Towing with Tacoma

My son is graduating high school in a few weeks and we are looking at trucks for him to go to college in. I have found a nice 2017 Tacoma with the tow package that he is interested in, but I am wondering if it is enough to tow (safely) a ZX225. Toyota says it will tow up to 6500#, best guess on a fully loaded ZX225 is probably 3000-3100#, so the numbers seem to work out. I was hoping to get some feedback from anyone that might be using a Tacoma now with a 20' boat. Something about knowing the engine is v-6 still gives me some concern.

The trailer has surge brakes to assist in stopping if needed. My son will be fishing in college so there could be long distance highway travel.

Any feedback welcome, thanks,

Might post in the tow vehicle forum.

I wouldn’t waste money on a Tacoma. Find a FX4 F150 with the 5.0 or a super duty and you’ll have no worries.

I towed a 19 ft boat all over the state with a Tocoma. No problems. I see a lot of guys towing bigger boats with one. And of course Toyotas longevity is always a cut above.

I towed my Ranger Z118/Evinrude 150 with a double cab, V6, 4x4 Taco for four years before getting a 1/2 ton. It was fine. You definitely know it's back there, and you have to drive a bit more defensively (breaking distance, merging time, etc.) but it did the job safely. I'm not sure of the weight differences for comparison to your situation. I will say make sure the brakes are good, and you should service them more often than factory schedule.

For a younger driver who'll be going long distances, it may be better to consider a 1/2 ton...I think a Super Duty is overkill for a bass boat.

I have a 2007 tundra that shows no signs of stopping or even slowing down right now which is why I like the Toyota option. Since I can't afford to buy new, I would like to get him something I trust to last a few years after he graduates college and I know the Toyota will last.

Thanks for the feedback,

It will certainly pull it. But, if its raining and you have to make a quick stop I'd rather be in a half ton.

It will do it but... I wouldn't recommend it with that size boat. #1 Taco's are great trucks but have terrible brakes for towing, #2 your fuels mileage will be absoluetly abysmal.

It will do it all day. But I’d rather have a Tundra for it. I have a Taco w/ a 4.0 v6. Love it but my Tundra was much better for towing. But towing is a small part of the big picture. Don’t get your boy a Ford unless you want him to be labeled a dork at college and an old man. They come with a free AARP card.

I had a Tacoma and would easily pull my 21" FS to local lakes. Tacomas are great trucks and I loved mine. However once I pulled it from Dallas to Austin and the poor Taco really struggled. I upgraded to a full size and have never had an issue.

go big or go home

Thanks again for all the feedback. I dont think he would be using the Tacoma on a lot of the long distance runs, but it come up on occasion. I think if it is good for hour and half runs to lakes in the area that the size would be better for on campus driving. I would love to find a Tundra in our price range, but to get the price I need it would come with close to 100,000 miles.

I tow my 20 iclass with one, but I don't have to make very long trips with it.

I had a 2003 Tacoma with the 4.3l v6, it towed our Nitro z8 okay on short trips. However, it worked it pretty hard and I was hesitant to go farther than from Lubbock to Alan Henry, which is about an hour. I also towed a buddy's zx225 a couple times with my Tacoma, and I'm not sure what it was about that boat, but it towed way worse than the z8 ever did. It almost seems like the load of the boat wasn't properly distributed on the trailer. It could however, have been all the excess tackle he always carries with him.


You might check out the tow vehicle forum and see some what some others have said about similar setups they have, but be aware of the guy that swears his BMW is the best tow vehicle ever made, and you're an idiot if you tow with anything else.

I would consider 1.5 hour run a long way, I might use a Taco with a boat that big for short around 30 minute tows but nothing more, after I put more than 100K on mine started to get hot in the summer towing like that, and it had the tow package.

Good to know, the heat is one of things I am concerned about. The boat isnt his, and I have no intentions of letting go of it, so it wouldnt be getting near the tow miles my tundra gets every year, but the summer time when he is home is likely to be the majority of the tow miles.

