Toyota of Orlando’s guide to towing

We pride ourselves in knowing that we offer a spectacular inventory. We have a wide variety of vehicles, ranging from compact vehicles to bulkier rides like the Orlando Toyota Tundra. If you need a ride that’s built for towing, you probably know that you’ll need a truck or an SUV.

While towing may seem like it’s an easy thing to do, that couldn’t be further from the truth. You’re going to need a strong Toyota with the right capabilities. In addition to that, you’re also going to want to make sure that your towing experience goes smoothly.

Can your Toyota truck tow properly?

Just like we mentioned, we have a wide variety of Orlando Toyota options that will help you tow your trailer/hitch. As expected, our Toyotas have a greater towing capacity than our other vehicles.

Toyota trucks

The Toyota Tundra can tow up to 10,500 lbs. while the Toyota Tacoma can tow up to 6,500 lbs. Both of these Toyota trucks will be able to take you from Point A to Point B with absolute ease.

Toyota SUVs

Though they may not be as powerful as our trucks, Toyota SUVs still provide the power you need for towing. The Toyota Sequoia, Toyota 4Runner, and Toyota Land Cruiser are all viable options if you need to tow cargo behind you.

The capacities are just a small part of what affects the towing experience. Before embarking on your towing trip, check your owner’s manual for the following:

Allowable payload: This is the absolute maximum weight your vehicle can carry.
Base curb weight: This is the weight of your vehicle with your equipment counted in.
Cargo weight: Cargo weight is the weight of your vehicle with the added equipment, passengers, and cargo included.

It’s important to know the difference between these because knowing how much weight and cargo your Orlando Toyota can carry will keep you and your ride safe.

Toyota of Orlando gives you 4 towing tips

Once you know whether your ride is ready to take on the road, you must get prepped for the towing trip. You may think that you don’t need to because you’re used to driving your vehicle without any cargo. As you can imagine, however, driving your vehicle with cargo is much different with extra weight. Follow these tips, and your trip will go without a hitch:

Practice towing: This might seem like a silly idea, but it’s good to practice towing. You know the saying practice makes perfect, right? It definitely applies to this situation! We suggest you choose a secluded area, like an empty parking lot, to practice things like backing up and using your mirrors.

Get your brakes checked: This is important because once you get going, the brakes are the only thing stopping you. Also, make sure that your Toyota’s brakes are synchronized with your trailer/hitch.

Purchase spare tires: Before you embark on your trip, make sure you take a look at your tires. People tend to forget that tires on the trailer can become damaged during the trip. Being prepared for emergencies will save you the headaches.

Take care of care of car maintenance: Keeping your car in the best shape possible will keep you safe on the road. Perform necessary auto services such as oil changes or tire rotations before you get on the road.

Once you’re prepped to go on the road, there are still a few things that you should remember:

Always indicate your movements. Fellow drivers need to know where your vehicle and the cargo are heading, so always use your signal lights. Remember to synch up the trailer’s lights to your new Toyota’s lights.
Drive slowly; ideally at 55 mph. This steady speed will help you keep your cargo from tipping over.
As always, leave space between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you. Since your brakes won’t react as quickly, this is the best thing you can do to avoid a nasty accident.

Our team at Toyota of Orlando hopes that you find these towing tips useful. If you want to get behind the wheel of a new ride that’s ready to tow, come check out our wide selection of SUVs and trucks. Visit us today at 3575 Vineland Road.