Advise needed from Tacoma owners

New member with a question for small truck owners, preferably Tacoma owners with a FWC.
I own a 2018 Double cab 4X4 Tacoma. Payload is only 1000 pounds. I also have a FWC which weighs about 1100 pounds. Fully loaded, with me, wife, dog etc I am at 6500 pounds. I did not expect that when I went to the weight station...I love my Tacoma, paid for and no plans on selling. Don't tell me to buy a bigger truck, not an option right now.

I had Boise Spring Works add additional rear springs and the truck with the FWC runs and feels great. At 6500 pounds I am about 900 pounds over my GVWR of 5600 pounds, and 200 pounds over my GAWR weight.

My question for fellow Tacoma owners who are also overweight, what are the longterm problems to my Tacoma with being so overweight? I see a ton of similar setups, and really have not read any real negative long term reviews. FWC seems to have a huge Tacoma following, and no one ever talks about breaking their Tacomas with the extra weight.

I am starting to get a little paranoid with my total weight on my truck. I don't want to end up braking my axles or something else major. I have now taken my camper off and only load it when I go on trips. I have taken my awning and one of the two propane tanks off in order to save a little weight. We travel light, so not much more I can do to lower weight.

Fellow Tacoma owners, talk to me. A lot of you are at my weight or even over. Have you had longterm issues?
Am I being too paranoid? Am I ok leaving the FWC on full-time, which I would prefer to do?

I think probably all Tacomas with FWCs on them are technically overloaded, but there are a lot of them out there!

Mine is 2014 Fleet on 2007 Access Cab with air bags and "E" tires. With the tires and air bags appropriately inflated, the truck handles well and driving it seems safe. I go on long trips and take lots of stuff, trying to have as much weight as possible in the cab and down low in the camper

I had a couple of bad wheel bearings and they were all replaced (before I got the camper), so I'm good on that. Toyota replaced the rear springs under recall, so I'm good on that, too. What else might wear out prematurely? Tacomas historically have had frame-rust problems which could definitely be a weakness, but your '18 is probably still too new for that. I had to have my frame repaired, so it's stronger than ever.

The only thing that troubles me is braking distance. I got some better front brake pads that are designed to shorten stopping distance. Wagner, as I recall. And I just don't drive very fast - about 60 max.

- Bernard

I am not too concerned with the long term effects of the camper on my Tacoma. Some things will wear out faster but just replace them with better parts. With proper tires, suspension (which you have) and conservative driving habits you should be fine. There are guys that mob around Baha and the deserts with campers with few issues.

bfh4n said:

The only thing that troubles me is braking distance. I got some better front brake pads that are designed to shorten stopping distance. Wagner, as I recall. And I just don't drive very fast - about 60 max.

- Bernard

Click to expand...

When it comes time to change my brakes I will be doing a similar upgrade. I believe there are some kits for upgrading to larger diameter rotors. I also upgraded my suspension.

One weak thing on our trucks is the CV axle needle bearing on the front passenger side of the truck. It is a well known issue. I replaced mine with ECGS bushings (link down below) as a preventative measure when I upgraded my suspension. I was amazed at how much quieter the truck became. It seems to be 50/50 on whether or not it will go bad.

Relevant threads:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/cv-axle-needle-bearing-replacement-poll.500521/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/bad-needle-bearing.580979/

Replacement Part https://eastcoastgearsupply.com/i-8536125-toyota-8-clamshell-bushing-eliminates-needle-bearing.html

Tacomatraveler,

You're facing the same issue virtually all Tacoma owners do, whether they know it or not. We've had two Tacomas and two FWCs.

There are a bunch of parameters used to determine the GVWR of a vehicle: engine power, transmission, braking, suspension, axle rating, chassis design, etc.

Your truck's power and engine (assuming V6 and auto?) are more than capable of hauling the load. The Tacoma's third member (rear diff) is also very strong. I'm not a fan of the open-channel rear frame in current Tacomas, but it's . . . adequate. If your truck rides level with the extra springs and your shocks control rebound and roll well, you're okay there.

