New Tacoma / 5th wheel hitch

[Dennis mn]

I am hesitant to make any vehicle recommendation, but after owning a Tacoma, and looking at new Tacoma’s three years ago, I found the Frontier to be less expensive, and more comfortable. When considering the Ford, don’t ignore the Chevy Colorado, or Nissan.

[dcs02d]

Originally Posted by Dennis mn

I am hesitant to make any vehicle recommendation, but after owning a Tacoma, and looking at new Tacoma’s three years ago, I found the Frontier to be less expensive, and more comfortable. When considering the Ford, don’t ignore the Chevy Colorado, or Nissan.

I asked




I'm leaning towards the Frontier because as soon as you go to the 6cyl Toyota the price jumps up pretty good.





I'm also leaning towards just buying the truck near scamp and having them factory install the hitch.





I'll probably hold off and see what the new ranger looks like. It will be a 2.3-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged engine that will put out more power than most 6 cylinders.

[Jack L]

Yes, I was referring to the Tacoma-Scamp 19 combination that Al & Cindy K have, (post 19), and I'm considering selling my Bigfoot and getting a Scamp 19 since I saw theirs.. I really like my 07 Tacoma TRD Off the 4 liter V6, but I do would have some concerns with the newer 3.5 liter V6. I believe the 3.5 replaced the 4.0 in 2016. The 3.5 is getting some evaluations that it does not have quite enough power for towing performance. Another shortcoming or the Tacoma (all 05 to 17) is it's fuel range. When I am towing, at about 150 miles. I have to stop for fuel. The size of the fuel tank is inadequate. Best of luck with your decision.

[ZachO]

Yeah, Toyotas aren't built to tow. My biggest complaints about them have always been: Price. Gas mileage.

You can argue that a truck getting 300,000 + miles is worth the extra price, but only if you're going to drive it that long. I paid $7,000 for my 1998, in 2015 with 189,000 miles on it. Felt a little silly, but I figured I'd get good use out of it. Well, now with 240,000 and no sign of slowing down, I think I feel less silly about that price. I honestly expect to get to 300,000 without major repairs.

But that doesn't mean it's a towing machine. I've always been diehard towards Toyotas because I have never, and won't anytime soon be buying new. I always get vehicles when they're well over 100,000 miles. Even at 200,000 + I can count on them to be reliable and still feel really tight. So the most comfortable, best gas mileage and best price aren't the selling points for my situation. Someday, maybe.

I'm not unhappy with my consistent 14mpg towing with my Tacoma. But the fact that a little truck like mine with a V6 can't do better than 19mpg highway when completely unloaded is pretty lame.

[Becca50]

We pulled our Scamp 5th wheel with a 4-cyl Tacoma for years. Not the best for hills, but Florida should be o.k. We did finally upgrade to a 6-cyl, then to a 6-cyl with crew cab and AT (getting old!). So we have had the hitch installed in three Tacomas, all of them 4WD.

I would not EVER pull our Scamp with the hitch mounted to the bed! Just put that thought right out of your mind! Composite or no, it is not safe. It needs to be mounted THROUGH the bed to the frame, with brackets either welded or bolted to the frame. Any trailer shop that knows their stuff should be able to take it on, no problem.

All that being said, I think you will find pulling the Scamp 5th wheel to be a dream! It just follows your vehicle around, never sways, and drives through high winds without complaint. Just watch your clearances!

[dcs02d]

Originally Posted by Becca50

We pulled our Scamp 5th wheel with a 4-cyl Tacoma for years. Not the best for hills, but Florida should be o.k. We did finally upgrade to a 6-cyl, then to a 6-cyl with crew cab and AT (getting old!). So we have had the hitch installed in three Tacomas, all of them 4WD.

I would not EVER pull our Scamp with the hitch mounted to the bed! Just put that thought right out of your mind! Composite or no, it is not safe. It needs to be mounted THROUGH the bed to the frame, with brackets either welded or bolted to the frame. Any trailer shop that knows their stuff should be able to take it on, no problem.

All that being said, I think you will find pulling the Scamp 5th wheel to be a dream! It just follows your vehicle around, never sways, and drives through high winds without complaint. Just watch your clearances!

When Scamp installs the hitch do they mount it to the frame?

[LoneWolf04]

Originally Posted by dcs02d

So that is exactly the case



I live in Florida and for the next 5 years or so I'm limited in my radius of travel (kids are not quite out of the house yet!) so all my time is spent on trips that are +/- about 300 feet in elevation.



The local hitch guy seems adamant he won't install that hitch in anything that is not a full size truck with a long bed.


I'm becoming convinced it's fine in that little Tacoma assuming the hitch is bolted to the frame below.



