Toyota Tacoma or Tundra

[Coastdog]

I am shopping for a truck to pull my boat, it is a 21' Trophy, it weighs 5200 lb on the trailer with full fuel. I am leaning towards Toyota and trying to decide on a newer Tacoma which with the towing package can pull 6400 lbs or the newer Tundra which can pull 8,000 to 10,000 depending on the engine.
Anyone have some experience with these trucks with my size boat?

 

[Shepnoir]

A Tacoma will pull it but it is fairly hard K if you know what I mean. They would get pushed around a bit in sketchy situation tugging that weight. More than anything the braking is lacking for that much load. I assume we are talking surge brakes on the trailer? I have pulled a 5500 lbs boat with one as I have a taco as a daily driver but don't regularly use it. F250 diesel tugs it much nicer. I would go with the Tundra. Don't **** around.

 

[Lipripper]

I tow that boat with the tundra... Do it.

* It has the 5.7... Really nice truck. (and no not mine)

 

[JAC]

I have a Tacoma and pull boats all the time. I'm in the same boat as you my new boat on the trailer is going to be 5800lbs with fuel and gear. I have not pulled it yet but I'm hoping it will work. I have timbrens in my truck it helps a lot and you get no sag in the back when your loaded. My buddy has a 2009 tundra we pulled my Hewescraft to the island and back. It did have pretty good power but it was not great, it sucked back the fuel. If I was looking at gas half ton I would look at the ford ecoboost I have been reading a lot of good reviews. If not put in timbrens for $200 bucks and away you go in the taco.

 

[CCB]

You can pull any boat with any truck it's all a matter of how long the engine will last before it goes boom.The best rule is to go half of the towing capacity or max 75% even more so when pulling a lot or up hills. Also be care full as a lot of people don't know that trailer's need brakes when the weight of the towed vehicle exceeds half of the towing vehicles weight then after I think 7200lbs the trailer breaks have to break electric over hydraulic .also your 5100Lb does not include any gear kicker fish freezers or anything add 1000LBs to that to be safe.now your at 6100lbs then after that you must add in all your passengers and gear in the towed vehicle so 4 people and camping gear and cloths coolers beer and what not another 1000LBs now your at 7100lbs of cargo for your towing vehicle .If those are your 2 choice's I would go with the tundra and the bigget motor if it were me I would buy a 3500 short box dodge Cummings cause when you sell your 21 for a 23 or 25 you will have to sell both those trucks you described lol.2 foot ides really hurts the pocket book and its very common disease among boat owners.I use to have a 2002 Dakota with a 5 liter, towing capacity I think 5500-6500lb. well with my back then 2002 21 foot Searay I had no issue until I tried to climb the coke with 4 passengers gear and the boat 5000lbs. it struggled so when I got back off I wet to the dealership and said #$% this bought a brand new 3500 dually dodge Cummings. it has been the best investment as for vehicles goes I have ever bought.I do everything with that truck from fishing to hunting to hauling around thousands of lbs of lead.My truck as done it all.My heaviest load has been around 13000 lbs. 2 quads a qaud rack 4 moose 4 passengers and a 8000lb travel trailer and not once have I been let down. When it comes to towing just think mini van and travel trailer and 8 passengers we have all seen how scary that is.

 

[fish stalker]

...and 4 moose eh? lol I love the internet.


no comparison between those two for towing tundra all the way. have you seen them man they are smokin

hard to believe the v6 taco can pull 6500lbs impressive. I have a buddy who has a 2009 i think and has a car hauler with electric brakes and all that and hauls cars and trucks around 2000-6000lbs no way he hauls with it. has a ol beater diesel just for that. might be alright on the flat but coming in or out of port alberni or even that hat... I feel bad for the truck going up but coming down is scary when it starts pushing you around.

 

[Bifmalibu]

I'm planning the purchase of a Tacoma for late spring. My boat only weighs about 3200lb loaded up so I don't see any issues. From what I've researched, 5800lb would be too much for a Tacoma by the time you got your gear and people and gas aboard.

 

[CCB]

...and 4 moose eh? lol I love the internet.


no comparison between those two for towing tundra all the way. have you seen them man they are smokin

hard to believe the v6 taco can pull 6500lbs impressive. I have a buddy who has a 2009 i think and has a car hauler with electric brakes and all that and hauls cars and trucks around 2000-6000lbs no way he hauls with it. has a ol beater diesel just for that. might be alright on the flat but coming in or out of port alberni or even that hat... I feel bad for the truck going up but coming down is scary when it starts pushing you around.

