how come everyone is flashing Me

[Glenn Baglo]

You say your trips are very short runs.
I tow my Escape 17 without the WDH on a short run when I can't be bothered to use it.
I'm no mechanical engineer, but I think you'll be fine.
I'd get the WDH installed ( since you already bought it ) and use it for longer trips, if it's not a problem for you. But, if you're having a bad day, then just don't use it.

[hillary]

The hitch part of the WDH is heavy (I swear it feels at least 10 times heavier than a normal hitch with a ball), but if you used a receiver lock you could probably just leave that part on the Tacoma all the time. The bars themselves aren't that heavy, and getting them on and off doesn't require small hand motions, so I don't think it would be too bad getting them on and off with arthritis.

[mary and bob]

Assuming that the situation is that oncoming traffic is what's doing the flashing: in some states checking the headlight aim is part of the state inspection law. My inspectors license is for NY but I haven't done a state inspection in so long I can't remember just how the law reads. The last truck shop I worked in was in MA, and we had a wall chart with measurements on it, pull the truck up to within 10 feet or so, turn on headlights, and see where the center of the beam was on the chart. Usually there was a dead truck in that bay so I just used the overhead door to shine the lights on. Point here is, find a wall with a level spot in front of it, shine lights on it with and without trailer hooked up, note difference. If that appears to be the problem then the easiest solution may be to adjust the headlights to some sort of compromise point. You don't want them too low without the trailer, but want to eliminate blinding oncoming traffic.

[accrete]

Greetings, as a former (2007 new - sold in 2010) TACO TRD 4x4 xCab-Longbed owner i will share what i learned with ours.

Now i attempted to find my post with detailed information but was unable to (here is the original build thread link at ExpeditionPortal)

and a quick pic of the TACO and 17' A-Liner:



What i found out was the tongue weight of the A-Liner was to much for our stock rig with the 3 leaf springs (~340lbs t.w.) and doing the TACO to sky thingy with lights. In doing some research i found there was a free fix by Toyota...and i had it done... You might check it out as a possibility for your new 2013, here is what i found:

There were enough TACO owners complaining to Toyota that their rides were riding harsh with the stock 3 leaf setup that Toyota had one of those unannounced-voluntary-recall thingies (i don't remember the technical name, sorry)... All i had to do is come into the local Toyota dealership with my trailer attached, and tell them the ride was really harsh with the TT and i was unhappy and heard there was a 4 leaf fix for the issue. The service manager looked it up on his PC and there it was! He ordered the new 4th leaf, made an appointment for the next week, installed it, and WOW... A COMPLETELY different ride and very nice _truck_ feel to the TACO. The back end no longer sagged and no one ever flashed me... except for the cute girlz

You have nothing to loose. Check out some of the TACO specific forums, they probably have the name of the technical term i'm talking about.

Cheers,
Thom

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by lpk49

i know my low beams are on when this happens. .

Is it possible that your new truck has Day Light Running lights and you just think your lights are actually on when this is happening?

[santacruzer]

Toyota calls them TSBs, for Toyota Service Bulletin. I've forgotten the number they gave the one for "harsh ride", but that's what it was called. It was for the Second Generation Tacomas, 2008 and earlier. Supposedly the springs were beefed up after that, but in my case, an early-year 2009 model (I bought it in September 2008), they found that some of those had the weaker springs. It took some time and complaining on the part of a number of owners, and Toyota eventually expanded the TSB to include 2009's that had the earlier springs.

If you have a 2013 I'd imagine you have the beefier spring set, but it wouldn't hurt to ask at your next service. I never had to have them do a test drive, or bring in the trailer attached...just showed them the part number on the old springs and it was a done deal. In fact, I never even mentioned that I towed anything.

[accrete]

TSB... Yup! Thanks for that.

I just showed up with trailer as I was heading out of town anyway...
I would just drive your truck in and chat.

[lpk49]

Thanks for that I had planned on talking to Toyota the dealership is really good where I am iit doesnt feel like a ruff ride to me at all and I don't feel like I'm pointed up and I check the lights a lot of times Carol I'm alone so its in park I don't know if they change in drive but I'm glad you said that about going to the dealer. i also took a bunch of pics-when I get back to my computer i'll post them. i think the truck bed is level cuz it is pouring and the water isnt moving one way or the other

[lpk49]

the driveway does go up a slight bit i dont know-maybe the camper pushes the truck down an inch or 2...nothing like the rav tho.

[Roy in TO]

The simple way to test is to find a building that you can pull up to from a distance. Try to place a few pieces of masking tape on it to see where your headlights hit both loaded and unloaded. A headlight aim is an easy fix.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by hillary

Possibly a stupid thing to mention, but my 06 Sienna has adjustable lights that I can aim up or down with a toggle on the left side below the steering wheel. Any chance Tacomas have that?

Vehicles typically have dashboard-adjustable headlight aim only if they have High Intensity Discharge (HID, or "xenon") headlights. A 2006 Sienna, for instance, does not have that adjustment in the base model version which has conventional headlights.

