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-   -   4.0 Tacoma for Towing (http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=785827)

wakeboardingdad 02-07-2011 5:06 PM

4.0 Tacoma for Towing
 
I'm kicking around a Toyota Tacoma Double Cab with a 4.0 2WD for driving and pulling a 6x14 enclosed trailer. Anybody have one and they use to tow a boat with? I'd love to have a new Ecoboost, and don't see that as a possibility, but need something that'll get some decent mileage whenever I commute. Any input from here? Reliability issues?

cadunkle 02-07-2011 5:54 PM

Well technically it's rated at what? about 6000 lbs? I would feel goo about it though. Foreign trucks are foreign trucks. Sure they'll do most things your average Joe needs, but they won't do any heavier work well. I'd feel better even in a plane jane F-150 4.6 than towing with a Toyota pickup.

Every time I think foreign truck I think of driving through northern Connecticut over a bunch of hills towing my boat. Cruising at a steady 65-70 in my old lifted '86 Ford no problem maintaining speed up the hills (6000 lbs truck, 5000 lbs boat+trailer). Coming up one hill this guy in a Nissan "full size" or some such thing doing about 15 MPH wide open V8 screaming through the duals, towing a small car trailer with some small jap SUV on it. I got stuck behind him, then pulled out and passed quickly still going up hill. After that I maintained a steady 65-70. On every downhill he'd fly past me and on every uphill I'd have to change lanes and pass him as he'd be doing the same 15 MPH. This went on for many miles and climbing several hills. Funny he was ahead on a downhill and I stopped for gas as I was approaching Mass. Pulled up to a pump next to him to fill the tanks and he didn't want to talk. Actually was gonna ask where he was headed as he had Maine tags and I was headed to Maine. I just thought it was funny when I got stuck at 15 MPH behind him uphill and got back up to speed no problem passing him uphill. So yeah, that's what I think about whenever anyone mentions towing with one of those foreign trucks.

trdon 02-07-2011 6:16 PM

That might be the most ignorant thing I have ever read on wakeworld. Just because you have a foriegn phobia, doesnt mean they are crap and cant live up to real work. I had a 2003 tundra I ordered new and put 100K of hard miles on that thing towing everythign under the sun (5K lb boat/trailers, drag cars on dovetail 18' flats, 7K trailer full of oak) and I never had anything go bad on that truck except a rusted e-brake cable. That truck owed me nothing. The only reason I got my new truck was to get more room for the family I have now vs when I had that truck.

And before everybody else says you need a peterbuilt to pull a 14 foot aluminum fishing boat muchless a wakeboarding boat, I will say for a daily driven truck with some towing in there, your 4.0 taco will be just fine as long as the truck is rated for what you are pulling.

2007_x2 02-07-2011 6:16 PM

I have a 2007 Tacoma sport 4x4 3inch lift in the front, airbags in the back and 33 inch tires. I dont have any problems towing my 2007 X-2. I usually tow about 200 miles with hills. i have made a trip towing a 2009 X-2 800 miles at 70mph and got about 11 mpg. if you dont have mods you should get a lot better millage.

wakeboardingdad 02-07-2011 6:38 PM

I was once a foreign phobe too. It's okay. At some point, I realized that my money, and what I was buying with it, was more important than me having that warm fuzzy feeling buying an inferior product. Of course, many more people also felt the same (years sooner though) and caused the domestic (is there really anything any more?) manufacturers to "tighten up" and build some quality.

Thanks for the info TRD and Mike. I would love to have a Peterbuilt (F-250 or Duramax) but I just don't need it and cannot justify it. Right now, I have a 93 1/2 ton extended cab Chevy with 350. It tows okay, but I need a newer truck that'll get 20 or so AND be almost zero maintenance for a long time.

cadunkle 02-07-2011 6:50 PM

To each his own, but I prefer to be able to tow without beating the piss out of my truck to hold 15 MPH. On the monetary front, I can guarantee you I have less into my Ford than you'd spend for a new foreign truck. It's more capable and the only trouble I've had with it is the transmission, which is German (ZF). I'm about ready to swap to a NV4500 when the next ZF starts acting up. I just prefer to support my own country and our economy vs. the economy of another country. Beyond that, American companies have always made more capable trucks, though I'm not terribly impressed with the past decade of trucks from Detroit. The Ecoboost may change that, time will tell. Cars, maybe it's a trade off and some are better than others either way, but all my cars are 60s so I don't really care. FWIW I have Jap bikes that I think are great.

