[Rhodes22-list] Towing with a Toyota Tacoma?

[Peter Nyberg]

That’s my truck, and I do use it to tow Silverheels.  Before I had the boat, I ran a portable sawmill business for about 5 years, and towed a 4000 lb Wood-Mizer sawmill for many hundreds of miles with no issues.  I only have a few hundred miles of experience towing the Rhodes, but I estimate the total weight is about the same, and the towing experience feels similar from in the cab.  

The automatic transmission does drop down into lower gear to keep up speed going up hills.  I wish it didn’t have to, but while it sounds like it’s screaming sometimes, it never gets anywhere near red-line RPM’s.  I don’t think I’d enjoy the experience of towing the full 6400 lbs the truck is rated for.  

When not towing, the Tacoma gets about 20 MPG.  When towing sawmill or sailboat, about half that.

If I were in the market for a truck to tow the Rhodes, I’d look for something bigger.  But the Tacoma does the job well enough that I’m not considering going through the cost and aggravation of replacing it.

BTW, my Tacoma has the factory towing package, which includes some extra things that I can’t recall the details of.  I’d be less comfortable if the hitch was an after-market add-on.  

Peter Nyberg
Coventry, CT
s/v Silverheels (1988/2016)

> On Jan 17, 2019, at 2:51 PM, Michael Corley <michael.4591 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Well we are on the subject has anyone ever towed with a 6 cylinder Toyota
> Tacoma pick-up?
> It is rated at 6400 lbs towing, but the 3.5L V6 concerns me as a little
> weak.  I think a V8 for longer distances. . .
> 
> Mike Corley
> S/V Ranger
> Hampton Roads, VA
> 
> On Thu, Jan 17, 2019 at 11:03 AM Art Czerwonky via Rhodes22-list <
> rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org> wrote:
> 
>> Frank,I am sure too light. You might bluff thru on the flat, but the hills
>> would be a real problem. I suspect that Honda might nix warranty claims to
>> boot.  Short haul, launching anyone's guess.Arts/v MaryJaneLake Hartwell
>> 
>> Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
>> 
>>  On Wed, Jan 16, 2019 at 5:38 PM, Frank Goldsmith<goldsmith.cf at gmail.com>
>> wrote:   Recently there was a thread about towing a Rhodes with various
>> vehicles.  Has anyone tried towing one with a Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV-4?
>> 
>> Thanks,
>> 
>> Frank Goldsmith
>> s/v Mary Bess
>> Lake Keowee, SC
>> 
>> 
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