Gears, gears gears....did I mention gears? Oh yeah...anyway, I do a ton of towing with both of mine. On the manual, well, drop gears and watch the tranny temp, but not much of an issue(yes, gauge added). On the auto...full regear, I went a little steep with 4:88 on 34s. But I will be running 35s after the Solo Motorsports install, so I geared once.
Now for the tech stuff. Rated at 6000 lbs roughly. Depending on the package you have, they vary from as high as 6700 down to 5800 on the base model 4x4. Staying between 3-4000 lb trailer is excellent when you consider adding people and gear, ice chests and all that stuff. Obviously, choose a good brake controller, and the wires for it are provided when you bought the truck or, if used, cost $20 and use the existing plug if you have the tow package. Make sure any trailer rated over 1500 lbs have trailer brakes. This is the key, which I will explain...
In the 70-00s, only a half ton (F150 or equivalent) could tow this kind of weight reliably due to the MASS of the truck. More weight on the rear axle, less chance of the trailer pushing you around without brakes. These Tacoma’s can pull, but let’s face it, the ass end is light. It can pull the weight, no problem, and actually has more power and in most cases more torque. But they are a small truck. So trailer brakes are a must above 1500 lbs.
Lastly, 30 years towing gives me a lot of experience with all kinds of vehicles. These trucks are awesome, but slightly small. Mirrors are a must. If you only have some to no experience in towing such things, go to a parking lot and practice...a good driver in tow NEVER uses the rear view, only the side mirrors, even when the trailer is off...I hate having to teach this, but too many peeps never no how to back up or look at blind spots in tow. Practice practice practice...lol
Sorry if it seems a lecture, but I do this daily...and yes, I commonly run a 14’ car trailer loaded to the dunes or a 20’ Kodiak Ultralight...
