Thinking of buying a 01 4runner w/ V6 engine. Hauling capacity question Please

[BKSinAZ]

Thinking of buying a 01 4runner w/ V6 engine. Towing capacity question Please

I am thinking of buying a 01 4runner with 4x4 and a V6 engine. I was wondering of it's TRUE hauling capability.

Some vehicles advertize that it can haul 5000 lbs but if you do you will burn the engine or transmission up.

I have a 15 hand horse that weighs about 1200 lbs and the Trailer that weighs 2000 lbs. Will I be able to haul my horse and trailer with a STOCK 4 runner with out burning my engine or transmission and screwing my suspention up? What about across country one time? What about up a small mountain?

 

[peter78]

I have a 2001. My impression of my vehicle is, it is a little on the low side in power. The transmission is considered very tough. You turn off the overdrive and turn on the ECT button and the transmission should hold up. Other people have reported good results from their transmission. The frame of course helps, but some people have reported weak brakes when carrying a full load. I plan on getting a camper and feel it is best to go 2/3 of the recommended towing capacity.

I have read in the forums about people who have towed 4,000 to 5,000 pounds and have mentioned, it is not something they would like to do over a long distance.

Bottom line is, I don't think with your weight you will not burn up the engine or transmission as they are built tough, but I don't feel the the 4Runner will be happy with the load. If you tow for long distances maybe a 2001 Sequoia would be better.

 

[bluewolf]

If you tow for long distances maybe a 2001 Sequoia would be better.

You would think so, but surprizingly Toyota rates the Sequoia about 1300 lbs lower than the V8 4Runner. Not sure why.

My opinion: If you like the 4Runner and you want to tow 2200 to 3000 lbs on a semi-regular basis you should definitely go with the V8. Obviously the additional torque means the engine will not have to work as hard, uphills will not be a problem, and Toyota includes a transmission and oil cooler with the V8 to protect against overheating. To me, the additional $1.5K cost was justifiable, the gas mileage is only 2 mpg less, and towing 4000 lbs is a pleasure (not a chore)! Not to mention, you get that extra little "kick" when you stomp on the gas!


Edit: Ooops!! Sorry, just noticed that you said you were looking at an '01 4Runner, not a 4th gen. I do have experience towing with a Toyota PU (V6), I can tell you that I have pulled 2500 lbs many times but it has to work pretty hard. Mountain passes are a real b*tch!

 

[khaug]

I put ~25K tow miles on my '98 4WD LTD towing a Porsche 911 on an open trailer. The rig weighed ~4K lbs. Many of my tows were over 1,000 miles in length and included mountain driving.

Toyota recommends you tow with OD locked out, which is a good idea. You need to be willing to use 2nd gear and 5,000 rpm to sustain freeway speeds in the mountains. The truck doesn't seem to mind this treatment. You also MUST!!! learn to manually downshift to a lower gear when descending long, steep grades or you will completely lose your brakes. Please don't even consider towing what you're contemplating unless the trailer has a braking system.

I added Air Lift air bags to the rear suspension to level the load and installed Bilstein shocks when the truck was four years old. The truck had 75K miles on it when I traded it in last year. Total unscheduled maintenance for the entire period was replacement of one oxygen sensor. It still had the original brakes!

For the most part, I very much enjoyed towing with my '98. I've been surprised to find that our '03 isn't all that much more capable!