JackMC205 02-07-2011 7:41 PM

^^^^ hmmm i feel like referring to products as "jap" made is quite racist these days. furthermore most toyota's are made in the USA. Your arguments hold no water.

cadunkle 02-07-2011 7:53 PM

Cry me a river. You can talk politically correct if you want, meanwhile I'll call 'em Jap products. Jap bikes, Jap cars, etc. That's what they are. If you're offended, that's your problem. I love my Jap bikes but you won't catch me dead driving a Jap car. Beyond that, you're made in America Toyotas are irrelevant as all the profits are going to foreign companies. I prefer to keep my money in my own country whenever possible. In case you haven't noticed we have a little economic problem going on at the moment. Sending money overseas isn't going to help.

Cite some numbers if you think my arguments hold no water. Cite some numbers. For under $8k I have 425 HP and 550 ft/lbs in a 1 ton pickup. Some folks have money to throw around and are fine spending $40k to get the same from a new truck, that's fine. Different strokes for different folks. I laugh at the folks who buy Jap trucks and think they're as capable as a full size American truck. If it's just a daily driver for your average Joe that does occasional hauling... Sure they're fine. For trucks that need to work hard, they come up short. To each his own.

ilikebeaverandboats 02-07-2011 10:24 PM

Nothing will tow as good as a Ford, Chevy, or Dodge full size trucks, thats the truth. Your tacoma will pull it, but it will be more like the tail wagging the dog in some situations. Itll work for short trips, but i wouldnt want to make any long trips towing wtith it. I dont really have anything against foreign cars, I think the subaru WRX sti is so sick! And i would love a 4x4 tacoma with a long travel kit :) but there is no way someone can argue that a foreign truck is better than an american truck in the heavy duty or work truck category. Granted those old tundras last "forever", but my F350 will last longer, supports our economy,

the day you get stranded with your ballast full and full gas tank, will be the day you wish you had a fullsize truck to pull it out.

jdoggy_73 02-07-2011 11:05 PM

1 Attachment(s)
wakeboardingdad - For commuting and all around reliability the 4.0 is bulletproof. If you're using it for commuting, you can't go wrong here.

I had a Tacoma just like the one you mention and it does pull a boat and trailer. A 6x14 enclosed trailer should not be a problem as they are generally light (1700 - 3500lbs range). I've towed both of my boats (87 Malibu Skier and 08 VTX) before with it and not a problem for local areas, but I would suggest getting something bigger for long hauls. I still have an 06 Tahoe with the 5.3 motor and still want more power/torque to go on long hauls. Eventually I will go diesel, but I can not justify the price right now.

If you're commuting more than 80% of the time, I say stick with the Tacoma. Our Tahoe has not had any major issues, but enough small issues to pi$$ me off.

brycejb328 02-08-2011 5:28 AM

I will ignore some of the ignorance in this thread and add something useful to the op.

My ex gf's grandparents had a small 5th wheel camper they towed with the exact truck you are speaking of. They lived in Arizona and towed it all over the US, including up to MN several times. He didnt have a single complaint about it. It was funny cause I saw there camper before I ever saw what they towed it with... never woulda thought they towed it with that truck... but they did... thousand and thousands of miles. You will have NO problem towing the enclosed trailer you are talking about

wakeboardingdad 02-08-2011 6:05 AM

Thanks all. I watched several reviews last night on 'tube. They seem like pretty good trucks and the top of their mid-size market. I'm glad to hear about some real world uses though. Nice looking truck Jeff.

murphy_smith 02-08-2011 7:12 AM

Good luck pulling the boat off a wet steep ramp with a 2wd pickup truck....esp one that has a smaller gear ratio in the rear.

I see sandbags in your future and fat people over the rear axle on the boat ramp.

timmyb 02-08-2011 7:53 AM

Good looking truck Jeff! Makes want to get one of those...

Also look at the 4 Runner with the V8. There's a guy on Tigeowners that has a V8 4 Runner and he tows his RZ2 (6,000 lbs) and doesn't have any issues. He recently moved from South Texas to Washington and towed it all the way up there and got like 12mpg which is very impressive!

timmyb 02-08-2011 7:58 AM

I am a Big 3 truck kind of guy but for those of you comparing an F150 to a Tacoma, don't forget that the Tacoma is 4k lbs and the F150 is 5,500 lbs which gives the Tacoma a little bit of advantage on the power to weight ratio.

stephan 02-08-2011 9:00 AM

How does buying an '86 Ford support the economy? I'm just curious because I love America. Wouldn't buying a Toyota that employs American workers support the economy better?

epic1 02-08-2011 9:18 AM

i say run what you brung. We all want 1000 lbft diesels, but I sure as hell dont want the payment, so run what you brung.

cadunkle 02-08-2011 9:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by murphy_smith (Post 1659002)
Good luck pulling the boat off a wet steep ramp with a 2wd pickup truck....esp one that has a smaller gear ratio in the rear.

I see sandbags in your future and fat people over the rear axle on the boat ramp.

