1700BH with Tacoma

[Aloha]

Hi All - new here. Looking to order a Bullet 1700BH with a family of 4 with two little kids. I also have to decide on which truck to buy. I would prefer to buy a Tacoma but wondering if I need an F150 instead? Would a Tacoma with its 6500 towing capacity handle the 1700 safely with UVW of 3660?

I appreciate the help in advance!

[tech740]

You will be much better served with an F150/tundra etc...... The vehicles like the Tacoma are too light and too short in my opinion.

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by Aloha

Hi All - new here. Looking to order a Bullet 1700BH with a family of 4 with two little kids. I also have to decide on which truck to buy. I would prefer to buy a Tacoma but wondering if I need an F150 instead? Would a Tacoma with its 6500 towing capacity handle the 1700 safely with UVW of 3660?

I appreciate the help in advance!

With a family of 4 & little kids that require lots of stuff don't pay attention to any RVs UVW as you'll never be anywhere near that. Check the GVWR of the rv & the yellow/white sticker on whatever truck you chose for the payload. The TT will have an average 13% of the GVWR as a tongue weight which is subtracted from that truck payload. The UVW of a rv & the max tow rating of any truck mean absolutely nothing to you when attempting pairing the two.

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

With a family of 4 & little kids that require lots of stuff don't pay attention to any RVs UVW as you'll never be anywhere near that. Check the GVWR of the rv & the yellow/white sticker on whatever truck you chose for the payload. The TT will have an average 13% of the GVWR as a tongue weight which is subtracted from that truck payload. The UVW of a rv & the max tow rating of any truck mean absolutely nothing to you when attempting pairing the two.

I would think long term and not what you need today.... kids grow fast! Your needs may change rather quickly and you could outgrow that trailer in a few years ..I would buy the truck based on future needs and not limit myself to really small choices...your kids may want to bring friends along or grandparents.. stay away from rv shows or you could be upgrading quite often. It’s nice to have choices when choosing a rv and not be limited to super lightweight models only.

As Danny mentioned above in post #3... look at the inside drivers door payload sticker and post that picture for any vehicle your looking at... someone is always on duty on this forum for real time advice before you sign on the dotted line.

It will save yourself a 3 page thread on why and how you didn’t actually buy the right truck for the job

[Campermike]

I would get a full size crew cab for that.. if for no other reason than the kids will grow and eventually you'll appreciate the space. And why limit yourself to the Ford? Ram and GM also make fine trucks... I was looking for a Ford until I drove my RAM. And if you're concerned about fuel economy the ram with 3.6 and 3.55 would be a good fit.

[flybouy]

As has been stated, that CVW of that trailer is 4,700 lbs. The tongue weight will end up being around 600 lbs. Add another 100 lbs. or so for a weight distributing hitch and you're going to strap 700 lbs. or more on to the back of the truck. This will reduce the payload (as found on the door sticker, not a sales brochure or internet site) by 700 lbs. before you put the key in the ignition. That's just too much for a "mini truck" IMHO.

You will be much better served by a 1/2 ton truck in the brand of your choice.

[sourdough]

I told myself I would not comment on this as I knew others would, but, guess I can't help myself.

The Tacoma is a fine truck....when used for what it's built for. It is NOT built as a TV for anything more than a pop up. It is too small, narrow and short for a full size RV of any size and still be safe. Combine that with the fact that there are "two little kids" that will keep growing and accumulating toys/"stuff" and the Tacoma gets even more unfit for the job....and the interior is going to get VERY claustrophobic on a long haul not to mention make the kids very restless.

With 2 small, growing kids I would look at nothing less than a nicely equipped 1/2 ton with tow package (brand of your choice). Even then do some serious thinking about what the future holds for you and your family as far as an RV is concerned. If you see bigger RVs think bigger trucks. It's always nice to be on the leading edge of the curve able to pick the units that work together vs behind the curve trying to piece existing stuff together to "sort of make things work".

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by Campermike

I would get a full size crew cab for that.. if for no other reason than the kids will grow and eventually you'll appreciate the space. And why limit yourself to the Ford? Ram and GM also make fine trucks... I was looking for a Ford until I drove my RAM. And if you're concerned about fuel economy the ram with 3.6 and 3.55 would be a good fit.

I totally agree!
Haven't ever figured out how/why the F150 became the "tow all" vehicle recommended by everyone? I've had experience with GM & Ford towing. Never had experience with a Ram but if buying a truck today the Ram would be my 1st stop. From those experiences I couldn't tell that the Ford's were any better, I will say their mileage was less & the seats were much less comfortable than the GM, but both were good tow vehicles.
Any of the big 3 are more than capable to git'er done!
Not trying to start truck wars! Just my .02 cents!

