What Size Travel Trailer Can A Toyota Tacoma Pull? [8 Examples]

Before you can get onto the road with your trailer you need to check out the size travel trailer you can legally pull.

This isn’t just because of legal regulations but for safety as well. A trailer which is too heavy or too light is hard to control when towing, and this can lead to serious accidents.

So to avoid any harm to yourself, your passengers, your pickup truck and the trailer, it’s important you find out first what size trailer you can pull.

We also include 8 great trailer examples that a Toyota Tacoma can pull, and their details on weight and dimensions.

Definitions For Travel Trailer Weight

The best way to understand what size travel trailer your pick-up can pull is by weight. This is the correct weight to tow your trailer efficiently and safely with a Toyota Tacoma.

And there is not just one weight to consider but several. Here is a short list of the different trailer weights you need to know.

GVWR

The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is the maximum empty trailer weight, which shouldn’t be exceeded. 

Commonly trailer manufacturers list the GVWR as a feature.

GTW

The GTW is the Gross Trailer Weight. This is the weight of the trailer when it’s fully loaded with batteries, fluids such as water, all your cargo, propane tanks and any other equipment.

Knowing this weight is important as a portion of this weight is transferred to the Tacoma via the hitch, and it affects the driving properties of the pick-up.

Tongue Weight

You need to connect your trailer to the Tacoma via a hitch which contains a hitch ball. The tongue weight defines the weight which presses down on the hitch ball by the trailer.

GAWR

The Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) is the maximum weight that can press down on a single axle. 

Curb Weight

The curb weight is the actual weight of your trailer. Curb weight includes all full fluid tanks, propane bottles and your standard equipment.

However, it doesn’t include any additional cargo.

Dry Weight

Dry Weight is the weight of the trailer as standard but this doesn’t include any optional equipment or fluids.

UVW

Unloaded Vehicle Weight (UVYW) is the weight of the travel trailer when it comes out of the factory.

Cargo Weight (Or Cargo Carry Capacity)

Cargo weight always refers to the weight of all your personal belongings in the trailer, and any optional equipment.

This is an essential figure to know because it tells you how much you can pack into your trailer.

Towing Capacity For The Toyota Tacoma

The exact weight a Toyota Tacoma with a V6 towing package can pull is 6,800 lbs. 

The V6 towing package for the Tacoma includes:

• Engine oil cooler
• Class-IV towing hitch receiver
• 130-amp alternator
• ATF cooler (not available on the manual transmission)
• Trailer-Sway Control (TSC) 49
• Power steering cooler
• 4- and 7-pin connector with converter

The V6 Tacoma with the above towing package has an overall towing capacity of 6,800 lbs

However, this number just gives you the maximum rating a Tacoma can pull, but it doesn’t take fuel efficiency into account.

As a general rule of thumb, your total travel trailer weight should be around 50% of your pickup’s maximum towing capacity, so for the Tacoma, this would be roughly 3,400 lbs.

This rule applies to any towed vehicle because if you stay significantly under the towing capacity you can improve your truck’s fuel economy, handling and power output when climbing steep roads.

It’s a good idea to always double-check the weight of your travel trailer. 

Manufacturers usually have different ways of calculating their weight ratings, so if you want to compare the true weight between manufacturers, you need to find out how they calculate the trailer weight.

Other Weights To Consider

As part of the different weights we already looked at, there are the weights of your equipment to consider, as you’ll need to add this to your gross trailer weight to calculate the total travel trailer weight.

Water And Other Fluids

If you fill up a 30 gallon water tank for your next adventure, you need to add approximately 250 lbs to the total weight of your trailer.

Propane

The weight of your propane tank can vary with the size bottle you have but as a rule of thumb a gallon of propane weights around 4.2 pounds. A 20 lbs propane tank weighs around 37 pounds.

RV Battery

Batteries can be heavy, so you should definitely count this into your weight calculation for your total trailer weight. RV batteries can weigh as much as 65 pounds.

8 Travel Trailers That You Can Tow With A Toyota Tacoma

Now that we know more about how weight and capacity is calculated, we can take a look at our list of the 8 best travel trailers that you can tow with a Toyota Tacoma.

As advised, for the best fuel economy and power output for the Tacoma, it’s a good idea to have a gross vehicle rating of 3,500 lbs or lower.

Retro RV 509 Travel Trailer

A trailer with one of the smallest floor plan, the Riverside RV Retro 509 travel trailer is perfectly lightweight with a dry weight of 1,180 lbs. 

With a length of 13’ 8”, the trailer is short enough to fit into small spaces. This doesn’t mean you are limited to a tiny space inside. You can easily fit a queen bed, a two-burner stove range and even a sink.

The Riverside Retro RV 509 travel trailer comes with a cargo weight allowance of 500 lbs, and this even includes a 17 gallon freshwater tank. 

Weight Spec For The Retro RV 509 Trailer

• Dry Weight: 1180 lbs
• Hitch Weight: 200
• Cargo Carrying Capacity: 500 lbs
• Fresh Water: 17 Gallon (approx. 142 lbs)

Flagstaff E-Pro E12SRK Trailer

Another super lightweight trailer, the Flagstaff E-Pro E12SRK is well within the towing capacity of the Toyota Tacoma.

The interior fits a full-size bed, together with a wardrobe, shelf, a singe with two-burner stove and also a television hub with overhead storage.

An additional plus of the E-Pro travel trailer is its outdoor kitchen featuring a stove, sink, microwave and fridge.

Weight Spec For Flagstaff E-Pro E12SRK Trailer

• Dry Weight: 1763 lbs
• Hitch Weight:258 lbs
• Cargo Carrying Capacity: 1135 lbs
• Fresh Water: 20 gallons (approximately 168 lbs)

TAXA Outdoors Cricket Trailer

This definitely isn’t an average travel trailer. The TAXA cricket trailer is a practical and stylish mix of elegant design and functionality.

