adding tow package

[ms0072]

Hello all,

I have an 08 sport with v6 and I need to beef up the towing capacity as much as reasonably possible.

I have already read many posts and warnings about towing with my vehicle.
I do not plan to tow more than about 3200 pounds but I want to beef up the towing system as much as I can.

Im sure many of you have modified your vehicles for towing.
Please let me know what you would recommend for transmission coolers, brakes, hitch upgrade ? ... anything else that can be done within reason.

Thanks

 

[Burt]

You really do not have to upgrade anything. Your vehicle is already equip's with most of what you listed.

If anything a brake controller may be required for the trailer.

 

[ecally]

Air bags would be a good upgrade. I installed mine myself, they weren’t too hard.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[UrbanRunner651]

Don't you already have the tow package? you should be fine with the 5k rating on the V6..
Otherwise what kind of towing, distances, terrains?
You can do brakes, suspension, throttle controllers but not much other than that.
It all comes back to the trans and motor so without throwing money at gears or performance parts you might just want to keep it simple.

 

[wc11]

Toyota's are not like GM's, Ford's or Chryslers SUV's
There's no optional "tow package" to buy.
It's a truck and is already equipped as such for towing.

 

[07V8]

Toyota's are not like GM's, Ford's or Chryslers SUV's
There's no optional "tow package" to buy.
It's a truck and is already equipped as such for towing.

Not quite, the V8 comes with a separate transmission fluid cooler. Something that can easily be added to a V6 that regularly tows.

 

[wc11]

Not quite, the V8 comes with a separate transmission fluid cooler. Something that can easily be added to a V6 that regularly tows.

That's my point.
If you buy the V8 Runner, it comes with the cooler.
The assumption being you have the V8 with higher towing capacity so it comes with the cooler so I assume the engineers are saying that the V6 is already equipped as needed.

With the big three, it's endless add ons. (tranny cooler, suspensions, hitches etc etc)

 

[Morphyne]

Hello all,

I have an 08 sport with v6 and I need to beef up the towing capacity as much as reasonably possible.

I have already read many posts and warnings about towing with my vehicle.
I do not plan to tow more than about 3200 pounds but I want to beef up the towing system as much as I can.

Im sure many of you have modified your vehicles for towing.
Please let me know what you would recommend for transmission coolers, brakes, hitch upgrade ? ... anything else that can be done within reason.

Thanks

Here are all of the following upgrades you could do to your vehicle.

5th gen brake upgrade
upgraded hitch
rear air bags
brake controller
v8 external tranny cooler
transmission fluid exchange.
but one of the most important towing upgrades is to make sure your suspension parts are fresh and up to snuff. shocks, springs, control arms....

theres a lot you could do if you are unhappy with your towing experience.

use the search function for all of the terms I listed. olts of reading infront of you.

 

[LRusso711]

Towing with 2003 SR5

I'm looking to tow with my 4runner. It's got 180K miles on it. Been in the market for a newer 4runner but I've taken such good care of mine that I feel like it would be too risky to purchase another 4th gen.

I'm looking to pull a 16ft Airstream Sport with a wet weight of about 3500lbs. Would like to get the 22 with a wet weight of 5000lbs which I know, would be pushing it..

I'm adding a class III tow hitch and a break controller to my V6 SR5 4WD but is there anything else I might need?

I won't be towing far, just from city to city, as this will be my home for three months at a time.

Thoughts?

 

[ElZilcho]

Get a brake controller and, if you're going to be spending a fair amount of time behind the wheel, a WD hitch. Make sure your tires are rated properly so they can handle the added tongue weight and any additional payload you're hauling. You don't necessarily need to change to LT tires if your P tires are rated for enough weight.

I see you're on the west coast. The V6 will be a bit anemic when you get into serious topography if you're pulling 5000#. Flat land you'll be fine, but if you're driving Donner pass (6% grade) be prepared that you may only be able to go ~35MPH. The motor will be screaming and you're eyes will (should) be glued to to the temperature gauge but... barring any unforeseen mechanical failures, you'll make it (although you're going to piss off some truckers). It's a stress test for sure (both for you and the truck).