Your biggest concern should be braking, especially on long highway downhills. Toyota continues to cut corners by retaining rear drum brakes on the Tacoma (don't listen to their risible lie that drum brakes are "better off road"). You can enhance the stock system with better pads and higher-rated brake fluid, but don't fall for cross-drilled rotors; they do nothing to stop brake fade and can in fact make it worse. The only way to significantly improve braking is to install larger diameter, wider, or heavier rotors (the latter meaning rotors with more central cooling fins). I believe there are rear disc kits available for the current Tacoma as well. How much you should invest depends on where you travel. Lots of mountains=better braking needed. Please read this article.

I don't have much to add other than to say "hi" from a fellow Ventura County Tacoma/Fleet owner. I recently bought a shell model and am in the process of outfitting it. Before adding the camper I got a custom set of rear leaf springs from Deaver, bilstein 5100 shocks (they were overdue for replacement anyway) and load range E tires. Seems to run great, with almost no sag in the back but I haven't had to test the braking distance.

Mileage sucks tho.

I appreciate the feedback so far. Keep it coming. Is the consensus that even being 900 pounds over gvwr, the truck will be ok?
What are the vehicle parts that I should keep an eye for? Bearings?

Not a Tacoma, but I have a friend I met in Baja who has a 1st gen Tundra who broke his frame in front of his rear wheel. He had converted it to a flatbed and turned it into an overlanding rig. Just something to think about. I don't know how the Tacoma frame compares but there are limits to everything.

I've got a tacoma flatbed fleet. 2012 truck, camper and flatbed installed in 2015. I don't do any rock crawling or anything crazy, but frequently go out on OHV trails. Has driven 90,500 miles since it received the camper.
Extra leaf springs, airbags, E rated tires, suspension.
Photo of the rig is currently the last pic in the photo thread in this FWC forum.

I've had no issues with the Tacoma, 2009 with 2 different campers since 2010. I was a builder pre-retirement so my truck did double duty as a weekend recreational vehicle plus 5 days a week ferrying tools and lumber with a steel rack up until about 2 years ago.
I initially just put Firestone airbags on along with the E-rated tires as I did not want the harsh ride of a beefed up suspension. I saw the folly of my ways so when the FWC Fleet came along in 2016 I had the rear springs rebuilt with advice from Deaver who referred me to a suspension shop in my neck of the woods. I always run better quality than the factory equipped for my shocks, currently running the Bilstein 5100. I had my front brakes upgraded in 2013 but the shop I used never really got it right, so I switched back to the original factory setup. Later this winter I'm going to try the brake rebuild again with the prospect of longer trips and more high speed driving.

Many miles of really nasty terrain here in deserts of Oregon on this rig. I take it easy and enjoy the view and the truck is holding up well.

For the 2nd Gen Tacoma here is the link to a front brake upgrade that works well. I imagine someone has done the same for the 3rd Gens.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2nd-gen-diy-big-brake-kit-oem-parts-part-s-provided-installed.443656/

OK, I have to ask you owners with a Taco and an FWC... what about power? I have an F250 6.4L with FWC Hawk. I also have a 2012 TRD Sport Taco with just an ARE shell I use for Tent camping. I also have a little Trekmate Trailer I tow with each when needed. Not accounting for the Over Weight issue I hate the difference in power between my two trucks. I know it's a given but I could not imagine my Taco with an FWC in the mountains. I'd be interested in your experiences.

Don't be afraid to floor it, and it's fine .
And really, I mean nothing unsafe about it. Well, mine is re-geared. But w/ my gearing, I definitely have plenty of power to start going and get into traffic, etc. And, I was able to keep up w/ traffic in Idaho w/ their super high speed limit. (I forget if it was 80 or 90MPH.. Highest I've ever seen). That was admittedly pushing the limits.
Mountains are about the same.. When at altitude, if you want to keep up w/ the smaller car traffic, you might need to floor it a few times. Or just slow down and go w/ the big rigs.

