Can a V6 Tacoma pull a 22' Cruiser?

Yes, 32 mpg is not something anyone is going to get in normal driving. But it is an interesting statement of the possible physics of energy and weight. The Ford F150 did not break any of the rules of physics but none of us would see that kind of mileage because the laws of physics reward ultra slow acceleration, maximum use of coasting, turing the engine off rather than idling, high pressure tires, etc. If you go to the website Bill posted you will see 45 mph was the most efficient speed and delivered 33.9 mpg at a constant speed. Not a cross country speed I would want to drive at.

I only mentioned it because the twin turbo V6 does seem to take a full sized truck to new levels of efficiency. On the other hand, when the V6 was used side by side in performance tests against the big block engines its mileage was very similar to the big engines. Since I tow far less than I drive empty, the concept is interesting to me.

Ron
 
Kevin,

California has some of the more onerous laws when it comes to towing. According to this site http://www.readybrake.com/state_laws.html anything over 1500 lbs must have trailer brakes. You also must be able to stop within a certain distance. Several States specify that this distance is 40 feet while traveling at 20 mph, not sure what California's laws are. Many States also dictate that you must carry a fire extinguisher. Most C-Dory's I know already have this covered but I tow various trailers frequently and did not know of this requirement. (Fortunately I have one in the bed of my truck)

My experience with towing is that the most important decision as to a vehicle's ability to tow is it's ability to both stop and avoid an issue.
 
That Tacoma that Hardee pulled the 22 CDory with was a 6 cyl and was an automatic. Yes, it would have been scary to take it on any kind of road haul! The Tundra does a much better job. Be nice to have one of the new big Tundra's or a nice 3/4 ton RAM diesel. Ah well... :roll:
 
One thing we must remember is we are talking apples to oranges from the older Tacoma which only had a tow capacity of 3500# and was a much smaller truck. The newer Tacoma 2005 and beyond is the same body size as the older Tundra and has a 6500# tow capacity and is a much heavier vehicle. I would never tow a 22 with the older Tacoma, however on my 07 it towed quite nice and I have dome many trips from Sacramento to Washington with it, cross winds most of the way.

Now that being said I ended up with issues with the drive train and bought a Titan, and unlike Pat, the previous owner did not cut into my electrical harness. I make the same trip back and forth, however it is a much safer and comfortable ride.
 
Don and Brenda":1kn3t0kg said:
One thing we must remember is we are talking apples to oranges from the older Tacoma which only had a tow capacity of 3500# and was a much smaller truck. The newer Tacoma 2005 and beyond is the same body size as the older Tundra and has a 6500# tow capacity and is a much heavier vehicle. I would never tow a 22 with the older Tacoma, however on my 07 it towed quite nice and I have dome many trips from Sacramento to Washington with it, cross winds most of the way.

Now that being said I ended up with issues with the drive train and bought a Titan, and unlike Pat, the previous owner did not cut into my electrical harness. I make the same trip back and forth, however it is a much safer and comfortable ride.
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Thanks Don for clarifying the difference between the older and newer Tacomas. Two bad this was not said in the first response but we all go off on tangents sometimes. That being said:
If you want to pull with a Tacoma get the later models. As Don said as well as others with Tacoma experience not opinions due to different tow vehicle experience. It can be done, beefier truck, larger tow capacity.

Tow package: Tacomas with a 6,500-pound towing capacity are V-6 models with an optional towing package. The towing package includes a 130-amp alternator, heavy-duty battery, seven-pin trailer hitch connector with converter, auxiliary engine oil cooler, auxiliary transmission cooler.

I had the TSB (Toyota Service Bulletin) done to the suspension with changed the the 3 leaf springs to 4 leaf springs which raised the back an inch or two but fine with me. When I towed the cargo trailer (2000+lbs) I had no sag at all in the rear of the truck and pulled fine on I-5 (flat freeway as well as crossing over on 20 to Clear Lake which is foothills type roads with some good uphill and downhill grades. Pulled and stopped fine. I am sure a larger truck pulls better and better ride but like one poster said you need to dance with the partner you have - haha. As many have said, no matter what tow vehicle you have, keep the speed down, keep your distance, be alert and you will do fine.

