Tow package not reflected in tow capacity on the door sticker

In March, I bought a used 2009 Toyota Tacoma Access Cab 4.0L V6 rear wheel drive w/4x4. It was in great condition with only 90,000 miles and a list of every oil change and maintenance service. It does not list a tow package so the door sticker states tow capacity at 3500lbs. But it does have a frame hitch, seven pin connector, brake controller, trans cooler and another dealer I took it to said it looks like it has a tow package meaning a 6500 tow capacity. Do they change the door sticker if a tow package is added later? How do I know my tow capacity if it's not on the door sticker? Last April, thinking I could tow 6500lbs, I bought a 3660lb dry weight trailer (will be ~ 4200lbs loaded). I can't seem to get a clear answer from my local Toyota dealer. Thanks in advanced.

 

Check and see if you have this donut under your oil filter. If you do, you have the tow package. But from everything else you listed, it sounds like you do

 

Also, welcome aboard!

 

Thanks!! It does look like I’ve got that ‘donut.’ So should I assume it was added after original purchase? It does not come up with the vin # and, as I mentioned, not reflected in door sticker. Also, is it still legal to be towing >3500lbs if it’s not on the door sticker? Sorry about all the questions but I’m new to towing and To Tacomas.

 

I believe you have the tow package. I’ve never seen or heard of a Taco with that oil cooler that didn’t have the tow package. Even if all that was added after original sale the tow capacity would not officially change. Only the manufacturers can modify the official tow max weight after it leaves the factory.
I have a 2009 TRD 4x4 with tow package. The tow capacity is not listed on the door jamb. It basically shows gross vehicle weight and gross front and rear axel weight. Again I’ve never seen that oil cooler on anything but a factory tow package.
But if you are saying using the vin # it shows 3500lbs tow capacity then that’s what your official tow capacity. Something ain’t right. The factory tow package also installs a heavy duty 130 amp alternator. I don’t know exactly how to check for that.

 

It's certainly possible to install the parts of a tow package yourself. I just finished adding a trans cooler, oil cooler, 130A alt, 7-pin wiring, brake controller, and an OEM hitch to my 06 PreRunner. The legal tow rating is still 3500, and it sounds like your VIN reflects that as well. If you kill someone or are otherwise in a lawsuit, you could have issues, but there are no tow rating police out there running VINs and checking scales.

Be safe. Be smart. And welcome!

 

Welcome to TW!

Do you have a transmission cooler? I think the tow package Tacoma's came with a pink fan as well (I'm not 100% sure since I don't have an automatic 2nd gen anymore). Can you take a photo of your hitch and seven pin connector?

 

• Thanks, Zaitsev77 For the input and welcome. I was afraid of that. Wtjl240, a tech at the toyota dealer thought one if the lines in the photo was for a trans cooler. Not sure where to look for a pink fan, but I found something that’s pink.

 

Looks like you have the tow package. That was the pink fan I was referring to. The transmission cooler will be a small rectangle in front of your radiator

edit: also what does the sticker say on your hitch receiver? My 2018 doesn’t say anything but my f150 has a sticker that says what it’s rated for. I can’t remember if the 2nd gens have a sticker that says anything or not

 

Also see this thread as it may be helpful.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/towing-package.458272/

When you say it has a brake controller installed, can you follow the wires under the dash and see how it’s wired up? If it plugs into a pigtail then you definitely have it. If it’s hardwired then things may be different

 

Well I hate to keep playing devil's advocate, but I have a pink fan hub from the factory. You can see it in the background below along with my oil cooler in the foreground.

That said, your hitch AND 7-pin look like OEM. There are so many aftermarket options for 7-pin plugs that are way cheaper than OEM and work exactly the same, so if all the things you've shown so far, that's the most confirming thing to me that you have the tow package.

Also, most people would never put the OEM transmission cooler on since there are MUCH better aftermarket options, so if you can post a picture of the front of your radiator behind your grille, that would pretty much guarantee you have the tow package from the factory.

