2023 Tacoma TRD Pro Towing Review

[@Lennybird91]

I just appreciate your soundtrack. Audioslave, White Zombie, etc. Nice.

[@EngineAdventures]

Haha thanks, that was just channel 41 on XM. I do have a hard time not turning up the volume on some songs while I'm filming though.

[@aknadiri2520]

Baby seems to like it :D

[@EngineAdventures]

Haha, yeah had to reshoot a few sections due to the background noise.

[@loneapple440]

I have a 2017 Tacoma TRD 4x4 towing a Geo Pro FBS with a max load 4400lbs. The toy pulls well with a Weight Distribution System using the ect and s gears.

[@EngineAdventures]

Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@edfig]

Did you improve your rear suspension?

[@KTB3007]

Good to know was looking at 4100 lb dry trailer - 23’ Taco manual.

[@JakeTheSnake358]

I have a 2018 TRD Sport 4X4 Manual, pulled a 2021 keystone passport 2400RB. Dry weight of 5,800 lbs. used a weight distribution hitch and was surprised how well the truck handled. 5th gear doing 70mph getting 9 mpg. Also, if your Tacoma has the factory tow package with the 7-pin connection, it will have a plug for a plug and play brake controller, watch a video before having one installed.

[@EngineAdventures]

That's a pretty large trailer for this truck, but I'm sure the manual transmission makes a big difference. I do always recommend a good weight distribution hitch with sway control anytime a travel trailer is being towed, so happy to see you had that.

[@hasonlavajunk9774]

Surprisingly my previous 2020 Tacoma Trd Pro towed my 4k lb. toy hauler better than my 2005 F150 5.4L that had an 11k lb. towing capacity. Only hiccup was Tacoma transmission easily got hot (220+ deg) when going up hills.

[@EngineAdventures]

Interesting, I'd say something was wrong with your Ford, or something is very right with the Tacoma. I've towed 1,000's of miles in an F-150 with the 5.4 and it beat this Tacoma in every way except off road capability.

[@Lennybird91]

In case this is useful for anyone, Toyota tech said top normal operating transmission temp is 225. Wouldn't want to go over 230.

[@Jacob._.W5789]

I tow my rzr around and combined its about 4500 lbs. I bought a set of firestone bags and what a game changer! Highly recommend them if you tow a lot. I can get about 12-13 mpg at 70 mph in my 2WD trd sport around Tennessee. My biggest complaint is just having to stop every 2 hours or so it fuel up just because of the “small” tank.

[@EngineAdventures]

Thanks for sharing your experience! In the mountains of the West I had an entirely different experience so it's good to see what other people in other parts of the country are experiencing.

[@Riggs_SF]

The tacomas are pre wired for the brake controller harness on the driver inside kick panel. You just have to have the adapter that plugs into it. I typically just lay mine in the floor board when towing with my 2023 trd pro tacoma. I would like to no more about that hitch though. What drop is that. And does it help having the ball height above the bumper mount when towing?Thanks

[@EngineAdventures]

Most pickup trucks and SUV's that don't have a built in controller will have a similar wiring pigtail. I don't want to buy a pigtail for each brand (and sometimes each model) that I test when I can just use this wireless setup. I much prefer a unit I can reach with my hand (definitely not on the floorboard, needs to be hard mounted somewhere for easy access in an emergency without the risk of accidentally engaging it or messing up the settings), but I don't always have that option. A little background about me so you can take whether or not my opinions are valid into account. I spent nearly a decade as a mechanical engineer designing and testing trailer towing components, but am no longer in that field. The majority of my work was on weight distribution hitches and adjustable height ball mounts. To answer your question. I don't remember exactly where the ball height was set, but this hitch is adjustable between a 6" drop and 7" rise. It is always best to have the trailer level when it is fully hooked up to the tow vehicle. On a trailer with more than one axle this is even more important. If the tongue of the trailer is low, the front trailer axle will bear more of the load and the tongue weight on the truck will go down a little. If the tongue of the trailer is high, then the rear trailer axle will take more of the load and the tongue weight on the truck will be a bit higher. Having it level will evenly load the trailer axles and have the right tongue weight. One final thought is that whenever towing something with a high center of gravity and high wind resistance (like the trailer in this video) I recommend using a proper weight distribution hitch. Equal-i-zer brand is my favorite for performance and longevity, but there are other good ones out there as well.

