Hauling 525lbs with a vesahaul carrier

scooterman

scooterman

New member
Hello
I posted this basic question in the wrong forum last week, so I wanted to try again here. The guy who pointed me to the 5th gen section said there was a thread on this but I can't find it.

I'm a total newbie. First big SUV just got it last Thursday night. I've never had a trailer hitch or hauled a trailer or carrier of any kind, so I'm in the dark

I need to know what is the maximum tongue weight limit of the 2011 SR5 4Runner hitch receiver. is it 500lbs? not sure.

I'm looking at carrying two scooters on a versahaul carrier(total weight 525lbs). All I could find in the manual is the 5000lb hauling capacity.(I assume this is trailer pulling weight?)

If so, the 5000lb hauling capacity doesn’t help me because with the rack I’m looking at, I’m not actually pulling a trailer. The weight of the carrier and the two scooters rides on the receiver and the vehicle suspension. I looked at the owners manual but could not figure out the math they were using. I don’t want to risk $5000 worth of Vespas all over the highway.

So is this doable with the current hitch receiver, or do I need tougher receiver and can the suspension of the SR5 even handle an extra 525lbs hanging on the back?

Any help is greatly appreciated
Stephen
 
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scooterman, the thread I was pointing you to was http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/85365-modifying-hitch-replace-5th-gen.html

.... but that won't actually answer your question (neither will a dealer, unfortunately). Your question is a bit unique. I'm an experienced boat tower, and there are several experienced towers here who will likely chime in, here's my .02.

First, read your owner's manual. On page 283 (mine's a 2010) under the heading "TRAILER TONGUE LOAD", you'll find it specifically stated "...... tongue load not exceeding 500# ....."

You're close. The Versahaul has a drawbar aka ball mount, that is 36" long, and is going to create some leverage on your hitch.

At a minimum, you'll need something for rear-end sag, as the 4R is softly sprung. Especially if you have rear passengers and/or gear in the back.

I also wonder if the tailgate will open with your scooters loaded?

I'd at least consider a trailer.
 
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I know a few people who overload their hitches with those, and they still do okay. This being said, it's NOT the right thing to do.

Get a cheap utility trailer.

Reasons:

1. You can bring ramps with you to drive your scooters on and off.

2. You'll be able to open your rear hatch.

3. You'll discover how convenient a utility trailer is.

4. You can carry lots of other stuff too, or a third scooter, should you want to.

The only drawback is backing up takes some practice. Like 15 minutes.
 
Utility trailers are king. And unless you back into it while hooking up, there's much less chance of doing any damage to your truck over a hitch mount carrier that's gonna put some strain on your back every time you load, unload. Aside from the obvious utility of a small trailer, and the wide choice (aluminum ones are good and light) they look good behind a 4R.
 
Thanks for your replies. You've sold me on the trailer. I was apprehensive because I really don't have a place to store it, other than under the car port. This just means the Ford truck will have to sleep in the driveway.

Thanks again.
 
not sure how often you want/need to carry these scooters around, if it's not very often, you could rent a trailer from uhaul/budget and the like.

As far as pulling trailers, I drove my xterra pulling a 2 axle uhaul trailer across a few states back in '05. So, it's not that hard. I'm sure your 4runner will be just as easy.

Reversing with a trailer is a little bit weird, you have to turn the wheel the opposite direction to get the trailer where you want it. That is just practice though.

Good Luck.
 
FYI I'm also astromags who posted above. (had trouble getting my registration at first, so started this account. I didn't realized I had logged in under that name.)

Anyway...

We attend scooter rallies all through the spring, summer and fall, so renting would get expensive after a while. We usually carry them in my Ford Ranger which is small and uncomfortable for my wife after a couple hundred miles... She hates it, so she went out last week and bought the 4runner as her new primary vehicle.

Like I said, I'm not against a trailer, I just hate to give up my parking space. I was hoping beefing up the receiver would be enough.
 
Seems to me, the answer would have been a new p/u truck for you...

Gotta love a wife who makes decisions like a new 4R.
 
Not sold on a Trailer

OK guys, I'm back again with more questions on this subject.

I'm back to looking at the versahaul rack again. I'm really opposed to the trailer idea, mainly because we don't want it cluttering up the driveway/carport area, but also because of the general hassle of pulling it around finding parking, keeping up with registration, etc. I'm trying to avoid the trailer if possible.

So, what I'm asking now is:

1)Since, according to one reply, they don't make a beefy enough receiver yet for the 5th gen, who would make a custom one? A trailer hitch dealer? Joe welder? Or should I wait for the real deal?

2) what are the options for beefing up the suspension? Who would I go to to have the suspension beefed up? Are we talking new shocks or springs?
3) Someone mentioned airbags. What are they and how do they work? WHo sells them.

Thanks for being patient with my relative ignorance of all things "hauling"

Stephen
 
philsey said:
Seems to me, the answer would have been a new p/u truck for you...

Gotta love a wife who makes decisions like a new 4R.
Click to expand...

Well she was tired of her old Honda pilot and they practically gave the damn 4Runner to her so she couldn't resist. My truck is a paid-off, minty 04 Ranger with less than 30,000 miles on it since I ride the scooter most of the time, At that rate I'll drive it to my grave.
 
scooterman said:
Well she was tired of her old Honda pilot and they practically gave the damn 4Runner to her so she couldn't resist. My truck is a paid-off, minty 04 Ranger with less than 30,000 miles on it since I ride the scooter most of the time, At that rate I'll drive it to my grave.
Click to expand...

can i get those scooters from you when you die?
 
