Toyota Tacoma 6500 GVWR MAX

[Airstreamdmb]

My Tacoma has a GVWR of 6500. Can this tow an Excella from the 70's. does this figure include the weight of the truck too or just trailer and contents.

[lucca53]

I think it will depend on the size of the excella you want.

[johnhh]

I too have a Tacoma and have been asking myself the same question. Everyone here will tell you the Tacoma doesn't have the reserve capacity to make it a safe tow for a 4500 lb trailer. When I have run the numbers there is just enough capacity if you balance the trailer to keep the hitch weight around 450 and don't overload the truck. And stay in the midwest, mountains will be tough. This, of course, basically agrees with "everyone here".

As a reference, I did take my 67 21 ft. Safari 3400 lb. dry weigtht out west last year with the Tacoma. We went all over, including into Yosemite via Tiaga pass. It had enough guts for that, and I would do it again, but a Tundra would have been better.

I'm in Chicago so I typically stay in the mid-west (ie, disappointingly flat) so the Tacoma works for me.

And,,, make sure you get the leaf spring upgrade to the 4-leaf set. There is a Toyota TSB for this that puts it under warranty. The standard issue 3-leaf set is for a comfy ride and bottoms out under weight.

And, all this is based upon the 2005 and later Tacoma. If you have an earlier Tacoma, forget it.

[72safari23ft]

I have a 2006 Tacoma 4dr long bed and a '72 23ft Safari. My trailer has a dry weight of 3600lbs (literature based weight, I have never actually weighed it) and the two are an excellent match. My longest trip has been 2600 miles and I averaged between 12 and 15 mpg. We pack as much as we can including to small children and two small dogs. With my equalizer style hitch set up properly the truck is very close to being level.

Only a few years of trailers made in the 70's are this light. Most are at least 4500lbs dry. I personally would not want any more weight behind the Tacoma. I would love to have a bigger trailer but, won't buy one until I have a larger tow vehicle.

[triplenet]

I have an '02 Tacoma 4wd TRD with 6 and 5-speed.
I tow my tractor with it. Trailer and tractor is about 6K lbs.
No scary issues with handling. We have some very steep hills, which really pulls the speed down.
On flat or moderate hills it's fine.

Bob

[TouringDan]

Airstreamdmb

A GVWR of 6500 means the total weight of the truck and all its contents can not exceed 6,500 lbs- The empty truck probably weighs about 5,000 lbs., so you have maybe 1,500 lbs max for people, cargo, fuel, and the tongue weight of the trailer. I suspect you need to keep the max trailer weight in the neighborhood of 4,500 lbs. This means the empty weight of the trailer and all the stuff inside (cargo, propane, water,food, towing equipment, etc.) The first step is to weigh your truck with all the people, cargo and a full tank of fuel. What you have left over is theoretically your max tongue weight. You also need to make sure that you don't exceed the max rear axle rating and the Gross Combination Rating for the Tacoma and the trailer combined. Take a good look at your owners manual.

I suspect that a reasonable limit might be something like a 3,600 lb dry weight Safari 21ft, vintage 72.

Dan

[Airstreamdmb]

im surprised because my current trailer is a brand new Jayco 23 ft and it weighs 4,165 lbs dry weight. I towed it this season to Acadia Maine and back. Tongue weight is 370 lbs

[Mhenry2712]

I have a 2011 Tacoma quad cab v6 2x4 TRD w tow package. 6500 GVWR tow rating which is for the Trailer. Adding a Electronic Brake controller (suggestions welcome) and thinking of getting either Air Bags or an Active suspension system (Roadmaster Active Suspension, rear leaf spring suspension, simple installation, improve road handling, reduce sway, reduce dangerous body roll on cornering, eliminate bottoming out, eliminate wheel hop, eliminate axle wrap, strengthen the rear leaf s) is a wd and sway hitch over kill?
Want to pull an 19 or 23 ft AS international...

