Will this tow combo work well?

[dad2taylor]

Looking for opinions on this tow combo.  A year or more ago somebody posted here not to even ask a towing question unless you have ALL the info.  Here goes:

I would like to tow a 7 x 14, V nose, single axle (no trailer brakes), trailer with a Toyota Tacoma SR 4x4 V6 6 speed. 

I expect the weight of the trailer to be not more than 3000 lbs

The truck will contain me 240lb, my lovely, beautiful, smart and kind wife 130lb?? and possibly 500lbs (or less) in the bed

TRUCK INFO

3.5L V6 278HP @ 6000 RPM/265 Lb Ft @ 4600 RPM
Curb Weight = 4445
GVWR= 5600
GCWR = 11360
Payload= 1155
Tongue cap = 640
Towing Cap = 6400

 

[highdesertranger]

a 7x14 is about your upper limit for a single axle. a single axle gives you much more tongue weight.
why no brakes? believe me there is no such thing as to much brake.
3000 lbs for the trailer. what does it weigh empty? 3k seems way light for a 7x14
so they rate that Toyota to tow 6400 lbs. LOL. I would like to see how that tows maxed out. scary.
may I suggest you rent a single axle trailer load it up and tow it around a little. got any good grades to go up close to you? don't forget coming down with no trailer brakes. yikes

highdesertranger

 

[B and C]

Yep, going downhill with no trailer brakes on a curve could get sketchy fast! The trailer will be pushing your back end around. My little enclosed motorcycle trailer even has brakes on it.

 

[dad2taylor]

I don't have the trailer or truck yet and am trying to be as well informed as possible before purchasing. I'm having the trailer built, aluminum and comes in at 1650 lbs. I can surely go double axle and brakes. I figured the single axle would be better for maneuvering in tight forested areas and I was going to go with a Tacoma over a Tundra for both gas mileage and to keep the overall size down (again, forests). It sounds like the combo I had was not good?

 

[B and C]

It is always better too much truck than not enough. Will it pull it, yes. Stopping it may be another matter. You can get brakes on a single axle. My motorcycle trailer holds one motorcycle with a single axle and has brakes. YMMV

My van weighs ~9700 pounds wet with most of the weight over the back axle and pulls this ~2500 pound trailer. A pickup will usually be heavier in the front and lighter in the back so easier to push it around when on the brakes.

 

[tx2sturgis]

You might need towing mirrors....6 feet wide is about the limit on the Taco mirrors, so 7 feet wide will be 'iffy'.

Unless you are upgrading to a heavy duty single axle, MOST of those axles (Dexter, Lippert etc) are 3500 lb pound limit, and the trailer box and frame weight will mean your cargo capacity will probably be less than 2500 pounds. Maybe a lot less depending on the construction of the trailer.

Trust me you WILL need trailer brakes. You will WANT trailer brakes, and in some states they are required, different weights apply, but in some states, 1500 lbs and above require brakes, other states, its 3000 pounds, 4500 pounds etc.

It is a LOT cheaper to have them included during the build or from the factory than adding them later.

MY advice:

Either get a larger truck, or a smaller trailer.

 

[bullfrog]

You will get close to the same gas mileage with the Tundra while towing as you will with the Tacoma. I would say 13 verses 15 but you will end up doing more maintenance on things like the Tacoma’s brakes. The larger truck will handle the trailer so much better but even then pulling an enclosed trailer I would want the trailer brakes so that down the road if you find you need to haul more you can. The Tundra 5.7 engine lasts a lot longer in general than the V6 and will withstand towing temperatures and loads for many more miles. Really with the new improved Tacoma the body isn’t that much smaller plus you can put a off road toy in the bed of the Tundra! Lol!! See what I mean about later you can haul more stuff! I would go ahead and get the dual axle trailer as well, flat tires are not near as bad with an extra set. Personally I wouldn’t want to pull any larger trailer with a 1/2 ton truck on a regular basis.

 

[dad2taylor]

I really appreciate everybody's feedback... really, it's invaluable. Based on that feedback I'm going to go with the Tundra over the Tacoma. I'm also definitely going with brakes. Does everybody think that I should go with the dual axle?

