I like that you are realistic about what your truck can and can't do. Also I like the fact that you mention the mpg and the need for some people to get a bigger truck. When I had camping trailers I always used 3/4 trucks. One with a mounstruos 7.1 gas engine paired to a Allison transmission. But my daily drivig was rough. So, people have to decide what type of truck they want before deciding on the trailer. Therw is a lot of rv dealers that tell you your car can tow anything and that is dangerous.

I have same truck/color, yours is really sweet, thx for helping me understand about towing!!!

I love your setting on your truck bed. Super cool. We are a bike racing family and always carry five bikes with us on my camper and truck. 4-6K rpm on a highway with towing sounds a bit crazy!

Nice, informative video, thanks. We have a 2017 Taco, not 4X4 that pulls our Casita RV with ease. Casita has very little storage space so we put most of that in the truck bed and have a Tonneau cover. Sometimes we need more to carry a pop up or our blue tank for gray water. Am very interested in your rack above the Tonneau cover, please.

Great video. My wife and i got a 2018 Rockwood Roo and it weighs about 4000 pounds and my truck can tow 6600 or so. I would not want to toe anything heavier. You are absolutely correct about frontal area and drag....The Roo is a big brick for sake of argument. I seriously considered upgrading to a Tundra. I just am afraid about the fuel economy of the Tundra...a wee bit thirsty.

Intense and valuable info bud. To all the needed points. Thanks. You may be the next million mile Toyota owner. You look ready for Grand Canyon, have fun.

Great looking truck! I pull a small toy hauler and 4 dirtbikes with my 2009 tacoma 4.0L 6 speed manual without any problems. Its not fast in the mountains of colorado but it never gets hot or anything. Ive had the oil tested after a few long trips with the trailer and the test showed no additional wear on engine oil. I absolutely love my tacoma! Best vehicle I've ever had by far!

Great video, looking to hual a travel trailer with my tocama offroad 4x4. I will be looking at a lite to stay in that 3,000-4'000 dry weight

Great video! Well spoken and on topic. Thanks!

Thanks for the video. I have a 2012 Tacoma TRD sport looking to tow a light toy hauler with 3-4 dirt bikes. This was very informative. Thank you

Darryl - we tow the Apex Nano 193 BHS with our 2017 Taco and it’s the sweet spot like you said. I definitely wouldn’t go any heavier. Running 33’s on 2.5” lift and also get the same 8-10mpg like you.

I towed several small 14 foot boats with my 2003 2wd Tacoma, 2.7L four banger. It towed them with no problems BUT the transmission was the weak link. I now tow a 16 foot cuddy cabin or a 24 foot travel trailer. I did change my tow vehicle to a 5.0L Chevy Express cargo van. I can now go up steep grades with no problems with the AC on! I had a deep sump finned aluminum trans sump added with a secondary external trans cooler. The trans has never got higher than 190 degress even in 110 degree weather.

This taco looks absolutely beautiful.

Beautiful taco, bud. So, I am going to be towing almost the exact same setup as you, however in addition to 4.88 gears which I have, I run heavy duty Dakar leafs, upgraded intake and exhaust, and an OVTune, as well as I spent the money to use lightweight AGM battery for the truck (18 lbs vs 52 lbs), and a bank-breaking lithium ion for the trailer (23 lbs (single) vs 70 (dual)). I love your bumpers, but they (and the winch) must add at least 75-80 lbs. Weight adds up! Regardless, beautiful setup, and thanks for the well-done video.

I tow a Coachman 17blse toyhauler, 3750 dry with a weight distribution hitch and a Voyager elec brake control. With my v6, 07 4x4 access can Tacoma. So glad that I say this video to be more aware if my speeds because if trans temps and towing in overdrive. I just never thought about it.

I barely heard what you were saying cuz I was taking in that truck lol. I have a grey 18 4runner off road, similar clean look and stance to yours. Nice truck man!

Very informative. Thank you for the video.

your truck looks amazing. i've been going back and forth with the idea to get a tacoma or tundra.

I totally agree with messing with the height of the hitch. Good work!

