just a quick question about towing

[twitchee2]

A couple of my buddy's and I are going to be taking our waverunners out this summer, and I think I know the answer to this question but just want to make sure. Is it ok to tow in OD on realativly flat surfaces then manually down shift when climbing grades of any sort? I am pulling 2 waverunners on a double trailer with a '03 v8 limited 2wd. thanks guys.

 

[chiplee]

A couple of my buddy's and I are going to be taking our waverunners out this summer, and I think I know the answer to this question but just want to make sure. Is it ok to tow in OD on realativly flat surfaces then manually down shift when climbing grades of any sort? I am pulling 2 waverunners on a double trailer with a '03 v8 limited 2wd. thanks guys.

your truck will pull that like it's not even there. and yes it's ok to tow in OD, especially with that little amount of weight. I tow 5000lbs+ in OD and manually downshift when needed. Have fun waverunning

 

[twitchee2]

just making sure i know it feeling like nothing back there, already been out once this year . just want to make sure i wasn't doing any damage sense its my moms car. my 96 doesn't have a tow hitch unfortunately.

 

[khaug]

The short answer is "yes", but you need to know a couple of simple things:

Tow weight limit for the '03 is 5,000# with a weight-carrying hitch. If your trailer is over 1,000#, it must have brakes.

You need to watch the tach and learn to identify when the torque converter has unlocked itself. When this happens, the torque converter will churn the ATF, causing the tranny temp to rise. If allowed to continue, this can overheat and damage the tranny.

An rpm jump of 200-300 indicates the converter has unlocked. This will happen when you need more torque to maintain speed, such as when climbing a grade or towing into a headwind. If the converter stays unlocked for any long period (over a minute or two), manually shift to 4th, which will allow the engine speed to rise and the converter to lock up again.

It's a good idea to manually downshift when you see a hill ahead that you know the 'Runner can't handle in OD. Do your downshift before you start climbing the grade so that the engine isn't yet at a high throttle setting.

Also, of course, learn to manually downshift on long downgrades to avoid brake fade. The rule of thumb is to choose a lower gear that'll let you descend the grade while maintaining your speed without using the brakes.

I towed an old Porsche 911 on a lightweight open trailer (4000#) for ~20,000 miles with Ralf, our '03 V8 LTD 4WD. It was a nice tow rig, and would manage 14 - 15 mpg. This past winter, I bought a new car and a new closed trailer (tow weight 5500#, pushes a lot of air). My mpg dropped to 9 - 11, and Ralf could no longer tow in 5th (OD), so I put Ralf up for adoption and bought a V10 diesel Touareg which delivers 553 lb/ft of torque. I'm eagerly awaiting my first tow!

Good luck with yours.

BTW, I have a new set of front brake pads, an engine air filter, a cabin air filter and a couple of oil filters for an '03 V8 that I'd like to sell. These are all Toyota OE parts. If you're interested, make me an offer at: [email protected]must

 

[khaug]

The short answer is "yes", but you need to know a couple of simple things:

Tow weight limit for the '03 is 5,000# with a weight-carrying hitch. If your trailer is over 1,000#, it must have brakes.

You need to watch the tach and learn to identify when the torque converter has unlocked itself. When this happens, the torque converter will churn the ATF, causing the tranny temp to rise. If allowed to continue, this can overheat and damage the tranny.

An rpm jump of 200-300 indicates the converter has unlocked. This will happen when you need more torque to maintain speed, such as when climbing a grade or towing into a headwind. If the converter stays unlocked for any long period (over a minute or two), manually shift to 4th, which will allow the engine speed to rise and the converter to lock up again.

It's a good idea to manually downshift when you see a hill ahead that you know the 'Runner can't handle in OD. Do your downshift before you start climbing the grade so that the engine isn't yet at a high throttle setting.

Also, of course, learn to manually downshift on long downgrades to avoid brake fade. The rule of thumb is to choose a lower gear that'll let you descend the grade while maintaining your speed without using the brakes.

I towed an old Porsche 911 on a lightweight open trailer (4000#) for ~20,000 miles with Ralf, our '03 V8 LTD 4WD. It was a nice tow rig, and would manage 14 - 15 mpg. This past winter, I bought a new car and a new closed trailer (tow weight 5500#, pushes a lot of air). My mpg dropped to 9 - 11, and Ralf could no longer tow in 5th (OD), so I put Ralf up for adoption and bought a V10 diesel Touareg which delivers 553 lb/ft of torque. I'm eagerly awaiting my first tow!

Good luck with yours.

BTW, I have a new set of front brake pads, an engine air filter, a cabin air filter and a couple of oil filters for an '03 V8 that I'd like to sell. These are all Toyota OE parts. If you're interested, make me an offer at: [email protected]ust

-Karl

 

[jeober]

Trailer brakes are required in most states, incl. CA, at 3,000lb.

www.rockettrailers.com/TrailerBrakeLaws.htm

 

[boston_kevin]

Yep, towing in OD is okay, but like you said going uphill or downhill or towing in windy conditions, be prepared to downshift a lot.

 

[chiplee]

I have an 04 but I'm certain the parts would work. I'm interested in that cabin air filter but your email addy doesn't seem to work.

The short answer is "yes", but you need to know a couple of simple things:

Tow weight limit for the '03 is 5,000# with a weight-carrying hitch. If your trailer is over 1,000#, it must have brakes.

You need to watch the tach and learn to identify when the torque converter has unlocked itself. When this happens, the torque converter will churn the ATF, causing the tranny temp to rise. If allowed to continue, this can overheat and damage the tranny.

An rpm jump of 200-300 indicates the converter has unlocked. This will happen when you need more torque to maintain speed, such as when climbing a grade or towing into a headwind. If the converter stays unlocked for any long period (over a minute or two), manually shift to 4th, which will allow the engine speed to rise and the converter to lock up again.

It's a good idea to manually downshift when you see a hill ahead that you know the 'Runner can't handle in OD. Do your downshift before you start climbing the grade so that the engine isn't yet at a high throttle setting.

Also, of course, learn to manually downshift on long downgrades to avoid brake fade. The rule of thumb is to choose a lower gear that'll let you descend the grade while maintaining your speed without using the brakes.

I towed an old Porsche 911 on a lightweight open trailer (4000#) for ~20,000 miles with Ralf, our '03 V8 LTD 4WD. It was a nice tow rig, and would manage 14 - 15 mpg. This past winter, I bought a new car and a new closed trailer (tow weight 5500#, pushes a lot of air). My mpg dropped to 9 - 11, and Ralf could no longer tow in 5th (OD), so I put Ralf up for adoption and bought a V10 diesel Touareg which delivers 553 lb/ft of torque. I'm eagerly awaiting my first tow!

Good luck with yours.

BTW, I have a new set of front brake pads, an engine air filter, a cabin air filter and a couple of oil filters for an '03 V8 that I'd like to sell. These are all Toyota OE parts. If you're interested, make me an offer at: [email protected]ust

-Karl

 

[twitchee2]

Ok thanks I didnt think there was anything i had to worry about considering its not a very heavy trailer and its fairly arrowdynamic. Just got to you some common sense and there is nothing to worry about. And yes its only got the 5000# weight carrying hitch that it part f the cross member but that isnt a problem. Thanks for that info on the torque conerter, thats a good thing to know to keep an eye out for.

 

[Spider5]

Trailer brakes are required in most states, incl. CA, at 3,000lb.

www.rockettrailers.com/TrailerBrakeLaws.htm

Nope, in California its 1500#s.