I'm just not 100% sure if



- that is possible


- I can find someone to do that install for me

This “local hitch guy” sounds like an old school, you shouldn’t tow anything with less than a 1 ton yuppie. With advancements in technology: engine, suspension, braking, lighter weight campers, etc. Towing does not need to be done with the biggest vehicle out there that’s offered.

[Uplander]

For towing get the V6 Tacoma.....rated at 6,500lbs towing.

[Greg St]

Hi
I have a 2006 Tacoma with a fifth wheel hitch installed. I tow a Bigfoot Fifth wheel. Like has been said in the thread, you need to drill holes in the composite box and mount directly to the frame. For the 6 foot box you'll need a slider hitch. My box has similar rails installed to what Civilguy has but I have a removable sliding hitch where he has a goose neck.
I'm not sure about the weight of the Scamp but I would really think twice before using the 4 cylinder to tow. I have the 6 with towing package and it works well.
Cheers
Greg

[donniebob]

I tow a 4,500 Bigfoot 5th wheel with a Honda Ridgeline and I have plenty of power. I had a welding shop weld the bottom rails of a Reese hitch to two steel bars which are bolted to the frame and clear the truck bed by 1/2". Been using this for 10 years and going strong.

[Fallon]

I have a 2009 Tacoma TRD sport with the V6 & tow out 17' Casita (probably 4k lbs + a bed load of firewood, beverages & other junk). I wouldn't want anything less than the V6. It does decent here in the Rockies. Not bad enough to make me want a gas sucking turbo or what not, but enough to get the job done without to bad of mileage.

The truck is rated to 6,500lbs & I've pulled up to 7k on back roads. Suspension was pretty mushy, brakes were stopping things but not as fast as they should, engine would get okish acceleration on flat ground if I flogged it. It did the job surprisingly well, but I promptly got an old beater F250 for pulling the tractor on the flatbed trailer.

I wouldn't wory about the plastic bed. A 5th wheel or gooseneck ball mounts to the frame under the bed, not the bed itself. Even a steel bed is going to get mangled if you mounted it to the bed & not the frame. After 9 years my plastic bed is in as good or better shape than any steel bed of similar age regardless of bedliner or bed cover.

[Ernie J]

Scamp told me last year they used the Tacoma with the V6 to deliver all there trailers and the 5th wheeler.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Fallon

I have a 2009 Tacoma TRD sport with the V6..........a gas sucking turbo or what not, but enough to get the job done without to bad of mileage.

Even a steel bed is going to get mangled if you mounted it to the bed & not the frame..

Actually, my “gas sucking turbo” F150 gets better mileage than my previous V6 Tacoma ever did, whether towing or not and whether in the mountains or the flat lands. While the Tacoma was a good, reliable vehicle, it’s fuel economy wasn’t the best.

And Scamp has marketed/installed two different hitches for their 19 foot trailer. In both cases, I have seen them attached only to the sheet metal of the bed with no connection to the frame when installed by Scamp. I have also seen Scamp’s installations “beefed up” by the owners after the fact. But in none of these cases have I seen a “mangled bed.” I’m not saying Scamp’s installations were “correct,” I’m just relating what I have personally seen.

[Jack L]

Originally Posted by Fallon

I have a 2009 Tacoma TRD sport with the V6 & tow out 17' Casita (probably 4k lbs + a bed load of firewood, beverages & other junk). I wouldn't want anything less than the V6. It does decent here in the Rockies. Not bad enough to make me want a gas sucking turbo or what not, but enough to get the job done without to bad of mileage.

The truck is rated to 6,500lbs & I've pulled up to 7k on back roads. Suspension was pretty mushy, brakes were stopping things but not as fast as they should, engine would get okish acceleration on flat ground if I flogged it. It did the job surprisingly well, but I promptly got an old beater F250 for pulling the tractor on the flatbed trailer.

I wouldn't wory about the plastic bed. A 5th wheel or gooseneck ball mounts to the frame under the bed, not the bed itself. Even a steel bed is going to get mangled if you mounted it to the bed & not the frame. After 9 years my plastic bed is in as good or better shape than any steel bed of similar age regardless of bedliner or bed cover.

You mentioned that your suspension was "mushy" and I had a situation with my 07 Tacoma TRD off road with the rear springs being softer than I wanted. I researched the situation and found that Toyota had numerous customer complaints about this situation. Toyota issued a service bulletin (not a recall) and if and only if a customer complained, they would put heavier springs on the vehicle. My original springs were 2 leaf and the replacement springs are 3 leaf. This made a big difference. The paperwork indicated the cost covered by Toyota was almost $1500.