[@Andy-xn8dv]

Do you recommend getting a gauge that measures the transmission fluid temperature? I have a 2020 Tacoma V6 with towing package and planning to tow and been hearing the transmission fluid temperature gauge is an absolute must to have

[@EngineAdventures]

It might be a good idea, especially if you're towing regularly. One option is to get an OBD2 reader. My guess is that Toyota has a temp sensor for the trans which can be read via the OBD2 system. Maybe look around the Tacoma forums first to confirm that. Until you have some way to measure trans temp, there are some steps you can take. If the transmission is shifting a lot, be sure to manually downshift to the lower of the 2 gears it's shifting between and maybe drive just a bit slower. This will require you to be more intune with the vehicle and manually upshift on down grades, then down shift again for flat spots or uphill as needed. Of course make sure your cooling system is clean and running well. I believe all the V6s that year had a trans cooler, which should help.

[@shredfest30]

Just curious how wide that trailer is? I've got a manual Pro, and put a supercharger on it. The frontal area is the concern, as well as the lack of good mirror options for these trucks.

[@EngineAdventures]

This one is 8ft wide. Definitely needs some significantly extended tow mirrors for a Tacoma to see down the sides!

[@aquin12]

Why did you stop before going to manual on downhill? Is that necessary or can you just g o from drive to S without stopping? Just curious thanks

[@EngineAdventures]

@@aquin12 I'm not sure why I did that, but you can just do to S at anytime and manually shift it. No need to stop.

[@andreveillette3452]

quel sont les température normal pour la transmission sans et avec le remorquage

[@4xhoser]

Don’t go above 225

[@haydenfoutz8634]

Where is this? Looks like Utah

[@EngineAdventures]

Looks like you figured it out from another video. Thanks for watching!

[@Женя777-п4п]

hello, my friend. tell me, how do you like the new taoma (appearance and technical)? For me, GMC looks more interesting

[@EngineAdventures]

Hello! I am very interested in both the new Tacoma and new Canyon/Colorado. From what I've been reading about both is that journalists love them. Both have updated powertrains. Hopefully the hybrid system in the Tacoma will be reliable. GM has had their 4-cylinder turbo out for a little while now, and it seems to be reliable so far. I won't have a real opinion until I'm actually able to test them. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@Женя777-п4п]

​@@EngineAdventures I will definitely look at your test of these cars.

[@channel16455]

Do you use a sway bar?

[@EngineAdventures]

Not for testing. I recommend using an Equal-i-zer brand hitch for anyone towing a travel trailer. It has weight distribution and sway control, with much better durability than anything else on the market.

[@channel16455]

Ty👍

[@Mleczko421]

I have a 2023 TRD sport with tow package… looking to buy a trailer for our family.. never towed before! Found a trailer we like. Is this too much for my truck? Dry Hitch Weight (lbs) 625 Unloaded Vehicle Weight (lbs) 4,510 Cargo Carrying Capacity (lbs) 1,240 Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (lbs) 5,750

[@EngineAdventures]

Thanks for watching and commenting! First off, I think this is totally doable in a safe manner. The tongue weight is a little high, but here are my suggestions to make it work: Use a properly set up Equal-i-zer brand hitch, don't let the dealer sell you a generic brand as Equal-i-zer is to hitches what Kleenex is to facial tissues or Bobcat is to skidsteers. I know there are other hitches that are good, but with Equal-i-zer you won't have to question your hitch quality. Even at max GVWR of the trailer you mentioned, the Tacoma will handle the weight. Make sure the load is balanced to keep your tongue weight between 10% of the trailer weight and the max tongue weight the Tacoma is listed at (640lbs for yours I believe). The trailer I tested in this video is under 5k lbs, but has a massive frontal area. I recommend a lower profile trailer than this one for any tow vehicle, but especially for a midsize trick. Most new trailers do have a better design than this one. Get tow mirrors (even the removable kind) so you can see down the sides of your trailer. I think this should be a good start. Of course, experience will be the best teacher.

[@dustinfussell6540]

S4 is wayyy better for towing in this truck

[@EngineAdventures]

For a lot of the hill I was down in 2nd or 3rd great. Don't think S4 would have helped much. Can the Tacoma tow? Yes. Is every other midsize truck except the Ridgeline better at towing? Yes.

[@harley8435]

@@EngineAdventuresowners manual says to use S4, keeps the transmission from going into overdrive which will overheat it. I use an OBD2 scanner with the OBD Fusion app to monitor transmission temps.

[@jaymz0074]

Man this makes me wanna cancel my order. That transmission is shit.

[@EngineAdventures]

Sorry, that's not the goal here, but if you're towing frequently, the Tacoma is probably the worst midsize truck for this. I haven't towed with a Ridgeline, so there may be one other that's worse than the Tacoma, but it may be better.

[@johnm.515]

Must tow in ECT S3/S4 period no exceptions.

[@dawsongranger4940]

@@EngineAdventuresI’ve heard the ridgeline rows very well for it’s intended rating

[@EngineAdventures]

I didn't do any towing with the one I tested as I didn't have my wireless brake controller yet. Hopefully I'll get another one to test