# Want To Tow With A Toyota Tacoma



## dcadran

Hello all,
I'm a newbie to this site as well as to trailer camping in general. Having never owned a trailer before I know that there's a lot that I don't know.

I'm considering the purchase of a 21RS and am wondering if a Tacoma can handle it ok? I've got an 07 Tacoma with tow package. Would the Tacoma need any other mods?

Since this is our first foray into trailers, I'd also like to buy a used one. I suspect we will find things we like and dislike about them and I don't want to spend the money on a brand new one unless I'm sure I really like the model.

I'm in the Portland, OR area. What are your recommendations for dealers in this area?

Thanks all!!! Happy Trails!
Dave


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## PDX_Doug

Hi Dave, And welcome to Outbackers! We are glad to have you aboard.









As to your question, and I wish I could tell you otherwise, any full size trailer - even a short one like a 21RS - is going to be too much for your Tacoma. A quick check online shows a tow capacity of about 3,500#. The dry weight of the 21RS you are looking at is 4,720# and all up (loaded) gross weight is 6,500#. Bottom line, in the most optimistic of terms (which you would never see in reality), you are already overloaded by 1,220#. You just can't do that safely. Sorry.

If you are stuck with the Tacoma, I would look at a pop-up trailer, such as a Coleman. We are also Portlanders, and had one for three years and it was a lot of fun and very versatile. If you have your heart set on a full size hard wall trailer, you will need to look at upgrading your truck to a full size model. The closest local Outback dealers are the two Curtis Trailers stores in Portland and Hillsboro, and Wagers in Salem. We bought our pop-up at Apache in Portland, and they were great to work with.

In any case, and whichever way you go, this is a great place to ask questions, get answers and learn all about the best family pastime around. Whether you own an Outback or not!

Happy Trails,
Doug


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## WYOCAMPER

Great response Doug - that's why you're the BIG dawg!

tracker,
Not much else to add to Doug's post other than be sure to do your homework when shopping for a tow vehicle. Ask a lot of questions here and don't believe everything the dealer will tell you - they want to sell you a vehicle. YOU are the one who is responsible for the safety of your companions and those on the road around you. Good luck!


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## Y-Guy

Dave, hate to say it but Doug is spot on in this case. I saw this on another forum where a Tacoma owner wanted to haul a toy hauler, but the numbers were just not there to do it.

Even with a Popup be careful, some of them are VERY heavy and very squirrelly behind some vehicles.


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## outback loft

Hate to say it, but it is not a good thing to do, I have seen one towing a larger trailer before, but they were also pulled over on the side of the road by a new york state trooper.( I wonder why?) It is just not safe for you, the truck, or the other people on the road.


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## clarkely

Hello & Welcome!!!

I Looked at these specs and it shows the truck rated at 6500 lbs with the tow package.............which would max you out..............
SO.......... if that's the case..........well could you yes...........

I tow at my maximum..............I do not hit the mountains out west.....I have been pulling a trailer for most of my life..........even before i could legally









So it comes down to comfort level.............at this point depends on where your going.......your tongue weight, TV axle capacity..........

if you indeed have a 6500 lb tow capacity........then you can tow it.............If you do not have a lot of towing experience...........it may not be ideal set up to learn on...........

What is your tow capacity? wheel base appears to be 127" according to what i was looking at as well.........


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## dcadran

Thanks to all for your responses. They are much appreciated.

I guess I'm a bit confused by the numbers. Here are the specs for the 09 model. The GVWR is 5450. Standard towing capacity is 3500. Max towing capacity is 6500.

So, where does the weight of the trailer (loaded and unloaded) fit into these?

Thanks again!


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## clarkely

tracker said:


> Thanks to all for your responses. They are much appreciated.
> 
> I guess I'm a bit confused by the numbers. Here are the specs for the 09 model. The GVWR is 5450. Standard towing capacity is 3500. Max towing capacity is 6500.
> 
> So, where does the weight of the trailer (loaded and unloaded) fit into these?
> 
> Thanks again!


