05/06 Tacoma Towing

[geneowens]

Is anyone towing a camper or small fifth wheel with the Tacoma? How much towing weight, etc? It looks like the distance from the cab to the centerline of the rear axle on the DC is about the same as on my T-100 access cab and it towed a 4400 pound fifth wheel with no problem [3.4/190hp engine]. Any thoughts, recommendations - I'm still shopping for my Taco!!!!!!!

[j4x4ar3]

Originally Posted by geneowens

Is anyone towing a camper or small fifth wheel with the Tacoma? How much towing weight, etc? It looks like the distance from the cab to the centerline of the rear axle on the DC is about the same as on my T-100 access cab and it towed a 4400 pound fifth wheel with no problem [3.4/190hp engine]. Any thoughts, recommendations - I'm still shopping for my Taco!!!!!!!

Wouldn't even consider a 5th wheel. Pin weight would cause you to exceed GVWR very quickly once you added people and stuff. I'm towing a 26' Travel Trailer with a loaded weight of about 5000#. That's about 600# on the hitch (10%-12% of trailer weight. Wouldn't want to go much heavier. Pin weights on 5th wheels are closer to 20%. Not sure if I would even do a 5th wheel with a Tundra either since weight ratings are similar to the Tacoma. Stick with a travel trailer with a dry weight as close to 4000# as possible. Check the RV.NET forums as well as there was discussion on using a 5th wheel hitch on the composite bed. 5th wheel hitches though attach to the frame under the bed so the composite is a non-issue. Even with the long bed though I would image a slider hitch would be in order.

[RockyMtnRay]

Originally Posted by j4x4ar3

Wouldn't even consider a 5th wheel. Pin weight would cause you to exceed GVWR very quickly once you added people and stuff. I'm towing a 26' Travel Trailer with a loaded weight of about 5000#. That's about 600# on the hitch (10%-12% of trailer weight. Wouldn't want to go much heavier. Pin weights on 5th wheels are closer to 20%. Not sure if I would even do a 5th wheel with a Tundra either since weight ratings are similar to the Tacoma. Stick with a travel trailer with a dry weight as close to 4000# as possible. Check the RV.NET forums as well as there was discussion on using a 5th wheel hitch on the composite bed. 5th wheel hitches though attach to the frame under the bed so the composite is a non-issue. Even with the long bed though I would image a slider hitch would be in order.

I fully concur with j4x4ar3's analysis of the weight issues involved with a towing a 5th Wheel with a Tacoma or even a Tundra. To stay below the GAWR (rear) ...after you allow for the weight of hitch itself as well as cargo/pax in the truck...you'd need to keep the pin weight to under about 800 lbs. A 5th Wheel that weighs under about 4000 lbs loaded (around 3000 lbs empty) is therefore the most you'd be able to tow and still stay under all of Toyota's weight ratings.

[geneowens]

I've already answered the question of fifth wheel towing with the Tundra - I've done it with a 2000 regular cab 4X4. Of course the 8 foot bed eliminated the issues about hitting the cab with the fiver. Also, many others on rv.net and many more who are not online are using the Tundra for fifth wheel towing - I've seen them on the road - some with the 6.5 foot bed. Haven't seen the Tundra DC towing a fiver though. There is no problem with the fiver weight on the 00 Tundra!
My nephew's 05 Taco DC 4x4 longbed is longer than my 2000 Tundra but the bed is only 6 foot. I guess the rear leaf springs would be the question and axle weight, etc. but the fiver only weighs 4300 loaded for travel that would be approximately 700 pounds of extra weight on the rear axle. Maybe a travel trailer would be a better choice????

[sprj8008]

My little 5th wheel isn't a problem for the tundra. At 20' and 4000 lbs I'm within the allowable limits of the GVWR and all axle weights. Even with the boss packing every possible thing in the trailer and a stack of wood in the box. I actually pulled into the scales with a full load just to check.

I know of people with 24' fivers with slides running Tundras. Don't do this. A 7000 lb trailer will blow up the shocks and springs and axle and driveline and transmission and cause your family to get a fierce cold in august just before camping...

I wouldn't buy a heavier 5th wheel for this truck. It pulls better than my brother in law's travel trailer of slightly higher weight, but I'm closing in on capacity.

[tacosix]

I was interested in towing a 21' fifth wheel with a 2006 tacoma. I think the weight is about 4400lbs. So i was hoping to get a few insights into hooking one up. Before that, i towed a 18' fifth wheel with a 94 compact toyota. It never gave me any problems, except on the longest of hills. At the same time, there were times i passed larger trucks with larger trailers as well going uphill. The small 18' 5th wheel looked too small on a larger truck. People talk about how you should never tow 5th wheels with small trucks. Some of those large fifth wheel trailers out there should never be on anything but a semi, yet i see it. Nobody can tell me that a large trailer at 28 or 30' or more isnt going to push around a full size truck just as easy or easier. When you try to brake, doing 100kms hr, what is easier to stop with four truck tires and four trailer tires? 9000lb+ trailer, or 4500lb trailer?
Personally, i dont like towing travel trailers. Too much weight on the tail end of the truck. 5th wheels are much easier to hook up, and nicer to tow. A friend of mine almost lost his 26' travel trailer going down hill. It started to sway and get away on him. He looked in the mirror and through the window of the trailer, he could see the opposite wall. Thats to scary for me.