With 2 wheel drive a locker is a necessity. Makes more sense especially when considering the total cost of a new truck, to just get 4x4 as there will be times when you wish you had it.

murphy_smith 02-08-2011 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephan (Post 1659031)
How does buying an '86 Ford support the economy? I'm just curious because I love America. Wouldn't buying a Toyota that employs American workers support the economy better?

And you are assuming that he is buying new?

Is he?

02-08-2011 1:39 PM

Is it fair to compare a Tacoma to full-size Fords and Chevy's? The Tacoma is Toyota's mid-size offering.

It would be like someone asking if the Nissan Maxima is a pretty fast car and then someone answers "Not compared to a Corvettte!".

If you are going to compare the Tacoma to comparable Domestic brands, then you should be comparing it to the Colorado, Ranger and Dakota. In these cases it stacks up pretty well.


Cory D:
Does buying a Ford that is built in Mexico help the economy more than buying a Toyota that is built in the USA?


Full disclosure: I currently drive a 7 year old 4runner, but would love to have a new 2011 Ford pickup. I just don't want a payment.

larry1167 02-08-2011 2:03 PM

I will throw in my two cents and also disregard the rest of the BS. I tow my boat with a 2008 4Runner 4x4 with the 4.0L V6. Boat and trailer weigh 3,300lbs dry. Throw in gas, people and gear and I am proabaly around 4k lbs. I live in the foothills of CA so I am not towing on flat land. The 4Runner does really well and I am pretty darn impressed with it. I bought it about 8 months ago when the tranny in my 2003 4.6L Ford Explorer took a crap. The 4Runner tows as well as the Explorer did and I get way better gas mileage when not towing. Explorer got about 12mpg around town/18 freeway while the 4Runner gets 17-18mpg town/21-22 freeway. The HP and torque numbers are almost the same for the '08 Toyota 4.0L and the '03 Ford 4.6L. The 4.0 has a flat torque curve too which I have noticed towing.

I think the 4.0L toyota engine is a good choice if you are under 4-5K lbs. Anything over that and I would consider a v8. I hope this info helps.

murphy_smith 02-08-2011 2:14 PM

How in the world can you compare gas mileage on a 2003 vehicle against a 2008 vehicle. Times have changed and so have engine building techniques!!!

I have always been a big believer in buy more than you need and that is why I bought a 4 wheel drive Chevy V-8 back in 2001. To date I have 196k miles on it and never had an engine problem or a tranny problem. I also have never had to push it that hard when towing b/c I have more than enough power and braking ability.

I am sure that the V-6 mini truck will get the job done - I would be concerned with how long will it last and how hard will I have to push it to get what I want out of it.

trdon 02-08-2011 3:07 PM

Wouldn't buying a Toyota that employs American workers support the economy better?

Does buying a Ford that is built in Mexico help the economy more than buying a Toyota that is built in the USA?


quoted for truth.

larry1167 02-08-2011 3:19 PM

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Murphy- my old V8 Explorer was rated at 7,500 lbs towing capacity. I towed my boat which is about half of the towing capacity and the tranny still took a dump at 100K miles. I bought more than I needed and it still didn't work out for me so your premise is not always true. I changed the tranny oil every 30k per specs and kept it out of OD.

2008 Ford Explorer V8 MPG per Edmonds.. 14 city/20hwy. In the real world it is most likely less. Ford did not improve the MPG much, however, HP and torque were increased.

I don't have to push the 4Runner hard to pull 4,000lbs and that's in the hills with fairly steep grades. If you know how to tow it's a peace of cake.

cadunkle 02-08-2011 7:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdgreen1 (Post 1659115)
Cory D:
Does buying a Ford that is built in Mexico help the economy more than buying a Toyota that is built in the USA?

Yes it does.It helps the US economy more than the Mexican economy the same as buying a Toyota build in the US helps the Japanese economy more than the US economy. For comparison, buying a US built Toyota helps the US economy more than a German built BMW.

cadunkle 02-08-2011 7:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephan (Post 1659031)
How does buying an '86 Ford support the economy? I'm just curious because I love America. Wouldn't buying a Toyota that employs American workers support the economy better?

I didn't buy my '86 to support our economy. I bought it because I don't care for the styling of newer trucks, nor do I care for all the electronics. I prefer to drive simple vehicles. In my mind, simplicity = reliability = beauty. If I ever get rid of the '86 it'll be to get a '79 or earlier Ford truck to drive every day.

I would never buy a new vehicle as I think it's a big waste of money. Much better value from used. I also will not finance a vehicle, I consider it a waste of money. If I can pay cash and get something that will do what I need, then I do that. I'm not rich and I'd rather spend my play money elsewhere (wakeboarding, for example). With my old Ford I got a vehicle just as capable as a new truck for 1/4 or less the cost and paid all cash without losing any to the bank in interest.

