Too much for V6 to tow ?

250lbs tongue weight sounds way low for that trailer and must be empty with no propane tanks and the water/black/grey tanks empty. The usual calculation is approx 12-15% of trailer weight should be on tongue which would put you close if not over max with the stock hitch.
 
jetboy1975 said:
250lbs tongue weight sounds way low for that trailer and must be empty with no propane tanks and the water/black/grey tanks empty. The usual calculation is approx 12-15% of trailer weight should be on tongue which would put you close if not over max with the stock hitch.
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I agre that the tongue weight should be between 12-15%, for best towing stability. But, that figure is a recommendation, and trailer manufacturers don't, always follow it. Many will reduce the tongue weight figures, or rate them as low as possible, to make the unit appear to fall within the tow ratings of more vehicles. The only valid way to determine the tongue weight of a specific trailer is using a scale. I use a set of certified scales at a local sand/gravel distributor to determine my setup and WD hitch adjustments. I had my 4Runner weighed without trailer, total weight with trailer attached and loaded for normal trip, and weight of trailer alone. This gave me valid weights for the total package, tongue weight, and trailer weight.
 
Well, I did my 'test tow' over the weekend ... little did I know that the dealer only let me tow the camper on their lot ... duh ... I thought they were going to put a dealer plate on it for me so I could tow it down the road ... nope.

So I went a little farther than I was supposed to on their lot, went about 1/2 mile down the road, got up to about 50 mph, then had to turn around. So ... not real informative.

The trailer didn't squat the back of the truck down like I expected it would. All that for nothing ... ugh.
 
jetboy1975 said:
I've got experience with this exact setup and can add some useful insight. If your only towing occasionally for short trips, on flat highways, with no passengers/gear in the truck, and don't mind the driving in 3rd gear with the engine screaming, you'll be okay. Personally I don't think you'll be happy for long.

I bought a Starcraft Antigua 195ck 2 years ago when I had an '03 limited V6. It's similar to the Roo but 6" narrower(read less frontal area). It weighs in at 3800lbs loaded to camp but with tanks empty. I lasted 3 short trips with this setup before I had had enough. It wasn't so much the weight, but the frontal surface area of the trailer. I had difficulty holding 55mph on flat highway with the slightest headwind and felt the engine straining. Occasional drops to second gear on hills and no power left to pass.

I have since traded up to an '04 Limited V8. It made a huge difference. With the extra gear (5speed vs 4), load levelling suspension and extra torque I hardly notice the trailer. I tow in 4th (and even 5th on flats with a tailwind)which gives close to the same rpms as the V6 in 3rd, but it sits better in the power curve and is smoother and quieter. Fuel mileage is also better because it's straining less and still has plenty of power to pass. I keep finding myself at 70mph passing everyone :shrug:

In short the V6 will do it but not happily. It's a solid engine that will pull all day but with that weight your pushing the limits. 5000lbs is also calculated with 1 driver and full fuel, any added weight for passengers/cargo must be subtracted from it. You'll definately want a WD hitch with sway control but make sure you have the proper reciever. The stock one on most V6s is bolted to the xmember only and is not certified for use with a WDH.

Let me know if you need any more info and happy camping :cheers:
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As someone who tows a 8.5'x20' enclosed car trailer (5,500+ lbs) with a 4Runner I agree 100% jetboy1975.

WNY 4Runner I tow in the same Northeast USA areas you do as well as the mid-west USA as well. There might only be "hills" in the Northeast but those hills will have the V6 & it's tranny in your 4Runner screaming.

Just in case it has not been mentioned. There are legal and financial issues to consider in your situation. If the trailer you want to buy exceeds the rated tow capacity of your V6 4Runner and you have an accident your Assets are at risk. Here in my area of Pennsylvania one of the first things the state police look at in accident investigations is the trailer's weight and the tow vehicles published tow capacity rating. By some of the posts in this thread it would appear that when fully loaded you will exceed the 5K rating.
If that is the case you should carefully consider your options regarding trailer and tow vehicle.
 
Same boat as WNY

I've really enjoyed this thread because I'm in the same boat (or should I say camper) as WNY. The wife and I just bought a 2009 Rockwood Roo 19 (gotta love Craigslist), which I'm gonna pull with our '08 V6. I upgraded the hitch to a Curt, have a Reese WD unit on order with sway control, and will be installing a Prodigy brake control this weekend before I pick it up. I too believe I'm at the upper limit of safe with this set up, and plan to do some tests as to the weight loaded up (tanks, propane, gear) before we venture out for the first trip. I'm hoping the local scrap yard will let me use their scale. Worse comes to worst, we'll trade the wife's car in on something with a V8 in a couple of years, but I think I'm ok for now.

A word of caution to those shopping for a camper, the dealers will outright LIE about what your truck is capable of. Camping World and Johnsons RV were both trying to talk me into units with dry weights just over 4000#! Only one small local outfit (Ballantyne) was upfront about what the truck was capable of, and pretty much mimicked what has been said here with regard to me towing a 3300# (dry) trailer with my setup.

WNY, I'll look for ya on the Thruway...
 
ROCNY4runner -

we are picking up our 2008 rockwood roo 19 from camping world of bath this saturday. I do not have all the upgrades done to the truck yet, well except for the prodigy brake controller, so I am going to bring it home with friends Dmax. That way I am not in a hurry to get everything installed on the 4runner.

I will definitely run the truck and trailer over the scales somewhere to make sure i dont exceed the weight ratings for the truck ! Thanks for everyones help and thoughts on this issue.

Once I get truck upgraded and some tow time on the V6, I will post again.
 