[dcs02d]

Thanks for the info here... I found a hitch installer in Ocala FL (2.5 hour drive ughh) that was helpful on the phone and willing to put the hitch in a smaller truck.


I'm going to sit tight and wait on the ford ranger. It looks like it will have the

2.3L EcoBoost so probably more horsepower than the Frontier v6.


You can see some specs on it here - https://www.fleet.ford.com/resources...de_Spds_MR.pdf

[Uplander]

The Ford Ranger may not be a good idea....for towing a V6 with a tow package and a transmission cooler is the minimum for best towing....I have been a travel trailer owner since 1983 and after a few trips over Mountains I quickly realized that bigger is better !

[ZachO]

Yeah, Tacoma rear leafs are lame. I wouldn’t be towing if I hadn’t put air bags back there. And though the image of a smaller Toyota truck is fuel efficiency (compared to other trucks), the truth is what Carl brings up. A lot of the full size trucks get better mileage, towing or not.

Everyone’s experience is different, as you can see. I tow mountain passes weekly (weakly? ) with my 5 speed 3.4L V6. Doesn’t give me any trouble. Only certainty is the vehicle tow limits and payload limits. Everything else is opinion and personal preference.

[JessieJanet]

I have an 84 goose neck Scamp 19ft. I pulled it from the previous owner about 600 miles to home with a 4 cyl toyota an older 87 model. It made it home but I had to put a new drive shaft shortly there after. We decided if we were going to travel to the west coast where family lives a stronger engine would be necessary. also braking can be an issue with smaller trucks in mountains. I put the 5 speed automatic in 2nd gear coming down a 12000 ft pass in the Rockys. I attained 45 miles an hour and 4000 rpms with the trailer pushing me. I didn't want to burn out the brakes but had to use them on some corners even so. I was pulling the trailer with a Toyota Tundra small V8, I needed the V8 pulling the grade to the top of the pass as well. I wanted a Tacoma 6 cylinder originally but couldn't find one at a good price. So I went with the V8 Tundra. I had an in the bed removable ball that goes through the bed installed. By the way I still have the orginal bolt into the bed ball hook up if anyone is in need. Because I had a larger truck I had the trailer raised 8 in and the trailer tongue extended a couple of feet. Earlier this year I had to have the tongue reinforced as the well as another cross member installed. After a 4400 miles trip last month I am very happy with the performance of the truck and trailer. I did replace the brake shoes and backing when I got back home as the old brake shoes were starting to come apart. They were original I believe. My V8 only drops 2-3 miles per gallon pulling the trailer on flat ground. I average 17-18 per gallon without the trailer. In process of some remodeling of the Scamp. Dry tolet and Ice box and adding solar panels. We turned the bed around running front to rear and put stairs in the middle dividing the bed into mostly two separate sides as we are both tall and didn't fit well side to side. I will have to post pictures when I have it complete. Hope this gives food for thought. Jessie and Carl.

[Paul O.]

I am very happy with my setup. Installed the hitch myself and posted the details here. Will find the post when back home.

[Fallon]

Originally Posted by ZachO

Yeah, Tacoma rear leafs are lame. I wouldn’t be towing if I hadn’t put air bags back there. And though the image of a smaller Toyota truck is fuel efficiency (compared to other trucks), the truth is what Carl brings up. A lot of the full size trucks get better mileage, towing or not.

Everyone’s experience is different, as you can see. I tow mountain passes weekly (weakly? ) with my 5 speed 3.4L V6. Doesn’t give me any trouble. Only certainty is the vehicle tow limits and payload limits. Everything else is opinion and personal preference.

The back end is sagging a bit when towing the Casita & a bed load of camping junk. Not bad & doesn't cause any issues, other than headlight alignment. I could probably use a weight distributing hitch to prevent some of the sag & prevent a little bit of galloping when on concrete roads with the expansion joints every so often. But it's not that bad & not enough for me to wory about it. It was mushy when I was towing at or above the 6,500lbs tow capacity.

The Ford Ecoboost motors are nice & do manage to get some pretty good mileage. Slapping a turbo or supercharger on the Tacoma (Pretty sure the TRD option a while back was a supercharger actually rather than a turbo) would have been more power, but definitely worse mileage.

I'd consider a WDH and/or airbags for the Taco, but it's days are likely somewhat numbered. Will be replacing the old beater high mileage F250 & Tacoma with a reasonably new 3/4 ton diesel & probably a beater commuter econobox. The Taco has done me great since I drove it off the lot in 2008. But it won't pull 9-12,000lbs of Kubota & trailer, which I need the past couple years. So I'm going to right size down to just 1 truck.