 

[bullfrog]

A dual axle will make it much easier and safer in my opinion as it allows you to hitch and unhitch without being so likely to tip. Blow out a tire and it will usually still roll on three to get off the road. Less wear and on the axle due to half the load. It does make the trailer heavier but now you have a truck that can pull it. Be advised that the next size bigger trailer I would want a 3/4 ton truck. Aluminum doesn’t bend it cracks and breaks. Steel bends and is much easier to repair especially if you will be going over rough roads.

 

[highdesertranger]

hold on there, my good friend had a Tundra when towing he got terrible gas mileage. in fact his mileage dropped all the down to 7MPG the same as my 1978 chevy 1 ton 4x4 crew cab with a 454 when I was towing. so I don't know where everyone is getting this great fuel economy with a Toyota. not only that but the auto transmission needed an auxiliary cooler because it would get way to hot. on steep off road grades the truck had to be put in 4 low to climb which put even more stress on the drive train. and yes this was the V-8 engine. highdesertranger

 

[Tony's Dream]

If the trailer only weighs 3,000 and the tow capacity is 6400........I don't understand the concern? I have an Aliner that weighs in at 2,000 lbs and I was told that most SUV's can tow it.......now you have me concerned too. I was looking to buy an SUV that could tow 4500 or better, thinking the tow rating being twice the weight was safe. Do I need to rethink this decision?

 

[riptorn]

No trailer brakes , no way , never
Like HDR said, Thats a lot of trailer for one axle, 
You will put more weight in it than you think

 

[dad2taylor]

hold on there,  my good friend had a Tundra when towing he got terrible gas mileage.  in fact his mileage dropped all the down to 7MPG the same as my 1978 chevy 1 ton 4x4 crew cab with a 454 when I was towing.  so I don't know where everyone is getting this great fuel economy with a Toyota.  not only that but the auto transmission needed an auxiliary cooler because it would get way to hot.  on steep off road grades the truck had to be put in 4 low to climb which put even more stress on the drive train.  and yes this was the V-8 engine.  highdesertranger

Thanks Stranger. I've had good luck with Toyota cars and small truck, thus my choice. I don't want to go with a Chevy or GMC because in my company we have two and both engines took a major dump at 100K miles, same issue but forgot what it was. Not a big diesel fan. What would you recommend?

 

[bullfrog]

Toyota Sequoia 4x4(lockable transfer case)V8, 500 miles, first 60 over 1000’ elevation change through mountain pass, Bullfrog Utah to Grand Junction Colorado, pulling 24’ wooden floored flat bed trailer, dual 5200 lb. axles with 11’x7’x6’ camper on it. 13 MPG. Not towing but half the trip the car completely filled with supplies, 16 to 18 MPG depending on load weight. Checked once a month for the last 3 years, full tank to full tank. Towing my Suzuki Samurai (2000 lbs. to 2500 lbs.) loaded from Bullfrog Utah to Tucson and back through Flagstaff averaged 15 MPG on three different occasions. Currently 248,000 miles. Am I abusing it, probably, but my 3/4 Suburban will soon be available to take it’s place so I figured I would see just how good this Toyota is. Cost more to maintain it than a new motor for the Chevy but looks like I’ll get my money’s worth out of it if it makes it to 300,000 miles and my wife likes it more than me!

 

[tx2sturgis]

on steep off road grades the truck had to be put in 4 low to climb which put even more stress on the drive train.  and yes this was the V-8 engine. 

That Toyota might have had a tall axle ratio which can also reduce mpg when towing....I'm not a Toyota fan either but the newer Tundras with the big motor and the right axle ratio should be a good tow vehicle.

 

[bullfrog]

It really makes a difference with just a few hundred pounds so I would say yes if you are using it like a 1/2 ton truck it is hard to beat the Toyota but if you are maxed out using it like a 3/4 ton truck then I would expect things to break and you cannot replace any Toyota parts for nearly as cheap as a Chevy. As things stand now when I’m finished with the old Suburban it will have cost me about the same amount as the Sequoia. If not towing just going down the road the Suburban gets 10 or 11 MPG. The Sequoia gets 16 or 18 MPG. So since I plan to tow the trailer with the camper and Samuria loaded on it I would never try to tow with the Sequoia. The Chevy can do it but like HDR stated 7 MPG and if something breaks it is cheap and easily fixed. A starter on the Toyota is buried under the intake manifold, cost a fortune to buy and replace, the Chevy is cheap and in the open so nothing else needs to be removed as an example. If you are going to abuse the vehicle and cannot afford expensive repairs I would go with an old Chevy. If you baby your vehicles and don’t abuse them keeping up the high cost maintenance a Toyota will serve you well. With a light load the V8 Toyota will do very well for a very long time as long as it is maintained.

