Pulling A Classic Car Across Country with V6 4Runner..Feedback Appreciated

[shaxs]

Hey All,

I have a V6 4Runner with no two hitch. I am moving from Texas to Seattle and will be pulling my non running 1964 Falcon. The Falcon will maybe be around 3000 lbs after I load it was some extra parts.

Besides normal maintenance and checking brakes on the 4Runner, I plan to do the following:

- Install a CURT Hitch: 2006 Toyota 4Runner All 4Runner models Curt Receiver Hitch - 3675+ Reviews on Curt Receiver Hitches + Free Shipping & Video Install Guides - CURT Class I, II, III, IV & V Colored Hitches

- Install a transmission cooler: Flex a lite Translife Universal Transmission Cooler - Best Price on Flexalite Transmission Coolers. I am going to get a 15" L x 7.5" H.. with that size be alright?

I need a recommendation on a plug and play wiring solution for a 2006 V6 4Runner for the hitch.

So other than routine maintenance, installing a hitch, and installing a transmission cooler, is there anything else I should do or anything I should know when traveling long distance pulling something?

 

[Gdmeadors]

Hi, I pulled a U-Haul trailer weighing 1,800 pounds fully loaded with my 1996 Honda Odyssey from Ann Arbor, MI to San Francisco last December when moving my son. I was wishing that I had my V8 4Runner the entire trip but I had to fly to Michigan and help him drive the Odyssey back to the West Coast.

My point is that by driving no more than 60 mph the entire trip and shifting the car out of overdrive when going uphill, we made it without any problems! I made sure I did not overheat the transmission and I checked the fluid condition at every fuel stop to make sure it was not getting burned.

Again, as long as you drive carefully and do not overheat the transmission, you should be fine. The difference between 60 and 70 mph is really not that significant in time and it will save your transmission and increase your gas mileage! I was getting 25mph on my 140 hp Honda Odyssey with 210,000 miles on the odometer.

Good luck on your journey and welcome to the Pacific Northwest! I live near Portland, Oregon and truly enjoy Oregon and Washington!

 

[Sungod]

Are you planning on towing again? I would look at having it shipped. By the time you add in your hitch, oil cooler, the extra fuel you will have to buy because you will be getting horrible gas mileage, it will probably cost close to the same, and you won't have the extra wear and tear. Not to mention it will be a much more comfortable ride. I would dread that long of a trip towing 3k lbs. I shipped a car with U-ship and it was a super easy transaction.

 

[emoore924]

General trailering best practices:

You'll need a good brake controller. Prodigy P2 is a common choice but there are others.

If you can run a weight-distributing hitch (one with the torsion bars) do it.

There probably is a pigtail for the trailer wiring behind your left storage compartment in the back. If not, there's a plug-in harness available from toyota that should allow you to connect a 7-pin round connector to the trailer. 7-pin round connector is what you want because that has wiring for the electric brakes. 4-flat does not and is not appropriate for car trailers.

Tranny cooler is a good idea. Don't use o/d when going uphill.

TRIPLE your braking distances at least. It takes quite a bit to get a 10-12k rig woahed down.

Bring at least TWO spare tires for the trailer. They go bang a lot. Be sure you have a way to jack up the trailer and remove a blown tire. You can't depend on the truck equipment to do this (wrong jack, wrong lug wrench...)

Check your tire pressures on the trailer every time you stop. Check the tire pressures on the tow vehicle every morning before you leave.

Pull over and check your tow straps within a mile or so after departure, then again every time you stop. THERE IS NOTHING MORE FRIGHTENING THAN A CAR BEHIND YOU THAT IS COMING OFF THE TRAILER.

Check your lights every morning before you leave.

I suggest putting the brake on in the car and putting it in gear after you load it. There are varying opinions on this but I've had straps come loose before and having the brake set and the car in gear helps keep it on the trailer.

Check your trailer tire lug nut torque every morning before you leave.

Check the breakaway battery every morning before you leave.

Put a lock on the safety latch, both on the receiver hitch where the ball mount goes in but also on the latch on the trailer tongue. This keeps the hitch closed and keeps some ass@$&&^ walking by at the truck stop from flicking your hitch lock open for fun.

If you've not trailered before, practice before you load up. Especially backing up (Put your hand at 6 o'clock, turn wheel in direction you want the trailer to go. Bottom of the wheel right = trailer goes right.) Keep in mind that your load will get in the way of your rearward sightline, so practice with the trailer loaded too. If its a car and you can keep the passenger compartment clear (so you can look through the car from your tow vehicle) that will make looking behind you a lot easier.

Pull in so you can pull straight out. Plan for some ass*#^$ to block you in.

