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Topic ClosedHelp Choosing a Tow Vehicle
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Help Choosing a Tow Vehicle
    Posted: 28 Oct 2020 at 10:34am
Yep, if you look at the Toyota website the 4wd weighs 240lbs more than the 2wd with the same trim. The GVWR and MCVWR are identical. The payload on the 4wd is 240 lbs less. The towing capacity difference is rounded up to 300 lbs. 

I'm with CharlieM though re 4wd for towing, there have been many many times I've been glad to have it, not just in inclement weather but on soft surface roads with steeper grades, and even pulling a trailer up a slight slope on wet grass. 
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Posts: 260 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Oct 2020 at 10:01am
Originally posted by offgrid

...Test drive a few vehicles with tow ratings of 6500 lbs or more and 4wd then decide. 

I found it interesting that in the link I posted that 2WD Tacomas have a higher tow rating than 4WD.  Is that due to the added weight associated with 4WD vehicles?
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Oct 2020 at 9:46am
For me the reason for choosing a full size pickup over a mid sized one would be to have the additional safety margin in weight handling capacity, particularly if you are going to boon dock and carry water and lots of gear in the tow vehicle. 

The fuel economy of a full size pickup vs a mid size is not really significant when not towing and nonexistant towing. For example the 3.5L 4wd Taco is rated 18 city/22 highway vs the F150 4wd 3.5L at 16/22.  Either is going to provide around 13-14 mpg towing on flat ground in the 60-65 mph range. 

Beyond that its what you're comfortable with driving around not towing. You might want to consider an SUV rather than a pickup as well. Depends what other uses you plan on for the vehicle and how many passengers you have. Personally I need two row seating and find the double cab pickups with a "vestigial" 5 to 5.5 foot bed pretty useless as work vehicles, and the full size bed double cab trucks too long to maneuver.   So not being able to afford dedicated vehicles, I use an SUV and a utility trailer for work and the SUV and rpod for travel. 

Test drive a few vehicles with tow ratings of 6500 lbs or more and 4wd then decide. 
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Posts: 260 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Oct 2020 at 9:12am
Here's a (possibly) helpful link:

https://news.pickuptrucks.com/2019/10/breaking-down-the-2020-toyota-tacomas-towing-capacities.html
2020.5 R-Pod 195 Hood River
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CharlieM View Drop Down
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Posts: 1797 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Oct 2020 at 8:47am
Voice of experience here. I tow a similar sized trailer with a 2013 Tacoma in the Rockies and do just fine. Be sure you get the 3.6L engine, factory tow package, and 4WD. The last is important when towing on anything other than I-70 in sunshine. I opted for the supercharger specifically for mountain altitudes but that's no longer available. Even without the SC the Tacoma will get you to the top of the pass just fine. Maybe not first, but way ahead of the 18 wheelers.

You will also want a weight distribution hitch (WDH) like the Fastway E2 and a transmission temperature monitoring device such as the ScanGauge.

Certainly the F-150 etc will tow better but it's harder to climb into for small folks and a lot bigger in town. I (we) considered both but I'm very happy with the Tacoma, both for everyday driving and off to the the hills with the trailer.
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OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD
PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD
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Posts: 260 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Oct 2020 at 8:14am
Originally posted by mjlrpod

I will just cut ti the chase here. The tacoma is absolutely fine for pulling the 196. The only concern would be if you are traveling in the rocky mtns regularly. I pull a 195 (same camper) with a Frontier (same truck) with no problem.


Originally posted by Gypsiejanie

...I"m going to be traveling around the US and want enough umph to get over mountains without putting undo stress on the tow vehicle or going 15 mph....

Well, my take is that Gypsiejanie wants to do just that...tow in the mountains if she so chooses.  How does the Frontier do going up Monarch or Vail Pass?
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mjlrpod View Drop Down
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Posts: 1214 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Oct 2020 at 6:43am
I will just cut ti the chase here. The tacoma is absolutely fine for pulling the 196. The only concern would be if you are traveling in the rocky mtns regularly. I pull a 195 (same camper) with a Frontier (same truck) with no problem.
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Gypsiejanie View Drop Down
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Posts: 16 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Oct 2020 at 3:58am
Thank you for your input. Very helpful.
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Oct 2020 at 7:47pm
Don't worry about horsepower for  a bit, the most important consideration when towing is managing the weight safely. 

Look at the max gross weight of the 196, ignore the empty weight. That is about 4800 lbs. Its not unlikely that yours will end up pretty close to that weight, especially if you fill your water tank for boondocking. 

Tow vehicle towing specs are stated assuming little to nothing in the tow vehicle besides the driver, which is of course unrealistic. So, add about 1000 lbs to cover passengers and cargo in the TV plus some safety factor so you're not right at your TV's limits. That gives you a tow rating of around 6000 lbs for that trailer. 

Your tongue weight should never be less than 10% under any conditions to minimize sway. In reality it will vary between around 10 and 15%, so could be as high as about 700 lbs for a 196. So, the max rated Tacoma at 6800 lbs is probably about the minimum sized TV you should be considering. Up to you if you want to go with a full sized SUV or pickup to have more safety factor.
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Gypsiejanie View Drop Down
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Posts: 16 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Oct 2020 at 7:11pm
Thank you for your input. Much appreciated.
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