I just checked for the "07 because that's what i thought you said you had..........If an 07 then these specs are for your vehicle with a tow package

21rs Has a gross weight of 6500 maxed out (what your axles are rated to carry)

So if the above are your weights and ratings........... Than, when fully loaded you are Maxed out!! but would be with in your ratings.

I do not have any experience with your specific vehicle...........to say one way or another...I can tell you i am maxed out on my set up .............but was very comfortable on my 2300 mile round trip to Florida.


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## California Jim

We have friends who are happily and safely towing with their Sienna mini-van, so there is hope for you. What are they towing? A hybrid travel trailer which for them was a better option than a traditional pop-up.

They bought an 18' Bantam Flier hybrid. Their model is the F18, but the specs for all the units can be found HERE. This particular unit has a dry weight of 2600# and about 260# of tongue weight. There are two larger models to consider that are still within your lower towing limits.

I can personally attest that this unit tows very easily. Even when they followed me up a steep mountain grade they were right on my butt the whole time and were not over heating.

Just another option to consider.

Good Luck


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## clarkely

Are friends tow a Starcraft 21SB with a Honda Pilot, with a tow package that rates him at 4500 lbs max

He had never towed................I helped him out with maneuvering and on the road towing...............and he is comfortable with it.

He has adequate power..........i don't like how short the wheel base and how light the truck is......but he goes slow and steady............and is happy...........


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## Sean Woodruff

I have a customer towing a Star Stream SS24BH with a Tacoma. I'm sure he'd be happy to talk to you about how the Tacoma tows that trailer. It is heavier and longer than the Outback 21RS.


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## jasonrebecca

I know someone that tows a Jayfeather 18 foot model with her Tacoma, she says it tows fine.
I personally have the 21rs and an F150, I wouldn't want anything less.


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## ember

As I read this I get a mental picture of my mother saying "if all your friends jump off a bridge are you going to jump off too???"

Just my 2 cents!!

TTFN
Ember


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## Rob_G

Sean Woodruff said:


> I have a customer towing a Star Stream SS24BH with a Tacoma. I'm sure he'd be happy to talk to you about how the Tacoma tows that trailer. It is heavier and longer than the Outback 21RS.


Let me guess... ProPride??









All kidding aside though, I don't think that there's a issue with stabilization, especially if he did have a ProPride. I think the issue would be power. My previous setup was an 2005 Dodge Durango 5.7 w/no hemi (Max Tow 7200#) with a 2006 Keystone Zeppelin Z291 (4800#). I had the same hitch and brake controller I have now. (noted in sig) I had absolutely no issue with being stable. The issue is going to be power. It's just not going to be there.

I'd really would like to hear what your customer would have to say on this as I have the feeling that his comments might be similar to what I experienced on the power perspective. It would really get rough at times on the hills. That flats of I-65 in Indiana were great, the hills of Wisconsin killed me! I can't imagine that it's that flat in Oregon either.


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## Carey

Im sorry.. Maybe I should be quiet...

I hate to make everyone eat there words.

There is now a trailer line Called the Heartland Edge that will weigh from 2300lbs for the M13 to 3200 for the M21.

They have many hundreds of orders for these. We all think within a few months the orders will be in the 1000's. So these are coming soon at your local dealer.

I am in the process of getting a 53 foot gooseneck so I can haul up to 3 of these at a time to dealers with my dually..

You could tow up to the M19 model with your Tacoma.. Some even have sldes and still weigh in the 2800lb range.

Click for Floorplans

Carey


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## jozway

Unfortanetly until you tow with a real truck you will not no what your missing. Tacoma's are great but have ther limitations. I towed with a f-150 for years and thought it was the best. Thank god i now know otherwise. 
Joe


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## clarkely

ember said:


> As I read this I get a mental picture of my mother saying "if all your friends jump off a bridge are you going to jump off too???"
> 
> Just my 2 cents!!
> 
> TTFN
> Ember


How deep is the Water









I overlooked that oregon was the location...............Still Doable..................but will definitely be out the short end in regards to power....