Dream truck. One day. You have a pretty nice setup btw

I use my 08 Tacoma with 4.0 to tow cars, so far the biggest car was '15 Toyota Venza V6 AWD. On a 95 miles trip I got 18mpg. This truck is excellent for it!

I have a 2017 Tacoma Sport. I bought a used 2003 Accord. Towed it home on a tow dolly and my truck did great. Any steep hills or stopping on a hill suck. But i have a 6 speed.

They should put the 4.7 v8 in the tacoma I think that motor would best serve this truck!

My father and I collectively own three Taco’s: a V6 TRD Manual, a V6 Prerunner Auto, and I have an I4 base with a 5-speed. The V6 6-speed is the best setup for towing. We are constantly towing cars and enclosed trailers (up to 20ft) with the manual V6 and while it certainly could use some more power: I cannot deny that it is a fantastic towing platform.

Nice setup over your bed! Do you have a video of how you set that up?

What kind of rims, tires, and lift do you have on your Tacoma it looks amazing.

Nice setup. I'm towing a Jayco hybrid, dry weight 3750 (4200 loaded), 8 ft wide. Tacoma does fine except for strong headwinds. What's your setup/products on your bed? I'm wanting to be able to carry a couple kayaks and maybe a couple bicycles too. I have the stock bed cover on mine as well.

You hit the nail on the head! I tow my toy hauler at 5,000 lbs with my 08 4.0L screaming. 7 mpg. I never want to see 6500 lbs. Best thing is the long wheel base keeps it good and stable.

I just purchased a 2018 Toyota Tacoma 4X4 with the V6 and automatic. It is equipped with a tranny cooler, engine oil cooler and a power steering cooler and it's rated @ 6400 lbs towing capacity. I don't in tend to tow anything over 4200 lbs UVW and with my trailer loaded and the back of my truck maybe around 5000 lbs GVWR max.

Thank you for sharing this video! It is not easy to find detailed info on towing RV’s with light Toyota trucks. Im purchasing a travel trailer for my 08 4runner V8 4x4. These built trucks often exceed GVWR on their own. If not, they exceed combined GVWR with an RV. If not, they exceed max payload and if not, they exceed max rear axle load rating. Curious to know if your Taco is above GCWR, or rear axle load. Diesel truck owners have the same issues with their rigs. It isn’t a matter of truck size, but the factory ratings themselves. How do we manage these overages when towing large rigs with built 4x4’s? Here’s my setup: • ‘08 4runner V8 fully “overland built” on 33’s with cargo and passengers will weigh right around 6000lbs. Below GVWR and below 1475lbs. max payload • Next summer: Keystone 220 Bullet RBI, at 26’ overall, 4700lbs dry, ~5700lbs loaded with empty fresh tank. • Trailer weight is below the 7k max rating. • Tongue weight is be below 700lbs rating. • Gross combined weight of truck and rig will be just under the 12k max rating. • However Tongue weight + payload (including bumpers, winch, people etc.) can easily exceed rated payload and more specifically rear axle load rating. Something to consider, and perhaps weigh your entire rig and update your channel with the results? I’ll do the same when i pick up a trailer.

Awesome Setup! I have been trying to decide between the Tundra and the Tacoma........ Looks like I may have to get a Tundra....Dang it! lol

Nice Taco and great info, thanks man.

I have a 2013 Tacoma Sport. I tow a similar narrow trailer called a Jayco Jay Feather 7 22 BHM. I have the long box and wheel base. The trailer dry weighs 4200 lbs and loaded around 4800 with all our weight and crap etc. It is 26.5 feet from the hitch.I can tow no problem for the most part. Long pulls as well I just have to take it easy. Nice set up and Video.

I’ve heard that the 4.55 gears are better for towing with the Tacoma. I’m stuck really not sure if I should go the 4.88 or the 4.55 on my 07 Taco

Great video sir. I have a Nissan Frontier with a 6500 tow limit with 35s and a 5in lift. I'm doing a 5.6 Titan motor swap hopefully to ease the towing rpms.