 

[Boort]

Get a brake controller and, if you're going to be spending a fair amount of time behind the wheel, a WD hitch. Make sure your tires are rated properly so they can handle the added tongue weight and any additional payload you're hauling. You don't necessarily need to change to LT tires if your P tires are rated for enough weight.

I'll second this advice. Also get a ScanGuageII (Or similar) and program it to show you the Trans Temp (There is a thread here with the Microcode level and codes used to program the ScanGuageII.) $150-ish is a lot less than replacing the Trans. (as we had to do for the Ford after towing back from the Eclipse in 2017!)
[MENTION=120071]mtbtim[/MENTION] has a great video on adding a hard piped Trans Temp gauge for the 3rd Gen that might be helpful instead of the Scanguage. YouTube

Boort

 

[partywok]

Hi there, I'm in the same situation.

2004 4 Runner V6
Towing cap is 5Klbs

I've got my eye set on an Airstream 22 @ 3.6KLBS give or take 4KLBS full.

I'm planning to get the Break Controller installed and a transmission cooler installed. (Not entirely immediately).
I'm in the bay area and like to travel to and from to Monterey and down the PCH. I also will be traveling to PHX once or twice a year. There's definitely 6+ grade in pulling.

Any thoughts, any experiences going on the bare specs the 4 runner?

 

[MT Runner]

The Hitch that comes on the V6 is a very light duty hitch and is mounted to the rear cross member. I’d highly recommend getting a new class 3 hitch that actually bolts to the frame.
A WD and anti sway setup is a very good idea too, and you have to have the more stout class 3 hitch to utilize one. The WD hitch makes a world of difference.

I have an 05 V6 and tow my raft regularly and our small camper (18’ and roughly 3,300lbs fully loaded) a few times a summer, always within a couple hundred miles from home. If I were traveling across the country with the camper I’d probably opt for a Tundra that would tow it with ease, but if you’re just towing in your general area, the 4Runner, V6 or V8 will be totally fine.

What I’ve done:
Installed aux Trans cooler, bigger than what comes on the V8 actually

Class 3 hitch that bolts to frame rather than the V6 hitch that bolts to the rear crossmember.

Scangauge- this is a huge help to be able to monitor what the trans is actually doing in real time

Weight distribution hitch with anti sway- this is an absolute world of difference compared to towing with just a normal ball hitch

Brake controller- must have to keep the trailer under control

I have a moderate lift with Dobinson coils, slightly stiffer than stock.

I have not done airbags. I’ve heard good things and it wouldn’t hurt anything, but I don’t have any sag with the WD setup, so I just haven’t worried about that part.

 

[MikeinNH67]

I just towed my large popup (just under 3500lbs-ish) for the first time with my v6 limited that has 200k on it and stock. Painless to setup, wire the plug that came with the truck to your brake controller and plug it in. The camper makes my van drop substantially without airbags but only dropped the runner slightly. It towed great, very smooth for 200+ miles of hilly terrain. I do not have a WDH but do have a sway bar which is a must in my opinion. You're talking more overall weight but the tongue weight may be similar. You may find the v6 too anemic for something that creates more drag than a popup.

 

[MT Runner]

This thread got me thinking about the tow ratings between the V6 and V8.

By the book, the 05 V6 is rated for 5,000lbs
The 03-04 V8’s I believe were also rated at 5,000lbs unless they had a heavier duty hitch, then they could handle 7,000lbs.
And then the 05-09 V8’s all had the heavy duty hitch and could handle the 7,000lbs.

I’ve found this info over the years and actually found an old thread on here stating those numbers and that Toyota’s website used to have it published. I could be wrong on the numbers, that’s just what I’ve seen.

So by this theory, if I have added a transmission cooler and class 3 hitch to my 05 V6, should it be able to handle 7,000lbs?

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have any intention of ever hauling more than the 3,500lbs my trailer will be at its max, just curious I guess.