Would not be enough power for me...................but the turtle did beat the hare


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## Sean Woodruff

Rob_G said:


> I have a customer towing a Star Stream SS24BH with a Tacoma. I'm sure he'd be happy to talk to you about how the Tacoma tows that trailer. It is heavier and longer than the Outback 21RS.


Let me guess... ProPride??









[/quote]

No, Toyota...


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## Collinsfam_WY

Sean Woodruff said:


> I have a customer towing a Star Stream SS24BH with a Tacoma. I'm sure he'd be happy to talk to you about how the Tacoma tows that trailer. It is heavier and longer than the Outback 21RS.


Let me guess... ProPride??










[/quote]

No, Toyota...








[/quote]

















-CC


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## hyewalt34

Hi,

When I bought my 21rs 4 years ago, I had my Tacoma. It had the tow package and was rated for pulling 6500 lbs. I made three trips over to the coast with it before giving up. It was a classic case of "the tail wagging the dog". There was not enough power to safely pull the trailer. The most gentle hill required a shift to a lower gear and most of the time was spent with the "pedal to the metal" trying to get somewhere near the speed limit on the flat land! You were always totally aware of the trailer behind you.

I had convinced myself that the Tacoma was the right truck for the Outback and I had to swallow my pride and sell that great little truck and get the F-150.

Walt


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## Dub

The Tacoma is very capable. I used to tow a 4300lbs dry, 26'7" Fun Finder 250BHS that came in at 5500lbs loaded with gear for 2 weeks plus water. There are a couple of things you must do before towing near the 6500lbs max. You MUST get the rear spring TSB, it's a free upgrade at the dealer where they will add 1 leaf spring which helps a lot. The Taco is the best selling small truck selling more than Dakota, Ranger, and Colorado combined so as a result Toyota sets them up for comfort rather than towing, it will sag greatly without some help. You will need a weight distribution/anti sway device. I use(d) an equalizer 12K model. Works amazingly when setup properly. If you plan on putting anything in the truck at all you will need some load lifter springs or airbags, period. I carried a generator (138lbs), 5 gallons of gas, tools and firewood all around 600lbs in the bed while towing. We towed that setup from Ohio to the top of Maine and all through New England. The Taco's GCVWR is 11,100lbs, we had it weight with 1/2tank fresh and came in at 10,700lbs. Expect to get 9mpg at highway speeds. Add Premium which is recommended for toyota's v6 as it is tuned for it and you will see 1-1.5mpg increase while towing, none when not towing. Slow down to 55mph and you can see 12-13mpg towing near the max. The taco can make it up the hills, but you won't win any races, some steep backcountry roads in mountain country will slow you to 50-55mph. Get some good towing mirrors. Get a good brake controller. I just gave the same advice to someone else a few months ago and they towed from Texas to Florida with a similar maxed out setup and had a great trip.

That being said, when I got the Tundra it was night and day difference. I never felt like the trailer was too much for the Taco or that it was going to go out of control, the truck controlled it very well. But when I hitched that trailer to the Tundra, it didn't make the rear in drop at all, I didn't need w/d or antisway, in fact I never hooked it up and I didn't even notice the trailer behind me...you will notice it in the Taco and be very aware you are towing.

Here is a pic of my rig on the maiden voyage home. We stopped at a campground and left it hooked up and stayed for the night so yes the tongue jack is down as are the stairs.


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## hyewalt34

Code:


That being said, when I got the Tundra it was night and day difference. I never felt like the trailer was too much for the Taco or that it was going to go out of control, the truck controlled it very well. But when I hitched that trailer to the Tundra, it didn't make the rear in drop at all, I didn't need w/d or antisway, in fact I never hooked it up and I didn't even notice the trailer behind me...you will notice it in the Taco and be very aware you are towing.

