Towing Lance 2185 with a Tacoma or 4Runner

cwstrang wrote:
Greetings all!
Is anyone towing a Lance 2185 with a V6 Tacoma or the V6 4Runner? I would be very interested in your experience.

Thanks in advance, Craig

If you are going to buy one of those vehicles, I recommend the V8 4Runner, produced from 2003-2009. I have one, tow a 21.5' Rockwood travel trailer with a slide, GVWR for the TT is 4700 lbs. I use a WDH hitch and get NO sway whatsoever. My 'runner is rated for 7000 lbs towing and 1095 lbs tongue with a WDH. It tows it fine, and we go up and down a lot of grades. The 4.7L V8 in the 4Runner is a tried and proven ultra-reliable engine.

I tow a 2180 with a Jeep Commander with the big engine. Besides all the engine comments here, consider tow vehicle wheelbase to trailer length for the 4Runner. My Commander has all the power in the world to pull the trailer. It is still squirrelly at speeds with a WD hitch and clamp-on sway control. Now saving for a different hitch.

..But the Lance trailers are great!

I'll echo what the previous posters said. It'll do it but it won't be very pleasant. Also, the previous poster made a good point about the low tongue weight capacity on the Tacoma (600 lbs). I towed a Lance 1685 with a Tacoma 4x4 v6 double cab long bed from Seattle to Yellowstone and back through Oregon. It made it, but it had to work in the wind and on hills. And the v6 in the Tacoma isn't very pleasant to listen to when working hard. Stability was fine with that smaller trailer though. I enjoy towing with my 5.0 F150 tons more, and I now tow a much bigger trailer. Among other things, the small gas tank in the Tacoma is a real buzz kill. I was looking for fuel every 150 miles or less.

Something to consider...my F150 only cost about $5k more than my 2011 Tacoma did, but the F150 is so much more vehicle, and in my mind a much better value. Leather, heated seats and mirrors, moonroof, etc are all things you can't even get in the Tacoma. Also, towing mpg is identical between my F150 and the Tacoma (10 mpg), and unloaded freeway mpg is within spitting distance. Try not to fool yourself that the Tacoma is more economical cause it really isn't much. I average 17 mpg in all around driving in the F150, and I was just under 19 mpg in the Tacoma. Not enough in my opinion to deal with so much less truck.

You won't like it. 3930 dry brochure weight will be 5000lbs loaded. Dry tongue weight is 500lbs. I think you'll be over the receivers rating or right at the edge. I towed a 4050lb TT with a Frontier V6 and it was a dog. Roughly the same motor (V6) as the Tacoma. Mpg will suck and I see you live in Oregon so you know that everywhere you go except I-5 from Portland to Eugene you will be climbing some hill mtn to get somewhere. Our TT was also 6" narrower and about the same height.

cwstrang wrote:
Greetings all!
Is anyone towing a Lance 2185 with a V6 Tacoma or the V6 4Runner? I would be very interested in your experience.

Thanks in advance, Craig

I towed a 4,000 lb 24ft trailer with a V6 Tacoma..........................towed from dealer to home.....................................................then promptly went and purchased a V8 Tundra.




V6 Tacoma was rated to pull it(6,500 lbs), but it was erractically shifting any hill, took a lot of gas pedal to keep the speed and was not as safe feeling stopping & handling, etc.....Might work great with flat towing, but would tend to wear out a truck if used a lot to pull that much weight & trailer.

Markiemark