Toyota Tacoma V6 -- MT or AT for towing?

[rationull]

The wife and I are considering getting a current generation (2005+) Toyota Tacoma V6 to use in part for towing a trailer that will probably weigh 4500-5000 lbs fully loaded. These trucks are rated to tow up to 6500 lbs. Obviously we'll do test drives but I wanted to check in here too for any experiences you all might want to share.

Half ton full size trucks are an option as well but we'd rather get something smaller so I'd like to keep this thread limited to the current crop of compact trucks (if you can call it that -- I think it's pretty much just the Tacoma and the Nissan Frontier).

Anyway, we're both partial to stick shift vehicles for general driving around, but I've heard not-so-great things about the 6 speed manual in late model V6 Tacos, and I'm wondering in this particular vehicle which transmission might be best for towing.

Anyone have any experience towing with a 6 speed V6 Tacoma? Or with the 5 speed automatic?

 

[Bandito440]

I towed with my 2008 Tacoma TRD Off-Road. It had the 5-speed auto and towing package with transmission cooler. It was decent towing 5,000 lbs, but I wouldn't do it on a regular basis. I don't think that setup is heavy duty enough for regular towing.

If you're just towing a small camper or trailer with an ATV on weekends, it should be fine. Change the ATF regularly if you're towing. It's easy to do a full swap of the fluid through the cooler lines. It takes about an hour. Here's my experience with a fluid swap.

If you're towing daily, a half-ton is the way to go. The Taco just isn't designed for it.

 

[Maritime Storm]

Take this with a grain of salt. I have a Ford Ranger, 4.0l SOHC with a manual, the tow rating is 5640lbs, I haul a 23' Sailboat with it twice a year about 50miles each way, it weighs in just 4500lbs on it's trailer. The truck will haul the boat, just not comfortably. If considering hauling this kind of weight, reality is you consider stepping up to the Tundra.

 

[supton]

I came across a link on one of the Tacoma forums about how to use a relay and a switch to activate low range of the transfer case but not engage the the front diff--thus making 2LO. I am guessing this might be nice in ones yard, to be kinder to the clutch, and would be something I would do if I had the manual trans.

 

[JerryBob]

I am not sure how easy a V6/MT are to find. I have a 4Cyl MT. I think once you move up to a V6, they just don't make that many with a MT.

I would purchase a MT/V6 Tacoma in the 140" wheelbase, if they made them, but they don't - they're all automatic.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: supton

I came across a link on one of the Tacoma forums about how to use a relay and a switch to activate low range of the transfer case but not engage the the front diff--thus making 2LO. I am guessing this might be nice in ones yard, to be kinder to the clutch, and would be something I would do if I had the manual trans.


That's nice to do. I will unlock the front hubs on the F350 and put it into 4Lo (2Lo) to maneuver trailers around. Much easier on the clutch.

 

[supton]

I don't think I would have bought my truck had I been able to do similar with my car. I don't want to buy a lawn tractor (or larger) to move trailers around in my yard, yet the car (which has all the power necessary to tow) lacks proper gearing.

Well, it might be cool to have a tractor, but I haven't found a good excuse to buy one. Yet.

 

[Brybo86]

I have been considering and researching these current tacomas for awhile....it seems like the mt all have had issues and the autos have been much more reliable

 

[surfstar]

I bet you'd be happier with a Tundra. They get nearly the same mileage as those V6 Taco's love to suck down gas.

 

[440Magnum]

The only manual transmission I would consider doing much towing with would be a real HD manual with a built-for-towing clutch like the NVG manuals found in 2500 and 3500 trucks. I wouldn't ever tow with the manuals sometimes found in 1500 series pickups, let alone a compact truck like a Tacoma. Automatics have the cooling, they have lubricated clutches, and they have tow/haul modes. But the big thing is the shortened clutch life- it can get costly really, really fast.

 

[Hokiefyd]

The automatic transmission in the Tacomas is really very durable. I see little reason to want a manual in this case. Toyota hasn't done manual transmissions particularly well in some cases. Maybe the Tacoma is one of those cases...it sounds like it might be. The C59 transmission in the Corolla is another such example...the automatics were more reliable than the manuals in those cars.

