Towing a Polaris Ranger

[bwilliams1848]

I'm thinking of purchasing a 2014 4runner. I currently have a 2000 tacoma xtra cab 4x4 with the v6 and use it to tow a polaris ranger on an aluminum trailer. I've noticed that the tacoma has a hard time pulling the ranger in some of the hilly areas that I have to travel through to get to hunting camp. Will the new 4runner be able to tow the ranger well?

 

[Jeremy556]

You should be able to pull several of them easily. Your Taco shouldn't have a hard time with one, either. Stay out of overdrive, get electric brakes and brake controller.

 

[bwilliams1848]

so you can't tow in overdrive?

 

[Jeremy556]

so you can't tow in overdrive?

Depending on what you are towing and the terrain. If the torque converter is unlocked in 5th gear, you'll be better off in 4th gear. It won't hunt for gears, keeps trans fluid temp down, is more efficient, and won't seem as gutless.

You can watch your RPMs at a constant speed in 5th gear. Say they are at 2000 RPM at 70mph on level ground. When you get to an upgrade, your RPMs will increase to 2300 or so (NOT a downshift, which will put RPMs much higher) - this is when your torque converter is unlocked. With any real weight trailer, or one that presents a large frontal surface area, when driving in 5th, the torque converter will never lockup except going down hill. Much better to keep it in 4th gear with the torque converter locked.

 

[Titanpat57]

Towed a Mule with a full cab a few of times prior to the airbags...just interject some common sense..

 

[Maz]

so you can't tow in overdrive?

Can you? That depends on the load and condition i.e. uphill grades, etc.

Should you? No, the only negative is you'll pay a little more for gas at higher RPM's. However the flip side is driving in O/D while towing can put an unusual strain on your transmission and drive train in general.

So which is more expensive? Extra gas @ $3.00 or more per gallon? Damage or extra strain on your transmission and drive train? I pay the extra gas and wouldn't think of towing in overdrive.

 

[bwilliams1848]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the info. Ya'll make me feel better about the 4runner's abilities.

 

[homeyclaus]

I am surprised nobody told you you need a F350 with a turbo diesel to pull your ATV and utility trailer yet.

We pulled a near 4000 lb full size travel trailer a couple of years with our 4Runner. I can't say there were drivability issues.

What you'll hear:
1. Detroit/V8 people will tell you there are/will be issues because the engine will run over 2000 rpm, and the old wives' tale of higher rpms wearing engines out and 3000 mile oil changes keep being repeated. That may have been true of Detroit products in the 60's.

2. The 1GR-FE VVTi in your Tacoma and the 1GR-FE dual-VVTi in your possibly future 4Runner can run their entire design life and load at 4000 rpms+. So if you need to, gear down. If you don't, then don't.

3. I didn't find gas consumption to change very much either way, but it was much less a chore to drive when in 4th gear. But then, even our Tundra uses the same amount of gas pulling the camper as our 4runner did. The Tundra (and by extension, your Taco) is a better towing vehicle for bigger trailers, sizewise, because of the wheelbase, not engine power. With your little trailer and ATV it won't matter, really, especially if the trailer has two axles.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the info. Ya'll make me feel better about the 4runner's abilities.

If you think of it as a shorter version of a regular cab, short bed Tacoma that seats 5 and some improvements it'll make more sense. They're not that any more, but close.

 

[Bimmer-Bob]

What all this business about the torque converter locking up? Is that good or bad? How do you know if it's doing it? I'm a manual transmission guy and my new T4R is the first slushbox I've owned since my first car 20 years ago. I'm gonna be doing some towing soon, so I guess I should figure all of this out. I plan to tow in "S" mode to stay out of OD, but otherwise I'm not following much of the AT lingo...

 

[Jeremy556]

What all this business about the torque converter locking up? Is that good or bad? How do you know if it's doing it? I'm a manual transmission guy and my new T4R is the first slushbox I've owned since my first car 20 years ago. I'm gonna be doing some towing soon, so I guess I should figure all of this out. I plan to tow in "S" mode to stay out of OD, but otherwise I'm not following much of the AT lingo...

Torque converter is a viscous coupling that takes the place of a clutch in a manual transmission, allowing the vehicle to stop without stalling. In 4th and 5th (maybe 3rd, I'm not sure), the torque converter can lock the input and output together, greatly increasing efficiency and lowering the transmission fluid temperature. Imagine the torque converter unlocked like a slightly slipping clutch.

You can tell if it is locked or unlocked by the engine RPMs. Driving on flat surface, 5th gear, look at RPMs, probably around 2000. start going up a grade and RPMs will increase 2-300 RPMs, that is the torque converter unlocked. If it goes up more than a few hundred RPMs, that is a downshift to 4th.

You can also see the phenomenon by being in sport mode in 5th, and downshifting to 4th. The RPMs will jump, then in a second or two, the RPMs will fall a few hundred RPMs as the torque converter locks in 4th gear.

 

[Bimmer-Bob]

Torque converter is a viscous coupling that takes the place of a clutch in a manual transmission, allowing the vehicle to stop without stalling. In 4th and 5th (maybe 3rd, I'm not sure), the torque converter can lock the input and output together, greatly increasing efficiency and lowering the transmission fluid temperature. Imagine the torque converter unlocked like a slightly slipping clutch.

You can tell if it is locked or unlocked by the engine RPMs. Driving on flat surface, 5th gear, look at RPMs, probably around 2000. start going up a grade and RPMs will increase 2-300 RPMs, that is the torque converter unlocked. If it goes up more than a few hundred RPMs, that is a downshift to 4th.

You can also see the phenomenon by being in sport mode in 5th, and downshifting to 4th. The RPMs will jump, then in a second or two, the RPMs will fall a few hundred RPMs as the torque converter locks in 4th gear.

Cool, thanks for the quick tutorial. I'll have to play around with manual mode and see if I can get a better feel for it. :thumb:

 

[Jeremy556]

Cool, thanks for the quick tutorial. I'll have to play around with manual mode and see if I can get a better feel for it. :thumb:

Disclosure: Before someone rips my description to pieces, which they likely will, my description is based on observation of my T4R and previous 07 Tacoma (same trans), which are the only automatic trans I have owned and driven with any frequency. All of my other vehicles have had manual transmissions, which I have far more experience with in driving/riding/wrenching, and racing. An auto trans is still a black box to me, I have never opened an auto trans case.

 

[Jeremy556]

I am surprised nobody told you you need a F350 with a turbo diesel to pull your ATV and utility trailer yet.

Don't be silly; everyone knows an ATV only requires a 3/4 ton truck with a V10 gasser and 4.10 gear ratio.