I know that lots of you have several questions about what it is like towing at the 5,000 pound limit of the Toyota 4Runner. Let me start by saying that I have owned multiple 4Runners. My first was a 2007 2wheel drive SR5 that was modded with a lift, 33” tires, spindles, custom dual exhaust, etc. I sold that truck and purchased a brand new 2016 Trail Edition with KDSS in December 2016. My 5th gen now has almost 90,000 miles on it. Here are a list of modifications done to the truck that impact towing:

Icon Stage 2 3” suspension lift
Cooper S/T 285/70/17 tires
TRD Cold Air Intake
Flowmaster 60 series cat back exhaust
URD MAF Calibrator
93 Octane always
Pedal Commander set on City+3

Now the big question. “What do you tow?” Well, a year ago I purchased a 2017 Robalo R200, which is a fairly well built and heavy 21’ center console (for those that don’t know what I’m taking about, it’s a boat). The Robalo weighs 3050 pounds including the Yamaha 150 outboard motor. The boat came with an aluminum Coyote trailer that has two axles and weighs about 950 pounds. So we’re at 4,000 pounds with the boat, motor and trailer alone. I usually tow with about 30 gallons of gas in the boat, plus a fully stocked cooler, ice, anchors, lines, extra battery, life jackets, fishing gear, you get the drift. I figure depending upon how much stuff we bring the weight of the boat going down the road is between 4,500 and 4,750 pounds.

So how does the truck do with all of that weight??? Quite well actually. I have towed the boat all over the State of Florida. We live in Orlando and go to the sandbar at Sebastian Inlet frequently. That’s about an hour away. We’ve also taken the boat to Sarasota several times (2 hours), Naples (3.5 hours), and as far as the Florida Keys (6 hours). So far the truck has performed flawlessly!

As a precaution, when I purchased the boat I went to Toyota of Orlando and had the transmission fluid changed. All 12 quarts were drained and refilled with Toyota WS fluid. At that time the truck had 70k miles on it. I also had the dealership install a fresh set of brake pads and turn the rotors. This truck is my daily driver and I put on about 20k miles of mixed city/highway driving per year.

I believe in three key areas of success for towing heavy with the 4Runner. The first, and most important, is to follow the instructions within the Owners Manual, which tells you to lock the transmission in 4th gear and keep your speed around 65mph on the highway. I have towed at 67mph in favorable conditions. 65 mph to 67mph is definitely the sweat spot at 2750 rpms. This isn’t a diesel, so acceleration from a stop sign or stop light is very gradual and I rarely exceed 3,000 RPM upshifts. Take your time, leave plenty of space and enjoy the ride.

The second tip that I have is to beef up your suspension. This modification is a given for most enthusiasts on the forums. The 4Runner’s stock suspension is extremely soft and the rear springs will struggle with the tongue weight that comes with towing heavy loads, plus whatever you might have in the back of your 4Runner. As mentioned previously, I have an Icon Stage 2 setup with 2” lift springs in the back. When the boat is attached I get about 2” of squat from the tongue weight of the boat. The truck still sits fairly level, and has never bottomed out while underway, but the rear definitely has a mild squat. I might step up to Icons 3” Overland springs in order to alleviate any squat. I had these springs on my 2007 and they were extremely harsh during day to day driving with no weight in the back of the truck, so upgrading to the larger spring would definitely be a trade off.

The third and final tip has to do with braking. At minimum I recommend having a fresh set of brake pads on your truck and, depending on how much you tow, I believe you should changed them every 25k miles or so. You will also need some type of brakes on the trailer itself to aid you with stopping. The Coyote trailer that my Robalo rides upon has disk brakes on both axles. They are surge brakes, so when I hit the brakes the force of the trailer lunging forward into the truck engages the trailer brakes and they definitely help me stop quickly and confidently. I did bring the trailer to our local trailer repair shop and had the brake system completely gone through when I bought the boat. New brake lines, one new caliper, new pads, etc.

So that’s it! Don’t be afraid to tow a camper, boat, or other heavy toys with your 4Runner. This rig is a little tow pig!!! One other detail that I should mention is you will get about 9.5 miles per gallon while towing. I’ve definitely put the truck through it’s paces over the last year with no sign of mechanical failure, no change in transmission shifts, no burning oil or weird sounds, nothing out of the norm.

I have been a member of this forum for several years and learned a ton about the 4Runner during that time. I’m also an active participant with Toyota’s “Owner’s Intersection”, which consists of several volunteers who are asked for input about factors during the creation of the new 6th gen 4Runner. Please feel free to ask me any questions that you may have about using your trucks for towing. I am happy to answer any questions that you may have on the topic.

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