Nice truck... would love to see a look at the rack setup with the bikes and yaks

Hi, first love your setup. I have a 2013 Xspx 2x4 4.0L Tacoma short bed with tow package. I’m wanting to buy a travel camper and am getting all kinds of different weights to buy, can you guide me a little to what you think is a good camper that would work with my truck, etc make, single axel or double ..... appreciate any help.

That is one sick Taco man! Your truck is showcased on Victory 4x4?

How much additional weight did you add to load capacity with all youre upgrades? beautiful truck!!

what front skid plate are you using? You said 6" lift? I am assuming that you have a diff drop ( diff relocation bracket ). I can not find any skid plate that will fit mine except for the procomp skid.. :/ any suggestions?

Really impressed with your bumpers. Want some for my Taco. Brand and model #?

Loving the wheels what type are they

Nice!! We bought a 17ft KZ camper last fall that tops out at 2,800 lbs, dry 2,200. I’m thinking we are not even half way there on towing capacity. Looking to taking it out this year.

Very good looking truck!

I'm getting ready to purchase a trailer around the 4k weight. What hitch would you recommend? I've heard good things about the Tekonsha P3 Controller for the brakes... Thoughts

OMG, Love your dog! .. the bacon toll .. too funny!

I would be curious to see what the weight of that setup scales at. My RV has a dry weight of 9000lbs...actually weight is 12900lbs. When you start reading the fine print and figure out what is not included in the "base weight" you will be stunned. For example, one of the slides on my RV was not included in the base weight because it was an option. The RV industry is notorious for overloading equipment. It is a very nice looking setup.

Do you have a link of the lights that are install in the front grill? ( on top of the “Toyota” emblem)

Sick looking truck 👍👍👍

How are the stock mirrors working for you with the 7.5 wide trailer? I’m thinking about pulling a 7 wide cargo trailer and don’t want to use mirror extensions or change my mirrors.

I have a 2013 tacoma with a 4.0 and pull a 32.9 ft sunset trail camper. Dry weight is 5700 lbs and haven’t had any problem pulling it

The lift and tires look solid 🔥

I know this video is 2 years old. I'm looking at getting the same TT but my truck isn't nearly as modified as yours just mostly a stock trd OR. I have a question, what is your total payload with the setup in the video?

What weight distribution hitch are you using? I need one for my 18 TRD Pulling a 2155bh Coleman.

I have a question.. After you hook the trailer up to your Tacoma is there a button in the Tacoma truck that you press in order to tow or you can just put the truck in drive and go ahead and tow?

What is the Bluetooth app for getting the transmission temperature? Any information on that will be appreciated and where to get the codes and set up.

Hey Stud.. I'm more interested in the kayak and bike set up!! What do you have going on there?? I have an 05 taco with access cab and the same color.. Nice set up you have there though!!

Thanks for this. The one thing I worry about though is how little people talk about the GCWR--it is an essential number as it is what our vehicle is rated to haul and pull all at the same time. The GCWR of the '18 taco is 11,360, if you are towing 3800 dry I assume you are probably at 4400 fully loaded, plus the weight of the truck at 4450, yours is heavier with those beautiful wheels, tires and bumpers which puts you at, let's say, 9300 pounds. That leaves about 2000 pounds for people and payload and you have to include the tongue weight in the payload which leaves you with about 1500 for people and what is in the bed of the truck. You have to be at or max/the limit. Now, to be sure, often the factory GCWR limit is determined based on the limit of factory tires which are no where as tough as what you have. But, you must be running at max. We have to stop what we pull... The GCWR is about brake capacity as well. For everyone out there, get your trailer weighed when it is loaded up--it is amazing how much all our stuff weighs...thanks again, you have a nice looking rig, be safe out there.

How do those knobby tires do on the freeway w/a trailer? Primarily w/regards to sudden stops.

I towed a 5K load (3 series BMW on a steel tandem car trailer) the way from NJ to WA state in the dead of winter a couple years ago without any issue whatsoever...(including mountain passes) with my 2008 4.0 6spd MT TRD OFf Road Tacoma....Never used 5th gear and took it slow and easy though. those P3 brake controllers are a quick and easy install and definitely worth the $!… The MPG did suck though...Barely over 10! 😝

awesome vid... any thoughts on a new 2018 Taco Offroad towing 4000 lbs Uhaul trailer 3500 km across Canada 4-5 day trip? thanks

I’m digging the kayak and bike mount on the truck. Does anyone know what brand or where he got it?

