2nd Gen Tacoma - Frequent Towing an Issue?

[surlydiesel]

This is going to be my first post. Lots of reading and watching but I have an opinion on this one. I sold my F-350 Diesel and went to a Tacoma for DD purposes. Anytime I hook up a trailer, no matter the weight, I still miss the big truck a lot. It was significantly more stable, better fuel milage (16mpg with the Diesel, 12mpg with the Tacoma) and it was less "stressful" driving it. You didn't have to worry about hills, downshifting ect... The only drawback with the diesel is the cost of ownership. I did things to extend oil changes with a quality after-filter. 15-20,000 mile changes, coolant filter and I rotated the tires religiously and checked the front end parts every 5000 miles for tightness. The toyota needs repairs too but far fewer and does handle the weight but it feels really stressed. If I could only have one truck, I would get another 7.3 in a heartbeat and I would DD it. No cash right now and I'm not towing as much as I used to so the Yota fits the bill. If I were towing as much as you plan on, I would figure out a way to keep the "real" truck and not try and overtax a Tacoma with that kind of towing duties. Finally, if you're hellbent on getting something smaller, I also owned a 2002 Tundra for 2 years and that was a great truck, perfect size and towed really well. Gas milage was better than a 1 ton gasser but nothing close to a 4cylinder taco. I get 22mpg with 32 inch tires around town. I always averaged between 18 and 20mpg with a tuner on eco and a light foot in the 7.3. Long rant but I see a lot of people towing with undersized vehicles all the time and it's a touchy topic for me.

 

[aCab]

This is going to be my first post. Lots of reading and watching but I have an opinion on this one. I sold my F-350 Diesel and went to a Tacoma for DD purposes. Anytime I hook up a trailer, no matter the weight, I still miss the big truck a lot. It was significantly more stable, better fuel milage (16mpg with the Diesel, 12mpg with the Tacoma) and it was less "stressful" driving it. You didn't have to worry about hills, downshifting ect... The only drawback with the diesel is the cost of ownership. I did things to extend oil changes with a quality after-filter. 15-20,000 mile changes, coolant filter and I rotated the tires religiously and checked the front end parts every 5000 miles for tightness. The toyota needs repairs too but far fewer and does handle the weight but it feels really stressed. If I could only have one truck, I would get another 7.3 in a heartbeat and I would DD it. No cash right now and I'm not towing as much as I used to so the Yota fits the bill. If I were towing as much as you plan on, I would figure out a way to keep the "real" truck and not try and overtax a Tacoma with that kind of towing duties. Finally, if you're hellbent on getting something smaller, I also owned a 2002 Tundra for 2 years and that was a great truck, perfect size and towed really well. Gas milage was better than a 1 ton gasser but nothing close to a 4cylinder taco. I get 22mpg with 32 inch tires around town. I always averaged between 18 and 20mpg with a tuner on eco and a light foot in the 7.3. Long rant but I see a lot of people towing with undersized vehicles all the time and it's a touchy topic for me.

Understood. Thanks for the great input!

 

[peekay]

They never said that they expect to tow something without feeling it back there or that they need a one ton to tow a popup, but if that's what you need for your show then go ahead a spin it. What was brought out was his experience about what to expect may be different than what the OP was use to with his current 3/4 ton Diesel. The OP has a lot of experience with towing so I have no doubt that he could tow it just fine. Will he enjoy it and want to do it a lot, I think maybe one of the beneficial outcomes of this thread, but it's really up to him to figure that out.

We american's could take a lesson from the rest of the world and stop driving around giant trucks for the status of it. The world would be safer no doubt.
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The person is a world traveler
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See a Taco can tow:
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if you think that a 98 4 Runner isn't that fun to tow a 2600lb pop up trailer, then yes, you are indeed too sensitive. A 2600 lb pop up can be competently towed by a 22R Toyota pickup. If it's not stable, then I would suggest that you add more weight to the tongue. Otherwise, a properly loaded 2600lb pop up should be stable as heck and easy to tow with the 4-runner.

 

[98roamer]

if you think that a 98 4 Runner isn't that fun to tow a 2600lb pop up trailer, then yes, you are indeed too sensitive. A 2600 lb pop up can be competently towed by a 22R Toyota pickup. If it's not stable, then I would suggest that you add more weight to the tongue. Otherwise, a properly loaded 2600lb pop up should be stable as heck and easy to tow with the 4-runner.

I'm not too sensitive but I do read before I post, I already covered the solution for my issues towing a light popup.

Now for something helpful to the OP.
Read all the fine print:
http://www.wheelkinetics.com/sales/10475/Ford_Diesel_4x4.html

 

[Clutch]

if you think that a 98 4 Runner isn't that fun to tow a 2600lb pop up trailer, then yes, you are indeed too sensitive. A 2600 lb pop up can be competently towed by a 22R Toyota pickup. If it's not stable, then I would suggest that you add more weight to the tongue. Otherwise, a properly loaded 2600lb pop up should be stable as heck and easy to tow with the 4-runner.

A 22R can barely get out of its' own way, let alone tow "competently". I should know I owned a couple of them, didn't learn my lesson the first time.

 

[downhill]

if you think that a 98 4 Runner isn't that fun to tow a 2600lb pop up trailer, then yes, you are indeed too sensitive. A 2600 lb pop up can be competently towed by a 22R Toyota pickup. If it's not stable, then I would suggest that you add more weight to the tongue. Otherwise, a properly loaded 2600lb pop up should be stable as heck and easy to tow with the 4-runner.

What gear are you in and what RPM on a 6% grade? I want to know what you define as "too sensitive". The people I know with 22r's are downshifting with empty trucks on any grade they hit.

 

[thinkingman]

What people tend to forget about towing is....is stopping all the weight, especially in an emergency stop. Could end up killing someone or yourself, because the tow vehicle was inadequate.

I have done plenty of white knuckle towing when I was younger, it isn't fun.

First post, but I'll weigh in (hurr, hurr)
The engine torque only gets you going.
The brakes and suspension are what keep you on the road.
The Taco is undersprung to begin with, and towing at or near the capacity is going to be more exciting than your track time. (just kidding, but mountains and curves are unforgiving)
Rear suspension upgrade is mandatory.
I towed a fully-loaded DCSB with a 3500lb ski boat over the Cascades in mid-summer.
I did not lack for power and was pretty impressed with the cooling.
I have a 6sp manual, and would not attempt it with an automatic.