Tacoma pulling a trailer

I’m thinking of purchasing a Tacoma, but want to know if it can pull a small camping trailer dry weight about 4,200 lbs. Thanks

 

Welcome aboard. Yes a Tacoma will pull a 4200 lb camper. This was my set-up. camper weighs 4200 ready to camp. 4200 dry will be 5000 ready to camp

 

Your up there towards the max, depending on how far and often your towing might want to think full size truck.

 

I have a NoBo 19.6 came delivered at ~4300#. Taco pulls just fine. You need to be weight conscious with cargo and distribution in both truck and trailer.
I'm about 5000-5100# loaded without water, except the water heater, and my tongue weight is about 11%.
Going up steep grades is slow and steady, but puts a lot of strain on the torque converter. You will need an larger aftermarket tranny cooler and temp monitoring gauge.

 

Tacoma will do it. Hey, it’s a Toyota! But if buying a truck for towing it’s not a Tacoma. Especially at 4K or above weight. Get a Tundra. I pulled a 25-2600 lb trailer about 8000 miles just fine. Then went up to 33-3400 lbs. No way would I go more. Spending hours at 4500 rpm sucks. If we get our Airstream 19 it’ll have to be with a Tundra.

 

“Then went up to 33-3400 lbs. No way would I go more. Spending hours at 4500 rpm sucks.”

That would be awful. I tow a 3,800 dry weight travel trailer and cruise at 2500 rpm going 60mph.

 

I wouldn't buy a 4200 lb dry weight trailer to pull with a Tacoma. Around 4000-4500 fully loaded is a sensible maximum. You'll be at 5000 lbs minimum after you get gear in a 4200 lb trailer. I know the trucks are rated at 6500 lbs, but when they make those calculations they assume a 150 lb driver with no other passengers or cargo in the truck. If you don't have a family and can get everything in the trailer it'll probably be OK.

Your truck will PULL the trailer just fine. The limiting factor is always payload, and every truck has a different payload. Check the sticker on the drivers door jamb where it is printed. MOST Tacoma's will have 1000-1200 lbs payload, but depending on cab style, trim levels, 4x4 vs 4x2, and other options it can vary. I've seen some under 1000, and for a base model Access cab with a 4 cyl engine and manual transmission it could be closer to 2000 lbs.

Your Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is the hard number. The total weight of the truck any options, modifications, passengers, cargo, and tongue weight combined should not exceed GVWR. Curb weight is the actual weight of the truck. They subtract the weight of the truck when it was built from GVWR to determine payload. If you've added anything to the truck, modified it in any way, or keep tools or other gear in the truck it is best to actually weigh the truck and subtract that from GVWR to determine true payload.

The tongue weight of a 5000 lb trailer is 650 lbs. Always use 13% of trailer weight. If you don't get a minimum of 10% the trailer won't tow well, over 15% and it won't either. Then you need to figure the weight of the required Weight Distribution Hitch (WDH). It will be about 100 lbs.

Lets assume you have 1200 lbs payload. After hitching the 5000 lb trailer you'd only have 450 lbs left for passengers and cargo. I weigh 220, my wife 120. That would leave us 90 lbs for other gear in the truck. Theoretically possible, but cutting it close.

Of course if your truck is closer to 1400-1500 lbs payload then you're good to go. If you have closer to 1000 lbs forget it.

 

Ours is a 3,500# single axle Jayco Hummingbird. Have pulled it from Bellingham, WA to Milwaukee WI and Phoenix AZ and back. Love it. Previously I'd rented a couple of camp trailers to get the feel of it before buying the Jayco. Heaviest was 5,600# Coleman - way too heavy in my mind. I don't think I'd ever go over 4,500# with a Taco again. Just too much tail there wagging the dog.

 

Go for it. She will pull it just fine. This is 3900 dry. Great tow with proper WDH hitch.

 

Grand Design 17MKE
5100 lbs

 

I sold my truck because of this. I wouldn't recommend (at least in the midwest). Depends what your expectations are and where you're located. You'll see a wide variety of opinions with a lot of people saying it tows great with another crowd that push the envelope with 30' travel trailers. They're lying. It tows, that's it. I wasn't personally a fan of redline driving while getting passed by various SUVs. (We have a 3300lb camper)

 

With tandem axle and WDH it’s no problem, even on the hilly west coast

 

What style / model I-Go do you have??

 

The camper was made by Evergreen RV. They have since gone out of business but there are still alot of them out there. The model is the 189 FDS (Fridge, Dinette, Slide) It is only 19 feet long from tongue to rear bumper.

 

Yeah man, I get that it's a Tacoma forum and all, but there are too many "it can do it all" fan boys that don't give realistic feedback and pitfall newcomers. I'm currently between the thought of diesel and a powermax...

Nice rig! Been seeing a lot of those maxes around now that I'm shopping for them. I tend not to leave suburbia too much unless venturing out for exciting food though, hah. I'd agree, I've yet to find even a country road shot to hell (except minimum maintenance). I look forward to going to the Denver area from here next trip instead of Omaha, although I'm sure it'll look eerily similar. Hot shot?