I am in the market for what will be my first truck. I'm looking for a truck that will maximize my fuel economy, minimize the size, but something large enough to tow some items on my wish list. This wish list includes an eventual pop-up camper (1,500 - 2,000 pounds) and also a boat (18-20' cabin walk about....about 4K to 5K pounds).

I'm purchasing the truck first and am trying to educate myself on towing specs but it appears that I get different towing limits for the same vehicle from different websites. For example, one site indicated tacoma can only tow a small fraction of what the tundra can, but I just read a thread on here that indicates the 6 cylinder tacoma may tow even more (???) than the tundra (6 cylinder).

So my question, is there a dependable source for determine the towing capacity on these vehicles? I suspect the owners manuals may be the best option but are these available online? No offense but I do not trust what a Toyota (or any dealer) salesman tells me on the car lot....I know they are motivated to sell me the vehicle and may not be completely accurate.

Is top tow weight my only concern or are there other things that I should consider when purchasing a truck with a primary interest in towing these recreational items? I'm told that maybe a 4x4 would be preferred due to slippery boat ramps in Florida? This makes sense to me? Thoughts?

Thanks for the help.

You need to add other things to your request.

Such as ...

How much room do I really need? Can I get by with a Tacoma crew cab or do I need the DC Tundra beacuse of the amount of gear and people I will also have with me?

If you are going to tow on a regular basis (still don't understand why large boats come with a trailer and people haul them around, buy a boat, put it in the water and leave it there, it is after friggen all a GD boat), or are you a once a month camper / boater?

If you are going to tow on a regular basis, not used to towing and not used to a big V8, buy the DC Tundra with a 4.6L V8, it has enough grunt to get you there while towing your toys and will get decent enough milage. If your gonna tow your boat (still don't get this one) on a regular basis then either go big or go home. The 5.7 will tow the boat (again your at sea level) with no problems, get decent milage and be a nice truck (the 4.6 will also be a good truck). if you need more grunt, find a diesel.