Cheers all!!
 
There are several generations of Tacoma. The older generations could tow 3500 lbs. My 2004 has a 5000 lb tow capacity for example. The 05 and beyond offered a 6500 lb capacity.
 
Adequate, yes it can if the numbers work. It will not be a comfortable, relaxing ride over long distances on the highway, windy roads or steep hills, and down right scary if you have to make a quick stop.

Very important are the length and weight of the tow vehicle.

Longer and heavier is better (vehicle should be heavier than that what you are towing) Tacoma is a pretty light pick up. I have an 05 pathy with a 4 litre, rated towing 6000 lbs, and it is maxed out for travelling at what I assume is 4500 lbs of trailer. When I towed my 5000 lb Arima, it was the tail wagging the dog. My wife commutes with the pathy so most of the time it is not towing, gets good gas mileage and is easy to park. But is not a tow vehicle. It sucks gas when towing.

My ideal vehicle for towing would be a crew cab domestic, 3/4 ton or 1 ton, diesel. But, my wife is up next for a new car.
 
A Fishin C":3nny9f5i said:
<stuff clipped>(vehicle should be heavier than that what you are towing) <more stuff clipped>
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Really?! I don't know where I'm going to find a 10,000+ lb pickup to tow the Tomcat. Even a Silverado 3500 HD only weighs around 10,800 and a 2500HD only weighs about 6400-6500lbs (but it's rated to tow up to 14,000 lbs).

As for the "tail wagging the dog" effect that some have expounded on, I think that the best solution to this problem (regardless of the weight of the trailer relative to the truck) is to have good trailer brakes. With the electric over hydraulic disc brakes on all four wheels of the Float-on trailer, my trailer will stop the truck quite nicely. I've had to dial back the aggressiveness of the brakes on the trailer brake controller to keep the trailer from pulling too hard on the truck while braking.
 
Funny rogerbum, you got me.

That was something I had read somewhere. Of course there is the weight of the passengers and gear in the vehicle.

So I guess you disagree about the vehicle to pull a 22 C-Dory should be more than 4500 lbs, after all that's what we are talking about, right? :wink:

Stefan
 
Stephan,

No, I agree that a vehicle to tow the 22 cruiser should probably weigh more than (or around) 4500lbs. I just don't think one needs a truck designed to tow 10,000lbs to pull a 22 C-Dory safely as some are advocating. But do make sure you have good trailer brakes and make sure they work. Now that I have electric over hydraulics on the Float-on trailer, I'm not sure I'd want to go back to surge brakes.
 
I just pulled my 22 from Charlevoix, MI to Cary, NC with my 4WD, 6 cyl 2010 Nissan Frontier crewcab. I had no problems at all. I was able to maintain highway speed all the way through the WV mountains.

I won't say I didn't feel the 22 back there but I never felt overwhelmed.

The Tacoma and Frontier are similar sized vehicles (I like the ride much better in the Frontier) so I expect it would be a similar towing experience. HOWEVER, as has been pointed out, recent small Frontiers and Tacomas are much heftier than a 2001. I think you would find that vintage pickup challenging as a tow vehicle.

I have a single axle trailer.

I do notice that the Frontier sits a little low with the 22 hooked up but not so low that it affects handling or clearance.

After that long haul, I towed my CD 16 to the lake for a presale sea trial. After towing the 22, I can confirm that you do NOT feel a 16 back there :)
 
My 1st gen Taco pulls a 16 like a canoe :)

Installing good quality airbags will make a world of difference. They're adjustable (good for hauling wood and cabovers too). When I towed my 22-cruiser around, definately knew it was back there, but I NEVER felt like the truck was being pushed around. I have BIG 16 inch wheels and tires (from an 05 Taco) which make a big difference also.