Inside, there is room for a whole family (2 adults and 2 kids). The lounge area features plenty of storage and seating.

With the large picture windows, you can enjoy the view while cooking in the functional kitchen area.

This travel trailer has a lot of standard features which make it the go-to choice for many explorers.

Weight Spec For TAXA Outdoors Cricket Trailer

• Dry Weight: 1,732 lbs
• Hitch Weight: 240 lbs
• Cargo Carrying Capacity: 910 lbs
• Fresh Water: 15 gallons (approximately 124.5 lbs)
• Two 20 Gallon Propane Tanks included: 74 lbs when both full

Jayco Hummingbird 10RK

The Jayco Hummingbird 10RK features an excellent outdoor kitchen containing everything you need for an adventure meal. 

But the interior isn’t bad either. Inside you’ll find a full size bed with large overhead storage and a flip-up shelf. 

Weight Spec For Jayco Hummingbird 10RK Trailer

• Dry Weight: 1545 lbs
• Hitch Weight: 180
• Cargo Carrying Capacity: 455 lbs
• Fresh Water: 25.6 gallon (approximately 215 lbs)

Intech Luna Lite

The Luna Lite from Intech stands out wherever you go. The full aluminum frame with a Dexter torsion axle makes this travel trailer lightweight and easy to handle.

The large under floor storage compartment and an entertainment center with storage and 31-inch LED TV with wall mount allow you to store away everything you need for your vacation.

Weight Spec For Intech Luna Lite Trailer

• Dry Weight: 1630 lbs
• Hitch Weight: Not specified by the manufacturer
• Cargo Carrying Capacity: Not specified by the manufacturer
• Fresh Water: 10 gallon (approximately 84 lbs)
• Propane Tanks: 20 lbs (approximately 37 lbs)

Roulotte Prolite Plus S

Unlike some other small trailers suitable for towing with a Toyota Tacoma, the Roulotte Prolite Plus S travel trailer features a toilet and shower.

It easily sleeps two people as you simply convert the table and bench to a full size bed.

The trailer comes with an integrated fridge, heating, stove for cooking and an optional AC.

Weight Spec For Roulotte Prolite Plus S Trailer

• Dry Weight: 1390 lbs
• Hitch Weight: 145 lbs
• Cargo Carrying Capacity: Not specified by the manufacturer
• Fresh Water: 10 gallons (approximately 84 lbs)

Little Guys Meerkat

This is one of the lightest travel trailers we have seen. With under 1,000 lbs dry weight, it still offers plenty of headroom to stand up.

This trailer comes with a portable toilet, icebox, full-size bed, table and plenty of storage.

Weight Spec For Little Guys Meerkat Trailer

• Dry Weight: 900 lbs
• Hitch Weight: 100 lbs

Happier Camper

Classic retro design and modern chic. This is the Happier Camper model featuring a fiberglass interior and exterior, with room for up to five people.

A big plus with this travel trailer is its flexibility. You can easily customize it with the blocks you want. An extra benefit: these blocks can also be used outside.

A small caveat: The Happier Camper is the on the threshold of 3,500 lbs GVWR, so you need to calculate your weight a bit more carefully.

Weight Spec For The Happier Camper Trailer

• Dry Weight: approximately 1100 lbs
• Hitch Weight: 150 lbs

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What You Need To Know When Towing A Trailer

In addition to the weight, there are a few other things to know and consider when you want to tow a trailer with your Toyota Tacoma.

Hitches

These are the parts where you attach your travel trailer to your vehicle. The amount of weight and pressure you put on the hitch and balls can impact the ride.

Generally, there are 5 different categories of conventional hitches which are able to tow different weights:

• Class 1: Up to 2,000 pounds
• Class 2: Up to 3,500 pounds
• Class 3: Up to 8,000 pounds
• Class 4: Up to 10,000 pounds
• Class 5: Up to 12,000 pounds

For the Toyota Tacoma you would be looking at class 2. Larger trucks and SUVs can also tow with class 3 to 5 hitches.

Hooking Up Your Travel Trailer

There are quite a few things to look out for when you hook up your trailer. 

Especially if you are a first time traveler, it might be easier to follow a small checklist to make sure your trailer is connected to your towing vehicle safely.

First make sure that you secure the ball mount in the hitch’s receive tube. Then proceed to line up your Tacoma, so it’s directly in front of the trailer couple.

The trailer couple should be higher than the ball on the hitch.

Next, you can back up your pickup slowly to maneuver the ball directly under the trailer coupler. 

This can be tricky, so you may want to ask for help or you can use a backup camera.

Then make sure you put the parking break on and turn off the engine.

With your trailer couple, you need to find the trailer tongue where you can twist the handle to lower the metal bar. This will lower the couple onto the ball.

Then you need to use the attached cotter pin on the latch to secure the coupler. This holds everything in place.

Try to lift up the trailer tongue to check everything is connected securely. If that’s the case, then you need to secure the safety chains of the trailer to your Tacoma. The chains should not touch the ground.

Make sure to plug the trailer’s electrical connector into the pickup, and then check all lights are working as they should.

Loading Your Travel Trailer

One of the biggest thing to forget with your trailer is that weight is everything, and how you distribute weight throughout the travel trailer when packing is important.

When you end up with too much weight near the rear end of the trailer, it can cause the vehicle to fishtail.

Too much weight near the front will cause sagging. Both can lead to poor handling and issues with breaking power.

Conclusion

There are some great lightweight travel trailers that can easily be towed with a Toyota Tacoma.

We hope the above tips on weight and how to tow a trailer help you and your vehicles stay safe on the road.

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