For those of you that tow with your Runner, please read.

[Herd72]

VERY IMPORTANT

Be sure to buy the extra insurance! My son totaled a 26 foot U-Haul on I-75 near Atlanta recently while moving. He still doesn't know what caused it - just woke up in the hospital. If he had not bought that insurance not only would his furniture, etc. been a loss BUT he (or his insurance) would have had to pay for the truck. That also paid $1,000 on his hospital stay - not much but it helped. He hit a tree so hard he tore the front axle off so the truck was pretty much toast. I don't know how much it costs but check into it!

72

 

[scott78945]

Thanks for the info. I think I have my shopping list ready. 7 pin to 4 pin trailer wiring and stainless steel ball 2" with 6K-7K capacity. I will have to let everyone know how it turns out.

 

[bluduk15]

Thanks for the info. I think I have my shopping list ready. 7 pin to 4 pin trailer wiring and stainless steel ball 2" with 6K-7K capacity. I will have to let everyone know how it turns out.

As stated earlier, the ball you will need has a larger sized bolt or tang under the ball. Make sure you get one that will fit your ball mount/tongue. Do not let U-Haul put an undersized tang on there.

The trick with towing is knowing your load, making sure it is absolutely secure (shifting load could cause serious problems) and generally driving very cautiously. With some heavy loads I downshift when I'm braking to a stop, this will give you a little more control of the braking as you're coming to a stop.

Also, VERY IMPORTANT, read your owner's manual section on towing. Do not tow heavy loads in overdrive as you may damage your transmission. It may take awhile to get used to the higher RPMs, but it's worth it. SEE MANUAL FOR CORRECT TOWING GEAR.

bd

 

[TeryT]

Also, VERY IMPORTANT, read your owner's manual section on towing. Do not tow heavy loads in overdrive as you may damage your transmission. It may take awhile to get used to the higher RPMs, but it's worth it. SEE MANUAL FOR CORRECT TOWING GEAR.

bd

I've read the manual for the V8, and called 1-800-go-toyota. Neither says much about towing in OD, except not to use it going downhill. If anybody has found where it does, please tell!

I know all the usual reasons for not towing in OD, but Toyota seems pretty quiet in that respect.

 

[scott78945]

What size bolt do I need for the Runner hitch? I went to U-Haul today and they sold me a 2" ball with the 1" shank. This is wrong isn't it? Secondly, what gear should I be towing in if I have a V8 if not drive?

 

[TeryT]

What size bolt do I need for the Runner hitch? I went to U-Haul today and they sold me a 2" ball with the 1" shank. This is wrong isn't it? Secondly, what gear should I be towing in if I have a V8 if not drive?

Not sure what you mean by the "bolt." (do you mean on the ball?)

Most RVers say not to tow in OD, so you would put it in 4th. Drive allows OD to engauge, and most tranny's have a lighter gearing in OD which doesn't hold up to heavy towing. However, I haven't been able to find much about not towing in OD in the 4R manual - maybe there's something more in the 2005 book!

 

[Boaz]

Just to be on the safe side, I am going to tow in 3rd gear not 4th. ( i got the old 4 speed auto)

 

[scott78945]

Yeah, I guess the size of the shank. I heard someone say that they were supposed to be like 1 1/4" but I only have a 1". Will a 1" be ok or will it be dangerous?

 

[TranceKrayz]

another question for those with v6 4wd....

if it's dry weather, should you tow in 2wd? or is it better/safer to tow with 4wd?

 

[TeryT]

another question for those with v6 4wd....

if it's dry weather, should you tow in 2wd? or is it better/safer to tow with 4wd?

See this thread:

RV Forum Thread on 4WD while towing

 

[TranceKrayz]

thanks tery....

 

[bluduk15]

I've read the manual for the V8, and called 1-800-go-toyota. Neither says much about towing in OD, except not to use it going downhill. If anybody has found where it does, please tell!