 

Wtjl240, thanks for all this help! I do have the rectangle in front of radiator and I believe my brake controller is plugged into a pigtail. The brake controller wires are the red, white, and blue ones to the right. There is no tow rating on my hitch receiver...it just says to check owner’s manual. So I see everything is pointing to a tow package so can all this be added after factory? Is there any ‘updating’ done on a VIN#?
Thanks also for the link to the tacoma towing bible. I ran across that awhile ago, but it will be really helpful to dive into it again after I have learned some. Oh and thanks for your descriptions of what to look for for this newbie....I can do colors and geometric shapes pretty well.

 

Everything looks factory to me. If someone went through all the trouble to add all that then they spent some $$$ doing it.

One other thing you could check is run your VIN through decodethis.com. Sometimes it'll show the tow capacity, sometimes it won't (and it may show 3,500 lbs, I wouldn't worry about it). However, after looking at everything you've posted, I'd say you have the factory tow package and would be fine to tow over 3,500 lbs.

I see you've found the towing bible thread as well. Study that and become familiar with how to calculate your weights and you'll be fine. Just remember your hitch weight goes into your payload capacity of your truck. We have a 5,000 lb camper and once we were loaded up (5,500 lbs) my truck really struggled and the camper would push me around. Most people try to stick with the 80% rule of your tow capacity. Our previous camper was an 18' Rockwood Roo that weighed about 3,700 lbs dry so loaded up we were right around your weight. It handled that much better than our new camper.

 

I have a 2009 I bought new with tow package and there is no pink anything around the fan area. Possibly in newer models but not the 2009. Your frame mounted hitch should be a class IV (class 4) if it has the tow package. The hitch should show the class rating stamped on it. You need to look for that.
I’m wondering where exactly you found the tow capacity based on the vin#. Could you show us a copy of the page you found that shows the tow max. I know that there is an official Toyota Motor Corp. site that you can obtain lots of information including tow capacity using your vin # . If that’s where you got it then the manufacturer max tow weight is 3500lbs as you stated.

 

As someone who installed all the components on a non-tow package truck, I'm like 96.9% sure you have the tow package. It would be insanely OCD and EXPENSIVE for someone to install 100% OEM tow package. The factory wiring harness alone is a PITA to use and you have to do some incredibly in-depth mods to the fuse box. You have the tow package. You're good.

 

Picture of door jamb sticker?

 

I bought my 2009 Tacoma from a Toyota dealer in March 2020 where the original owner bought it and did all the maintenance and oil changes. Inside and out looks mint. They did not list a tow package associated with VIN and I didn’t do my research and just assumed it had a tow package added later because of the hitch and 7-pin. Actually, it was an impulse buy. My brakes on my old Subaru started to go all of a sudden a mile from the dealer and I glided into the dealer parking lot parking with just about zero brakes! I was either buying something or finding a hotel since I was hours from home. Anyway, on 2 different occasions techs at the local Toyota dealer said they thought I had a tow package but did not look as closely as you guys have helped me look. I mentioned that the door sticker still says tow capacity 3500 lbs and they said that was before the tow package although the service rep said the tow package was not listed with VIN#. I posted this question because I started to doubt I was legal pulling 4000lbs. I saw on another forum that you can be stopped and they check your door sticker and TT dry weight on registration (mine is about 3660lb). I’ll try pulling up my VIN # myself. Again, I so appreciate all the input. It looks like I’m potentially safe pulling that weight but maybe not legal. I love my Tacoma and don’t want to feel I have to go bigger. I’m getting close to the GVWR of 5350 lbs with the WDH, but I think I can redistribute some weight and the hitch maybe set 1/2-1” too low. I’ll be studying the towing bible next.

 

Sprig, thanks for your input. It is a class III hitch.

 

Out of curiosity, how did you figure out it was a class III hitch? It looks dang near identical to the OEM class IV I just installed. Most of the aftermarket IIIs only bolt to the frame and don't have the piece that connects to the bumper support.

 

Sometimes pictures help...
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