
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Dear Brian B-P,
I like your advice. We bought both the truck and the trailer to fit together as we had just sold our older Tacoma and a slide in Four Wheel Camper in about 4 days so we had the cash. Worked out great as we even had a little $$ left over for travel.
I think we are going to stick with our rig as it is - Taco and 17B!
Thanks so much!
Cedar
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Old 10-17-2019, 07:07 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
This advice is often given....
That's because it is the biggest mistake most people buying a trailer makes.

While we loved our 17B, we struggled with longer trips for several reasons. First and foremost the full size bed in back was a pain to convert to dinette, and wasn't really comfortable for two. The "bistro" table upfront is very small and as a second bunk for an adult is coffin-like.

Is it true or my imagination that the Tacoma is one of the most over-priced vehicles in the market today?
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Old 10-17-2019, 07:54 PM   #12
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We tow our 19 with our 2017 Tacoma TRD with tow package. We’re happy with it. The majority of time it does just fine at 55-60 mph without excessively high RPMs. On steep mountain roads it can jump up to 3,500-4,000 RPMs. If I want fewer revs I simply slow down a bit. The Tacoma’s payload is somewhat limited so I’m careful not to have too much gear onboard. I don’t think the purchase price was out of line. I believe Tacoma trucks hold their value well. And ours fits in our project-filled garage, something a full size pickup couldn’t do. -Tom
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Old 10-30-2019, 10:12 AM   #13
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v6 in general

We towed a 19' footer with a V6 Nissan Frontier for 5 years. No problem

Then upgraded to a 21' footer, and tried towing with a V6 Toyota Highlander. The Highlander had enough power, most of the time, but the suspension was too mushy. It was a bit scary at times, going steep downhill off a mountain pass in a sharp wind.

My V8 Nissan Titan pickup hardly knows anything is behind it.
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Old 10-30-2019, 10:59 AM   #14
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My biggest complaint/concern with the Tacoma is payload capacity. Depending on what you carry in the truck, and your actual payload (on a sticker on the door jamb) you could be out of payload. Now it’s not like the truck suddenly ass-plodes if you exceed payload but it’s something to consider.

I once heard the chief engineer for Toyota explain the low payload and rear drum brakes, he said something like “ if you want to tow we recommend the Tundra.
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Old 10-30-2019, 11:00 AM   #15
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Our first trailer was an Escape 19 which we pulled with a Tacoma Prerunner, V6, tow package etc, but NOT 4WD. It was a 2WD. It did just fine. We could get up to 15 MPG and have a picture of the trailer and truck at an overlook for Mt. St. Helens. It pulled that mountain just fine. No worries.
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Old 10-30-2019, 11:52 AM   #16
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We pulled a 19 with a Honda Pilot (similar 3.5L V-6) from Chilliwack to Rochester, NY this past spring. It worked but wasn't ideal. I got the load leveling hitch (the best one Escape sells) and it was really important I feel. The tongue weight really sags our Pilot without it and disturbs the handling. Our mileage also suffered greatly. We wend from 22-23 to 14MPG. Our Pilot EX-L has a 6 speed transmission with a cooler. I only plan on using our 19 on trips within 4-5 hours of home. I think when I retire and we go longer I'll replace the Pilot with a truck.
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Old 10-30-2019, 01:07 PM   #17
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For those of you pulling a 17B with a Tacoma what is your gas mileage with and without towing? We just put a deposit down on a 17B and are now looking at TV's.
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Old 10-30-2019, 06:23 PM   #18
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I pulled a Casita with my 2012, 4L Tacoma and it did great.. I changed the Casita for an Escape 19. I know a lot of people pull 19s or even 21s with Tacomas but in my opinion the 19 was a little too much for the Tacoma.

It pulled the trailer ok but the truck seemed to be working awful hard to do it.

I sold the taco and now pull with a ram 1500. The tow mileage isnt any better but the truck pulls the trailer without effort
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Old 10-30-2019, 07:13 PM   #19
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Takeaway is no worse mileage and a whole lot more comfortable towing. Mid-size tows any Escape is a myth.
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Old 10-31-2019, 02:30 AM   #20
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Takeaway is no worse mileage and a whole lot more comfortable towing. Mid-size tows any Escape is a myth.
yeah, taken to an extreme, my F250 7.3 Powerstroke 4x4 long bed gets about the same mileage as my Tacoma 4.0 4.4 6-speed did either towing or not. and i'm towing a much heavier trailer now than i was with the tacoma. the F250 has nearly twice the payload, and double the tow rating, and WAY more room in the bed (8' long vs 6', much wider and deeper). downside, the f250 longbed is a beast to park, and has a 62 foot turning circle, but its the king of the highway on the open road.
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