I towed with my 2000 V6 4x4 4Runner. It was a 21' ForestRiver. I installed an additional transmission cooler inline with the radiator cooler for peace of mind.

Never had an issue hauling over the cascade range to the high desert or to the beach. Didn't do a lot of it, but it was 2-4 hours one-way per trip. The biggest thing I noticed was that while I was towing my 4Runner needed to stop at a gas station in every other town as I could watch the fuel level drop.

I never had a problem, used a weight distro hitch and the brake controller was super easy to install, as the wiring harness was easy enough to find and connect into.

Towing a pretty heavy trailer with about 4 ATVs inside

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Yes I do, in Colorado, about 2500Lbs Cricket trailer. It does fine, but uphill is not very refined... lots of shifting and engine revving. It does get the job done though. More power and more gears would make it a lot smoother.

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we were going to but decided the weight rating didnt make good sense with safety so we use my truck instead. i feel 5000lb is conservative for this vehicle but you never want to get out there and cause damage or an accident.

To NPRDAN, we pull our small Lance trailer with our 2015 Limited and we are pretty happy. We live in Eastern Washington and there is the Cascade Range to deal with there. But unless we’re pulling over the North Cascades Highway which is very steep for a very long time, we really don’t have issues. The dry weight is 2495 lbs and the GVWR is 3750 lbs. The rig shifts down and we run with pretty high revs for a bit but never any overheating issues even in 90+ heat.

We camped through southern Utah this spring and there were some steep grades there too. Luckily for us, we’re retired and just have to slow down and enjoy the scenery.

The only mod I’ve done is to install air bags on the rear shocks which takes the sag out of the rear end and keeps us nice and level. I have no issues with sway.

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OP, looks like you need mirror extensions.

Check owners guide on manual gear downshift. I prefer engine braking for hill descents. This keeps service and trailer brakes cold for an emergency stop. Cold brakes are good. Hotbrakes liquify.

Carry an infrared heat gun to occasionally check brake pad temps. The sunny side of the vehicle is usually 10 deg warmer. Consider max tire pres on the rear tires. Monitoring tranny temp sounds like a good idea.

Place brake controller where you can reach it during an emergency. Do not place at bottom of the dash. Really important if the trailer wags the dog.

I was towing an R-pod (approx 3500lbs) and the engine struggled a bit on some of the bigger mountain passes around here in SW CO. But, it did great on the flats.

I just bought a 4runner. I have a 17 foot camp trailer that is 4200 empty. I used to tow it with my tundra. I'm guessing I'll need to sell it and get something lighter. Rarely use it so no big deal.

Mountain passes I manually shifted my 5th Gen I had a Lance 15ft and it got close to 4000 lbs with the airconditioner install. teconsha p3 brake controller, fast way e2 round bar weight distribution hitch, and rear airbags helped immensely but cross winds on highway were disconcerting specially when going pass big rigs or them going passed us. Also the mpg sucked. Needless to say we sold it and stay in hotels which is expensive as well.

How did that go for you?