4th gen owner, 3rd gen questions. please help me out

[revlis240]

Hey guys,
Well as we all know the economy aint what it used to be. I currently have a 2008 4th gen that I think I will be selling. I drive the car once or twice a month and ONLY for towing and I just cant justify the payment. So please help me sort this out.

In the future I will maybe end up with some sort of diesel for my HEAVY towing. But currently, I am using my V8 VVTi 4th gen to tow:

- Small trailers
- Tow dolly for FWD cars (~1000lb dolly and 2-3000lb car)
- Car trailer for RWD cars (~2000lb trailer and 2-3000lb car)
- 6x12 trailer with 4 ATVs (~800lb trailer and 1600lbs of cargo)

The current 4th gen v8 4runner has NEVER disappointed. The car trailer has its own surge brakes, but the tow dolly does not. I have NEVER had an issue with lack of power, nor under powered brakes. It does the job beautifully.

Now the problem, the 3rd gen didnt come with a V8, and I dont want to do any crazy 1uz swaps. I LIKE the 4runner, and dont mind the 3rd gen at all (especially the 1999 Limited). The 3.4L has got a whopping 183hp which I dont know how it will respond to my towing needs. Its rated for 5000lbs, but is that realistic? I dont mind mods such as additional coolers or bigger brakes if thats what it needs. I would prefer the 5mt as i dont care much for 4speed autos...

I would have no problem adding the TRD supercharger on there, but how will it respond to power demands needed for towing? Will the 3.4+S/C combo deliver what I need?

As you can tell, I need some help! Please sort me out

Abe

 

[Spencer]

Super charger will cost alot!!

Upgrade brakes to 231mm and people say they aren't comfortable pulling more than 3000lbs in hilly areas.. But it can handle more than 5000

 

[revlis240]

does the 3rd gen have a weight carrying or weight distributing tow hitch? its probably carrying. the 4th gen came with a distributing hitch...is it possible to add one to the 3rd gen?

I live in a somewhat hilly area, would you say towing 4000lbs in stock form will be hard..or impossible? Would it be 'no problem' with the S/C? You can find a used SC for around $1200-$1500 it seems, thats cheap!

Abe

 

[Spencer]

I haven't towed with mine. So I can't answer much but I hear it has trouble braking downhill with all that weight. As for making it uphill that could be a possibility but I don't think Toyota would rate it for 5000 if it couldn't do it. I have heard of people doing over 5000 with no problems. Wether they encountered hills or not I don't know. Is the cost of the 4runner it's self that big of a problem? Because you won't save much on gas 4.7 vs 3.4 if at all but you will have way less power.. Plus if your thinking of adding a super charger then maybe you should re consider.keeping 4runner or getting a higher mileage one. I know when I was looking to get a 4th I found a few v8s with 90-120k only asking 13000.. It won't gt much cheaper with a third gen 5-9k plus possibly supercharger 2-4k.. I heard the supercharger isn't just bolt in but it takes alot of work and other mods...

 

[p nut]

"5k lbs no problem" is BS. That's a lot of weight for the 4Runner. Going downhill, switching lanes, etc. are very unnerving. Let me ask, how far are you going to tow the cars? If it's a short distance in a relatively flat area, then it would be ok. If you're going up a mountain side, then I'd rethink this.

Honestly, if you're going to use it only 1-2 times per month, I would just get a V8 Tundra (1st Gen) or even a diesel truck. I personally would not risk towing with the 4Runner.

 

[Pikeman]

The 3rd Gen with a S/C will put out mid to upper mid 200 range but the torque is significant increase as well which would help with towing. I would not tow that much weight without a brake controller and trailer brakes. I also would recommend the 231mm brake conversion(also called the Tundra or WL13). If you are looking to swap for just towing then picking up a early V8 Tundra would also be my recommendation or some other full size.

I love my 3rd gen but I use it as it is designed( to go get groceries). I mean true Utility vehicle camping daily driver and off-road where it excels. While I have towed with it close to its rated capacity I would not feel comfortable using it solely for that purpose. I am firm believer in using the proper tool for the job.