Sounds like a smart move, I'll be laying in the snow in my driveway on Friday putting the new hitch on. Ditto on the update later this spring. We already have one trip planned to Pine Creek, PA. Not a flat ride, but nothing too serious either.

When the weather breaks we'll have to meet up for a photo op to post with our updates.
 
I towed a 08 Fleetwood Evolution which weighs 2800 dry, but with our luggage and gear, with my 2008 4Runner Sport V6 from Anchorage, Alaska down to San Diego, then across through Colorado and into Chicago in Oct of 2009. Besides having really crappy fuel economy (12-14mpgs) the entire trip, the 4Runner did outstanding and there wasn't a shortage of power or difficulty in rough terrain. You should be fine with the weight as long as you don't mind filling up every 250 miles.
 
I towed a 08 Fleetwood Evolution which weighs 2800 dry, but with our luggage and gear, with my 2008 4Runner Sport V6 from Anchorage, Alaska down to San Diego, then across through Colorado and into Chicago in Oct of 2009. Besides having really crappy fuel economy (12-14mpgs) the entire trip, the 4Runner did outstanding and there wasn't a shortage of power or difficulty in rough terrain. You should be fine with the weight as long as you don't mind filling up every 250 miles.
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Matt, you're missing one big key factor here. Your Evolution was a pop-up, although heavy, still fairly compact. The Roo the op wants is a full size hybrid with a much larger frontal area. The difference is like dragging an open parachute behind you as opposed to an umbrella. The weight of the Roo packed to camp, plus people in the vehicle will put the T4R at or likely over max tow weight and over the tongue weight. It can handle the weight but when you add the drag component it's a struggle.
 
MattHans said:
Besides having really crappy fuel economy (12-14mpgs) the entire trip, the 4Runner did outstanding and there wasn't a shortage of power or difficulty in rough terrain. You should be fine with the weight as long as you don't mind filling up every 250 miles.
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jetboy1975 said:
Matt, you're missing one big key factor here. Your Evolution was a pop-up, although heavy, still fairly compact. The Roo the op wants is a full size hybrid with a much larger frontal area. The difference is like dragging an open parachute behind you as opposed to an umbrella. The weight of the Roo packed to camp, plus people in the vehicle will put the T4R at or likely over max tow weight and over the tongue weight. It can handle the weight but when you add the drag component it's a struggle.
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Matt, jetboy1975 is dead on correct regarding the impact of a larger frontal area, weight, etc. when towing with a 4Runner. When I tow my 8.5"x20" enclosed car trailer there is BIG TIME drag. If you think 12-14 mpg when towing is crappy you should try 8-9 mpg when towing my trailer. Heck on one towing trip to Michigan I hit an all time low of 6.95 mpg on a tank of fuel. Those numbers are nothing I am proud of but simply something I have come to accept as the cost of towing my trailer.

With the frontal area and weight I tow, the weight distributing hitch & receiver and the dual cam sway control I use are VERY important as well. I also invested in a trailer weight scale which I use to balance my trailer's load and monitor the tongue weight. That all might seem like a lot to do but for me SAFETY when towing is VERY important. I see way too many people towing either unsafe rig setups or driving unsafely when towing. Those people put themselves and everyone else on the road at risk every time they tow. I refuse to do that when towing.
 
RocNYRunner said:
Sounds like a smart move, I'll be laying in the snow in my driveway on Friday putting the new hitch on. Ditto on the update later this spring. We already have one trip planned to Pine Creek, PA. Not a flat ride, but nothing too serious either.

When the weather breaks we'll have to meet up for a photo op to post with our updates.
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So did you get the hitch put on ? How does it look ? Do you have a space left where the stock WC hitch was ?

We pulled the Roo home on Saturday with the DMax, so now it is nice and comfy in my driveway ... waiting for warmer weather !!
 
Hitch Installed

WNY 4Runner said:
So did you get the hitch put on ? How does it look ? Do you have a space left where the stock WC hitch was ?

We pulled the Roo home on Saturday with the DMax, so now it is nice and comfy in my driveway ... waiting for warmer weather !!
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Got everything installed on Saturday. Damn it was cold! Hitch went in very easy, as did the brake controller. Was timeconsuming taking the bumper cover off, and starting the screws above the muffler were a challenge. Couple of F-Bombs and a minor case of frost bite and it was done!

You can see in the pic the gap above the hitch. I'm going to do the aux reverse light mod when the weather warms up, and put a light in there.
 

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Thanks for the information everyone, I've been looking at trailers as well.

I think I might go the pop-up route since most of the places I like to go camping are up dirt Forest Service roads. I remember my parents loading up the '86 4Runner, putting us kids in the back and hooking up the Coleman trailer way back when.

I like the hybrid campers but I just can see myself being happy towing one of those across 20 miles of dirt roads. Plus it looks like some of the newer Colemans can be had with bigger tires.
 
wazzuFreddo said:
Thanks for the information everyone, I've been looking at trailers as well.

I think I might go the pop-up route since most of the places I like to go camping are up dirt Forest Service roads. I remember my parents loading up the '86 4Runner, putting us kids in the back and hooking up the Coleman trailer way back when.

I like the hybrid campers but I just can see myself being happy towing one of those across 20 miles of dirt roads. Plus it looks like some of the newer Colemans can be had with bigger tires.
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The specific manufacturer excapes me at the moment, but several years ago I saw a line of pop-ups at a local RV dealer that were designed for off-road use. They had larger tires and a higher axle clearance, along with a more rugged frame and exterior. I thought they were interesting, but the wife wants nothing to do with a pop-up, its a hardside with some room for us and the furkids, or nothing.
 
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