2014 4Runner - Travel Trailer Questions

[yotanut]

Greetings,

I have been searching the forums all day and have gotten some very valuable information, but most of it is not definitive. We just purchased a 2015 Jayco Flight SLX | 184BH. Here are the specs:

WEIGHTS
Unloaded Vehicle Weight (lbs) - 2,615
Dry Hitch Weight (lbs) - 300
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (lbs) - 3,500
Cargo Carrying Capacity (lbs) - 885

I just got off the phone with Toyota and they said that the transmission cools via the engine radiator. I live in Oregon, there are mountain passes everywhere. I don't plan on towing this a lot during the summer, but a few times with the family can be expected. These trips typically won't be far (< 50-100 miles) but lots of hills. Is a transmission cooler a necessity even if I am not pushing it hard up the hills and stay in 4th gear?

Additionally, I have seen mixed reviews on the weight distributed hitches, whether to use them or not. The RV dealer is planning on installing a Husky WD hitch and sway bars. What is the consensus on the WD hitch with the receiver only being attached to the rear cross-member only?

We are also installing a Prodigy 3 brake controller, so stopping should not be an issue. I am more concerned with the temp of the transmission and hitch setup.

Is a ScanGauge II worth having, and are they easy to setup? This is the wife's vehicle so permanently installing it is not an option. If purchased, I would just hold it and monitor it going over the passes when towing only.

We currently are running stock size Goodyear Duratrac's C rated. Are these going to be okay, or are E rated ideal?

Sorry for all the questions and the long post. Thanks for your help.

 

[Kona Bear]

I can not provide you with any answers but Im pretty much in the same situation as you as we are looking to buy the exact same trailer.:spy: Look forward to the replys you get.

 

[Greedy]

I have an r-pod with a dry weight of 2600lbs and use the following:

Trunion bar WD & anti sway hitch
P3 brake controller
Sway a way 1.5 inch taller coils in the rear

I would recommend installing the wd you are considering. I get about 1.5 inches of sag when towing even with the wd. With stock springs and no wd, i think you would very nose high. The p3 controller works well, except for triggering the vsc and anti-slip lights when the manual lever is used (there is supposedly a fix on the way from the manufacturer)

I will be installing an auxillary trans cooler soon but do not monitor the actual temps so i can't provide any real world info for you on that. Good luck and congrats on the new toy!

 

[kboxvegas]

I have torque on my android monitoring through a cheap bluetooth OBDII, it works well and can be removed whenever. I have not even towed yet but after seeing the trans temp hit 214 degrees while it was only 78 degrees outside while coming back through the hills to Vegas from Mojave, a trans cooler is going to be my next mod. This temp was hit in 5th gear with the converter unlocked, but I still don't like it.

 

[96r50]

I use a Scangauge to monitor intake, coolant, and transmission temperatures, especially when towing. If you go that route here are the X Gauge codes to get the transmission temperatures.

For those who are interested, here are the codes I used. They are the exact same other than the RXD value:

Torque Convertor
TXD: 07E02182
RXF: 046105820000
RXD: 3808
MTH: 00090005FFD8 (00010001FFD8 for Celsius)
Name: cTC

Pan
TXD: 07E02182
RXF: 046105820000
RXD: 2808
MTH: 00090005FFD8 (00010001FFD8 for Celsius)
Name: cTP

What is the weight rating per tire for the Duratracs? I'd suspect they would be fine as they have a higher load rating than the stock tires (C vs P) and the truck is rated to tow 5000lbs with 500lbs of tongue weight on the OEM tires, but it never hurts to verify.

 

[yotanut]

[MENTION=105875]96r50[/MENTION]: Thank you so much for the information.

I have a ScanGauge II arriving tomorrow so those codes will come in handy.

The info on the tires is as follows:

Load Range C
Max Load (lbs) 2470

Is anyone running anything other than the stock cooling for their transmission when towing? I know it cools via hoses from the main radiator (from Toyota), and what are acceptable temperatures while towing, and at what point should I be concerned?

Thanks again for all the info.

 

[NoDak]

I have torque on my android monitoring through a cheap bluetooth OBDII, it works well and can be removed whenever. I have not even towed yet but after seeing the trans temp hit 214 degrees while it was only 78 degrees outside while coming back through the hills to Vegas from Mojave, a trans cooler is going to be my next mod. This temp was hit in 5th gear with the converter unlocked, but I still don't like it.

should have ran it in S4, then you wouldn't have the temp issue.

running in D or S5 your going to burn it up.

 

[kboxvegas]

Not towing, only person in the truck, ~50 lbs of light camping gear, ~1/4 tank of gas, cruise control set to legal limit of 75mph. I don't feel that I should have to manually regulate the transmission in conditions that do not exceed commuting conditions.

 

[BobsTrail]

This link may be helpful

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/744021-post17.html

 

[DesertCanyons]

Not towing, only person in the truck, ~50 lbs of light camping gear, ~1/4 tank of gas, cruise control set to legal limit of 75mph. I don't feel that I should have to manually regulate the transmission in conditions that do not exceed commuting conditions.

I think Nodak is suggesting you take the truck out of overdrive when towing a trailer by setting the drive to 4th gear max, ie S4. I agree. I've pulled small cargo trailers with camp gear, when I have 4 people in the car, in overdrive but that trailer full weighed about 800# or so.

Camp gear that weighs ~50# is less than what I carry when backpacking. If I'm going backpacking I usually don't pull a trailer. If you had a stove and ice chest it had to weigh more than 50#.

The legal speed limit for pulling a trailer in California is 55 mph, not 75 mph. If you slow down to 55 or 60 mph you can drive in 4th speed, with a gear ratio of 1:1.

Edit: Okay, I see you wrote you were not towing. That's a bit off-topic here. How hot was it outside? You may have a cooling issue. Check your radiator function and temp controlled coolant valve (What's it called?).

 

[flyinhawaiian01]

Edit: Okay, I see you wrote you were not towing. That's a bit off-topic here. How hot was it outside? You may have a cooling issue. Check your radiator function and temp controlled coolant valve (What's it called?).

Thermostat?


I too have torque with the extra csv file from someone in this forum, it works quite well to get very accurate readings for the trans and torque converter temps.

 

[NoDak]

well the formula for the torque app TT pan and converter temp reading works from the tundra/Tacoma.

I took that formula in manually put it in and works for our 12 Tacoma and the 14 4runner.

 

[Antman]

Airbags are a must-have for towing- at $100 they are a great value and will ensure you are level no matter what is in your truck.

I'm on the fence about a tranny cooler- I tow every week but my boat is a much lighter more aerodynamic load than a camper. My tranny can get past 230 on hills in the summer heat but it cools back down rather quickly. The Scangauge is an awesome tool to monitor this stuff and takes all of 10 seconds to plug in and use.

C or E tires will be fine- the C's will ride much better obviously!

That's all I can offer except to say ALWAYS check EVERYTHING on the trailer before towing. Hitch, chains, brakes, tires, bearings, tie-downs, etc, etc. Too many people out there tow unsafe stuff everyday!

Good Luck!