Small Trailer for Tacoma

[rfporzio]

Hi all, I'm looking at small trailers in the 13-14 ft range that would be suitable to tow behind my standard cab 4wd Tacoma. The contenders are the Jayco 145RB and KZ 130RB. I like the extra windows, aluminum roof, larger tanks and 4 stabilizer jacks on the KZ. I'm just not sure if I'm comfortable with the 13inch wheels. Any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated. I want to keep my price point in the $11,000.00 -$13,000.00 range.

[rbpru]

We took a long hard look at an A-liner PUP, if we were going to go small, rather than a small TT.

Still undecided we rented the TT we really wanted, a 25 ft. It was obvious for us that that was the size we needed. But, that meant a new truck.

My point is, go slow, and rent something similar to what before you spend the big bucks.

Everyone was "their" right sized TT. Finding it before you buy save a lot of buyer's remorse.

[LVJJJ]

Don't be afraid of 13" tires. We had them on an '85 Wilderness performed just fine. I prefer 13" as they are cheaper to buy and lower the TT a bit. I want my TT on the ground for better aerodynamics.

[armond05]

Had a 13ft Casita and my family loved it. Sold it because we bought a bigger trailer.

[rexlion]

The weakest link on your 4 cylinder Taco is said to be the rear end gears, because they use a smaller gear set for the 4 than the 6. If worst came to worst and they got chewed up, you can replace with the larger gear set and be done.

Do not expect to win any races. Figure on driving about 55 mph, 60 at most. Keep it out of overdrive. Don't be afraid to slow down and shift down if it's struggling up a grade, and don't be afraid to rev it; the engine is built to work all day at high rpm if it needs to.

BTW, I was towing the KZ and the 17' Burro with a 2008 Highlander V6. But I know of people who tow the fiberglass trailers with 4-cyl vehicles including Tacomas.

I once towed a 13' egg 2000 miles with an '84 Dodge Omni 2.2L 4-banger and 5 speed stick. Less than 100 HP. It didn't hurt the car any. But we were only going 50 mph much of the time.

[GWolfe]

profdant139 wrote:
"Profundit!" DW got a big laugh out of that one -- she accuses me of thinking that I am more profound than I really am.

Lol, sorry about that. I was close, well kind of, ok not really.

[rfporzio]

Thank you all for your input. I do have the 4cyl. Its appears that if everything is set up properly I would not have any issues towing. I will talk with my tire guy once i get the specs. on the tires. If we could only get the temp. up above -15 here I may be able to venture out to the dealer.

[profdant139]

"Profundit!" DW got a big laugh out of that one -- she accuses me of thinking that I am more profound than I really am.

Anyway, yes, that's me -- see the blog links in my signature for descriptions of our trips with our 14 footer and of our Tacoma and the trailer itself. Fun Finder no longer makes a really small trailer, unfortunately.

A Tacoma built for towing (the bigger engine, the trans cooler, etc.) will do just fine -- we have gone into the darndest places -- steep hills up and down, sand, ice, mud, you name it. Slap on a set of really good tires, though -- the stock passenger tires could not stand up to sharp rocks on the forest roads.

Let me know if you have specific questions!

[rexlion]

I had a 2011 KZ Escape E14RB, basically the same floor plan as the 130 you're looking at. Mine came with a lower-mounted axle and 14" tires. Even at that I had a blowout in year 3. 😞 I note that KZ lists an Off Road Package, with 15" tires and extra ground clearance; is that available on the 130RB? If so, you could factory-order one. Or flip the axle and add larger rims & tires, like MFL said; some Sportsmen Classic owners were doing this (I was on a KZ forum at the time). Definitely worth having more tire capacity; 674 lbs is not a lot, especially if you fill the hot water heater and the fresh tank... that's 215 lbs right there.

A boxy trailer like the KZ took my fuel economy down to about 3 mpg less than the fiberglass egg trailer (Burro) I previously owned. It makes a difference in performance, especially if you hit a strong headwind at altitude. Do you have the 4-cyl or the 6? The 4 will do, sort of, if you stay out of the mountains. But the 6 would be better. A Scamp or Casita will tow more easily. To hit your price point with an "egg" you'd be looking at maybe 8-12 year old trailers. I assume you're aware of molded FG trailers for sale site?

[MFL]

I have a good friend that tows a 13' TT, with 13" wheels, using a 2008 Tacoma. Works well for him. He tows some long distance with it. He even flipped the axle, making it a little taller, for better boondocking clearance.

Jerry

[kcfissel]

GWolfe wrote:
There is a member here, Profundit maybe, that tows a 14' FunFinder with a Tacoma. Hopefully they will be along shortly.

That would be profdant139, I believe.

[GWolfe]

There is a member here, Profundit maybe, that tows a 14' FunFinder with a Tacoma. Hopefully they will be along shortly.

[Lwiddis]

I am not detecting “I really want this trailer” from you.

[rfporzio]

Yes..The Cassita would be my first choice. Just trying to find a nice used one at my price point is the challenge. Although I am not giving up.

[Captain_Happy]

I'd be looking at a 17 foot Casita. Well built trailer that'll last for years and also has a high resale value too. I tow one behind my 2017 Tacoma with row package. And I get on average 14 to 16 mpg towing.