Now I'm worried...

[gslane1958]

I'm new to this forum... lot's of great info here. Wanted to get some opinions on towing with a 2016 Toyota Tacoma. I'll be getting a 2017 Passport Elite 19RB shortly and after reading some of the threads I'm a little worried that it's too much for my truck.

Here are the numbers...
Tacoma with V6 and tow package (double-cab short bed) has a max rating of 6,400. I believe it can handle 640 hitch weight.

The TT weighs about 4,300 dry. It can carry about 2,200 lbs, but it's just 2 of us so I don't anticipate loading anywhere near that. Shouldn't be much gear in the truck either. We typically camp with full hook-ups so won't be toting around water.

I just installed a P3 brake controller and will be using a Blue Ox hitch. We're on the east coast so most towing will be on flat roads with some rolling hills occassionally in Virginia and Pennsylvania.

I do plan to upgrade to a Ram 2500 in a year or 2, but was hoping I could make this work until then.

So how much trouble am I in?

[Dave-Gray]

I recommend you use the RVtowCheck.com app to find out what the truck's realistic vehicle towing capacity is.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Ken / Claudia]

1st off your doing what nearly everyone does when posting numbers. You you use max. numbers for your truck as in payload and towing numbers. And should than use the max wt. for trailer. Which it seems to be GVWR 6500lbs according to your numbers. Using trailer dry wt. and max truck wt. is wrong and not real world.
2nd you did not list your payload for the truck. It is found on the yellow sticker on or near the driver door. And you did not list the max. wt. your truck can pull.
A trailer tongue wt. is around 10 to 15 % of the real trailer wt. To get the real number you need to weigh the trailer when loaded. The published number is low. Example my trailer listed below said tongue wt. is 540 lbs. I took it across a scale loaded for camping. It was 900 lbs.
You maybe close to max. and it seems like that size of trailer should be OK to tow. But, the numbers you need to use is what Toyota made your truck to pull and carry.

[summerhummer]

Hello, I am just a regular guy not a safety advisor. I think with the dry weight mentioned and 1000 lbs of stuff you will still be good however I would double check the hitch weight and payload as mentioned. I doubt you will have 1K worth of stuff for the two of you. I believe my trailers dry weight was less than what was published when I took it to the scale not to say your will be too.

[66joej]

Advise from an oldtimer. Upgrade to the Ram now. Makes for easier and less stressful towing. JMHO

[sourdough]

What does the payload sticker say inside the door of the Tacoma? You are probably looking at 850-900 lbs or so for hitch weight. I doubt the Tacoma has lots of payload so that would be something to look for right off. From what I can see the gvw of the trailer will max out the Tacoma as well. You may think you will "travel light", but I can tell you from experience that the things you carry will grow and grow.

Bottom line I think you've chosen a trailer too heavy to safely tow with a Tacoma. Will it do it? Probably. Will it do it well? No. Will it be safe? Probably not. My dad has a new Tacoma that I drive a lot. Quite honestly I wouldn't put anything over a couple thousand pounds behind it. It sits too high, too light and too small. That's JMO based on trying to do exactly what you are doing over the years. You can't say enough about having a towing situation where the TV exceeds the weights you put on it vs trying to put more on it than it can handle. Something to think about.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by summerhummer

Hello, I am just a regular guy not a safety advisor. I think with the dry weight mentioned and 1000 lbs of stuff you will still be good however I would double check the hitch weight and payload as mentioned. I doubt you will have 1K worth of stuff for the two of you. I believe my trailers dry weight was less than what was published when I took it to the scale not to say your will be too.

"A thousand pound of stuff"? When you load the trailer with all the kitchen stuff, blu ray, clothes, various stuff, trailer cleaning stuff, tools, sewer/water stuff, WDh stuff, a ladder, etc....then load the truck with tools, leveling items, jacks for a flat, compressor, tools, grill, etc. etc. you will assuredly hit 1000 lbs without blinking (unless you just go minimal hoping for the best).

I said exactly the same thing when buying our trailer and we had almost 2000 lbs of carrying capacity. There was no way I thought. I didn't max out the trailer (200 lbs down) but then loaded the truck with all kinds of things (had to upgrade to a 2500 with a 3200 lb payload).

Be aware, understand what can/will happen and take the combo to a scale for your own safety.

[ctbruce]

You may not be in any....or you may. It depends on the numbers posted on your sticker on your door post. That is the true bottom line. If you post them and want the help people will chime in with their opinions. Bottom line is that it will be up to you to decide.

Chip Bruce, RPh
Kansas City, MO
2016 Fuzion Impact 312
2015 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ
WELL....THAT WAS FUN!

[bsmith0404]

Based on the numbers I can find from Toyota's website, they list the payload for your truck at 1175. As mentioned, check the door sticker to make sure. My guess is that your trailer will run somewhere around a 900 lb tongue weight. So as long as your WDH, you, your wife, and any other gear you put in the truck doesn't exceed 275 lbs you should be good (I'm going to go out on a limb and predict you'll be a bit over that).

As already mentioned, it will tow your trailer, but you are most likely exceeding the recommended limits and a different/more capable TV would serve you well and improve your safety.

[Tbos]

Welcome to the forum from Southern MD. When we bought our first TT I looked at the truck I had including the gear ratio and engine combination and bought a trailer 1500 lbs lighter. The truck towed it like a dream until the day I took it to the scales and I found out I was 100 lbs over the combined gross weight rating for the truck. I knew I had to upgrade. So I did and eventually bought a bigger TT too. Still have some margin on my numbers with my current setup. Bottom line, if you decide to upgrade your Truck go to at least a 3/4 ton. It will give you more options in the future. Best wishes for happy and safe trailering.

