Towing with 2017+ Tacoma

[floyd]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

When was the Subaru reliable , certainly not in the last 15 or so years

Not even this one?...

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by floyd

Not even this one?...

Their really cute but what are they ?

[floyd]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Their really cute but what are they ?

Its a1969 SuBARu 360... 2CYL/2Stroke 360CC displacement.
The 4spd manual transmission reads 1st-2nd-3rd and OT...for "out of town"
(no kiddin')

25hp from only 22CID!
Below is a picture of it towing my Scamp13 (just Kiddin' this time)

And a picture of it waving "bye-bye"...

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by floyd

Its a1969 SuBARu 360... 2CYL/2Stroke 360CC displacement.
The 4spd manual transmission reads 1st-2nd-3rd and OT...for "out of town"
(no kiddin')

25hp from only 22CID!
Below is a picture of it towing my Scamp13 (just Kiddin' this time)

And a picture of it waving "bye-bye"...

Is that the same engine that was used in the Subaru outboard motors ?

[floyd]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Is that the same engine that was used in the Subaru outboard motors ?

No idea that Subaru ever even made outboard motors, but it seemed similar to a snowmobile engine.one of the earliest oil injection two strokes from what I hear, they started making them in 1958.


So... Its more of a Toy..with no ota so its back to Ta coma!

[skalywag]

swrhird,
The new Tacos do still include a 6 speed manual transmission option. Like mine, it is available with the 4X4 TRD Off Road package and it is a very robust drive train.
Cheers

[Ken in Pa]

Just got home from our month long trip in Florida. We tow a Scamp 16' Deluxe. Our TV is a 2018 Tacoma auto its the Sport model which has more over the road options than off road items. We love it. We averaged 14.5 to 18 mpg over 3500 miles towing. Oh the truck is a 4 door short bed and we are getting a cap so next trip we can carry the kayaks.
Ken

[Jon Vermilye]

I towed an Escape 17B with a 2016 Tacoma Off Road (the first year for the 3.5L engine). While it was certainly up to towing the Escape at 3100 pounds & 360 pounds of tongue weight, I didn't like the amount of time the high revving engine spent at 4000 RPM. I did add Sumo Springs to reduce rear end droop. Typical mileage towing at 63MPH was 12 - 13 MPG.

As an added note, when I switched to an Escape 21, while the truck was within towing ratings with the 4600 pound trailer (and 500 pounds tongue weight) the payload was overloaded by 150 - 200 pounds & it definitely spent too much time at high RPMS, getting 10.5MPG. I now tow with a F 150 3.5 EcoBoost, getting better mileage & a much more pleasant 1500 RPM in 10th gear...

[Bob & Jackie C]

Originally Posted by swhird

Thanks Bob and Jackie. That is good information. I think all the 2107s have the trailer sway feature have you noticed any use, good or bad, with it?

We travel between Santa Barbara and Flagstaff and have had no problems with sway in the wind. We do not use a WDH or sway bar, just drive at a safe speed. I just installed Firestone air springs to help with the load and to keep my head lights going in the right direction.
Bob

[DJD]

Originally Posted by Bob & Jackie C

We travel between Santa Barbara and Flagstaff and have had no problems with sway in the wind. We do not use a WDH or sway bar, just drive at a safe speed. I just installed Firestone air springs to help with the load and to keep my head lights going in the right direction.
Bob

I appreciate you staying on topic and I personally love the Toyota product; I’ve owned 16 over 46 yrs. We own a Casita 17 SD and they are known to have a heavy tongue weight, close to 20% of gross wt. That certainly helps to reduce sway but adds rear axle wt on the TV. I reduced tongue wt by removing one of the propane bottles (-30 lbs from the front) and added a cargo tray in a welded on receiver in the rear for carrying “stuff” (+70 lbs to the rear). Considering axle position as a fulcrum, I suppose I lowered tongue weight by about 60 lbs. I wanted my tongue weight close to the recommended 15% gross and was not concerned with overall payload since I am towing with a v-8 Silverado.

I do, however, consider the friction sway bar in a category with safety chains in that I use them and hope they are not needed. I have found that the trailer has slightly more tendency to sway than before I lowered tongue wt. This sway only happens when/ if. there is some quicker than normal maneuver required at highway speed, such as, avoiding potentially harmful road debris. “Safe speed” for one driver may be 65 mph when everyone else seems to be going 80+, or a very pleasurable 55 mph on some great back hiways!

To each his own, but a little overkill on safety can’t be too bad.

[DJD]

Originally Posted by swhird

Is anyone towing a Casita sized (~3000 lbs) trailer with a 2017 or later Toyota Tacoma? I am thinking about getting a newish Tacoma (they made significant changes in 2017). I like the size of the Tacoma in general but I'm really looking for the newer safety features including automatic emergency braking, trailer sway, etc... I've read some people saying the new transmission sucks for towing and hills but then others say it is fine. Often online reviews don't represent the typical user so I'd like to hear some first hand accounts.