Check your weight estimate...I put my 18’ fish and ski at around 3k on the trailer. I would think you’re at more than 4000 lbs. Per Yamaha a ZX225 is around 3500 lbs as they tested it. Add weight of the trailer and tackle/gear. Yamaha’s weight at least includes fuel, TM, jackplate, and batteries.

https://www.skeeterboats.com/performance_bulletins/SKT_ZX225_VF225LA_2014-07-24_BSS_0.pdf

That said, I loved my 2005 Tacoma. It towed the boat fine. Just maintain a safe speed and distance and you’ll be fine. I didn’t have trailer brakes.

A Tacoma is a great vehicle for a college kid. It was my first new truck. I bought as soon as I had a job the semester I graduated

I have a 2012 4Runner and I tow a Skeeter SX190 with it. The SUV (same frame as the Tacoma, I think) handles the boat fine, but the mileage drops from 20mpg to about 16mpg hauling the boat.

I picked this up a few days ago at Bonham Dodge. Retirement present from my wife. Seems to pull a 4000lb Ranger OK....and a 20,000lb trailer fairly decent too. Sorry, just had to show it off. A buddy towed his full sized bass boat w/his Tacoma just fine. Way within limits of the truck. Only complaint I have is I never understood why all Toyota trucks had to use so much more stinking fuel than any other brands but they do last forever.

you always refer others to other forums on here LOL

do you have a "get off my yard" sign???

If he likes the Tacoma and will only pull every once in a while, doubt it would be a problem. Lots of cars and trucks are good for the 1st 100K. 100K and up never seen anything that lasts like a Toyota. .

I tow my Ranger RT188 aluminum with a 2017 Tacoma. It works fine, but I feel it hesitate a little on most highway inclines. My 2007 Tacoma had a 4.0 vs a 3.5 on the 2017 and the 4.0 did a better job towing (3.5 has higher rated horsepower). I would recommend something bigger.

Good point, starting in 2015 you couldn't get a 4.0 Taco anymore, one of the reasons I don't have a Toyota anymore. Looked at the Tundras but the 4x4's were just too thirsty. I look forward to the next gen Tundra, they are downsizing it back to the pre 2007 tundras, to me that was the perfect sized 1/2 ton truck.

I agree, get an F-150 with 5.0 or get a Tundra if you prefer a Toyota

the way it was explained to me was that its not an issue of power, nearly any truck will have enough pull to tow a boat, it's about control. How well can the truck stop the load? Can it keep the load stable on hills and turns without burning up the transmission? Bigger trucks in general will be better at this.

Note, I'm not an expert at all and a Tacoma may be fine, I'm simply repeating good advice that I got on here years ago when i was asking the same questions.

Over 12,000 of the same posts best I can tell!

You maybe be surprised I weighed my 20' Basscat on a scale 4,400 lbs.

I would look for a 1/2 ton as others have said. You said a 2017 Tacoma was in your price range. There are 10s of 1000s 1/2 ton trucks for sale in the price range of a 2017 Tacoma. I have towed horse trailers, cattle trailers, flat beds, boats, travel trailers for 45 years. NO FRICKIN WAY would I put my inexperienced kid in a lightweight small truck towing a boat around. Pulling is the easy part. STOPPING, is a problem, surge brakes SUCK, as well as short wheelbase , weight of the truck and on and on and on it's just a bad deal and it's your kid.

Don't concern yourself about what is better "driving around campus" If he can tow a boat he can park a 1/2 ton truck, what else is needed driving around campus.

WHY would you even consider putting him in a compromising choice?

Tacoma's hold their value as well as any vehicle on the market...So do Tundra's, but nothing like the Tacoma That being said, you may be surprised at how little a difference in price there is between a Tacoma and a Tundra with a vehicle that has 60-80 thousand miles on it.

And basscats are lightweight

PM sent.