Yes fish stalker !!! I have o reason to lie .2 calfS and 2 bulls that year and another year 2 calfS and 2 cows this year 3 calfs and a bull we should have had 2 bulls but I %&&&*^# up lol send me your email and or number I got pictures. Guys who know me on here know I am not a talker.

 

[scott craven]

I towed my boat behind a 3.0L V6 Toyota for years, but it really didn't have the power for a steep hills.
I would go for the Tundra with V8 power for towing anything over 18'.

 

[Fish Assassin]

Tundra burns lots of fuel!!!

 

[Theb55]

Toyota all the way. Tundra will pull more and is much much tougher but eats more gas, something you expect with a heavier vehicle.

 

[UkeeDreamin]

Tacoma is not a great towing vehicle, at least not in the mountains. Buddy of mine has both a Tundra and Tacoma. Hauling a small flat deck with a 16 foot aluminum jon boat and 25 hp over the Coq the Tacoma burned a full tank from Kamloops to Abbotsford and sucked wind big time on all the hills. My Honda Ridgeline, which is only rated to 5000 lbs vs the Tacoma's 6500, handles the hills better pulling my 17 foot Harbercraft (boat, motor, trailer and gear at least twice the load of the flat deck and jon boat) and burns not much more than half the gas the Tacoma did, which is a surprise because I think of my Ridgeline as a gas pig. Same buddies Tundra has no problems towing all his work trailers. He's got the 5.7 and loves it besides the fuel economy. But, let's be honest, safe hauling and fuel economy are oxymorons!

 

[JAC]

I pulled my 4200lbs boat and trailer and had a 400liter tidy tank in my Tacoma from the south Okanagan to Bella coola and back 1900km round trip and it worked great. I had 100lbs tank plus 717lbs of fuel in the box.

 

[Fins -n- Skins]

Look for an older Tundra with the 4.7L V8 as you will still get the power and towing numbers you need with alittle better gas mileage. If you use it as a daily driver the gas companys will love you. Nice Trucks though.

 

[CCB]

I learned years ago when I did all the math a big V8 or diesel used for what it is meant to be used for hauling and pulling and what not but not as a daily driver parked will pay for a cheap honda civic in time with all fuel and service plus you don't ware on the big truck.I have a 2004 Cummings with only 120k.This truck will last me 20 years.Looks like it has 350k LOL cause of my pops while hunting but the motor is mint.My pops passed away in 2008 and I would not fix all the dents scratches and more for anything as it reminds me of him every time I drive it.

 

[alumaman]

A full size truck with a v8 will get as good or better mileage towing as a tacoma and you'll have no issues with sway, acceleration or breaking. I've had a 3/4 Chevy with the six liter and got over 20 mpg on the highway empty and 15 or so in town.

 

[scott craven]

A full size truck with a v8 will get as good or better mileage towing as a tacoma and you'll have no issues with sway, acceleration or breaking. I've had a 3/4 Chevy with the six liter and got over 20 mpg on the highway empty and 15 or so in town.

Agreed, after many years with a Toyota I upgraded to a 1/2 ton Chev
It gets approx same mileage but tows the boat so much easier.

 

[Lipripper]

Tundra burns lots of fuel!!!

BS.... compared to an North American equivalent

 

[Islandgirl]

Our hunting partners used a tundra one year and we have a 3/4 ton dodge with the cummins deisel.
We went west of Alexis creek from the island.
They had to make 2 extra fuel stops to our one.
I should say they were towing a small travel trailer and we were towing a small utility trailer so that may account for some of the difference.

We would fuel up together and then they would have to make 2 more stops where we did not even take on any fuel. No range with the tundra but maybe they have fixed that . I know what was one way they could get any sort of a payload with that truck is to put a small gas tank in.

 

[alumaman]

I went from a 3/4 ton Chevy 4x4 and xtra cab 6 liter to a Nissan Frontier with a 3.5 liter v6 to a titan v8 the titan had a ton of power and both were good trucks but gas hogs for smaller vehicles.. The titan would get 9mpg towing my boat and would sway after 100kph. My gmc diesel gets 13 mpg towing the same boat and no sway when towing. Good luck with your choice.