Online Towing Tutorials?

[Ericb760]

I am contemplating a trip from SoCal to Biloxi, MS in my 89' Chieftain. We have a 02' Toyota Tacoma that we will be using as a toad. I have very limited experience in towing and need some comprehensive guidance on what I need to accomplish this. Can someone recommend a good website that can school me in the in's and out's of towing?

[Oldchinahand]

Just looked. YouTube has a ton of tutorials on the subject. Just search "How to tow a car behind an RV"

Fair Winds and Following Seas

[Ericb760]

Originally Posted by Oldchinahand

Just looked. YouTube has a ton of tutorials on the subject. Just search "How to tow a car behind an RV"

Fair Winds and Following Seas

Yeah, I've watched a few of them. I guess what I'm looking for is a more comprehensive, professional look at towing as opposed to some guy in his front yard. And none of those videos have any footage of them in actual motion, and what to watch for when actually under way.

[PIC]

Are you sure you can tow a Tacoma? Understand it's an earlier model but today many Toyota vehicles can not be towed

[Ericb760]

Originally Posted by PIC

Are you sure you can tow a Tacoma? Understand it's an earlier model but today many Toyota vehicles can not be towed

I have successfully towed a Ford Ranger of the same vintage by removing the drive shaft. I am looking for info on whether I can tow a Tacoma.

[bobmac]

Suggest you Google 2002 RV towing guides to determine if your Toyota can be towed 4 wheels Down. I found one but the Tacoma was not listed so presumably it cannot be towed 4 wheels down. That likely means you will need a tow dolly.

[Ericb760]

Originally Posted by bobmac

Suggest you Google 2002 RV towing guides to determine if your Toyota can be towed 4 wheels Down. I found one but the Tacoma was not listed so presumably it cannot be towed 4 wheels down. That likely means you will need a tow dolly.

I did, and came to the conclusion that towing a Tacoma is not in the cards. To remedy this I went and bought a 2010 Honda Civic EX today. Salvaged title and 110k but it runs like a champ, tracks straight, and I expect to put no more than a few thousand miles on it in any given year. I'll keep the Tacoma in the garage when we are on the road.

[NeilV]

First determine if a 25 foot 1989 Chieftain which only has a 15,000 lb Chevy Chassis is capable of towing your Tacoma which can weigh in at over 5,000 lbs depending on the cab, drive type and how its equipped/loaded.

If you find the Chieftain has enough capacity to carry you and your stuff along with tow that truck through the mountains, etc that you will be traveling through then will you be using a tow dolly or a tow bar and is the 2002 Tacoma compatible with that mode of towing (automatic, standard transmission, full time 4WD) or will you need to pull it along on a flatbed?

Most places you drive through will require brakes on the tow rig so that will have to be addressed too. Some options will require the purchase of a brake controller installed in the Chieftain and a brake actuator that will need to be installed in the Tacoma while a tow dolly or flatbed with surge brakes won't. Each tows a bit differently and severely limits your ability to back up unless you find that you can tow a flat bed trailer with the Tacoma on it.

After you identify if that's an acceptable combination and how you wish to/can tow it then you can look for more targeted training material particular to that method.