Heavy Long Distance Tow

[biglar]

Long story, but I'm stuck with retrieving my belongings after a moving company left me hanging. I can't afford to rent a truck to go and pick up my stuff - over $3,000 - but I can get most of the valuable/needed stuff into a 6 x 12 ft U-Haul trailer that will be ~$900. I'll just have to abandon the larger furniture.

I have a huge amount of experience - 100s of 1,000s of miles - with boat trailers and boats up to about 3,500# so the tow doesn't worry me. I'm also aware that the main problem to worry about is transmission temperature - and this will be late May/early June, so likely pretty warm out.

I know to tow with ECT on and OD off. Keep engine rpms up - don't lug the engine, but don't scream it, either. I would also install a large, heavy duty transmission cooler before leaving and I did a forum search on the topic that seems to bear that out.

I'll be picking my stuff up in Las Cruces, NM and towing it 1,800 miles to Inverness, FL. Downhill and flat lands most of the way, except for hill country in central TX. Take it easy and listen to the car.

Any other thoughts ?? Is this feasible with a 2002 3.4L 4WD T4R ??

 

[phattyduck]

Shouldn't be a problem at all, especially if you have a trans cooler installed. 4Runers aren't great tow vehicles, but a one-off deal like this is perfectly reasonable.

-Charlie

 

[Brian.]

Not a problem in the least. Different rig (T100 truck) same engine and trans, I towed this setup from GA up to MN, over to WY then down to AZ (visiting family immediately after getting married and moving to my wifes first job out of college):

I had the trans light come on once, a steep grade going up the BigHorns in WY while following a pilot car (slow, lots of speed changes) so I was doing a whole lot of slowing down and speeding up on that grade. No extra Trans cooler, was June, and the light went off less than 1 minute after coming on (thankfully right at the top of the pass) once I pulled over and put it into neutral. Hill country of TX doesn't have ANYTHING even close to that kind of grade. I managed to get the light one 1 other time, pass in Colorado with the same trailer though a lighter load... I was sloppy with leaving it in D and not using a lower gear so it kept hunting. Again, within a minute of stopping and putting it into neutral the light was off. And yes, both times I changed the fluid ASAP (don't recall any bad smells).

Other than that, 80mph on cruise with the AC going... zero issues. The drivetrain doesn't have any issues with this size load. I was even slightly overloaded on the trailer side, couldn't have fit a sheet of paper more in that trailer.

 

[alumarine]

Should have no problem.

Maybe get a OBDII scanner and the Torq app to monitor trans temps.

I tow 3200 lbs on flat land and find my temps are often lower with O/D on for some reason.

Do these trailers have surge brakes?
I wouldn't tow that weight without brakes on the trailer.

 

[phattyduck]

Do these trailers have surge brakes?
I wouldn't tow that weight without brakes on the trailer.

All the 2-axle UHaul trailers use surge brakes.

^^^ That was 3500-ish lbs. Based on that experience I would go higher, but not if I was going to do it regularly.

-Charlie