Can you really tow 5000+ lbs on 4Runner?

[Mark7411]

Looking to tow 5000lbs w/ an SR5 4Runner. I read you're supposed to tow up to 80% of that. Has anyone towed more than that weight w/ this vehicle?

 

[robotkiller]

Looking to tow 5000lbs w/ an SR5 4Runner. I read you're supposed to tow up to 80% of that. Has anyone towed more than that weight w/ this vehicle?

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/60658-heaviest-load-towed-4runner.html

 

[Maritimer]

I dunno, but I'm sure it can take a lot, especially judging by the dumb ass things I see being towed with cars and wimpy ass trucks every day. Just because you put a hitch on your Volvo station wagon doesn't mean it can tow concrete blocks home from the building center you twit. At least not judging by your rear wheel clearance.

:roadkill:

 

[nglayton]

Looking to tow 5000lbs w/ an SR5 4Runner. I read you're supposed to tow up to 80% of that. Has anyone towed more than that weight w/ this vehicle?

I was going to post this in the other thread, but since it was a 3rd Gen, and not a 5th gen I never got around to it.

I still own my 99 3rd gen as well as my new 5th gen 2011 TE.

A few years back my dad got into a wreck driving his full size Chevy Suburban. It was about 75 miles from where we live, piled up in a farmers back field. The tow company wanted about $300+ to tow it home, insurance wouldn't pay, etc, etc.

So he called me up, we hooked up the trailer and off we went to retrieve it.
We had to winch it up on the trailer. It would barely run, front end was messed up. But we strapped by the axel's, down tight to the trailer.

It took me about 3 hours to get home, nice slow pace no hurry. I stopped at the logging scales on the way back. Never really went faster the 45 mph. It liked to push me a little bit, but it was never squirrellly or out of control.

Just under 12,000 lbs!!! Total weight t4r + trailer w/suburban. It was like 11885 or something like that.

As long as you take it slow, think ahead and not get stupid, you call pull quite a bit.

Of course if someone had pulled out in front of me like they did causing my dad's accident to begin with, It would have been a different story. Luckily it all went fine.

 

[024RunnerSE]

Uh, hmm, well I towed a 4000lb Lexus LS400 on a 1400lb steel double axle trailer with my 260,000 mile 3rd gen 4Runner with saggy ass springs which I already addressed with OME's. Truck was a beast but any vehicle pulling a trailer without properly distributing the weight will get the death sway.

Your 4Runner has more power than 3/4 and 1 ton trucks had in the 80s that were rated to pull higher weights. The reality of it all is it comes down to brakes, wheelbase, weight distribution and tire ratings.

My 4Runner does a great deal of towing and as a Class A driver myself, I'm pretty much qualified to do what I do of course.