I guess I'm not understanding the problem, it seems all the "the tacoma is too small" opinions are from those that have never pulled a 22 with one. My V6 pulled it fine, even in 5th gear on flat, sometimes down to 3rd on long grades in southern Oregon (for example) just tuck in with the big rigs. I NEVER tailgatethe vehicle in front of me, no matter what I'm driving. When you're out on the freeways (like I-5) there's usually a lot of room to just get in the slow lane and cruise at 55MPH. Sure it takes a LONG time to get to Seattle, but at least you're dancing with the partner you brought :)

That's my (last) 2 cents :)

Would I love a Tundra? Yeap. Might I get one soon? Yeap. Do I love my Taco? Yeap. Haven't found anything it can't do yet.
 
matt_unique":2ikqq56t said:
There are several generations of Tacoma. The older generations could tow 3500 lbs. My 2004 has a 5000 lb tow capacity for example. The 05 and beyond offered a 6500 lb capacity.
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Good info!?!
 
As I said before, the little truck pulling the big boat story continues......And I do hope your insurance is paid up because if drive long enough and far enough, well stuff happens you know.....And when it is a big boat, a little truck, and an arrogant my truck can do anything driver at the wheel, it seems to happen more often. I concede none of us would do that though.

BTW, there is nothing wrong with pulling a CD 22 with a vehicle rated to do the job. I pull mine short distances with a full size bronco on occasion and it is rated to pull nearly 7000 pounds. I don't drive it on the highway very fast because even though it is rated for around 7000 pounds, it just doesn't pull the CD 22 that well (or feel that safe) and I have something that does it better - an F-250. In fact, I would suspect the Taco pulls better than the bronco due to the longer wheelbase even though the Taco is rated to pull less. Those darn laws of physics.......Go figure, a case where the rating is overstated (my bronco) and doesn't really matter that much......Or maybe the Taco can really pull 12,000 lbs if you use the bronco as a meter stick.....


The point is, pull your boat with what you want. This is like the single vs. twins argument all over (and over) again. It doesn't matter as long as you use your head, use an adequate tow vehicle you are experienced towing with, and stay within the ratings. Will the big ford tow better? Yep....Will the yoda do it? Yep..... But they won't do it the same....If it makes you feel better, the Taco does parallel park better....LOL...
 
MilesandMiles":1de8smxx said:
My 1st gen Taco pulls a 16 like a canoe :)

Installing good quality airbags will make a world of difference. They're adjustable (good for hauling wood and cabovers too). When I towed my 22-cruiser around, definately knew it was back there, but I NEVER felt like the truck was being pushed around. I have BIG 16 inch wheels and tires (from an 05 Taco) which make a big difference also.

I guess I'm not understanding the problem, it seems all the "the tacoma is too small" opinions are from those that have never pulled a 22 with one. My V6 pulled it fine, even in 5th gear on flat, sometimes down to 3rd on long grades in southern Oregon (for example) just tuck in with the big rigs. I NEVER tailgatethe vehicle in front of me, no matter what I'm driving. When you're out on the freeways (like I-5) there's usually a lot of room to just get in the slow lane and cruise at 55MPH. Sure it takes a LONG time to get to Seattle, but at least you're dancing with the partner you brought :)

That's my (last) 2 cents :)

Would I love a Tundra? Yeap. Might I get one soon? Yeap. Do I love my Taco? Yeap. Haven't found anything it can't do yet.
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Indeed Miles - You know the saying, everyone has an opinion, just like everyone has an A#####E. Why people posted on this thread that have no experience using a Tacoma pulling a 22 is beyond me which was the original question from the OP. Some have nothing better to do I guess. I do not own or have pulled a 22 but posted because I have asked the same question in another thread with same results. Interested in a 22". It comes down to common sense and that's it. If you don't get that then you should probably not own a boat anyway.
 
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