[Road Ruler]

Mhenry.... IMHO A good WDH with sway control and the brake controller would be the 1st item on the list.
Then work from there to make improvements as required.

[waltero]

Another satisfied Tacoma owner, I tow my 73 Tradewind 25' with the Toyota, 4.0 Litre 6 cyl, 6 speed manual transmission. We live in Central Virginia and have plenty of mountains and tricky roads. Also use a Reese dual cam set up and have done well thus far.

walto

[Mhenry2712]

Thanks everyone for you're advice, I feel comfortable with towing a 19 or 20 ft international, but worry that a 23 ft (which is what I want) is just two much for long trips. Regardless of what trailer I get, Im adding A Brake controller, WD sway control Hitch, and Roadmaster Active Suspension kit.
Ive read on the Tacoma forms a couple people pulling 19fts AS and one guy who pulls his 23 through the rockies no problems.

[Airstreamdmb]

Originally Posted by waltero

Another satisfied Tacoma owner, I tow my 73 Tradewind 25' with the Toyota, 4.0 Litre 6 cyl, 6 speed manual transmission. We live in Central Virginia and have plenty of mountains and tricky roads. Also use a Reese dual cam set up and have done well thus far.

walto

do you happen to know your weight of your 73 AS

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by Mhenry2712

Thanks everyone for you're advice, I feel comfortable with towing a 19 or 20 ft international, but worry that a 23 ft (which is what I want) is just two much for long trips. Regardless of what trailer I get, Im adding A Brake controller, WD sway control Hitch, and Roadmaster Active Suspension kit.
Ive read on the Tacoma forms a couple people pulling 19fts AS and one guy who pulls his 23 through the rockies no problems.

Let's see if I can push you over the edge to the 23....
It will tow easier, with less bouncing and sway, because it has two axles. They will tend to want to keep the trailer going in a straight line more than a single axle trailer. Also, the two axles will help in backing, because the trailer won't try to turn as easily, again the axles trying to keep things going straight. The 23 has more room inside, as well (duh!). As long as it doesn't exceed your tow rating, it would be a good choice.

[zedex]

My 06 taco with towing package tow's my 04 22' ccd with no problems whatsoever. Just take it easy on long hills,don't use overdrive ever, and you wont blow anything up.

[Mhenry2712]

Originally Posted by overlander63

Let's see if I can push you over the edge to the 23....
It will tow easier, with less bouncing and sway, because it has two axles. They will tend to want to keep the trailer going in a straight line more than a single axle trailer. Also, the two axles will help in backing, because the trailer won't try to turn as easily, again the axles trying to keep things going straight. The 23 has more room inside, as well (duh!). As long as it doesn't exceed your tow rating, it would be a good choice.

@6000 pounds Its 92% of my 6500 tow rating loaded... It won't being "pushing" if I jump! Generally except for safety Im willing to put up some negatives on the pulling. I've pulled a bouncing Front end loader on a 30 ft trailer...

[Airstreamdmb]

Originally Posted by Mhenry2712

@6000 pounds Its 92% of my 6500 tow rating loaded... It won't being "pushing" if I jump! Generally except for safety Im willing to put up some negatives on the pulling. I've pulled a bouncing Front end loader on a 30 ft trailer...

Thanks. I'm going to be towing a 1965 Ambassador that weighs 4,000 lbs approx after completion. has brand new axles on AS that I just replaced.

[engineshow]

We bought our FC 25 RT in Feb 2014 and have pulled it over 4000 miles, 30 nights from FL to Canada this year. Our tv is a Toyota Tacoma long bed 4 door 4 wheel drive with a factory towing package, 5 speed automatic. The AS weights 5300 lbs. with a gvw of 7300. Based on the factory spec of 6500 lbs, tv and the 11000 total gvw we remain below although marginal at time below the weights. We average 13.5 MPH and have traveled through the Blue Ridge and Adirondack mountains, we tow at 55 MPH plus or minus 5MPH.

Chuck
Hampton VA
25 ' flying cloud rear twins
2007 Toyota Tacoma