Long distance travel? Save the headache, get a 1/2 ton Ford, GM, or Ram. Even a Tundra

Had a 2017 Tacoma when I got my ZX200. Was coming back from Leon in the rain and that was a scary drive. I immediately went and got a full sized truck after. My life is worth more than saving money. Just my 2 cents.

If you can't stop a load when you need to being able to tow it is irrelevant. I know Tacoma's are good trucks and hold their value well but to me I would get a 1/2 ton without hesitation.

Problem with small trucks is stopping and sometimes getting in and out of ramps

I own a heavily modified 6.0 powerstroke, and a manual 5.9 cummins, and I don’t mind towing with my wife’s Tacoma at all. It actually brakes really well for some reason... at highway speed it’ll downshift to keep moving at 70 if it’s even remotely uphill, my diesels obviously don’t do that but her car does just fine. I’ve towed many many boats at the shop with her truck and it’s pulled every one of them. As stated above... drive safely, conservatively, don’t expect to win a race, and give yourself atopping distance and you’ll be fine.
Just had to add, is a half ton or more ideal? Of course it is. But I see your budget and your thoughts on reliability. It’s not practical for all of us to drive big diesel trucks or even half tons. For what it seems you/him are trying to do. I think you’re fine.

I have towed my zx 200 many miles with my Tacoma. I recently towed a FX 21 with it but thought it was going to jerk my rear bumper of every time the trailer hit a bump.

Actually in 2015 Tacoma still had the 4.0. 2016 was first year for the 3.5

If the Tacoma is what you want I think it will tow it fine. If you are concerned about stopping it you can always add electric trailer brakes to the trailer. If you do it yourself (it's not hard) you're looking at roughly $400ish.

Well yeah, I wasn't thinking model year since they started selling the 2016's in 2015.

Had that very same situation once towing a Stratos 285 with a Taco. Wet, down hill, boat pushed me right through a four way stop. Luckily the other folks saw me coming and there was no accident. I would find a bigger used truck for a boat that size.

umm, dont buy a FORD!

I tow with a FX4 F150 with the 5.0 and 10 speed and you won't find a better truck. Easy on gas too.

You dont need a tow beast to pull a jet ski. Tacomas are just fine to tow with as long as you dont lift it (higher center of gravity) and dont put super aggressive tires on it (poor traction).

I am a full time guide towing a 26ft center console massive bay boat that weighs over 6500 pounds with a BMW x5 with the 3L diesel and the same 8spd transmission they put in Dodge trucks. 88,000 miles with 90% of that towing as a full time guide up and down the coast. I get 35mpg empty and 14 towing at 70mph....full oversized TTop. Had a 2500 Chevy and it tows, handles, and stops it better than that truck ever thought about. Wife got the x5 first. I towed with hers once and sold that truck to get my own. High performance brakes, high performance steering, high performance suspension, better traction control, lower center of gravity, shorter distance between hitch and rear axle....all make for a superior dedicated tow vehicle (up to about 7500 pounds) above that get heavier framed vehicle. Here is my boat and my buddies twin engine 25ft Ranger offshore boat. Thats about my max for this tow vehicle. Handles it all better than that truck ever thought about.

Yes the taco truck will handle a medium bass boat fine.

Agree with M. Alexander.... I towed my Nitro Z-7 for 4 years with a Tacoma double cab with no issues. You certainly knew it was back there, but driving defensively at all times made for a very safe driving scenario. I tend to be very conservative about towing, and I was not pushing any limits at all.

My 2016 Tacoma tows my boat w/ no issues. Like others have said, you'll need to be a bit more "defensive" w/ braking and whatnot. I tow up to 150 miles round trip and I'll still have more than half a tank of gas afterward...can't beat the economics as long as you stay aware while towing.

We tow my 1000 lb aluminum boat plus trailer with the wifes Tacoma . The anti lock brakes make it stop pretty straight and prevent the load from jack knifing but the truck takes a lot more distance to stop with the pedal crushed and anti lock active . I don't feel real secure like I do with my heavy 1/2 ton Chev . Hardly know its even back there with the larger heavier truck .