I have a Casita 17 SD but some good friends that we camp with frequently had an Rpod with almost identical weight but a taller profile (better ground clearance). Their V-6 Tacoma disappointed them at times, particularly in strong headwinds and hilly terrain mostly by reducing gas mileage to sometimes less than 10 mpg. They eventually traded up to a 5.3L v-8 Silverado and hardly notice a drop in performance when towing. I think strong consideration should be given to where you will do most of your towing.

[swhird]

Originally Posted by skalywag

swrhird,
The new Tacos do still include a 6 speed manual transmission option. Like mine, it is available with the 4X4 TRD Off Road package and it is a very robust drive train.
Cheers

Thanks. I looked into this and I guess they just dropped it from the lower trim packages. I'm a fan of manual for several reasons but they are become scarce.

[Makwell]

We have a 17' 2014 Casita ID and just bought a 2019 Toyota Tacoma w/ 6 speed auto to tow it with. Although we have only made a few short trips here in the Allegheny Mts. where we live, the Taco seems up to the task if you tow mostly in S4 at about 2600 RPMs; S3 going up the Mts. and S5 when running on good long flats. Will know more about the compatibility of the Toyota with the Casita after a summers use, but so far so good. We did add a cargo carrier to the rear of the trailer via the OMW bumper/receiver.. Total weight with "stuff" in it is about 100 lbs. This took some weight off the TV hitch but haven't weighed it yet to see how it all balances out. Sway is nonexistent so far.

[swhird]

Originally Posted by Bob & Jackie C

We travel between Santa Barbara and Flagstaff and have had no problems with sway in the wind. We do not use a WDH or sway bar, just drive at a safe speed. I just installed Firestone air springs to help with the load and to keep my head lights going in the right direction.
Bob

The Tacoma and some other tow vehicles have the built in anti-sway which when it detects sway it will apply the trailer brakes only and reduce the torque.

[swhird]

Originally Posted by Makwell

We have a 17' 2014 Casita ID and just bought a 2019 Toyota Tacoma w/ 6 speed auto to tow it with. Although we have only made a few short trips here in the Allegheny Mts. where we live, the Taco seems up to the task if you tow mostly in S4 at about 2600 RPMs; S3 going up the Mts. and S5 when running on good long flats. Will know more about the compatibility of the Toyota with the Casita after a summers use, but so far so good. We did add a cargo carrier to the rear of the trailer via the OMW bumper/receiver.. Total weight with "stuff" in it is about 100 lbs. This took some weight off the TV hitch but haven't weighed it yet to see how it all balances out. Sway is nonexistent so far.

Good info, I look forward to hearing how this works out. If I buy one, I will likely be a slow process like maybe end of summer.

I assume S4 etc... is where it will not shift above gear 4 on the automatic transmission and that then stops it from hunting?

[Makwell]

Yep, S4 locks in 4th as the highest gear; you can shift up or down in "S-Mode" just like a std transmission and whichever gear you shift to is locked in. Here in the mts I use S plus I engage the ECT button almost all the time. Mileage suffers a bit but the truck doesn't constantly shift searching for the most economical gear to run in; or i suppose that's what it's doing in D. This is the first auto transmission vehicle I've ever owned so there is certainly a learning curve here for us.

[Alice L]

I have a 2017 Tacoma V6 2WD SR5 Double cab. Tow a 16' Casita SD. Added extra springs to the truck to prevent sag. I tow about 62-65 mph on Interstate. It tows well. The transmission shifts alot, but I drive with ECT on and it does help somewhat. I get between 15-19 mpg depending on hills and wind. I had to put 1.5" spacers on the back of the front drivers seat because it felt like I was sitting in a hole and caused my back to spasm.

[Makwell]

Alice,

Does your manual say to tow in "S" mode? Ours does. This is apparently easier on the transmission as it's not constantly shifting.

Also, you might want to take a look at the Tacoma World website, there's lots of good info there on towing and the Gen3 Tacomas.

[bmkaplan]

Ollie elite one or two?




QUOTE=skalywag;736844]Check this for Tacoma crash ratings: https://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/v/.../small-pickups


I tow my Ollie with a 2017 4 door with a 6 speed manual w/ factory tow package and love it. Average an honest 15 mpg at 65mph max.[/QUOTE]

[sloblinx]

My wife and I have a 1999 Tacoma 4WD TRD V6 with manual transmission. It has 165K miles on it. I've owned it for seventeen years. It's extremely reliable. I added a receiver hitch and electronic braking system during the last few years. We tow our 17' Casita with it without problems. We live in Washington State where it can be hilly sometimes. We are also sea kayakers, and manage to haul both the trailer, AND two fiberglass sea kayaks and related gear