Tacoma as TV for ECON 16RB?

We pull a 14' Livi'n Lite trailer weighing 4120# loaded, full fresh water, propane, etc. with a 2014 Tacoma, tow pkg, etc.. The truck weighs 5040# with full gas tank, grill and other stuff in bed. All #'s per CAT scale.
Absolutely no problem on the flat. Could go 65 mph all day. However, you know when you come to any incline. Going over Monarch Pass ( for anyone familiar w/ Colorado), it's down to 34 +/- mph, (there are two lanes going up so hope we don't make everybody mad). The problem I see is the transmission temperature. Per my ScanGauge, it will go to 224* by the top of a big hill. Transmission experts may wish to weigh-in as to how damaging this is.......
Thinking about adding an additional transmission cooler.
Love the Tacoma, love the trailer, so we'll have to live with the situation.

I have a 2006 tacoma with the TRD off road package (v6, tow package, etc). I haul a 16foot trailer that has a dry weight of 2000lbs. Last weekend we were towing in a very hilly area and the tacoma did great up hill and also down. I had a bit of worry coming down the hill as it seemed like the brakes were close to their max but i took it slow and everything was fine (I'm also a worry worm ;). I would think if your trailer has brakes on it, you would be great going with a Tacoma. I love mine.

I do agree with other posters about pressing the limits of the tow ratings. I would feel more comfortable towing around 4000-4500 lbs total. Start getting past that and i think it feels a little scary.

Once you get the camping bug, you'll be looking at trailers with a little more room. If you have a Tacoma that is already at it's max, you would need to upgrade both, truck and trailer.

If you go looking at F150, Tundra, etc, keep in mind, not all trucks of a particular make / model are created equal. Depending on trim levels, options, and cab configurations, their payloads and tow capacities can vary considerably. Even the Tacoma has varying levels of payload and tow capacity.

Example:

There is a version of F150 with a payload below 800 lbs, there is a version with payload above 3000 lbs, and various versions in between. When you go shopping, you need to check each and every truck.

Thanks for the replies and info folks.

westend, the Tacoma I'm looking at has a towing capacity of 6400lbs. and a tongue load rating of 640lbs. Plugging in your numbers indicates that it will work. Thanks.

johnnyrv, the tow package on the Tacoma has an included sway bar.

goducks, I was hoping to keep the truck small so my wife will be able to drive it around town. She won't drive a big truck. I'll check into the F 150 though.

FST, I'll look at the Tundra again but would like to keep the truck smaller for my wife's benefit.

Kim

If you already had a Tacoma or have a smoking deal on one I would say it would pull it okay but if you are just getting started I would recommend something built a little heavier. The closer you get to the max tow weights the more the driver has to do to keep it under control. Also pulling a trailer is not good for a truck that isn't really built for it. You know the quality of Toyota so I would lean toward the Tundra. It's a little more up front but will pay for itself.

BTDT with a V6 2wd Frontier towing a 4050lb TT. Hated it. If I lived on the flats and only went short distances and just 5-6 weekends then I could live with it. 8.5 mpg and gutless on the hills and mountains. Same HP and TQ as the Tacoma. We moved up to an 08 F150 and our mpg went from 8.5 to 10.5 towing. And as they say I didn't even notice the TT back there. If you tow in the mtns then the V6 will be working it's a$$ off.

If it were me I would look for a 1-2 year old F150 with the 3.5 Eco V6 and either 3.55 or 3.31 gears. You'll get the same mpg empty as the Tacoma V6 and have more payload and more room. You won't even notice the TT back there.

You might even find a new one with $8-10,000 off MSRP in incentives as the 15's are coming out and they need to move the 14's.

Tacoma will work. We tow a 4200 pound Jayco with no problem. You will need a swaybar though.

The brochure weights will not be the on-road weights. The trailer listed has a published UVW of 2745 lbs. and a GVWR of 3850. After you add the options package, a battery, a propane bottle, and 500 lbs. of camping gear, the weight will be around 3600 lbs. The tongue load will be around 470 lbs. That's without any water or waste in the trailer. If you start the trip with 20 gals. of water in the tank, you could estimate the tongue load as an even 500 lbs.

You can use the weights above to mate to a truck of your choice.