Towing a car across country with 4runner?

[Mfaughn]

Hi,
I am moving from Bakersfield, CA to the mountains of North Carolina. I am driving our 96 4runner. We also have a Ford Ranger. The Ranger on a tow dolly would clock in at around 4500 pounds. Max towing weight for our 4runner is 5000 pounds (yes, we have the larger engine). I will have to cross the mountains in between Bakersfield and the Mojave and again in Arizona. Once I get to the Appalachians I could actually drive them over one at a time if I needed to. This would be a one time deal of course.

So, would it be smart to do this or is being so close to the towing limit and crossing mountains pushing this into the "not such a good idea" category? I like to avoid putting the Ranger on tractor-trailer because I've heard a lot of nightmare stories about how those companies operate. I would probably save a little bit of money also by pulling the truck myself, but that isn't the biggest concern. I've read that people suggest transmission coolers and upgraded brakes for serious towing. I'm not sure I really want to go that route since I don't really plan on doing a lot of regular heavy towing.

Thanks for any advice,
Mike

 

[Jeff Kleb]

I don't know about the '96 4Runner or what the "larger" engine option was back then, but I would not hesitate to do it at all with my 2005. The '05 has a V6 displacing 4.0 liters.

Perhaps an inexpensive aftermarket transmission cooler would work, as well as a fresh flush for all of your fluids before beginning your journey. Consider synthetic oil, ATF and differential oil also.

I am sure people have done worse things to vehicles than driving across the nation towing something.

Good luck whatever you decide! Be sure to snap plenty of photos along the way.

 

[rook]

Hi,
I am moving from Bakersfield, CA to the mountains of North Carolina. I am driving our 96 4runner. We also have a Ford Ranger. The Ranger on a tow dolly would clock in at around 4500 pounds. Max towing weight for our 4runner is 5000 pounds (yes, we have the larger engine). I will have to cross the mountains in between Bakersfield and the Mojave and again in Arizona. Once I get to the Appalachians I could actually drive them over one at a time if I needed to. This would be a one time deal of course.

So, would it be smart to do this or is being so close to the towing limit and crossing mountains pushing this into the "not such a good idea" category? I like to avoid putting the Ranger on tractor-trailer because I've heard a lot of nightmare stories about how those companies operate. I would probably save a little bit of money also by pulling the truck myself, but that isn't the biggest concern. I've read that people suggest transmission coolers and upgraded brakes for serious towing. I'm not sure I really want to go that route since I don't really plan on doing a lot of regular heavy towing.

Thanks for any advice,
Mike

Mike,
I would not recommend this trip. Too much weight for such a long distance. Additionally, a tow dolly does not have its own braking system and with the distance you are traveling, you are going to put a lot of wear and tear on the 4Runner.

If you are using U-Haul or another truck rental co. you could put the Ranger behind their truck.

 

[Light_Mania]

My big concern would be having auxiliary braking for safety reasons. Beyond that, I think you can make this trip and I don't think you would experience undue wear on your 4runner. Just drive smoothly and anticipate traffic and you should be fine. If you think you are overstressing the vehicle on hot climbs, just pull over and let the car idle for 5-10 minutes periodically to help it cool off. In the overall scheme of a cross country trip this isn't going to add a lot of travel time.

Be sure your fluids are fresh and topped up before the trip and that includes fresh brake fluid to reduce the chance of old fluid boiling under heavy braking.