Upgrade the Tacoma for towing or get a Tundra?

2012 double cab 2wd prerunner with towing package, automatic tranny, Leer camper shell...

I'm assuming 6500 max
Looking at trailer has GVW 4500
Betting 1000 pounds of gear would be easy to add not even trying, subtract for bed topper 300-500 lbs(?) and I'm rapidly approaching max

Do I bite the bullet and get a Tundra or try to upgrade shocks, radiator, hitch and sway controls?

Thank you for your opinions

 

Tundra, or....... you just need "more" truck or a whole lot "less" trailer. (an opinion)

 

Based on personal experience, this ^^^^^^^^

 

You'll be able to pull the trailer on flat and level ground, but getting it to stop in an emergency... not so much.

 

The weight distribution hitch for a trailer like that isn't even an option. It's a safety requirement. Even then, you're going to loathe hills. I vote looking at lighter trailers. I wouldn't want to tow more than 3000lbs (my trailer's weight) any sort of distance.

 

Camper or cargo trailer?

You said GVWR of 4500. If its the gross weight as you said, you are well within capacity. If you typo'd and meant to say that 4500 is the dry weight of the trailer, then yes, that's probably too much.

 

Venture RV travel trailer ... lists it as 4480 "UVW"

 

Yeah, I knew it. Thanks for your quick responses. I love that 2012 it's got such low mileage for being ten years old and is brand new looking, so I'll have to decide what to do.

 

Leer cap should be between 180 to 200lbs for a short bed or just above 200lbs if a long bed.

 

My Travel trailer is a 25 foot, 4400 unloaded. I 'can' tow it, but I upgraded to a Yukon XL and kept the taco for my DD.

 

Buy a used truck for the trailer?

 

Have you looked at lighter trailers? I tow a 19' Jay Flight SLX19RB Baja Edition. UVW under 2900lbs. Been towing for 2 years on multiple cross country trips with my 2016 4X4 Sport. WDH and airbags - tows well. I don't set any land speed records; but the rig allows us to get is areas we never could when towing a 40' Weekend Warrior with an F350 Crew Cab. Would never go back to the large rig.

 

Long story short, I keep getting transferred to different cities because I open a lot of accounts in a one to two year span. I can feel a transfer to Charleston in a year coming up after being relocated to savannah

Instead of wasting money on these shithole downtown apartments I was looking to live in trailer year round, so I wanted a Venture 231VRL but for now I'll have to get the Ultra Lite Sonic 15VRB (3k UVW) and make it work

Could be worse, and I can upgrade down the road truck and trailer wise

 

Pongo I'll check out the Jayco, they're all made by the parent corp Thor anyway

 

My brother is a union welder (now retired) and would follow work all over the country. He'd pull his big ass trailer with his F-350, but told me that quite of few of his union buddies had their trailer hauled from one location to another by a carrier service. He said their trailer would be in the RV park and stabbed in the slot by the time they got there.

Could be an alternative...

 

Thats a different story. If you are considering living in one full time, I would go for a trailer intended for that purpose. Airstream or 5th wheel at the minimum, or a "destination" trailer if you like living large. The small, cheap, lightweight models that the taco can tow do not hold up well to full time living. You'll be constantly repairing shit while cursing the lack of storage space to hold your tools.

 

"More" truck = "more" trailer, and and a lot MORE comfort!!!!

You will likely regret anything less than a trailer intended for full time living. (unless you're just a kid with no wife, GF, social life or money - LOL) Then, when you "figure" it out, you'll just throw more money at a solution you overlooked or chose not to explore.

 

I have close to 8,000 miles with a Jayco X213 (5,500lbs loaded) behind my Tacoma (4.0 with the automatic). I tow it in the Sierra Nevada mountains (live at 4,500ft and would regularly take it over passes in excess of 7,000ft). You have to watch the transmission temp (tow in 4, not D) and can't be afraid to make the truck work (2nd gear would hold 55mph over the passes with steep grades. No problem cruising at 65mph. Gas mileage takes a big hit with the trailer.

I have a shell, front bumper/winch, rear high clearance bumper, sliders, skid plates, and 32" tires.



Some have commented on stopping concerns but any trailer of that size will have trailer brakes (my Jayco was a dual axle with 4 electric brakes).

Get a brake controller and weight distribution hitch. With a properly set WD hitch I was sitting level on the stock suspension. I'm running a Dakar leaf pack now. Airbags are for payload and not the best solution for towing.

 

I have 4.0 V6 and tow a travel trailer that’s 3,700 dry quite often with no issues at all.
I did upgrade the tiny tow package trans cooler to lower trans temps and beefed up my rear leaf pack w HD Dakar’s. Also use a WDH.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-tacoma-towing-bible.4031/