BE CAREFUL WHEN FUELING. The rig is long and if you have a building in front of you it can be tough to pull out without hitting the trailer on the pump guards. Note: The tail of the trailer will "kick out" behind the rear axles so be sure you're ass is clear of the pump guards before you really crank it over.

Load with 4 tow straps. Cross them. Have spares. They do get cuts and wear. I tie down to the wheels or a-arms so the car suspension can work when the car is on the trailer. Others tie down to the body. Pick your poison here but I think tying to the body allows the straps to loosen when the suspension compresses which contributes to strap wear and possibly coming loose. JMHO. You pick the way you think is best.

Load the trailer with approximately 10-15% tongue weight. Go to eTrailer.com to see the process for measuring tongue weight. This will help your rig track and brake properly. It is important for the tow vehicle and trailer to be level when loaded. Too much or too little tongue weight is bad, very bad. Too much and you overload the hitch. Too little and you have risk of trailer sway and jack knife under braking.

Trailering a car is serious business. Take your time, get lots of rest, don't be distracted. You'll get there in one piece.

 

[fdbyrne]

Are you planning on towing again? I would look at having it shipped. By the time you add in your hitch, oil cooler, the extra fuel you will have to buy because you will be getting horrible gas mileage, it will probably cost close to the same, and you won't have the extra wear and tear. Not to mention it will be a much more comfortable ride. I would dread that long of a trip towing 3k lbs. I shipped a car with U-ship and it was a super easy transaction.

It's funny how different minds work. It wouldn't have occurred to me at all to ship the car but that is a really good idea.

 

[gm350reratliff]

General trailering best practices:

You'll need a good brake controller. Prodigy P2 is a common choice but there are others.

If you can run a weight-distributing hitch (one with the torsion bars) do it.

There probably is a pigtail for the trailer wiring behind your left storage compartment in the back. If not, there's a plug-in harness available from toyota that should allow you to connect a 7-pin round connector to the trailer. 7-pin round connector is what you want because that has wiring for the electric brakes. 4-flat does not and is not appropriate for car trailers.

Tranny cooler is a good idea. Don't use o/d when going uphill.

TRIPLE your braking distances at least. It takes quite a bit to get a 10-12k rig woahed down.

Bring at least TWO spare tires for the trailer. They go bang a lot. Be sure you have a way to jack up the trailer and remove a blown tire. You can't depend on the truck equipment to do this (wrong jack, wrong lug wrench...)

Check your tire pressures on the trailer every time you stop. Check the tire pressures on the tow vehicle every morning before you leave.

Pull over and check your tow straps within a mile or so after departure, then again every time you stop. THERE IS NOTHING MORE FRIGHTENING THAN A CAR BEHIND YOU THAT IS COMING OFF THE TRAILER.

Check your lights every morning before you leave.

I suggest putting the brake on in the car and putting it in gear after you load it. There are varying opinions on this but I've had straps come loose before and having the brake set and the car in gear helps keep it on the trailer.

Check your trailer tire lug nut torque every morning before you leave.

Check the breakaway battery every morning before you leave.

Put a lock on the safety latch, both on the receiver hitch where the ball mount goes in but also on the latch on the trailer tongue. This keeps the hitch closed and keeps some ass@$&&^ walking by at the truck stop from flicking your hitch lock open for fun.

If you've not trailered before, practice before you load up. Especially backing up (Put your hand at 6 o'clock, turn wheel in direction you want the trailer to go. Bottom of the wheel right = trailer goes right.) Keep in mind that your load will get in the way of your rearward sightline, so practice with the trailer loaded too. If its a car and you can keep the passenger compartment clear (so you can look through the car from your tow vehicle) that will make looking behind you a lot easier.

Pull in so you can pull straight out. Plan for some ass*#^$ to block you in.

BE CAREFUL WHEN FUELING. The rig is long and if you have a building in front of you it can be tough to pull out without hitting the trailer on the pump guards. Note: The tail of the trailer will "kick out" behind the rear axles so be sure you're ass is clear of the pump guards before you really crank it over.

Load with 4 tow straps. Cross them. Have spares. They do get cuts and wear. I tie down to the wheels or a-arms so the car suspension can work when the car is on the trailer. Others tie down to the body. Pick your poison here but I think tying to the body allows the straps to loosen when the suspension compresses which contributes to strap wear and possibly coming loose. JMHO. You pick the way you think is best.

Load the trailer with approximately 10-15% tongue weight. Go to eTrailer.com to see the process for measuring tongue weight. This will help your rig track and brake properly. It is important for the tow vehicle and trailer to be level when loaded. Too much or too little tongue weight is bad, very bad. Too much and you overload the hitch. Too little and you have risk of trailer sway and jack knife under braking.

Trailering a car is serious business. Take your time, get lots of rest, don't be distracted. You'll get there in one piece.

