Towing a trailer

E

Eastcoaster

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Little bit of a dumb question, but I need some reassurance....

I've got a 2006 Sport with a factory installed hitch. Owner's manual says tow capacity is 5000lbs. I'm seriously considering getting a pop up trailer that weighs in at just a touch over 3000lbs. I figure with it loaded with clothes supplies etc, it'll never reach 3500 lbs. Do I need any sort of other options added to the 4R or can i just hook it up, plug it in and go? I think the trailer has got electric brakes, so i might have to get the dealer to install something for them, right? Should I have any fluids changed, other than at suggested maintenance intervals? I'll probably only get out camping 5-6 times this summer, not every weekend, and wont be travelling any longer than 2.5 hours.

Thanks

EC
 
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Eastcoaster said:
Little bit of a dumb question, but I need some reassurance....
Click to expand...

Nope, not dumb question; good question.

You should be good to go. I doubt if the pop-up has electric brakes. Probably not heavy enough to warrant them. If it does, however, I think there's a relay or something that needs to be hooked up under the dash to the trailer's brake system (I seem to recall a part in a plastic bag that came with our 4Runner in the glove compartment with instructions). Someone much smarter than me on this forum can fill you in.

I think the maintenance depends not so much on how many times you plan on towing it, but rather how many total miles and what kind of load you will be running. The manual has tips on what all needs to be done if the vehicle is used for towing.

We use our 4Runner to tow a 2500# boat and just love how well it works. The first time we passed a semi-trailer that was going the other way on a two lane road, I was hanging on for dear life thinking there would be tons of sway to contend with, but there was nothing. Nada. Could have steered with just my pinky finger!
 
Last edited:
Eastcoaster said:
Little bit of a dumb question, but I need some reassurance....

I've got a 2006 Sport with a factory installed hitch. Owner's manual says tow capacity is 5000lbs. I'm seriously considering getting a pop up trailer that weighs in at just a touch over 3000lbs. I figure with it loaded with clothes supplies etc, it'll never reach 3500 lbs. Do I need any sort of other options added to the 4R or can i just hook it up, plug it in and go? I think the trailer has got electric brakes, so i might have to get the dealer to install something for them, right? Should I have any fluids changed, other than at suggested maintenance intervals? I'll probably only get out camping 5-6 times this summer, not every weekend, and wont be travelling any longer than 2.5 hours.

Thanks

EC
Click to expand...

Your 4Runner will have no issues at all towing that weight. I towed a 3500 lb U-Haul trailer from Florida to New York with a Ford Escape and the little Escape pulled the thing just fine, so you can expect your V6 4Runner to also have no problems with that kind of weight.
 
Any trailer over 1000lbs should have its own brake system. Pretty much all pop-ups are standard with them now, especially that size. Your 4runner will have the 7pin wiring for it already but you'll need a brake controller installed.(suggest Prodigy it's the best) It's an easy do it yourself in 10mins job. You should have a plug in the glove box which plugs in under the dash- drivers sidewall above park brake. Best place to mount controller is under dash above your right knee(not many other options)
The T4R will tow it no prob but it wouldn't hurt to have a tranny cooler installed if not already. Sway control set-up wouldn't hurt either.
 
Re: Re: Towing a trailer

4RunnerFan said:
You should be good to go. I doubt if the pop-up has electric brakes. Probably not heavy enough to warrant them.
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3,000 is a lot for a pop-up, it will have brakes. Also, if they say it weighs 3,000 pounds that usually does not include air conditioning, propane in the tank, water in the water tank, etc. The pop up will have a gross ehicle weight showing how much you can carry. My guess is, it will hold more than 500 pounds, more like 850 to 1,000 pounds and belive me you will probably use it.

So, that is close to 4,000 pounds. When a trailer gets up to that weight, a weight distribution hitch would be great to prevent sway. This is not the distribution hitch by Toyota, this is won't increase your capacity, it will just tow it better. (A good camper dealer or trailer hitch person can steer you in the right direction.)

You might consider a transmission cooler, I would also never use your overdrive, 3rd gear in the 4 speed trans. and 4th gear in the 5 speed trans. (That gear is 1:1 and that is what you want.)

I don't have a transmission cooler or oil cooler, but I do use synthetic oil, which could stand up to the abuse. By the way my pop-up camper is 1,400 pounds and weighs about 1,600 with the air conditoner and the propane tank and it's maximum limit is 2,150 pounds and I think we reach it with mine.
 
If you determine it does have electric brakes and not surge brakes then go with a Prodigy Brake Controller. You can probably do fine without one, but for $100 you'll appreciate the extra stopping power (especially if you have to stop hard unexpectedly). It's also nice, if for some reason you start to get some sway, you can manually apply brakes just to the trailer and make that thing behave! I think there is an adapter that you'll need when you order it to make the controller plug and play. I mounted mine on the dash by my right knee.
 
I was thinking 3100lbs was a little steep for a pop-up too! I just bought a 21ft hybrid that weighs less than that dry.

Keep in mind the max tow weight is calculated with only the driver and a full tank of gas and is reduced by what you put in the vehicle ie more passengers and gear. You'll be close to max with that trailer weight.

Either way truck should handle it ok but you won't win any races. I towed a 10' pup (2400lbs loaded) with my v6 limited and hardly knew it was there. However when I upgraded to full size the extra wind resistance killed me. Only 3400lbs but struggled in 3rd gear on the highway. Hence the upgrade to the v8 and now a happy camper :)

If you do go heavy and get a weight distributing hitch make sure your T4R reciever is the correct one for it. The usual stock one is only bolted to the x member and is not recommended for WDH. The upgrade bolts to the frame rails and will handle the tension. I'm about to do the upgrade this weekend (Curt 13445)
 
jetboy1975 said:
I was thinking 3100lbs was a little steep for a pop-up too! I just bought a 21ft hybrid that weighs less than that dry.
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True, but they do make them that big. I have seen some of the bigger ones and they do look nice. Here is one that weighs around 3,200 pounds and around 4,000 fully loaded. Some of the bigger units have ovens and microwaves built in.
http://www.colemantrailers.com/niagara
 
My Fleetwood Avalon is something like 4800 pounds dry... The v8 T4R pulls it just fine in 4th gear. I use a Hensley Tru-Control brake controller that is mounted on the fuse cover on the left side of the dash.
 
:iagree: 110% with everything Peter, Jetboy and climb.on contributed. I would add that airbags in the rear suspension is cheap (in it's purest, manual form) and super nice to have. Link in my sig, Airlift1000.
:cheers:
 
I've got the airbags too and while they do keep the truck level they don't do anything to transfer some of the weight to the front wheels. The extra stability and sway control provided by a WDH is worth every penny, especially on windy days or passing trucks.
 
Wow. That is a ton of great advice. Very much appreciated. Signed on the dotted line this afternoon for the trailer. Rockwood Premier, for anyone who's interested. Serious thanks for all the replies.
 
jetboy1975 said:
I've got the airbags too and while they do keep the truck level they don't do anything to transfer some of the weight to the front wheels. The extra stability and sway control provided by a WDH is worth every penny, especially on windy days or passing trucks.
Click to expand...
:iagree: 100%
 
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