[gslane1958]

Thanks for the great advice everyone. I'll post the numbers from the sticker here later, but I think most of you are confirming what I feared. The trailer + gear will be a bit too much for this truck.

I'm also planning to get the units weighed... was planning to do (1) combined weight with all gear loaded, (2) just the TT with gear loaded, and (3) tongue weight with gear loaded. Am I missing anything?

When I upgrade the TV, it will definitely be a 3/4 ton in case I upgrade to a bigger TT at some point down the road. Was hoping to get at least one season out of the Tacoma, but we'll see how the weights look. First season will be mostly local camping and flat roads.

[JRTJH]

I think you're on the right track. Once you know (without question) the weights of your trailer, the capacities of your truck, then you can make decisions based on facts not on suppositions.

One concept I'd caution you about is that "scapegoat compromise" called, I'll only tow locally, it'll only be on flat roads and I won't go very fast.... All of those are "conditions that can't be guaranteed"... You never know when a child on a bicycle will dart out in front of you causing you to have to go into "emergency mode". You never know when a "brisk wind" will blow over the roadway when you're going "15 MPH under the speed limit" and push your rig into the next lane, hopefully not while it's occupied by a school bus filled with happy children on their way to the zoo or by an 18 wheeler that can't avoid your "lane encroachment".... There's a "million other emergencies" that can (and often do) happen while you're close to home, on flat and level ground and under what "should have been" ideal circumstances....

Don't fall prey to believing you can control situations better when you set up "circumstances" or promise yourself things will be safer "because"......

You're just as much at risk a block from home as you are on the other side of the state (or country), so if you're going to leave your driveway, plan to be as safe as you can be, regardless of"'promises not to do XXX"....

[gslane1958]

Wise advice JRTJH... If the numbers indicate I'm at or even near the limits I won't be towing anywhere until I upgrade the TV. My many years of riding motorcycles in the crazy traffic of the northeast has made me very safety conciuos.

[gslane1958]

Door.sticker attached ( hopefully )

[JRTJH]

The other sticker, the one that is only partly shown in your photo is the one with your payload. That's the one that gives you your maximum cargo and passenger capacity.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by gslane1958

Door.sticker attached ( hopefully )

What does the sticker below the one you posted say? The sticker you copied gives you the axle weights etc. but not the payload (CCC?). Is that on the other sticker? My Ram has a sticker like you posted then another one that gives the payload.

Whoops! Didn't see that John had already beat me to it.

[gslane1958]

Probably more helpful are the numbers from the Toyota eBrochure for my model/configuration...

Curb Weight = 4425
GVWR = 5600
GCWR = 11360
Payload = 1175
Tongue Weight = 640
Towing Capacity = 6400

Considering curb weight, passengers ( ~325 ), WDH ( guessing ~100 ) and tongue weight ( we'll go with the max until I can weigh it ) = 640... that leaves me with about 110 for an ice chest and some tools to stay under GVWR. Not sure if I did that right.

For towing, I think 5760 is the max weight of the TT ( GCWR - GVWR of TV ). With a dry weight of ~4335, I figure the max cargo in the trailer will be 1430.

Does my math make sense?

This is going to require a lengthy negotiation with the wife... either packin' very light or shopping for a 3/4 ton ( if I'm buying something, I'm going big ).

[BlueThunder34]

Originally Posted by gslane1958

Probably more helpful are the numbers from the Toyota eBrochure for my model/configuration...

Curb Weight = 4425
GVWR = 5600
GCWR = 11360
Payload = 1175
Tongue Weight = 640
Towing Capacity = 6400

Considering curb weight, passengers ( ~325 ), WDH ( guessing ~100 ) and tongue weight ( we'll go with the max until I can weigh it ) = 640... that leaves me with about 110 for an ice chest and some tools to stay under GVWR. Not sure if I did that right.

For towing, I think 5760 is the max weight of the TT ( GCWR - GVWR of TV ). With a dry weight of ~4335, I figure the max cargo in the trailer will be 1430.

Does my math make sense?

This is going to require a lengthy negotiation with the wife... either packin' very light or shopping for a 3/4 ton ( if I'm buying something, I'm going big ).

You want to look at the actual "yellow" sticker on your door not the brochure, options on your specific truck such as leather seats, running boards, etc will drop that number for payload listed on the brochure quite a bit. I'm guessing it will be quite a bit less on the actual sticker vs brochure.

[gslane1958]

Originally Posted by BlueThunder34

You want to look at the actual "yellow" sticker on your door not the brochure, options on your specific truck such as leather seats, running boards, etc will drop that number for payload listed on the brochure quite a bit. I'm guessing it will be quite a bit less on the actual sticker vs brochure.

Right you are... 1000 payload per the sticker.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by gslane1958

Right you are... 1000 payload per the sticker.

Tongue weight will be 800 lbs or so (figure at least 12% of trailer GVW) leaving you 200 lbs of payload. Hitch will be another 100+. Leaving 100 lbs or less. That leaves 100lbs (optimistically) for you, DW, fuel? and all the things you will put in the bed....and you will put things in the bed; so your payload capacity will be exceeded plus your GVW will also probably be exceeded. If max tongue weight for the truck is 640 you will definitely exceed that....and on it goes. All of the above doesn't take into account the terrible towing experience you will have in addition to putting yourself and other in danger.

Bright side!! I'm a Ram guy myself but I just read that Chevy is putting a big sale on their trucks right now so you might pick up a good deal. Tell DW the good news about a new 3/4 ton, take her to dinner and explain all of the wonderful fun you will have when you upgrade to a larger trailer.....I'm sure she won't be able to resist