Is it good enough?

[RatedX]

All of you answered pretty much all of my questions on truck recommendations last time. Only thing is that a couple of things have changed...

1. A Toyota Tacoma TRD has come up that I almost can't pass up
2. We decided to not travel around barely at all.

The fact is that the trailer will be pulled a maximum of 3 to 15 miles. For this, Would the Tacoma be sufficient for such a short ride?

Trailer is 32 foot with Pin weighing in at 4963lbs.
Tacoma can "Handle" 6500 lbs.

I am thinking for such short distances that it would be adequate and this is about 7-8 times a year...what do you think?

Lenny

[boosTT]

No no no way. And I towed a 19' TT with a ford ranger 4.0L. It sucked.

The taco can tow about a 17' trailer max!

[afob3]

Max hitch on the Taco with tow package is 650lbs. Weight distributed or not. That's where I fell into overweight towing my current TT with a Tacoma. This one is 5000 lbs ready to camp with 800 lb tounge weight. It's 28 feet tounge to bumper. One and only local (under 20 mile) trip was enough for me. Sig picture tells the rest of the story.

[Itisme]

What they are saying sounds pretty much like good info.

The only way to know is to "know". Read the sticky thread about legal weights. It outlines what you must or should obey as far as the law is concern ( weight limits of front and rear axles and tires).

If that criteria is met, it comes down to will the tv pull the tt at a reasonable speed.

Then you will have a better expectation of if you should even consider this. This information comes from someone who has tried to tow a tt through hills with an under rated vehicle. Yes it did the job, point A to point B, but I was not willing to do it again.

[ib516]

RatedX wrote:
The trailer weight is 4963. The trailer length is 32 feet with the pin included. The journey to travel is about 3 to 10 miles. Just so to be clear. You all say No?

The trailer's dry weight is likely 4963, which will mean the trailer's travel weight will be 6000# plus.

The Tacoma is rated for a MAX of 6500# with no other cargo and a 150# driver.

Like I said, the Tacoma will be overloaded (likely GCWR, GAWR, and GVWR, if not MTR), so you decide. It will also have the headlights searching for aircraft, so I wouldn't recommend towing at night.

GCWR - Gross Combined Weight Rating
GVWR - Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
GAWR - Gross Axle Weight Rating
MTR - Max Trailer Rating

From what I could find with a 5 min google search, the Tacoma has about 1000# payload. A 6000# RV will add about 600 - 800# to the truck with tongue weight, so now you have room for about 200 - 400# for all other cargo, all passengers, and anything else you might put in the truck before it is overloaded. Sounds iffy to me to stay under the ratings.

[glamisorbust]

You must have been confused in your first post, I just went back and re-read it. You were telling us the PIN weight was almost 5,000 pounds. Most huge fifth wheels only have about 3,500 pounds of pin weight, maybe that's where you got confused. Either way, that tacoma was built to haul a couple of dirt bikes or a small utility trailer with some firewood, not a large trailer of any kind at all. The trailer probably weighs 5k empty, but after you add water, spare tire, all your food, camping gear, all your clothing, bedding, etc. you'll add a few thousand pounds in no time. Generators aren't included in the information on that sticker inside, either. Half ton would probably struggle with it too, you need a minimum 3/4 ton pickup to be safe, even driving a few miles. We all see way overloaded 1/2 tons almost daily. Fact is, the 3/4 ton pickup is what you need. It is built to tow, where the half tons and mini trucks like the tacoma are not nearly heavy enough frame, axle, brakes or engine wise. Eventually you'll want to drag that trailer a few hundred miles, so just get the right truck in the first place.

[Vulcaneer]

RatedX wrote:
The trailer weight is 4963. The trailer length is 32 feet with the pin included. The journey to travel is about 3 to 10 miles. Just so to be clear. You all say No?

Are you sure that is the trailers GVWR? Give us the trailer year and model. We can help.

But with the info we have now, get a half ton.

[CKNSLS]

+1 NO NO NO NO!

Buy a Tundra if you want a Toyota product!

[bmanning]

Not to pile on but I have to agree that that length of trailer is too much for a Tacoma; they are excellent little trucks but just too narrow and small for that particular task.

And for the record I am not the "you need a diesel dually for that pop-up" type so that makes my opinion legit (lol).

Properly equipped half-ton would be a nice match for your RV; 3/4 ton even more ideal but not entirely necessary.

[hmknightnc]

RatedX wrote:
The trailer weight is 4963. The trailer length is 32 feet with the pin included. The journey to travel is about 3 to 10 miles. Just so to be clear. You all say No?

Hi Rated. I know most people on here (including me) are telling you something you don't want to hear but that trailer is to much for a Tocama. The distance (3 feet or 300 miles) you are pulling it has nothing to do with type of vehicle being used on the highway. That trailer needs a heavy duty 1/2 ton based towed vehicle minimum. And if you fully loaded it and carry a bunch of passengers/stuff in the tow vehicle you might even over load a 1/2 ton and need a 3/4 ton.

In the end it is your equipment and your choice.

[RatedX]

The trailer weight is 4963. The trailer length is 32 feet with the pin included. The journey to travel is about 3 to 10 miles. Just so to be clear. You all say No?

[jerem0621]

Wasn't there a thread recently where a member had a short toy hauler and it was too much for his brand new Tacoma. He quickly upgraded to a F150 with a max tow package.

[ib516]

I'd say that would end up pretty overloaded.

[Vulcaneer]

That Toyota cannot "handle" 6500 pounds. It may be able to tow it, though. But it can only "handle" maybe 1000 pounds...as in total payload capacity. Subtract from that all the weight of passengers, hitch, and all the junk you carry. Then see if the tongue weight of the LOADED FOR CAMPING...trailer is less than the payload capacity you have left.

I kinda doubt it. Go for a bigger truck.

Incidentally your numbers are faulty. Not a 4963 pound pin weight on a 32 foot trailer. That may be DRY weight. But dry weight means nothing when calculating tow capacity. Use the GVWR rating of the trailer. That is a closer estimate.

[hmknightnc]

4963 yellow sticker dry weight is probably more like 6000# pounds minimum (could be a lot heavier with size of your family). So you are looking at a hitch wieght of at least 600# and probably 800-900# not including what every else you are carrying the truck bed

Absolutely no way a Tacoma can safety handle that kind of wieght. Period. You need at least a heavy duty equiped half ton based Tow Vehicle.