That being said, my purchase of an '86 Ford pickup actually has helped the US economy when I think about it... The American I bought it from needed the money more than he needed the truck. He took my money and spent it. I converted it to a Dana 60 front axle, 460 engine, and 5 speed manual transmission. The 3 folks I got those parts from all took my money and spent it. Before installing the engine I rebuilt it. I spent around $750 at a machine shop to give work to Americans to do all the machine work. I also bought pistons made in America, an intake made in America, a carb made in America, bearings made in America, a cam made in America, a clutch and pressure plate made in America, etc. I also bought lift parts made in America. I bought body parts, made in America. To do all this work I used tools I purchased which were made in America. So I bought this truck because I liked the body style and it suited my needs, but at the end of the day I've supported our economy a fair amount through this purchase.

nickbot 02-09-2011 9:11 AM

cory, does buying toys built in china from a US company help the US economy??

you argument makes no sense. the tacoma is built in TX by americans with mostly american made parts from american suppliers..the dealers are american...etc., etc.

of course "the proffits go back to japan"...WTF does that even mean?? does it mean that the billions of dollars sit in a japanese bank until they are needed to build another plant...possilbly in alabama...by more americans...get your head out your arse...

wakeboardingdad 02-09-2011 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickbot (Post 1659242)
you argument makes no sense. the tacoma is built in TX by americans with mostly american made parts from american suppliers..the dealers are american...etc., etc.

of course "the proffits go back to japan"...WTF does that even mean?? does it mean that the billions of dollars sit in a japanese bank until they are needed to build another plant...possilbly in alabama...by more americans...get your head out your arse...

Toyota built a huge plant about 10 miles from my favorite riding area. It was moth balled when the economy tanked, but it is still planned to open.

Cory, you act as though that buying American keeps jobs and money here in the US. The last time I checked, the big 3 were publicly traded world wide companies and hardly build anything here anymore. Look at Detroit and other manufacturing towns. Why are they ghost towns? Is it my fault or poor management? I do like your argument though about rebuilding your truck. However, I bet if you looked at those parts more closely, you'll find a difficult time buying American. It sucks. I own all Chevy's (3) with the exception of my sons Honda Accord. He's away at school and when I asked myself if I should buy a new Chevy "box" or the used Accord with almost 100K, I chose the used Honda. Why? Because I wanted a car good for 300K miles. It also drives better, runs better and gets the advertised mpg's too and for the same or less money than the new "box"..

I do everything myself, but there comes a time when you do not have time to lay on your back and work on a car, truck, whatever. (BTW I spent 6.5 hours the other day replacing 4 ball joints, 2 a-arms and 4 shocks (the Monroe shocks were from Korea) on my 2004 (105K babied miles) Chevy Trailblazer) As you age, you would rather spend time having fun. You also need a dependable ride and you weigh being inconvenienced by a used vehicle breakdown or a new vehicle cost or payment. You look at fuel, labor and towing costs too when looking at your alternatives and are simply trying to get the most for your money. BTW, I questioned, in an "Letter of the Month" in Hot Rod Magazine way back in '82 or '83, why I should buy an American car built in Mexico or Canada and not buy a foreign car built in the US.

motorcitymatt 02-09-2011 12:17 PM

Wow this thread went waaay of topic.

1st order: Detroit is far from a ghost town, didn't you see the Chrysler/Eminem commercial :)

2nd: If you order a new F150 inside the U.S. it will be built at Dearborn or Kansas City Assembly. The Cuautitlan (mexico) Assembly plant has been retooled to produce the Fiesta.

dirtbikedad if your looking for a new four door, midsize pickup, check out the Explorer Sport Trac V8. There is huge incentives out right now $2500 cash back + 0% financing. Check the X-Plan price and PM me if your interested.

epic1 02-10-2011 2:00 PM

Is this the same cory that put the 7.3l power stroke in an f150, but did not take pics?

cadunkle 02-10-2011 4:19 PM

Not a powerstroke, but an IDI. Engine bays are all the same on 80-96 1/2 ton trough 1 ton. You can drop any big six, small block, 385 series or 6.9/7.3 in these trucks, technically a 351m/400/Cleveland should be an easy swap too since you could a 351m/400 in 80-82 IIRC. Very minor differences over the years and between 1/2 ton and 1 ton. It's a pretty easy swap on an '80-'96 to go to either a big block or a diesel. If you don't believe me just have a look at an '80-'96 1/2 ton engine bay. The only difference you'll find is the crossmember under the engine. Frame stands are slightly different depending on which engine they came with and crossmember has reliefs in different spots for oil filter depending on the engine. There's a 90s Bronco on ebay now with a 7.3 swap and what looks like 1 ton axles. Check it out.

epic1 02-10-2011 10:33 PM

I assumed, and I bet most others did too, that you were talking about a 97+150. I know little about the previous gen trucks, so I bow out.


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