This is all good advice ^^^

The main thing is, take it slow and easy. Trailer tires hate high speed and low pressure. Allow for plenty of extra time and extra stops.

If you plan to use a U-haul trailer, you may not need the brake controller as those trailers mostly come with surge brakes.

Shipping the car may be an option as well but can vary a lot depending on location and time of year. Last time I needed a vehicle shipped, the price was pretty outrageous, and I still needed to trailer the vehicle to the shipping yard (100 miles in the wrong direction).

 

[shaxs]

Are you planning on towing again? I would look at having it shipped. By the time you add in your hitch, oil cooler, the extra fuel you will have to buy because you will be getting horrible gas mileage, it will probably cost close to the same, and you won't have the extra wear and tear. Not to mention it will be a much more comfortable ride. I would dread that long of a trip towing 3k lbs. I shipped a car with U-ship and it was a super easy transaction.

I have shipped quite a few cars now- mostly classics. The issue is this car is not in the type of shape to want to ship it with someone else. I am trying hard to get it put together as best I can for travel, but my wife's job transfer is happening really quick. For example, I have no glass in the car at all. I want to get it installed before I leave. I would have to do an enclosed trailer which was quoted at $1800 to ship enclosed.

I can buy and install a tow hitch and transmission cooler for less than $200. I also plan to buy a tent trailer when I get to Seattle so I will need tow hitch regardless.

 

[shaxs]

General trailering best practices:

You'll need a good brake controller. Prodigy P2 is a common choice but there are others.

If you can run a weight-distributing hitch (one with the torsion bars) do it.

There probably is a pigtail for the trailer wiring behind your left storage compartment in the back. If not, there's a plug-in harness available from toyota that should allow you to connect a 7-pin round connector to the trailer. 7-pin round connector is what you want because that has wiring for the electric brakes. 4-flat does not and is not appropriate for car trailers.

Tranny cooler is a good idea. Don't use o/d when going uphill.

TRIPLE your braking distances at least. It takes quite a bit to get a 10-12k rig woahed down.

Bring at least TWO spare tires for the trailer. They go bang a lot. Be sure you have a way to jack up the trailer and remove a blown tire. You can't depend on the truck equipment to do this (wrong jack, wrong lug wrench...)

Check your tire pressures on the trailer every time you stop. Check the tire pressures on the tow vehicle every morning before you leave.

Pull over and check your tow straps within a mile or so after departure, then again every time you stop. THERE IS NOTHING MORE FRIGHTENING THAN A CAR BEHIND YOU THAT IS COMING OFF THE TRAILER.

Check your lights every morning before you leave.

I suggest putting the brake on in the car and putting it in gear after you load it. There are varying opinions on this but I've had straps come loose before and having the brake set and the car in gear helps keep it on the trailer.

Check your trailer tire lug nut torque every morning before you leave.

Check the breakaway battery every morning before you leave.

Put a lock on the safety latch, both on the receiver hitch where the ball mount goes in but also on the latch on the trailer tongue. This keeps the hitch closed and keeps some ass@$&&^ walking by at the truck stop from flicking your hitch lock open for fun.

If you've not trailered before, practice before you load up. Especially backing up (Put your hand at 6 o'clock, turn wheel in direction you want the trailer to go. Bottom of the wheel right = trailer goes right.) Keep in mind that your load will get in the way of your rearward sightline, so practice with the trailer loaded too. If its a car and you can keep the passenger compartment clear (so you can look through the car from your tow vehicle) that will make looking behind you a lot easier.

Pull in so you can pull straight out. Plan for some ass*#^$ to block you in.

BE CAREFUL WHEN FUELING. The rig is long and if you have a building in front of you it can be tough to pull out without hitting the trailer on the pump guards. Note: The tail of the trailer will "kick out" behind the rear axles so be sure you're ass is clear of the pump guards before you really crank it over.

Load with 4 tow straps. Cross them. Have spares. They do get cuts and wear. I tie down to the wheels or a-arms so the car suspension can work when the car is on the trailer. Others tie down to the body. Pick your poison here but I think tying to the body allows the straps to loosen when the suspension compresses which contributes to strap wear and possibly coming loose. JMHO. You pick the way you think is best.

Load the trailer with approximately 10-15% tongue weight. Go to eTrailer.com to see the process for measuring tongue weight. This will help your rig track and brake properly. It is important for the tow vehicle and trailer to be level when loaded. Too much or too little tongue weight is bad, very bad. Too much and you overload the hitch. Too little and you have risk of trailer sway and jack knife under braking.

Trailering a car is serious business. Take your time, get lots of rest, don't be distracted. You'll get there in one piece.

Thank you so much for your feedback. I trailered a 6x8 trailer loaded down on my older 1999 4Runner from Cali to Texas. All went well there.