All I can say is don't pull something the size of a 21RS with a Tacoma. Plain and simple it is not safe. You don't want to put your family and other drivers on the road at risk. You can do it if everything is perfect but it won't be, there are road and weather variables, load issues,etc.

Walter


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## dcadran

Wow! Lots of great feedback. This was great. I guess it's doable but I'd be pushing my luck. And, yes, there are some pretty big "hills" around the Pacific Northwest. So, I guess the answer is to get a smaller trailer or a bigger truck.

Thanks again to all for the feedback!!!!


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## Nathan

tracker said:


> Wow! Lots of great feedback. This was great. I guess it's doable but I'd be pushing my luck. And, yes, there are some pretty big "hills" around the Pacific Northwest. So, I guess the answer is to get a smaller trailer or a bigger truck.
> 
> Thanks again to all for the feedback!!!!


Go for the bigger truck! Fuel economy usually isn't much different, the bigger trucks are roomier, more comfortable, and then you can have that OB in tow as well!!!


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## clarkely

Nathan said:


> Go for the bigger truck! Fuel economy usually isn't much different, the bigger trucks are roomier, more comfortable, and then you can have that OB in tow as well!!!


Plus you help stimulate the Economy









and Bigger is better


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## fishingmarlin

My 21RS and pulling a boat every weekend cost me 3 transmissions in a 98 1500 Chevy Z-71. Lots of dealers and people who DON'T tow trailers will say its all do-able. However I have found that if you follow the advice from they majority of people on here it won't steer you wrong.


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## clarkely

fishingmarlin said:


> My 21RS and pulling a boat every weekend cost me 3 transmissions in a 98 1500 Chevy Z-71. Lots of dealers and people who DON'T tow trailers will say its all do-able. However I have found that if you follow the advice from they majority of people on here it won't steer you wrong.


Can i ask how many miles were on your chevy for three transmissions?

I had good luck, i guess, with my suburbans (Knock on wood), i had never lost a transmission and i have always pulled 6,000 + lb "Dry" weights..........my 95 suburban needed a rear at 150,000 miles .....but that was it.........my 04 (1500) had a good 30,000 miles (like 70,000 miles on it) of Trailer pulling of a 7500-8000 lb trailer....

Either i had really good luck or you had really bad luck with your 1500 transmission.


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## Acadia Hiker

We had a 2005 Tacoma Double Cab PreRunner before we Outbacked and moved up to the Tundra. I used it to pull a 2000 Coleman Utah pop-up with a weight of 3500 pounds. You knew it was back there, but I felt comfortable towing with it, especially with a sway bar. I pulled it to Maine and back and got 18 mpg (on average). It did sag in the back end, that's for sure.

With all of that said, I don't know how comfortable I'd be pulling a travel trailer with it, though one RV dealer said we'd have no problems.









Just do what we did--buy an Outback and a Tundra in a two-day period!


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## peacemakerpete

Hi Tracker
I have a lot of respect for the Tacoma, but I agree with most, that it will be lacking for the moderate weight trailers.

We have a 23KRS toy-hauler that we tow with a 2008 Toyota Tundra Doublecab 5.7 with the 4.2 rear axle ratio.

With an equal-izer anti-sway hitch and fire-stone ride-rites on the rear springs, it is rated at 10,100 lbs gross tow capacity.

I think it is quite up to the task. But if I had the 28KRS, I feel we would need a 3/4 ton pick-up, of which Toyota does not offer

yet. One ATV rides in the pick-up bed and one in the trailer garage. They are both light weight ATV's, one a 250 (2) wheel

drive, and one is a 300 (4 ) wheel drive. I know some people tow with the 2007+ tundras up to 28 or 30 feet, but that is

leaving little margin for weight, like I need with the ATV's.

Check it out.
Peacemakerpete


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