Toyota Tacoma towing

plus if you did not get the factory tow package that 6000 lb trailer will cook your trans.. You will need to install a large trans cooler..

Nice to have the 130 amp alt too as well as electronic sway control..

Also payloads hover around 1300 for thos trucks.. add gas people and cargo and it goes down... So you will be at the limits..

Like my set up I only have 500 lbs left for payload. I have only a 420lb tounge weight though and a 4400lb camper..


From toyota..

Class-IV towing receiver hitch, transmission (automatic transmission only) cooler, engine oil cooler, 130-amp alternator, heavy-duty battery, 7-pin connector with converter and Trailer-Sway Control (TSC) 34

Absolutely no way will that Tacoma tow that 6000lb trailer. Way, way too much weight. You need to look at TT's in the 3000lb dry range. BTDT with 4050lbs and an 06 Frontier V6 2wd AT. I guarantee you will not like dragging 6000lbs around.

I always thought my 06 Frontier was a quick truck till I loaded up a 21' 4050lb loaded TT. I new I would feel the load but not like I did.

Previous truck was a 2009 Tacoma 4-dr V6.
But it only had 1050# payload and I was always 300-500# overloaded.

Towed a 4000# trailer back then and it was ok. Slowed down going up the mountain passes in the Rockies, but didn't mind that. What I didn't like was the high rpms and shifting necessary to maintain speed against daylong prairie headwinds.

Anyway, like others say, check your payload ...

Artum
This is a quote from a trailer web site. It explains the importance of the right hitch and why too much hitch will not function properly.

The TW rating is the most important factor in determining which size weight-distribution system you should use. If the bars of the system you choose are rated too high for your setup, they will create a rigid ride, which can result in a bouncing trailer. If, on the other hand, the bars are not rated high enough, the system will be unable to properly distribute the weight, rendering it virtually useless.


Here's an example:

If you have a trailer that has a TW of 700 lbs, and your vehicle has 100 lbs of cargo in the trunk, then your overall, weight-distribution TW is 800 lbs. Choosing a weight-distribution system with a 1,500-lb TW rating may lead to erratic performance because it is rated too high. On the other hand, if you choose a system rated too low, say at 500 lbs, the system would be ineffective. Choose a weight-distribution system with a TW rating that is closest to your towing setup's TW to ensure the best performance.

Double post.

Thanks dshelley for answering my post. Now for the naysayers. This is a 2013 Tacoma. It is equipped with the tow package, the V6 engine, the transmission cooler, the 130 amp alternator, and Trailer sway control. It is rated to tow 6400 pounds, and has a 640 pound tongue weight.

Between my DD, my SIL, and my grandson combined they are still under 300 pounds. The trailer weighs 4200 pounds empty.

Do we have a problem? I do not think so. I am looking for a hitch likely rated between 600 and 750 pounds.

Artum Snowbird wrote:
Thanks dshelley for answering my post. Now for the naysayers. This is a 2013 Tacoma. It is equipped with the tow package, the V6 engine, the transmission cooler, the 130 amp alternator, and Trailer sway control. It is rated to tow 6400 pounds, and has a 640 pound tongue weight.

Between my DD, my SIL, and my grandson combined they are still under 300 pounds. The trailer weighs 4200 pounds empty.

Do we have a problem? I do not think so. I am looking for a hitch likely rated between 600 and 750 pounds.

Good luck, you will need it

Purchase your spring bars based on 15% of the trailer GVWR. That would allow you to tow even when weight is maxed out. Get TOO stiff a spring bar and the ride is harsh and too soft it's bouncy. It's ALWAYS best to size springs for what they're be carrying, thus the 15% of GVWR idea.
Good luck / Skip

Artum Snowbird wrote:
Thanks dshelley for answering my post. Now for the naysayers. This is a 2013 Tacoma. It is equipped with the tow package, the V6 engine, the transmission cooler, the 130 amp alternator, and Trailer sway control. It is rated to tow 6400 pounds, and has a 640 pound tongue weight.

Between my DD, my SIL, and my grandson combined they are still under 300 pounds. The trailer weighs 4200 pounds empty.

Do we have a problem? I do not think so. I am looking for a hitch likely rated between 600 and 750 pounds.

I think your living in the land of Denial. Your truck will be bogged down big time. A V6 with 236HP and 266tq isn't going to move 6000lbs very easy. If you are just going on short 50 mile trips then sure it's doable. You will hate a 200 mile one way trip. 8.5 mpg and the small gas tank will have you stopping for gas around 100-120 miles.

If it were my truck I wouldn't want to beat it to death trying to have fun.

We towed a 19 ft Airstream with a tw of 550 lbs and gross wt of 4500 lbs with a Toyota 4 Runner with the 6 cup engine. You are over those amounts in all areas. I feel your biggest concern should be in the tw area. You will be putting a real strain on that truck and unless it is in tip top shape will be a hazard. Good luck either way you decide.