Pulling Mission Overland Summit?

Anyone pulling a Mission Overland Summit trailer with their 3rd gen Tacoma? I have a Red Arc brake controller on the way, and I'm contemplating air bags just in case.

Going to be picking it up in NC, and bringing it back to Austin TX.

Curious how it pulls with these underpowered trucks.

 

I have a Boreas Camper, which isn't what you have but very similar, I have found that the Tacoma pulls it quite nicely. I tend to stay around 70MPH when on interstate and often end up having to pass semi trucks depending on the time of day which is done at little to no problem. The most important item to consider IMO is weight distribution and do not overload your vehicle and remembering to Tow in S-4, but if you are on the flat ground with no headwind it would likely be OK to tow in S-5 (possibly against what manual suggests). I have also towed in S-3 for uphill areas just to prevent the constant gear changing, again may not be according to manual suggestions.

I live in southern New Mexico so anywhere I go I will be faced to climb some sort of mountain and I have found that I am quite content with my setup. Towing on mountainous roads in the 45-55mph range is no problem at all and I do not feel limited when towing in this type of scenario, the truck does get a bit loud on interstate travel when crossing through deep canyons but that is to be expected. Most of my road trips are ~300-600 mile each way to camping/hunting/fly fishing destinations, and while the road aspect of the trip may not be the most pleasant I find that driving past the campground or popular spots with the setup is the most rewarding as I generally do not run into anyone else where I camp.

All my trips so far have been with a stock vehicle apart from the 265-75 Duratracs. The Red Arc controller is very nice and works well in off road situations when going downhill.

I have done an overhaul to my vehicle which includes 285-70-17s, re-gear to 4.88, new Alcan leaf springs, King suspension, Archive garage hammer hangers. When I had the truck upgrades in mind I was trying to build this rig around pulling my Boreas camper, I have yet to connect the camper to my new set up but I am interested to see how she pulls this upcoming season.

Oh and gas mileage forget about that, I am lucky to be in the 14-16 range when towing and that was stock! It is for this reason my next upgrade is the long range tank.

If you plan to off road with the camper keep in mind you're basically just dragging dead weight, and if you are ever in doubt about going down a road un-hitch scout it out and make a plan. These types of campers can get through a lot of places quite easily and are very forgiving but there are limitations best to discover your limits before you drive down to an area with no turn around.

Cheers and have fun.


Edit to add link https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/lets-talk-teardrop-trailers.565936/

 

Awesome info - thanks. Really looking forward to picking this up and getting out more.

 

Did you get your trailer? I bought one and have recently put 5000+ miles towing with it. I'm in a second gen, but can definitely give you some first hand experience

 

I did. Aaand I sold it 6 months later.

Not a fan of MO, their QC and customer support, or pulling the Summit with a Tacoma.

 

Surprising, I have no issues with mine and heard great things about their customer support.

Towing hasn't been an issue for me at all, but I don't have stock leafs or suspension so maybe that's helped me have a better towing experience.

 

We have had decent customer service from MO, they have helped/resolved each issue we’ve had so far. It’s probably better than most RV manufacturers, but I do wish there was an authorized dealer nearby.

Tacoma pulls ours just fine. As the manual states, use ETC and S4 when towing.