I know all the usual reasons for not towing in OD, but Toyota seems pretty quiet in that respect.

Page 131 under (g) Good Driving Practice

. . . When towing a trailer, in order to maintain engine braking efficiency, do not use "D" position.

(I have a 2003 4x4 V8 Ltd)

I notice when towing pretty heavy loads (2500-3500 lbs.) that the transmission will shift too much when climbing in "D"--even on very slight grades. It sounds like it's working too hard. "4" works much better in those situations, however, I will tow in "D" on very flat roads with light loads.

YMMV.

bd

 

[TeryT]

Page 131 under (g) Good Driving Practice

. . . When towing a trailer, in order to maintain engine braking efficiency, do not use "D" position.

(I have a 2003 4x4 V8 Ltd)

I notice when towing pretty heavy loads (2500-3500 lbs.) that the transmission will shift too much when climbing in "D"--even on very slight grades. It sounds like it's working too hard. "4" works much better in those situations, however, I will tow in "D" on very flat roads with light loads.

YMMV.

bd

Yup! That reference on page 131 is the only place in the book it discusses OD & towing - and all it's really refering to is engine braking.

Of course if the tranny is hunting gears it's definately time to downshift & not use OD.

 

[TranceKrayz]

also, everybody says to go slow (which is common sense) but what is a safe speed in dry conditions? i saw on the uhaul website that their maximum recommended speed is 45mph, but i've seen people go faster than that. also, the uhaul 5x10 trailer has surge brakes.

 

[scott78945]

I went to U-Haul this weekend to get the parts that I need for towing, wiring harness and ball. The U-Haul rep told me to obviously be careful but that on flat land when you can see quite a bit of distance in front of you that you can go up to 55 safely. But if you have less than 1/4 mile between you and the car in front of you then you should be going 45mph. I am still trying to find out what size shank that I need for my Runner. Someone posted and stated that I needed a 1 1/4" but U-Haul only had a 1" and that is what they sold me. Does the Toyota dealers have the balls for sale that specifically fit the Toyota towing unit?

 

[bluduk15]

I went to U-Haul this weekend to get the parts that I need for towing, wiring harness and ball. The U-Haul rep told me to obviously be careful but that on flat land when you can see quite a bit of distance in front of you that you can go up to 55 safely. But if you have less than 1/4 mile between you and the car in front of you then you should be going 45mph. I am still trying to find out what size shank that I need for my Runner. Someone posted and stated that I needed a 1 1/4" but U-Haul only had a 1" and that is what they sold me. Does the Toyota dealers have the balls for sale that specifically fit the Toyota towing unit?

No, you need the larger shank. The stock Toyota ball mount that came with my truck had a large hole and required this larger shank. Just make sure your shank fits the mount. If you need the larger one, you will need to go to a trailer specific vendor to get this larger shanked ball. I got mine at a local place called Trailerworld in Houston (NothernTool should have them too).

My dealer did not have it nor did any of the local home stores. It's a pain, but I think it's really important because a smaller shanked ball will not tighten down to the mount properly (my Uhaul guys tried for an hour, even with the ring adapter).

Do yourself a favor and get the larger shank if your mount requires it. Also, the speed limits that Uhaul puts on their trailers are pretty low, you will be able to tow much faster than that, but only increase the speed you are comfortable with keeping in mind the extra braking distance.

I would take the empty trailer for a couple of test runs before you load it.

Hope this helps.

bd

PS If all else fails and you can't find a ball with a large shank to fit your mount, there still is a way to use a standard ball mount in the Toyota hitch. The Toyota receiver hitch is a little shorter than standard to allow for clearance for the spare tire. If you have to use a standard ball mount in your hitch, all you have to do is slightly loosen your spare with the operating rod, insert the mount, secure it, then retighten the spare. It works really well, I've done it a few times.

