Newbie here - towing after 100K w/ V6 3.0L - Crazy?

[Otterdog]

Towing after 100K mi...Newbie - help appreciated!

Great forum; it's been helpful with my research so far...but...

You folks all seem to be driving new runners! Here's my quandry...

I have a 95 Runner, V6, 3.0L, AT, 110K mi., that I've been using as a snow/fishing rig, not towing anything but a 14" aluminum boat and trailer...and it's not all that spunky! I'm considering purchasing a 3,100lb tent-trailer, 12 foot box, and have some concerns with the ol' girl hanging in there, even if it is rated at 3.5K towing capacity. So just a couple questions, if you please:

1) What are the chances of us having to hitchhike after I blow the 10 yr old engine/tranny? (major hills in N. Idaho!)
2) With a BASIC factory tow package, should I be considering all the sway/stabilizer gizmos I've been reading about on this forum? It IS only a pop-up trailer...
3) The trailer does have electric brakes; my runner has a 4-pin connection on back that I've used while towing my little boat...Looks like the new trailer has a circular multi-pin connection, vs. the "in-line" I have. Will a converter do the trick? And will this automatically apply braking to the trailer when I use my runner's brakes?

I'm a patient guy...if I have to go slow up grades while semis pass me, so be it...but I'd hate to trash a truck that has been so good to me over the years...thoughts GREATLY appreciated!

PS. Go Seahawks...couldn't resist!

Thanks!

Curt
Spokane WA

 

[charlier180]

Re: Towing after 100K mi...

2) With a BASIC factory tow package, should I be considering all the sway/stabilizer gizmos I've been reading about on this forum? It IS only a pop-up trailer...

You might want to look into the cost of this equipment when trying to answer this question. You have to ask yourself is the increase in safety that this equipment will give to you worth the cost? The weight of your new trailer appears to be close to the spec limit of your 4Runner which may increase the value of a weight distributing hitch with sway contol.

You might consider taking the new trailer out for a test drive on the various roads you normally use to see how it tows. If you experience excessive sway or it feels unstable then buying the WD hitch with sway control would be prudent.

If you have not done so recently, you should probably check all the bolts that are used to secure your hitch to the body of your 4Runner. If they have not been replaced in the last 10 years it might be time to check/replace them given the increase in weight of your new trailer.

3) The trailer does have electric brakes; my runner has a 4-pin connection on back that I've used while towing my little boat...Looks like the new trailer has a circular multi-pin connection, vs. the "in-line" I have. Will a converter do the trick? And will this automatically apply braking to the trailer when I use my runner's brakes?

If you are buying the trailer from an RV center you might want to have them throw in an adapter plug as part of your deal. If you are buying the trailer privately, you should be able to pick up an adapter yourself.

In order for the electric brakes on the trailer to work you will need to buy and install a brake controller. The brake controller determines the amount of braking force needed and communicates that to the brakes. There are many brake controllers on the market. I purchased a Prodigy controller (made by Tekonsha) and have been VERY pleased with it.

P.S. Should be an interesting Super Bowl this year!

 

[Otterdog]

Thanks Charlie, I'm a newbie here and appreciate the input. I have done all the scheduled maintenance etc., so that gives me SOME hope...

I have searched most (all?) of the strings on this forum relating to towing with a V6, but I'm hoping to hear some experiences people have had with older, 3.0L engines...seems most posters that tow with V6's are running later model ones...a link I might have missed would be MOST appreciated.

Thanks folks; very good forum with minimal flaming going on...a bit more welcoming than some...heck; no-one even flamed me on my Seahawk comment...yet.

Curt
Spokane WA

 

[boston_kevin]

Otterdog... One of the most important safety items when towing, especially with older vehicles is a tranny cooler. I have a 4th gen, but had my cooler installed by the dealer before my first month of ownership. Older trannys have some gunk buildup on the inside and outside that inhibits cooling, so by adding a tranny cooler you can extend the life of the tranny.

After that, look at the specs of the pop-up you are towing, most are less than 3500 lbs. If there is a possibility you will be adding enough weight to push it over the 3500 lbs mark, go with a class III hitch and opt for the brake controller. Most trailers with weight over 3000 lbs have at least surge brakes, some have electric brakes, and everything over 5000 has to have some electric braking system.

The biggest difference between surge and electronic is that the surge coupling needs to detect the reduction in speed to activate the brakes, whereas the electonic brakes detect this and apply the brakes to the trailer the same as you would on a car (or SUV) without the hydraulics.

 

[OUTRNNR]

Might not be a bad idea to ask these questions in the 3rd Gen forum as not all 3rd gen owners browse "General Discussions"

Just a thought.

 

[Otterdog]

Great forum; it's been helpful with my research so far...but...

You folks all seem to be driving new runners! Here's my quandry...

I have a 95 Runner, V6, 3.0L, AT, 4X,110K mi., that I've been using as a snow/fishing rig, not towing anything but a 14" aluminum boat and trailer...and it's not all that spunky! I'm considering purchasing a 3,100lb tent-trailer, 12 foot box, and have some concerns with the ol' girl hanging in there, even if it is rated at 3.5K towing capacity. So just a couple questions, if you please:

1) What are the chances of us having to hitchhike after I blow the 10 yr old engine/tranny? (major hills in N. Idaho!)
2) With a BASIC factory tow package, should I be considering all the sway/stabilizer gizmos I've been reading about on this forum? It IS only a pop-up trailer...
3) The trailer does have electric brakes; my runner has a 4-pin connection on back that I've used while towing my little boat...Looks like the new trailer has a circular multi-pin connection, vs. the "in-line" I have. Will a converter do the trick? And will this automatically apply braking to the trailer when I use my runner's brakes?

I'm a patient guy...if I have to go slow up grades while semis pass me, so be it...but I'd hate to trash a truck that has been so good to me over the years...thoughts GREATLY appreciated!

PS. Go Seahawks...couldn't resist!

Thanks!

Curt
Spokane WA

 

[peter78]

Otterdog, I merged your 2 threads which were in 'general discussion' and '3rd gen' and then moved it to 'Classic T4R's'.

That is why you have your post twice here. Hope you get a few more replies.

 

[regularguy412]

Hi Otter - welcome to the group. I dunno if this will help you much, but here goes. Over this past Thanksgiving Holiday, I towed my single axle trailer to my uncle's house in Mississippi. This was a trip of over 700 miles, altogether. The total weight of the trailer and contents weighed approximately 1200 lbs. This was in addition to three adults and their associated baggage. The tree adults 500 lbs and extra baggage about 200 lbs. This brought the total laden weight to about 1900 lbs. Now, granted, the hills in Mississippi are not nearly as steep as those out west. There were plenty of long grades where the 3.0 was wound up to about 4200 rpm for two to three minutes at a time. The tranny was in passing gear the whole time, too. I noted no transmission overheating or slippage problems during this trip, whatsoever.

I have a 1992 3.0 4Runner with 182,000 miles on the clock. I have found that maintaining precisely the correct transmission fluid level is critical to having the transmission shift properly and not overheat. I accidentally overfilled the transmission by one pint when I first purchased it. After a trip of about 300 miles on a moderately warm day ( 70 degrees Fahrenheit ) my transmission warning light came on because it was too hot. Draining out the excess fluid resolved this problem.

Mike in AR