How about lawn equipment trailer or towing a Small Kubota loader backhoe ? In the market for new truck but thinking of downsizing to smaller truck.

You have your Tacoma rigged super nice 👍 I had the Tacoma 2012 loaded. Today I drive a full size 2020 GMC Elevation 2.7 Turbo and love how it tows from Miami, Fla to the Smoky Mountains. RV Dry weight 3780 19ft long and total wgt with passengers & gear 4800; Fuel avg 10-11 mpg's but when i stay in Florida 12-13 mpg's. Fuel is major, i have paid round trip $740 in fuel and for an extra 2 mpg's gained that changed to $400 and yes fuel prices are great now but will they stay that way? As for power I can no longer see myself in a Truck with less torque then engine HP's. That torque is needed in many scenarios more so when climbing. On east coast, short mountains but steep grades. Been to Colorado and that's massive lol especially on the IKE with a 7% grade and 11k feet in elevation. But for the most part the grades and turns were pleasant. Also love how my new trucks transmission breaks on the down hills. My Tacoma just didn't do that with our last trailer 3300 dry weight. All we own in this house is Toyota with the exception of my "pickup crew cab" Appreciate the video. My change came since i tow often my boat and we RV camp every chance we get. So towing for me is important.

That is a sweet looking truck! Looks like a beast. That is one feature I love about my 18' Chevy Colorado. I can see my transmission temp and tire pressure on the dash with the press of a button on my steering wheel. Didn't get above 148deg F on my cross country tow of around 4,800 lbs in a cargo trailer. The 8spd transmission has a granny first gear and seems to adapt very well/instantly for towing. Got 15.1 mpg with my 4WD. Not making any changes to increase off road. My fuel economy and towing would likely plummet. Well... maybe skids and a front locker would be nice. Lol

With a auto- trans,what gear selection do tow in?

Thanks for that info! I’m planning on buying two brand new jet skies plus a truck to tow them to the beach on the weekends. Do you think a Tacoma is good enough to haul two jet skies? Or do you think it would add too much weight for sudden slowdowns and stops on the highway?

Do you think you’ll ever make bumpers for like the Chevy Colorado

I have a 2022 Tacoma sport 4x4 on a 1” lift and 285/70/17 setup. I plan to tow something similar. You think I will be ok towing if with bigger tires? I know I will have to go under 55mph but just trying to get some feedback. Thanks !

Very educational video!

Great looking 🌮 you got there

I have an 07 taco, same height and tires as your blue one, yours suspension I’m sure is far superior to my basic set up. I have 17 Jayco jay flight Baja edition that sits high. About 3045 lbs dry, 20 ft tongue to bumper. My taco is a 6 speed with over 200k, dual exhaust and k&n air filter. This truck is fast and geared high. First question, did anything I’ve mentioned raise red flags to you? Second question do you think that brake control you have is compatible for my07? My rig has full factory tow package. Any advice would be appreciated. I dragged it home from PHX without brakes.......I could have been more prepared, it’s important to me to ensure everyone’s safety, and that shit was not safe.

I tow an 8x17 toyhauler that weighs 6500 lbs dry with my 2015 4.0 Tacoma. Added airbags and it does the job. Just keep them out of overdrive and speeds around 60mph. Towing is not a race despite what people seem to think. I also have a 2017 f150 2.7 ecoboost which has now broken down twice with only 15k miles on it towing the same trailer.Yes the ford tows it way easier but if it doesn’t get me there 100% of the time it’s useless to me.

