Recommended Weight Distribution And Brake Controller For 2002 Toyota Tacoma

Question:

Hi, I am going to be moving cross-country several times for work over the next year and am going to purchase a small cargo trailer 5x10 or 6x10 to pull behind my 2002 Toyota Tacoma. The trailer will have an empty weight of approx 1,000lb with a GVWR just under 3,000lb. The truck has a 3.4L V6 with a Supercharger, and has a 1.5inch lift with much stiffer springs, so I think it is well suited to handle the load of the trailer. The vast majority of my towing is going to be done on interstate highways, and I am curious to know if I would be advised to use a weight distribution/sway control hitch and/or trailer brakes, considering the size of my truck and trailer. If that is the case, can you recommend one or more of each product that you have available that would work for my application? Possibly an option to consider without cost in mind and another option that is a better value? Thank you,

asked by: Ben

Expert Reply:

There are a few things to note when towing a trailer and making sure you are safe when doing so. Based on my online research you should have no problem towing a 3,000-lb loaded trailer. With the weight of your truck being between 2750 and 3705-lbs I recommend a weight distribution system. The owner's manual also states if you are towing a trailer that weighs over 2,000-lbs, a sway control system should be used.

If you do not have a trailer hitch I recommend the Draw-Tite Max-Frame Trailer Hitch, part # 75078. This is a Class lll hitch and it has a 2-inch receiver opening.

I recommend a weight distribution system that has sway control built in. You want to choose a system where your tongue weight is near the middle of the tongue weight range for the system. I recommend a system like the Fastway e2 Weight Distribution System, part # FA92-00-0600. This system has 2-point sway control built-in and is designed for tongue weight between 250 and 600 lbs.

The hitch ball is sold separately and you need a hitch ball with a 1-1/4 inch shank so if you need a 2-inch hitch ball I recommend part # EQ91-00-6080. For a 2-5/16 inch ball I recommend part # EQ91-00-6100.

If your trailer has brakes I recommend part # 90195 for a brake controller. This is one of our most popular because it is easy to install and operate. The trailer will have a 7-way wiring connector if it has brakes and your truck will also need a 7-way.

If you do not have a trailer connector on your truck I first recommend part # 118379. You just connect the harness to the connections points behind the Tacoma tail lights. You will then need a 7-way connector for the brake controller. For that I recommend part # ETBC7. This plugs into the 4-way connector on the truck and with additional wiring you can connect ther brake controller and wiring harness. I have attached a drawing you can check out that shows how the wiring is run for the # ETBC7 and a brake controller.

When working with electrical connectors I recommend using dielectric grease like part # 11755. This keeps dirt and moisture out of the electrical connections and helps prevent corrosion.

Since you said you are going to be traveling across the country several times you may also want to consider a transmission cooler. Towing a trailer can be stressful and a cooler can extend the life of the truck transmission by keeping the coolant cooler. A transmission cooler I recommend is the Derale Series 8000 Plate-Fin Transmission Cooler Kit, part # D13502.

The options I gave you above are what I believe will serve you well and are not the least-expensive or most-expensive options we offer.