Let's start with this: (no guessing)

- what do your 2 scooters actually weigh?
- what does the versahaul actually weigh?

If you're really at 525# total, I guess I'd not be afraid to give it a try. You're pushing the specs. Any more than that is a reinforced hitch, and I can't advise you on that - a professional shop I suppose.

I'd surely think that 500# on the hitch will cause the rear of an SR5 to sag too much. If it were me, to fix this, I'd use either the Firestone air bags or the Timbren suspension kit.

Toyota 4Runner Firestone Air Bags

Timbren Suspension Kits - 4Runner (2003-2010) | SD Truck Springs

I've used the Timbrens to tow a boat, and they work as advertised. No experience with inflatable bags - someone will opine.
 
philsey said:
Let's start with this: (no guessing)

- what do your 2 scooters actually weigh?
- what does the versahaul actually weigh?

If you're really at 525# total, I guess I'd not be afraid to give it a try. You're pushing the specs. Any more than that is a reinforced hitch, and I can't advise you on that - a professional shop I suppose.

I'd surely think that 500# on the hitch will cause the rear of an SR5 to sag too much. If it were me, to fix this, I'd use either the Firestone air bags or the Timbren suspension kit.

Toyota 4Runner Firestone Air Bags

Timbren Suspension Kits - 4Runner (2003-2010) | SD Truck Springs

I've used the Timbrens to tow a boat, and they work as advertised. No experience with inflatable bags - someone will opine.
Click to expand...

The actual combined dry weight of hauler and scooters is exactly 513lbs. I was just rounding up a bit to give me a few pounds to compensate for full tanks of gas etc.

I am wary of having anyone other than a trailer hitch guy doing something(welding or whatever). I guess I need to just wait it out for a real 5th gen setup.

I know that the Gs on the loaded rack would increase when the rear end bounces so the weight on the tongue would be significantly more than 500lbs, if my high school physics serve me correctly. So that's what makes me wary of trying it with the receiver as is.

Thanks for the links!

One other thing. I don't have a manual handy. DOes anyone know the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of the 5th gens?
 
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I think the GVWR is 6250.

I'm thinking about getting one of the Northern tools hitch haulers for my little sport bike.

As noted, I am surprised how much my 4runner squats with my boat on the hitch. It squats down a bunch, and my wife's Ridgeline barely moves with the same boat. Surprising.

Hopefully my 350 lb bike won't make as much difference, but that is about what my boat's tongue weight is, so I guess it will.
 
I just installed an Airlift 1000 airbag kit last week. Basically they are rubber bags that fit inside your rear springs. The bags are connected to air lines that ultimately feed to an inflator valve(think tire valve). The bags don't provide much lift- about 3/4 of an inch I would say- but they are designed to keep the spring extended by compressing outwards against the coils. I tried it out with my boat and the difference is like night and day. I have a front spacer kit, and my boat gave me a saggy butt-er you know what I mean- and the bags did the trick. They max out at 35 PSI, but 10 is enough to keep the 4Runner level (I'm guessing less than 200# tongue weight). The ride is great, even unloaded, in fact I'm experimenting with the pressure and currently I'm liking 15PSI in day to day driving. I will say that the install wasn't the piece of cake i was expecting. Not too hard, but I had to keep taking stuff off- panhard, shocks, sway, spare tire, etc to have room to work. I would KILL for a lift. Just my 2cents-
 
Well, I'm not having much luck with a "custom hitch guy" around here so I may have to trailer it after all.

I can believe no one makes a heavy duty hitch receiver for this 4Runner.
 
It's not so much the hitch scooterman, it's the 525 lbs cantilevered out behind your vehicle. Sure, there are hitches out there that could hold 4000 lbs, but is the structure the hitch is bolted or welded to good enough to resist the bending moment that will happen when you are going down the road and hit a bump or pothole? Now the 525 lbs becomes 1100 lbs depending on the size of the bump. Chances are you could haul your two scooters around with the current setup with no problems. Would I do it? Even with a cobbled together "heavy duty" hitch? Not a chance. Its not the cost of the load so much as A) You bend the frame of the truck due to bending moment caused by torsion going over bumps (remember gravity is not your friend here) or B) The dang thing breaks off and whoever is behind you has a new scooter in their grille. You have two choices really: Buy a trailer (get the folding kind so you can put it against the wall when not in use) or buy a pickup truck.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...s&cm_ite=125691?ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=125691

Here is a link for one that folds that hauls 900+ lbs and folds up for storage. Cost is 425 bucks. Have fun!

Heres another for 300 bucks and stores in 24X63 inch space.
http://www.harborfreight.com/1195-l...tility-trailer-with-12-inch-wheels-90154.html
 
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scooterman said:
Well, I'm not having much luck with a "custom hitch guy" around here so I may have to trailer it after all.

I can believe no one makes a heavy duty hitch receiver for this 4Runner.
Click to expand...

Hey Scooterman!

I see you have a Vespa. Looks like a PX150. I have a 2005 PX150 and have been trying to figure out how best to carry it behind my 2010 T4R Limited. I was looking at a Vershaul VH-55RO carrier, but am concerned about what has been said about hitch carriers and the scooter/carrier weight on the hitch. Would be interested in seeing a picture of the type of trailer you decide to use. Thanks!
 
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