 

[artificialist]

My father frequently had to maintain fleets of pickup trucks, and he would deal with clutch replacement more often than automatic transmission replacement.

However, he said there is a huge problem with this comparison. He worked with many drivers who never treated those trucks with care. When someone treats their car or truck with care, design and quality of the clutch and oil seals(Engine and transmission) determines the lifespan.

 

[rationull]

Thanks for all the replies. It sounds like the automatic is probably the way to go, as I feared suspected. Bummer the V6 Taco doesn't have a better MT but I then that is the way things are going.

We are definitely going to have to do a test haul somehow to verify that it will tow comfortably enough for us. We've been using our Suburban to tow a trailer that's toward the big side of what's comfortable for it, and we just downsized the trailer substantially with the aim of having more flexibility when we end up replacing the Suburban. Don't want to just downsize the whole rig and keep the discomfort the same, but if we can get a Taco instead we'd look forward to having a smaller truck. If not then a half ton will be nice overkill for the smaller trailer.

 

[IndyIan]

Do you have the trailer setup well? That can make a big difference.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Does it have a granny gear? That's one of the things about 3/4 and 1 ton trucks (and Jeeps) that I miss when driving other vehicles. I have towed quite a bit with trucks with granny gears - I imagine the clutch would last quite a long time. No need to slip the clutch or give it gas even when towing a heavy load.

Only issue I ever had was 1 and 2 are sometimes so far apart you lose a lot of speed on the 1-2 shift and have to start over again.

With a Toyota it's not a big issue. But if it were a Ford of the 90s or a Dodge of the 90s, I wouldn't even consider towing with the already unreliable automatic. Toyota makes great automatic transmissions. I would probably pick the automatic in a Tacoma.

 

[rationull]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan
Do you have the trailer setup well? That can make a big difference.


The trailer is a European one specifically designed for towing with lighter/smaller tow vehicles. Haven't towed it with anything less than our Suburban yet but it should generally be set up well for this.

Originally Posted By: Miller88
Does it have a granny gear? That's one of the things about 3/4 and 1 ton trucks (and Jeeps) that I miss when driving other vehicles. I have towed quite a bit with trucks with granny gears - I imagine the clutch would last quite a long time. No need to slip the clutch or give it gas even when towing a heavy load.


I think first gear in the 6 speed is a low gear. Other than that just low range in the transfer case which people have mentioned above enabling even in 2wd mode. If it was gonna be enough of an issue to need to do that modification I'm guessing we'd just go with the automatic instead.



I didn't specify before but we'll be unlikely to tow more than once a month or so. Not a daily thing.

 

[cptbarkey]

You need a full size pickup to tow SAFELY. The tacoma while it says on the sticker it can tow X amount doesnt mean you wont be white knuckled the entire trip. Consider something bigger. I tow vehicles about 2-4 times a year with a chevy 2500 6.0 and I'm still nervous just towing a 4 door sedan on a flatbed.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: rationull
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
Do you have the trailer setup well? That can make a big difference.


The trailer is a European one specifically designed for towing with lighter/smaller tow vehicles. Haven't towed it with anything less than our Suburban yet but it should generally be set up well for this.


So do you have weight distribution bars, and anti-sway bars on the hitch?
These guys have good videos of what a good setup can let you do.

http://www.canamrv.ca/towing/car-videos/intrepid-towing-airstream/

 

[rationull]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan

So do you have weight distribution bars, and anti-sway bars on the hitch?
These guys have good videos of what a good setup can let you do.

http://www.canamrv.ca/towing/car-videos/intrepid-towing-airstream/



No weight distribution bars for this trailer -- not compatible with the braking system. The tongue weight is a lower percentage of trailer weight than conventionally assumed though which should help where weight distribution helps on other setups.

I don't really want to get too far into specific towing practices discussion though because I lack the energy for the exacting language necessary not to bring unfounded criticism out of the woodwork

 

[Amkeer]

If you are going to tow about 5000 lbs I would consider that you will be close to the limits of a Tacoma. Not that you couldn't do it, its just that you are getting close to max when you consider gear and passengers. Tacoma is a great truck!