Please note, the classic car will be towed on a car dolly from uHaul most likely.

Do I need an electronic brake controller for a car dolly ?

 

[emoore924]

Do I need an electronic brake controller for a car dolly ?

I don't think so but whomever sets you up with it will tell you what you need.

If you're pulling two wheels up (on a dolly behind the tow vehicle with the front wheels of the towed vehicle in the cradle), YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BACK UP. So keep that in mind as you select your various mealtime and fueling parking spots.

 

[shaxs]

I don't think so but whomever sets you up with it will tell you what you need.

If you're pulling two wheels up (on a dolly behind the tow vehicle with the front wheels of the towed vehicle in the cradle), YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BACK UP. So keep that in mind as you select your various mealtime and fueling parking spots.

Oh good to know! Maybe it is worth the $290 extra for a full trailer....

 

[emoore924]

You might also want to think through how to get this non-running (it is non-running, right?) car onto the trailer. Some have winches but not all. And pushing or rolling it on at speed can be a little challenging to do without experiencing mayhem at some point.

 

[ncpinz]

Your towed weight is higher than the dolly with towed vehicle, so it is doable (at first thought it was higher). The Uhaul trailer is at or slightly over 2000 lb (check their website), so you will be at or slightly over your allowable towing capacity.

The Uhaul trailer will have hydraulic surge brakes so a controller is not required. The brakes apply when you apply your tow vehicle brakes enough to get some good deceleration. Check that you have good weight distribution; the trailer guidelines will have you pull all the way forward will might be tongue heavy which is not bad and definitely better than being tongue light. Ideal is 10% of the towed weight on your hitch.

 

[Jetcycles]

Is this a $3000 car or $30,000 car? Either way, I wouldn't tow it on a "wheels" up two wheeled dolly that far. I value my 1950 Chevrolet Styleline Deluxe at about $7500, and I chose to tow it on an actual car hauler trailer. I paid a wrecker driver $50 to winch it onto the trailer for me.

 

[coleb10]

I helped someone trailer a 1936 Ford from Denver to Fort Worth a while back. What a beating. Just from that experience alone I would definitely ship it. Unfortunately going from here in Texas to the NW there is no direct route at all.

 

[shaxs]

I helped someone trailer a 1936 Ford from Denver to Fort Worth a while back. What a beating. Just from that experience alone I would definitely ship it. Unfortunately going from here in Texas to the NW there is no direct route at all.

Well, we are actually going to drop it off in Southern California with my inlaws for storage as I have no idea where we are living yet. May not have room to store it ourselves.

 

[shaxs]

Is this a $3000 car or $30,000 car? Either way, I wouldn't tow it on a "wheels" up two wheeled dolly that far. I value my 1950 Chevrolet Styleline Deluxe at about $7500, and I chose to tow it on an actual car hauler trailer. I paid a wrecker driver $50 to winch it onto the trailer for me.

As it is now... maybe a $5000 car. It is really a shell at the moment. I think I am leaning towards the car trailer.

 

[Sungod]

I have shipped quite a few cars now- mostly classics. The issue is this car is not in the type of shape to want to ship it with someone else. I am trying hard to get it put together as best I can for travel, but my wife's job transfer is happening really quick. For example, I have no glass in the car at all. I want to get it installed before I leave. I would have to do an enclosed trailer which was quoted at $1800 to ship enclosed.

I can buy and install a tow hitch and transmission cooler for less than $200. I also plan to buy a tent trailer when I get to Seattle so I will need tow hitch regardless.

Have you used u-ship.com before? $1800 sounds awfully high, but considering the headache of towing that far, I would probably jump on it. It is worth a try because you can get lucky and find someone heading that way will cut the cost. Your neck and back with thank you later. Driving with that much weight will feel like someone is hitting the back of your seat with a baseball bat non stop for 2 days.

 

[rich045]

I pulled a camry this morning, its tranny busted... towed that sh*t to the shop with straps. 4runner 1, camry 0
lol

 

[shaxs]

Okay I put a bid out on uship. I think I am leaning towards shipping. We are going to ship it to SoCal and house it with my father in law until I know I have a place to store it in Seattle.

Quote I got for an enclosed trailer and it was around $1000 to SoCal. So after installing a hitch, trailer rental, and gas differences, it would be 300-400 savings. Not worth it I dont think.

 

[blackfc3s]

Everyone makes towing out to be a chore. It's not. Just use common sense and have everything secure. Tires do not normally go boom unless you have them installed wrong.

I pulled 5,000 pounds 1,400 miles when I moved from Nebraska to Washington. Continental divide and all the mountains. Just make sure to shift into 4th and not go too fast. I kept the speed at 60MPH the whole way. No tranny cooler. No V8. People forget that the V6 makes the same power just at a higher RPM.