[Bill-2020]

Originally Posted by Aloha

Hi All - new here. Looking to order a Bullet 1700BH with a family of 4 with two little kids. I also have to decide on which truck to buy. I would prefer to buy a Tacoma but wondering if I need an F150 instead? Would a Tacoma with its 6500 towing capacity handle the 1700 safely with UVW of 3660?

I appreciate the help in advance!

I've owned 4 Tacoma's, 2 Tundras, 1 4Runner and now a F250 (as for the
vehicles that are capable of towing something). A V6 Tacoma may have a 6500 capacity, but I'll tell you right now that the Tacoma will struggle with a TT and the wind drag applied on it. Never mind being overweight, the Tacoma's engine and transmission just isn't the right equipment. You will be wishing you bought more truck. BTDT with the Tacomas and small cargo trailers. And as I recall, you can get a F150 for almost what the Tacomas are priced at (used to be, IIRC)

[Aloha]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I know this isn’t a truck thread but any thoughts on the Tundra?

[notanlines]

Aloha, you're a member of a site whose members generally are fans of the big three. Very few members here are mini-truck promoters, and very few members are Japanese vehicle promoters. Aside from three or four regulars, most members are content to be relatively content with just pointing out the high spots of their present brand and let it go from there.
Payload on the trucks you mentioned is, as a rule, sub-par for average conversations about hauling/towing.
I'm not out to start a debate over buy foreign/buy American. I'm sorry to say that the vast majority of Americans/Canadians have very little choice in the 'buy American' mantra. One only needs to walk into China's very own distribution centers (Walmart) and just TRY to buy an American-made product. I suspect most of all our RV's are simply 'assembled in American' with the majority of the parts manufactured Lord knows where.
I will say that both Nissan and Toyota have a very nice bright blue, but now GM has it also.
Good luck in your search.

[flybouy]

Brand loyaltiy is one thing but it seems to me that truck ownership can reach what I call "brand fanatasism". Truck owner brand fanatics are right up there with beer, cola, sports apparel, etc. So read recommendations with that in mind. IMHO if it has a payload rating (on the door, not on a website) tat's more than sufficiant for the task then go for it.

I would do some reading on durability, again consider then source that's reporting it. I'd suggest some observations on the road i.e. take a look at what trucks are pulling what railers and look at the age of said trucks. Over the years I've seem one brand become notorius for weak transmissions, another for engine issues, and others for premature rust. It seems to me that the "big three" are so compettetive now that the choice boils down to which one fits your bottom and has the features you want.

I will say this, in my observations I have not seen many Toyota or trucks used commercially to any significant degree. Removing the "fleet sales" element the vast majority of independent contractore/small buissness owners like painters, landscappers, roofers, siding installers, firewood deliveries, etc. are working froma "Big 3" truck, often several decades old.

Good luck with your choices and enjoy the hunt!

[Ken / Claudia]

The truck might work out, but you or wife will want a bigger RV by the end of the 1st year. As said plan ahead if you want to save money. Buy a bigger truck now, they last a long time and fit the next rv to that.
Rvs, just like boats when you start, after a trip or two you will wish you had bigger. Will you be able to afford changing out a new RV and new truck every few years? Some can and do. Others wish they did. Down sizing may happen when your empty nesters unless you have grand kids.

[sourdough]

A Tundra. Aloha a Toyota is a Japanese truck, designed in a country where a 2k trailer is a monster. If they have anything it might be a mini motorhome something or other....which brings us to trucks.

If you've followed Toyota from their beginnings here you will know that they have sort of incrementally tried to find their way along. Everything they've done started "little" and sort of progressed; think T100, first little Tundra, etc. As they got bigger they had to also enlarge things like the drivetrain, axles and running gear. Built like tanks (trucks)? Not really. They had nothing to build to; no heavy trailers being pulled in their country so they just "winged" it. Sort of reminds me of the early 80s Toyota trucks and 4runners. Built well and you could take them off road but they knew nothing of offroading or what that entailed. So, they had Birfield front axles that, on a flat road and no stress, were great. But stress them and you could chew them up like soggy popcorn. They had no concept of that kind of stress.

Back to the Tundra. The above still holds true today albeit they do have a lot more American input than years past. Still, IMO, they are trying to hone the requirements for a true "truck". They're improving the exterior looks; I've even read some fans calling them beasts but there is a lot more to a TV than looks.

