Remove the rear driveshaft or install a disconnect if available.

Disconnect the rear shaft or figure out a way to pump gear lube from the bottom of the case up to the rear output shaft bearings and seal.

Limited awd with transmission in park and transfer case in neutral *might* work.

Not opposed to talking the driveshaft off the rear diff. I used do do that on my 72 Bronco for less wear and tear.
Or I can always go the trailer route....

A trailer would be my preference just out of convenience. Quick and easy on and off. And then your not limited to the 4runner. Maybe in a few years you'd want a jeep or a sports car - no need to reinvent the whole flat tow setup. Drive the new car on and off you go.

Now my wife is going to read this and want to tow her M2 vice the T4R... crap!

Trailer is a solid choice!

As I stew further in this dilemma I am a little pissed 😠 . WTH was Toyota thinking by not making this possible? Pushing people further into the Jeep camp.
I guess unbolting the rear drive shaft at the 3rd member is the easy way. I don’t want to deal with a trailer once I am at a camp site. We will be full timing in diesel pusher. I want it to be as easy as possible....

Diesel Wrangler? Diesel Gladiator?

Reading a ton on towing. Lots of GX owners flat tow. T-case in neutral and transmission in park leave key in ignition so column doesn't lock. Only works with manual transfer case not the electric.

Might be different because they are AWD.

I really don't know why you can flat tow the jeep. The oil pump is on the input shaft in both the Jeep and toyota transfer cases. I have no idea how Jeep is lubricating the bearings without the oil pump running. If the input shaft isn't moving - the pump isn't moving fluid unless there's something I don't understand about it. I *think* that if the chain drive is moving it would potentially slash lubricate the output bearings? But I don't think it would be moving in the Jeep being flat towed unless it was in 4wd, much like the 4runner. I don't know on the jeep if "neutral" position has the chain drive engaged in some way. I doubt it - but I don't know.

Interesting thread and I would love to be able to flat tow my 4runner. Trailer is out of the question.

Here is what I am gathering and appreciate anyone to challenge or correct:
1) Either install the tranny lube pump or disconnect the rear drive shaft four bolts at the rear diff and hang the DS on something under the carriage.
2) Leave the key in the ignition to keep the steering column free from locking
3) Install a towed vehicle battery charger to keep the 4runner battery from draining with the key in the ignition (Is battery drain a risk with key in ignition? Not sure)

Question that still remain after reading this thread.
1) If the front drive shaft remains connected even if 4 hi is not engaged, wouldn't you still need the tranny lube pump or should the front drive shaft be disconnected and hung like the rear?

Everything I’ve read here and on RV forums all you do is put MANUAL Tcase in Neutral and transmission in park. Once you turn off truck leave the key in so as to not lock the steering wheel. Remove ignition key from key ring. Extra weight of all your other Keys and crap can sometime assist the key in coming out. Make sure when you are putting Tcase in Neutral your engine is off so as to not engage the front drive shafts.

Front shaft requires nothing. It's not going to the extent it does spin at all - the front output shaft assembly is all lubricated (it's at the bottom of the case where the oil lives). So if it's in 2hi, it should be no different from normal driving in 2hi. If it's in 4 hi - incidentally it would also be fine because it's lubricated and theoretically it likely would also spin the chain assembly and at least splash lubricate the upper shaft assembly.

I don't know if that's enough to lubricate the rear output by running in 4hi, but my guess is that it would work. The problem then is that you're spinning the transmission output shaft and those bearings would not be lubricated. There is not a setting for neutral in the transfer case while engaging the front drive shaft (4x4). It's perfectly possible to do. The transfer case simply doesn't have a setting in the shift pattern for that. That's why the awd model probably works. Front shaft remains driven by the front tires while transfer case is in neutral.

So... long way to get here, if I were doing this - I'd modify the front ADD disconnect with a line lock or other electronic bypass so it remains "engaged" to the front drive shaft when the transfer case is put in neutral. I *think* that would work to flat tow without disconnecting the rear shaft. But you're doing it at your own risk.

I tow my 3rd gen, 4th gen and 5th gen behind my motorhome but always on the trailer. The additional weight and expense with lubricating my trailer's axles bearing is a small cost to pay. Toyota does not support according to the manual anything but a flat tow and this is same across most of the 4wd models for several generations. I might not follow everything in manual but important some important stuff definitely

I'm curious on what you ended up doing? I have a 4th gen with the AWD and V8. It would be the perfect dingy for the MH we plan on buying.

Was going to just flat tow in neutral but ended up going a different route for my retirement plans.

Good luck!