XJINTX said:

OK, I have to ask you owners with a Taco and an FWC... what about power? I have an F250 6.4L with FWC Hawk. I also have a 2012 TRD Sport Taco with just an ARE shell I use for Tent camping. I also have a little Trekmate Trailer I tow with each when needed. Not accounting for the Over Weight issue I hate the difference in power between my two trucks. I know it's a given but I could not imagine my Taco with an FWC in the mountains. I'd be interested in your experiences.

Click to expand...

I have a 2017 Taco with V6 and a 6 speed manual and have been absolutely blown away at the amount of power. Although it will not come close to the power of a diesel. With the camper on I can normally cruise 70 going up the pass. Gas mileage suffers greatly though. I have also towed some very heavy trailers with it. I honestly believe the chassis is weaker than what the engine can handle.

But my dream set up is a diesel with a flatbed FWC or ATC.

I took my Tacoma (TRD 4x4 6 cylinder) on a few long trips from CA to Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and Utah with absolutely no problems. Had multiple steep mountain passes and the power was adequate. I would drop down my gears and power up the mountains. I was pleasantly surprised how well the Tacoma handled the weight. I also frequently go to the Sierra’s and can’t complain about the power.
On flat land the power is a non issue.

XJINTX said:

OK, I have to ask you owners with a Taco and an FWC... what about power? I have an F250 6.4L with FWC Hawk. I also have a 2012 TRD Sport Taco with just an ARE shell I use for Tent camping. I also have a little Trekmate Trailer I tow with each when needed. Not accounting for the Over Weight issue I hate the difference in power between my two trucks. I know it's a given but I could not imagine my Taco with an FWC in the mountains. I'd be interested in your experiences.

Click to expand...

I guess it is all about what you think you need. I spent a lot of time exploring the mountains in my 1st gen 4runner with the 116hp 22re, and thought it was pretty nice . Yes it weighed a lot less than my 2016 Tacoma/Fleet flatbed, but not half as much. Now with 278hp and about 50% more weight I am still happy. I can hold 65 mph going up to Eisenhower tunnel, but typically I putter along at 55 - 60 in the middle lane and it works out fine. You do have to realize that the newer Atkinson cycle engines are designed to rev higher, so you will be at ~4000rpm in the hills.

Toyota rates the v6 Tacoma to tow 6800lbs so clearly their engineers think the engine and drive train are good for the increased weight.

I've toyed with various engines over the years, with aftermarket fueling systems that allowed for in-depth views of what was going on... and was somewhat surprised to find that fuel economy has little to do with RPM. It would not surprise me to find out that a 4L 6 cyl at 6000 RPM was using less fuel than a 6.6L diesel at 2000 RPM going up a hill. These little engines are designed to rev and to do it happily and efficiently.

Or to translate from for an older V8 driver, "rev the crap out of it!"

I have a first gen Tundra, so about the same size as newer Tacoma's. For me it's not about how fast I can go up an occasional grade, but can I take it where I ultimately want to go - which is on 4x4 mountain and desert roads and canyons. Anything bigger than a Tacoma would be difficult on many of these roads. So it's a perfect size for me. I drive careful and have not experienced any physical or mechanical limitations in 8 years. I have upgraded springs, air bags, E rated tires. Tacoma's or trucks of similar size seem to be the standard when you are really out there.

I was looking for more info after seeing my truck weighing in at 6,300 lb before I start heading out on a big trip.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5uoHC4s5JZ/?igsh=MTZtczdqcm92ZW95bg==

2014 tacoma here with a swift and a flatbed. I'm running 35" tires, front bumper and winch. Old man emu heavy rear springs and airbags. Also did the 4 runner brake upgrade.

Drives great and I typically only loose .5-1 MPG with the camper on.

Engine braking is your friend on long descents

One thing I would certainly add on any heavy tacoma is a trans cooler and a way to monitor temps like a scan gauge or ultra gauge.

Its crazy how fast temps drop with the cooler when you let off it for even a few seconds. Only way to know is with a monitor.

Useful link for your questions, and questions you've not yet asked.

FOUR WHEEL CAMPER (FWC) THREAD!! | Tacoma World