My little brother had a newer Tundra and he said he loved it. He bought a small lightweight 5th wheel and he said he still loved it....it was a real truck (by then they had made the exteriors look nice - couple of years ago). I kept harping about weights so he bought a new F250 King Ranch diesel. Brought it and the trailer to FL to meet me. He got out, shook my hand and told me he never realized....NOW he had a real truck meant for towing.

Long story to just sort of illustrate the differences between the vehicles at this point in time IMO. Look at the payload inside the driver door. Calculate the anticipated tongue/pin weight of whatever RV you are looking at and see where you are. Leave plenty of spare weight for people, gear and the hitch.
With 2 small children be sure and anticipate growth in weight of the kids and the toys they will want to carry. Above all, take your time in decision making and enjoy the hunt! Good luck.

[goldtrigger]

I made the mistake of buying the Taco thinking it would tow a camper of decent size. I have a F250 diesel and a 38 foot Montana and was hoping to downsize. I love the Taco but it has no real towing capability. I have a 5x 12 flat bed trailer I pull my Kubota R9000 utility on with the Taco and it is maxed out, constantly shifting ⬆️ and down and have no real hills around here. Taco will go any where but it has no back seat room and 3500 lbs guts it.

[LadyFaire]

Have a Tundra and LOVE it. I have the heavy duty tow package, and used it to tow a travel trailer with a gross vehicle weight of a bit over 6K pounds. The Tundra didn't even seem to notice the trailer was back there. No problems at all, even with hills, etc. The ONLY time I had problems was when the RV shop didn't hook up the WDH properly, and the entire mess wanted to porpoise down the road. I've upgraded to a Class A Winnebago, so no longer need a half-ton truck. Am considering trading it in on a Taco.

[blubuckaroo]

That 1700BH is a single axle with a hitch weight of only 375 pounds. If I remember right, my Tacoma had a load capacity of just over 1200 pounds.
I think this rig is a perfect match if your Tacoma is equipped like mine was, with the V6, tow package, and long wheelbase.
We actually towed our 26' on a couple of short trips until were able to sell it and buy our Silverado.
Here it is. It really looked cool with out trailer. It was just too light though.
Also, power was never a problem with the Tacoma. It was just too light.

[jimborokz]

Our son had a Dodge Dakota when he went to collage. Nice truck V8 4X4 plenty of snap. It had cut outs in the bed liner and holes in the floor of the bed along with the 7 way plug inside the box. At the time I knew nothing about 5th wheels but soon learned it in the past had rails for a 5th hitch. I have no clue as to what the previous owner may have towed with it. We bought it at auction. Anyway he sold it and bought a VW for commuting to school. The Taco wasn't very good at MPG. Six months later the guy that bought it told me he had to replace the rear end.

Fast forward, our SIL has a Tundra he uses for his work as a contractor. He tows a work trailer and has several hundred thousand miles on it with literally no issues with the truck. Contrary to what is hinted at earlier in this thread these trucks are designed and built in America for American use and I think very well made. I wouldn't tow my 5er with one, they're not that heavy, but if I wasn't towing I might own one. We have a Camry as a third vehicle with 175K on it. I checked the oil the other day and it hasn't even changed color with 3K since last change. Other than tires and one set of brakes and a battery, nothing but oil changes. Can't really argue with that.

As for trucks, size matters.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by jimborokz

Our son had a Dodge Dakota when he went to collage. Nice truck V8 4X4 plenty of snap. It had cut outs in the bed liner and holes in the floor of the bed along with the 7 way plug inside the box. At the time I knew nothing about 5th wheels but soon learned it in the past had rails for a 5th hitch. ...

No idea what year or even what era Dakota you're talking about, but back in the mid/late 80's, there were a lot of "small fifth wheels" such as Prowler, Forester, Jayco, and the "ever-present Scamper fiberglass bubble". Most of them had a "cab-over bed" above the fifth wheel hitch, very similar to the "crawl in truck camper overhead bed". Most were in the 3K-5K range and "perfectly suited" to mid-size pickup trucks. The problem was that many (most) of the mid-size trucks were not built strong enough for towing trailers that weighed that much and many had transmission/rear end failures after towing, some even on the first or second trip.

I have no idea why that size trailer is now extinct, because it fit a niche perfectly. Now that Ford is talking about bringing back a "quarter size truck" to compete with GM's Canyon and Toyota's Taco, maybe there'll be enough interest to "reinvent the small fifth wheel"....

[flybouy]

The current trend in everything seems to be "bigger is better". Even the little Cooper "Mini" got larger over the years. From Smart phones, to televisions to taxes, to fast food meals toand waistlines, it all seems to get larger these days.