I've towed an A-frame and now have an R-Pod with my '17 SR5 V6 Taco. It's got plenty of power for either. They're both around 2400lb empty. I don't use WDH with it. Manual says "sway control for trailers >3000lb, WDH for trailers >5000lb". I'll be adding sway control to the R-Pod. I also added airbags to the rear suspension to level the rear since I'll usually have 100-200lb worth of stuff in the back (paramotor, generator, fuel, tools and bits). The airbags really help with porpoising. With the a-frame, I'd usually get 15.5MPG. The R-Pod is taller, but it is narrower. I expect I'll average about the same, of only slightly less. My last longer trip (about 550 miles one way) towing the A-frame, I monitored trans temps with the Torque Pro app. The highest I saw was about 218, which quickly came back down. When starting, I turn ECT Power on and shift to S4. Once up to speed I turn off ECT Power off, then either shift to S5 or D. It will almost never get into 6th gear. It'll stay in 4th or 5th most of the time. I monitored trans temps while doing this and found that it managed shifting just fine, and never got hot. The peak heat I saw was when I accelerated harder to pass or something like that. Overall I love my Tacoma, and think it's a great TV for smaller and lighter campers.

That fender mod is nice! What’s that brand? Looks great.

so is towing with the manual transmission more ideal?

Using my overland taco rig, I towed my camper that has a dry weight of 4400lbs and when loaded it’s probably around 5200lbs…it drove great. I had no issues but lately I’ve been thinking about adding some airbags, better bump stops and changing the rear shocks to some 2.5 smooth body shocks with DCAs to just improve the overall ride quality. I don’t tow it all the time. I have it parked for months on end then when I start a new project elsewhere, I then move it. Am I dumb for having all this weight when I do tow it?

Did you have to make changes to the suspension?

Good choice in trailer. I have the 245bhs 4600 dry

What about beefed up suspension. Front and back coilovers and leafsprings with aal's ?

Aren't you suppose to be in sport mode (4th) when towing?

Nice truck!

you have a really really nice truck.

Great video and advice. Where did you get the cool boat/bike rack?

I just bought a Taco and I’m interested in towing a camper. Could you please point to the parts you talk about in your videos? Specifically your hitch and sway controller. Thank you.

We have an 07 Toyota pre runner v6 4.0 with tow package. Just got a trailer… dry weight 4995. Several people at the dealer confirmed we can pull 6500. And signed a form that we are ok. Your thoughts????

Lift package, bumpers, winch(?), tire size, rims all affect the tow package parameters. The bumpers alone are likely 1-200lbs difference. I have an ARB winch bumper, Warn winch, 265 tires, 3" lift, topper, oan the Access cab though, so there is likely 3-400lbs off the payload, but the Access cab is likley 150lbs lighter than the double cab. All that has to be considered.

I keep hearing about not running in the higher gears when towing. My GMC had a towing button that locked out the overdrive gears. How do I do that in my Tacoma?

Think you are right on about the weight being below 4000lbs because the dealers don’t tell you to figure in all the gear, propane, water and anything else. There is a video of a family pulling a 4400lb camper across the USA and he said it did just fine in the moutains too, just not reall fast going up hill. I”ve been looking for a camper for my 2017 Tacoma too so good info, just wondering if you have a issue with high cross winds on the highway with that length of camper?

just found your channel, great videos, what happened to the nitto tires?

Where did you get the black TRD 4x4 decal?

Those wheels are awesome

What do u get mpg without pulling anything?

hey Darrel. I wont be towing much with my Tacoma Pro but would really like to get the bed set up you have for this is something I would use same way and really like your set up. Also I have a 18 pro but would like to do same lift set up as yours. Sure like to do exact same set up. Also what is your average mpg when not towing just running on hyw and running around with this set up. Oh and how do u like the MTs you have over the Ridge grapplers you had? What MTs are they for it looks lots better with those MTS. I commute in mine and put about 600 miles a week on so how is the ride also compared to stock . man that is sweet.

Hi nice video so my question is do you tow in 4 th or 3 rd I’m new to towing have a 2012 Tacoma v6 ?

Would re gearing it help?

Just bought a 2021 Taco. Gonna be towing a 20 travel trailer thats 3200lbs dry. Was towing it with a Sequoia 04 with 4.7. I would not want to tow anything any heavier. Flat low elevation teran should be no problem. Elevation and then air is a concern.

First thing I do with any automatic truck is add a trans temp gauge. My 03 double cab was towing a 3500 lbs camper trailer & I ended up havine to add a external cool as the stock one built into the rad sucks.

Good looking tacoma budd

What model Curt WDH do you have?