 

[Oldwolf]

Is the Tacoma V6 the 3.5L?

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[B and C]

TRUCK INFO

3.5L V6 278HP @ 6000 RPM/265 Lb Ft @ 4600 RPM
Curb Weight = 4445
GVWR= 5600
GCWR = 11360
Payload= 1155
Tongue cap = 640
Towing Cap = 6400

 

[bullfrog]

My personal opinion is Toyota’s and most manufacturer’s ratings are way over if you think you can use their vehicles at anywhere near what they publish for any length of time without severe wear to the vehicle components. Most all vehicles have been built for maximum fuel efficiency which means getting the most out of the least. They may be able to pull those weights at the limit of their mechanical components but how long they can do it is dependent on how well they are put together and even then manufacturers put profit before durability in most cases it seems to me. Here at Lake Powell (Bullfrog) there is a mountain pass that much like I70 out of Denver that is brutal. There are not a lot of older tow vehicles that make several years worth of trips with boats. Sequoias and Tundras are some of the oldest vehicles but they generally pull fishing boats under 22 feet on dual axle trailers. There are some Chevy Suburbans pulling boats up to 24 feet but the majority of the larger boats up to 28 feet are pulled by 1 ton or larger trucks and quite a few modified 1 tons. My point being generally the more truck you have and the less weight you tow the longer your vehicle will last. Fuel economy is the least of these people’s worries. With the cost of new vehicles using one lightly for several years even if the fuel economy is poor is much better than having to replace a vehicle after using it at it’s limit getting good fuel economy for a year or two. Full timers that boondock carry more weight. Once you get a trailer over 18’ you should start looking for a 3/4 ton tow vehicle. Depending on the trailer when you get over 24’ to 28’ you should start to look at 1 ton if you are traveling several miles a year full time in the mountains if you expect your tow vehicle to last. This again is just my personal opinion.

 

[tripper]

Trailer brakes are a must, I lost my brakes once coming down a mountain due to having too much weight, almost died. 
Dual axles are significantly better for many reasons.  I like the truck you are using, very reliable but your gas mileage will be horrible, on par with with giant old American V8s while towing. However it is still an excellent truck you are using for reliability.

Earlier a Toyota Sequoia was mentioned, I am an avid follower of Fuelly.com a fuel mileage website. On fuelly there are 11.2 million miles logged on 623 Sequoias, they averaged 15 mpg just normal street/hwy driving (not exclusively towing), the same as Tundras on that site. I would expect MPG would be quiet a bit less towing, most people get 9-12 mpg towing with those setups that I've met.
Fuelly MPG

If you intend on permanently towing full time you can not beat an older diesel truck, specifically 2006 and older Chevy and Dodges, or 2001(?) and older 7.3 Ford diesels. The old ones all get excellent MPG.

My anecdotal evidence:
Truck camper on my wifes 2013 Gas 4.6 liter Chevy Silverado 1/2 ton truck  - 10 MPG 
Truck Camper on my 1993 Diesel 5.9 liter Dodge Cummins 4x4 3/4 ton truck - 15 MPG
Truck Camper on my 2003 Diesel 6.6 liter Chevy Silverado 4x4 3/4 ton truck - 15 MPG
24ft small 5th wheel on [font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]my 2003 Diesel 6.6 liter Chevy Silverado 4x4 3/4 ton truck - 16 MPG[/font]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Same truck camper used on all 3 vehicles. I recommend Cummins engine for easiest to repair and cheapest, followed by the Ford. The Chevy Duramax diesel engines are very reliable and much faster than the other 2 brands but very expensive to repair when it breaks. The 3/4 ton and larger trucks will tow your cargo trailer like it isn't even there, 1/2 ton trucks get very sketchy in high winds and twisty mountain grades, or even when semis go flying past on long dowgrades.[/font]
[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]The big trucks with gas engines will get about 10 mpg, but you will be totally safe towing. Unloaded their mileage is about 12 mpg[/font]

However, like I said earlier, your vehicle is a very nice reliable vehicle, just get trailer brakes and tow lightly or your truck will suffer as it is a very light duty vehicle to be towing, even as overbuilt as Toyotas are.