No power when towing

I have 2013 tundra just got it. It has 366klms on nice truck seamed all fine bought it to tow my boat I'm a fishing guide so would be towing alot but towed for first time today and had no power crawled home at like 30klms unless I put pedal to the floor would pull a bit harder and rev up other wise would sit at like 2200 rpms with pedal 1/2 to 3/4 pressed had tow/ haul mode on and tried with it off no difference and it smelt not good when got home. Maybe tranny? Or limp mode? Stress! any buddy has same problem? Maybe to many klms to tow with?

 

When not towing had lots of power Did seem like like was running bit hot tho. Clogged cat would throw a code?

 

What happens when you floor it without a trailer? Were the brakes on the trailer stuck on?

 

That might explain the not so good smell.

 

So how big is this boat? Total weight with trailer?


When you lifted your right foot off the pedal, did you still roll normally, or decelerate quickly like brakes were dragging?

 

No the boat rolls fine it's not electric brakes and prolly 7k lbs for weight

 

And just took boat off and took it for a drive seems normal power for what I know. All so is it normal for tranny to shutter for a sec when first put it in gear? I keep leaning towards the tranny not liking the weight

 

I'd still suspect the boat trailer. No electric brakes, but at that weight, surely has surge brakes. I assume you were pulling the boat with something else prior to this. How was that?

 

Ya it does seem like it's running hot even without the boat on the back. But it's been really hot here since I got the truck

 

Ya was pulling with my 02 ram Cummins and no problems didn't feel like it was dragging at all

 

are you on factory tire size?
Tow/haul mode? (not 100% sure 2nd gens have this).

7k is pretty heavy, but you shouldn't have big problems towing like you are.

 

Well, you say you crawled home with the boat, which to me implies that you either had no problem going TO wherever you went, with or without with the boat. So either you had no problem going somewhere with the boat, but only heading back home, or you found you had a problem after picking up the boat. Check your trailer brakes.

 

I used ram to tow boat to the launch and wife dropped me off went home switched trailer to the tundra and came and picked me up. Most of the trip home is all up hill all so but on the flat parts it did seem like the trailer rolled fine. And just hooked the boat back up to the ram and pulled around the block and rolled fine

 

If it wasn’t down shifting when you had the pedal to the floor when towing and was lugging at 2200 RPM, that’s weird. So it wasn’t like it was revving out to 4K RPM but didn’t have power, but instead it wouldn’t even downshift to give you the power you needed? Only time I ever noticed such as thing was with my prior truck with a VFtuner “gear lock” tune that was terrible and wouldn’t let the truck downshift (to a fault) when tow/haul mode was on.

 

Ya would not down shift. Unless I put pedal to the floor and would drop down only as long as was to the floor. If I let off even a little bit would lug

 

2013 has a trans temp guage. What does that read in both towing/driving?

 

You didn’t happen to try to manually shift is “S” mode, did you? If you can manually shift it with good results it makes me think @Silver17 hit the nail on the head, and your truck has an aftermarket tune.

No check engine light on?

Basic maintenance like air filter, spark plugs done anytime recently that you know of?

I’m sure you’re aware that it isn’t going to tow 7K uphill like that Cummins does, but if anything, I find my ‘08 to be a bit too rev happy when towing.

 

2200 rpms at what speed btw

 

Like 35klms a hour 2200 rpm and I bought truck off the original owner old farmer he never got tune on it and plugs all fluids were done 70 thousand klms ago and tranny temp was just over half way mark

 

As someone who thinks towing with half tons is a joke, your truck should do better than it is. I pull 3500lbs in 4th gear at 65mph with zero issues. There are way to many people towing your weight on this forum at highway speeds without issues.

I’m not convinced it’s a burned cat. That’s hard to do. You said you switched trucks. Are you 100% certain wiring is correct between the tundra and the ram? That year ram only made 420tq which ain’t much more than the tundra’s.

 

My buddy has 2016 tundra and has all most same boat and trailer I have and his pulls that boat around very well was very impressed for gas. My ram is not stock bigger turbo injectors pump tuned so it's like boat is not there. But trailer is surge breaks so if was not plugged in at all would make no difference on braking