Originally Posted by Carol H

Is it possible that your new truck has Day Light Running lights and you just think your lights are actually on when this is happening?

I think Carol means Daytime Running Lights. Yes, DRLs are annoyingly glaring if used (inappropriately of course) at night, and it is depressingly common for people to fail to turn on the regular headlights at night... thus driving with both DRLs (bad) and no tail lights (bad!).

Originally Posted by Rpryor3

The TRD models come with high performance(as dealers options get) off road shocks geared toward fast driving on rough roads. I believe they can carry Less weight then the stock suspension on a standard Tacoma..

The shocks don't carry any weight at all - you could remove them completely (in a vehicle like this where at the rear the spring is entirely separate from the shocks) and it would make no difference to the ride height (how much the rear squats under load). Of course, with no shocks handling would be terrible as it bounced all over the place - the point is just that shocks don't carry weight or determine height.


I don't have a Tacoma, but if I did it would get air springs. I realize that is a non-trivial cost and effort, and may not be required; it's just what I would personally chose to do.

[lpk49]

1. im going to the dealer to see if i have the lights adjusted correctly

2. does it look from the pic that i will hurt either the truck or the camper if i pull this way?

[Roy in TO]

I suggest you go to the dealer with trailer attached and get their opinion.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by lpk49

Carol I'm alone so its in park I don't know if they change in drive but I'm glad you said that about going to the dealer.

If it has Daylight running lights they will come on every time you start the truck but they are a low level light and you may not notice you havent got your full headlights on unless the headlight knob is turned fully on.

[ruscal]

It seems that the federal safety guys are approving brighter and whiter headlights these days. When I'm on the freeway driving my Honda fit the driving position is so low that many new cars's headlights blind me while following or oncoming. Toyota is a big offender, as well as some popular German cars. I just pull over to eliminate the pain. These are cars with properly aimed lights. When trailering the lights will be out of spec with almost any rig and will surely piss people off. The traditional old amber headlights were way more forgiving than the new ones regarding aiming. To the original poster, get your headlights aimed with the trailer connected. No half ton truck is going to stay level with 300 lbs on the ball. When your trailer is disconnected the lights will shine a little short, but you still have high beams for when other cars are not in range. I think the new white hot lights are overboard on what we really need to see with, and should be outlawed.
Russ

[Mike Magee]

Kayak, it will not hurt your truck or trailer a bit to run it the way it is. You're just looking at the issue of headlight aim or function, not a "too heavy on the hitch" issue.

I don't know if you ever really told us for sure... when exactly are people flashing their lights at you? Only at night, or during the daytime? Only oncoming traffic? I mean, if they're flashing lights at you during other times than night and oncoming, maybe they just think your truck and trailer (or you) are cute! When you say they flash you, do you mean they momentarily change their dims to brights and quickly back? Or are they turning their lights OFF and then on? The latter could mean they are signaling a problem with your lights, like one or more lights are not lit.

My Highlander's DRLs switch automatically to full headlights in the evening, nothing for me to remember or do. Are the Tacoma DRLs the same way?

[lpk49]

thx mike-they flash me only at night and make their high beams go up and down. oncoming traffic.

so i think the answer is to go back to the shop. they might need to show me i have something adjusted wrong or they might have to change something permanent. 8 months of the year i am hooked up more than not.

in my matrix and little guy i WAS cute! the tractor trailer guys loved me. my kids (they are all adults)called it a bed on wheels...(and then snickered about me making extra money-the brats)

but i dont think anyone knows im a guy or a girl when they flash.

thx for all the help here. i thought i was gonna get laughed at...and again you all probably found the answer.

happy rainy memorial day!

[lpk49]

ps-im really glad to know i can use the rig and not hurt anything. this is with an empty truck bed...and i didnt plan on having to have an empty bed. so i am glad to know this.

[gmw photos]

Originally Posted by lpk49

the driveway does go up a slight bit i dont know-maybe the camper pushes the truck down an inch or 2...nothing like the rav tho.

I have never really looked at one of those trailers closely before. With the axle placement being so far back, it's easy to see two things. One, no wonder the tongue weight is so high, and two, no wonder it tows so stable. Looks like a good rig to run down the road. Nicely designed, and looks to be a nice setup with with a Taco.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

My Highlander's DRLs switch automatically to full headlights in the evening, nothing for me to remember or do. Are the Tacoma DRLs the same way?

This isn't really a DRL feature; Mike is describing automatic headlights. They go fully on (so not off or DRL) in the dark and off (or just DRL is so equipped) in daylight. You can get vehicles (including Toyotas) with any combination of automatic or manual and DRL or no-DRL... except in Canada where we must have DRL. Automatic headlights are not even consistent by model: often the base model doesn't have them but a higher trim level of the same model does.

Anyway, just look at the tail lights when the truck is running at night - if they're not on, but something is lit up front, you have DRLs (and not headlights) on. If the taillights are on, then it's not a DRL issue.