[sprj8008]

That kind of pin weight on your tacoma is going to be a problem. You'll need air bags or add-a-leafs. Probably best to upgrade your shocks as well.

I pull a 4000lb 5er with my tundra and now the chevy. It's lots of trailer for a soft truck. I would imagine it's lots of trailer for your v6 as well.

I figure you won't have a problem with rolling down the highway once it's going, but you'll have to deal with your axle weights to stay legal, and figure out a way to mount the hitch with the composite box. I haven't yet heard of someone getting that done.

Jason

[j4x4ar3]

Originally Posted by tacosix

I was interested in towing a 21' fifth wheel with a 2006 tacoma. I think the weight is about 4400lbs. So i was hoping to get a few insights into hooking one up. Before that, i towed a 18' fifth wheel with a 94 compact toyota. It never gave me any problems, except on the longest of hills. At the same time, there were times i passed larger trucks with larger trailers as well going uphill. The small 18' 5th wheel looked too small on a larger truck. People talk about how you should never tow 5th wheels with small trucks. Some of those large fifth wheel trailers out there should never be on anything but a semi, yet i see it. Nobody can tell me that a large trailer at 28 or 30' or more isnt going to push around a full size truck just as easy or easier. When you try to brake, doing 100kms hr, what is easier to stop with four truck tires and four trailer tires? 9000lb+ trailer, or 4500lb trailer?
Personally, i dont like towing travel trailers. Too much weight on the tail end of the truck. 5th wheels are much easier to hook up, and nicer to tow. A friend of mine almost lost his 26' travel trailer going down hill. It started to sway and get away on him. He looked in the mirror and through the window of the trailer, he could see the opposite wall. Thats to scary for me.

Wouldn't even consider a 5er for the Tacoma. The plastic bed doesn't lend itself to a good 5er hitch. And if you're concerned about weight... 5er pin weight is at least 2 - 3 times more weight.. usually 25% of the overall trailer weight. You don't have that much payload capacity in the Tacoma.

[tacosix]

I'm going to check around to see what some people say. I am putting extra leafs in the rear regardless, I do it with every truck I've had. They just make them to soft from the factory. Question I have to get answered is, is drilling holes in the box voiding any waranty regarding the box breaking?

[j4x4ar3]

Originally Posted by tacosix

I'm going to check around to see what some people say. I am putting extra leafs in the rear regardless, I do it with every truck I've had. They just make them to soft from the factory. Question I have to get answered is, is drilling holes in the box voiding any waranty regarding the box breaking?

Considering that the instructions for installing the factory front D-Rings require that you drill holes I wouldn't think that you would void your warrenty... I have be told that though by a truck accessories installer though that he will only drill if you sign off on his paper because he seems to think it will void it.

However you shouldn't have to drill for a 5er hitch and if you do then forget it on the Tacoma. The 5er hitch should mount to the frame and not only to the bed. I would check the supports under the bed as it's just 4 bolts that hold the bed on now. May not be much to put a 5er hitch onto and the bed alone will not support the hitch.

[tacosix]

Well, no 5vr actually mounts just to the bed. There are angle brackets that bolt to the chassis and provide a flat surface to bolt the 5vr plates too. The only real issue is just compressing the composite bed between two steel plates?
I asked about the warranty of drilling holes, they said no problem so long as the bed doesnt break next to the holes I drill. Thats understandable.
I planned on putting an extra leaf in the rear to firm things up a little. You cant put much of anything in the back of any light duty truck and it not bottom out on the rubber stops. Now I'm wondering if I should just get a lift to raise the front up as well? So where is a good place to order an easy to install front lift. Also, does it void warranty?

[smile711]

Hello.

I'm now retired from 30 years in the service, and my wife and I are new to this Web site and to the Toyota Tacoma forum. We are buying a truck to tow a 5th wheel. Neither has been purchased yet.

That said, we are searching for a safe and reliable way to install a gooseneck assembly onto the bed of a Tacoma 4Dr. dual cab. The Tacoma is our selection because of size (we can garage it) and because it's a Toyota. We have come to rely upon their incredible reliability and value over time.

The 5th wheel we are getting is considered one of the lightest on the market: the Scamp 19ft. 5th wheel. Its weight is one of the reasons we selected it. The others are its modest, sensible overall size (for us) for storing, cleaning, etc., and the ability to totally customize it with many options we need we need for dry camping. For those of you that may scratch your heads over our choice of such a "tiny, little" camper, keep this in perspective: we're moving UP from having used our ALiner 12 ft. pop-up the past 14 years! My wife INSISTS, now, on a REAL bathroom. What can I say? In the Army, a quickly dug trench worked fine... And who needs a real shower? If your buddies and you all smell, nobody notices, right???

Here are the key specs on our 5th wheel:
Length: 19'
Weight Aprox. 2,000 lbs.(dry weight)
Hitch Weight: 400 lbs.

As you can see, it's nothing like our relative's 30ft. MUCH heavier 5th wheel pulled by a diesel 4DR. truck. We want much better fuel economy and size/storage for OUR needs. So that's about it regarding our plans.

Here are my questions to pose to you all:
1. Has anyone had experience towing a Scamp 5th wheel? If so, what did you use?

2. Anyone had experience modifying a Tacoma ('06 or newer) 4 dr. truck to tow as a 5th wheel tow vehicle? If so, what were "warranty issues" with Toyota, products used, etc. Obviously, safety is our #1 priority.

Thanks so much.
JP