05 V6 vs an 03-04 V8, same 5pd transmission, same suspension (from the factory anyway), same brakes, same aux transmission cooler (after I added), same heavier duty hitch (after I added) and the V6 has 10 more HP and 30ft/lb less torque over those V8’s. So the only real difference is a little more torque, and there is no way 30ft/lbs of torque makes up a 2,000lb tow difference.

All that being said, I would imagine that my 05 V6 “should” be rated to tow 7,000lbs.

Am I oversimplifying this?

 

[AuSeeker]

This thread got me thinking about the tow ratings between the V6 and V8.

By the book, the 05 V6 is rated for 5,000lbs
The 03-04 V8’s I believe were also rated at 5,000lbs unless they had a heavier duty hitch, then they could handle 7,000lbs.
And then the 05-09 V8’s all had the heavy duty hitch and could handle the 7,000lbs.

I’ve found this info over the years and actually found an old thread on here stating those numbers and that Toyota’s website used to have it published. I could be wrong on the numbers, that’s just what I’ve seen.

So by this theory, if I have added a transmission cooler and class 3 hitch to my 05 V6, should it be able to handle 7,000lbs?

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have any intention of ever hauling more than the 3,500lbs my trailer will be at its max, just curious I guess.

05 V6 vs an 03-04 V8, same 5pd transmission, same suspension (from the factory anyway), same brakes, same aux transmission cooler (after I added), same heavier duty hitch (after I added) and the V6 has 10 more HP and 30ft/lb less torque over those V8’s. So the only real difference is a little more torque, and there is no way 30ft/lbs of torque makes up a 2,000lb tow difference.

All that being said, I would imagine that my 05 V6 “should” be rated to tow 7,000lbs.

Am I oversimplifying this?

Here's what my owner manual says for my 2004, I also looked online at ToyotaOwners website at the 2007 owner's manual and it says the same for a 2007.

Towing capacity:
For weight carry hitch
2268 kg (5000 lb.)

Also for weight distributing hitch

2UZ-FE engine

Two-wheel drive models
3311 kg (7300 lb.)

Four-wheel drive models
3175 kg (7000 lb.)

So what this means is the 5000 lb. is for just the hitches on the T4R either the V6 hitch or the V8 hitch and also there's no info showing the V6 has the 7000 lb. capacity anywhere in either owner's manual. (NOTE, see below for WDH definition: I'm just guessing that if you have a V6 and did install the V8 OEM hitch or equivalent hitch then you might possibly haul 6000 to 7000 lb. with a WDH)

The 7300 lb. and 7000 lb. is for only the V8 WITH an additional device besides the V8 heavy duty OEM hitch called a "WDH" (Weight Distributing Hitch).

That all being said, the WDH device will only work if installed AND setup correctly, and there's learning curve to getting one setup correctly and you have to go through the "setup" every time you hook up the trailer to make sure everything is correct since when not towing you would uninstall the WDH, I would highly advise to get the seller/store where the WDH is purchased to give you a tutorial on how the set it up correctly and to do this you would need the trailer there and hooked up to the truck, you could possibly learn to set one up from a YouTube video but there's nothing like an expert showing you how to do it in person, and I would make sure the "expert" is truly an expert and not just a salesman.

 

[MT Runner]

Here's what my owner manual says for my 2004, I also looked online at ToyotaOwners website at the 2007 owner's manual and it says the same for a 2007.

Towing capacity:
For weight carry hitch
2268 kg (5000 lb.)

Also for weight distributing hitch

2UZ-FE engine

Two-wheel drive models
3311 kg (7300 lb.)

Four-wheel drive models
3175 kg (7000 lb.)

So what this means is the 5000 lb. is for just the hitches on the T4R either the V6 hitch or the V8 hitch and also there's no info showing the V6 has the 7000 lb. capacity anywhere in either owner's manual. (NOTE, see below for WDH definition: I'm just guessing that if you have a V6 and did install the V8 OEM hitch or equivalent hitch then you might possibly haul 6000 to 7000 lb. with a WDH)

The 7300 lb. and 7000 lb. is for only the V8 WITH an additional device besides the V8 heavy duty OEM hitch called a "WDH" (Weight Distributing Hitch).