 

[TeryT]

I went to U-Haul this weekend to get the parts that I need for towing, wiring harness and ball. The U-Haul rep told me to obviously be careful but that on flat land when you can see quite a bit of distance in front of you that you can go up to 55 safely. But if you have less than 1/4 mile between you and the car in front of you then you should be going 45mph. I am still trying to find out what size shank that I need for my Runner. Someone posted and stated that I needed a 1 1/4" but U-Haul only had a 1" and that is what they sold me. Does the Toyota dealers have the balls for sale that specifically fit the Toyota towing unit?

What am I missing here? By saying "the shank" are you referring to the square drop bar male part that fits into the female receiver on the truck? If so, any place, including WalMart (& yes, some dealers) will sell the bar that fits in there. I use a standard drop bar that works on any vehicle, and often swap it betwen my Pathfinder & 4Runner. If you have the V8 (& even if you have the V6), it should have this.

Otherwise, if I'm totally misunderstanding you, PLEASE POST A PIX! (pictures probably would have helped a bunch in this thread!)

And 1/4 mile between you and the next person while towing before you can go faster than 45 MPH? That's 4 football field lengths! I'm all for an added safety margin while towing, but you could harldy see the next vehicle at 1200 feet! :awais:

 

[bluduk15]

What am I missing here? By saying "the shank" are you referring to the square drop bar male part that fits into the female receiver on the truck? If so, any place, including WalMart (& yes, some dealers) will sell the bar that fits in there. I use a standard drop bar that works on any vehicle, and often swap it betwen my Pathfinder & 4Runner. If you have the V8 (& even if you have the V6), it should have this.

Otherwise, if I'm totally misunderstanding you, PLEASE POST A PIX! (pictures probably would have helped a bunch in this thread!)

And 1/4 mile between you and the next person while towing before you can go faster than 45 MPH? That's 4 football field lengths! I'm all for an added safety margin while towing, but you could harldy see the next vehicle at 1200 feet! :awais:

The shank term that I'm using refers to the threaded bolt part of the actual trailer ball. They come in different diameters, such as 1", 1 1/4". etc. I believe you are talking about a ball mount (squared steel thing that fits into the truck's receiver).

The terms are confusing. In the pic below, you can see the nut on the shank with a washer. Looks like this place has 1 1/4" shanked balls.

1 1/4" diameter shank on 2" ball

bd

 

[charlier180]

The U-Haul rep told me to obviously be careful but that on flat land when you can see quite a bit of distance in front of you that you can go up to 55 safely. But if you have less than 1/4 mile between you and the car in front of you then you should be going 45mph

Given the way that many drivers on the road insist on squeezing into even the smallest space between vehicles the 1/4 mile reference may be a pipe dream. Most times when I have been towing my trailer I have been VERY Lucky if I have 2 or 3 times the length of my 4Runner and trailer (about 40ft) between me and the vehicle in front of me. If nothing else towing a trailer forces you to look MUCH further down the road when driving so you can anticipate possible driving situations you will need to respond to.

If you have a wide (102") trailer like mine here is another towing tip. When approaching a road construction area and you see a sign that says the shoulder of the road is closed and trucks/busses should use the other lane. Move to that other lane. In many cases, with a closed shoulder the lane with the closed shoulder has been made More Narrow. I ran into this recently when towing on the Pennsylvania Turnpike near Philadelphia. In this case the right lane (with the closed shoulder) was simply Too Narrow for me to use safely.

 

[scott78945]

Thank you Bluduk15 for posting that pick. That is what I am talking about. The shank with the nut on it. Mine is only a 1" but it appears that I need a 1 1/4" so I guess that will be going back to U-Haul. I called my Toyota dealer and he said that the 1" would be sufficient but after talking to you all I don't know about that. He also said that since I have the V8 that I can drive in
"D" with no problems as long as it isn't very hilly. He said that if there are hills then 4th gear would be the way to go. I guess I have to find a trailer place near me that will well this 1 1/4" ball. Thanks for all the replies.