That all being said, the WDH device will only work if installed AND setup correctly, and there's learning curve to getting one setup correctly and you have to go through the "setup" every time you hook up the trailer to make sure everything is correct since when not towing you would uninstall the WDH, I would highly advise to get the seller/store where the WDH is purchased to give you a tutorial on how the set it up correctly and to do this you would need the trailer there and hooked up to the truck, you could possibly learn to set one up from a YouTube video but there's nothing like an expert showing you how to do it in person, and I would make sure the "expert" is truly an expert and not just a salesman.

I’ve been towing with this setup for the last 5+ years, so I’ve had by WDH setup properly for awhile.

I guess what it comes down to is what is the difference between an 05 V6 and an 03-04 V8, besides the obvious 2 cylinders?

Frame is the same, transmission is the same, suspension is the same, brakes are the same, power is near the same, negligible difference.
The only two obvious things I’m aware of is the V8 came with an aux transmission cooler and the heavier duty hitch that actually bolts to the frame, and not to the rear cross member like the V6 one does.

So with all that being the same, if a V6 owner puts an aux trans cooler and replaces the light duty hitch with a class 3 hitch, it seems like the tow rating should be the same 7,000lbs as the V8, or very close to it.

Unless there actually is more to it that makes up that 2,000lb difference in tow rating.

It’s a moot point, I have no intention on towing anywhere near that much, just curious as to what makes up the difference.

 

[AuSeeker]

I’ve been towing with this setup for the last 5+ years, so I’ve had by WDH setup properly for awhile.

I guess what it comes down to is what is the difference between an 05 V6 and an 03-04 V8, besides the obvious 2 cylinders?

Frame is the same, transmission is the same, suspension is the same, brakes are the same, power is near the same, negligible difference.
The only two obvious things I’m aware of is the V8 came with an aux transmission cooler and the heavier duty hitch that actually bolts to the frame, and not to the rear cross member like the V6 one does.

So with all that being the same, if a V6 owner puts an aux trans cooler and replaces the light duty hitch with a class 3 hitch, it seems like the tow rating should be the same 7,000lbs as the V8, or very close to it.

Unless there actually is more to it that makes up that 2,000lb difference in tow rating.

It’s a moot point, I have no intention on towing anywhere near that much, just curious as to what makes up the difference.

Since you didn't mention the WDH I assumed that you as many didn't know that the WDH is a separate device that has to be added to the heavy duty hitch.

But I agree that the V6 should be capable of a similar towing weight when setup the same as the V8, the V6 does have the HP but may lack a bit of pulling power because of the lower torque output of the V6 and may struggle a bit more on incline towing, even the V8 has trouble with the max towing weight on inclines.

I personally won't tow any more than 5000 lb. with mine even with the WDH, the main reason is stopping power just isn't there with the T4R even with trailer brakes.

 

[JackDuggan]

engine oil cooler selection.

I bought my 2008 2WD V6 specifically to tow my 6 meter Argosy, 2500 pounds dry, max about 3500 loaded. I installed an auxiliary transmission cooler and weight distributing hitch receiver; the Argosy has a dual cam sway control hitch. I've only had it out once but it pulls pretty easily, East Coast so no serious climbs. I use Torque pro app to monitor the transmission temp, but need oil temp and pressure gauges.

Next comes the engine oil cooler and I can't decide between the Toyota cooler which uses the radiator or an air type cooler. I have the water type as original equipment on my Focus SVT, and I remember we put the same type on the Mustangs I sold in Germany in 1990; Ford police cars used it too.

I used the air type on my old tow vehicle, 1986 Grand Marquis, and I had good results with that towing a 23 foot Airstream. It had a longer wheelbase than the T4R and a lower center of gravity, but this time around I decided I wanted to try an SUV and went with Toyota based on reliability.

Im looking for advice or opinions re: air vs. water type oil coolers for 4th gen T4R.

 

[leejack99]

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