Towing checklist?

[BigMike18]

I’m about to tow a 3,500 load trailer with a car on it. I’ve got an 05 V8 with 220K miles on it and haven’t towed long distances in a while and want to know if there is anything to check or inspect before I drive 8 hours with it.
Brakes replaced, oil changed, tow ball is rated at double the weight I have on it. Any others? Inspect the hitch?

 

[y=mx+b]

I’m about to tow a 3,500 load trailer with a car on it. I’ve got an 05 V8 with 220K miles on it and haven’t towed long distances in a while and want to know if there is anything to check or inspect before I drive 8 hours with it.
Brakes replaced, oil changed, tow ball is rated at double the weight I have on it. Any others? Inspect the hitch?

Check if your rear crossmember is rusted out. On v8 its less of a problem if you have the frame mounted hitch, but the v6 rear crossmember hitches are particularly dangerous if the rear cross member is rusted out.

Also I would look into getting a bluetooth OBDII reader and Torque Pro for android to keep your trans temp monitored. I have this bluetooth reader for $23: Amazon.com: Bafx Products - Wireless Bluetooth OBD2 / OBDII Diagnostic Car Scanner & Reader Tool for Android Devices - Read/Clear Your Check Engine Light & Much More: Automotive. I used this thread to get the trans temp codes: Torque App - working formula for tranny temp

 

[BigMike18]

Check if your rear crossmember is rusted out. On v8 its less of a problem if you have the frame mounted hitch, but the v6 rear crossmember hitches are particularly dangerous if the rear cross member is rusted out.

Also I would look into getting a bluetooth OBDII reader and Torque Pro for android to keep your trans temp monitored. I have this bluetooth reader for $23: Amazon.com: Bafx Products - Wireless Bluetooth OBD2 / OBDII Diagnostic Car Scanner & Reader Tool for Android Devices - Read/Clear Your Check Engine Light & Much More: Automotive. I used this thread to get the trans temp codes: Torque App - working formula for tranny temp

I have one the wireless one already and ill be sure to check out that rear end area

 

[gbouton]

I would check your tire pressures on both the truck and the trailer and that you have a lug wrench that will fit the lugs on your trailer, which are probably different from the 4Runner. Also confirm the hitch ball size is correct--most car trailers use 2 5/8" whereas a lot of other trailers use a 2" hitch ball. I tow a ~5,000 lb. load open car trailer pretty frequently with my 07 V8 and honestly I'm more concerned with the trailer (tires, brakes, hubs, etc.) then I am with the 4Runner--I'm sure you'll have an uneventful trip.

 

[MikeinNH67]

Hopefully the trailer has brakes as that would be a handful on only the truck brakes.

 

[Syr4RinNC]

All looks good to me. - Check structural things like the hitch, the ball. Keep an eye on the transmission temp.

The only other thing to consider is your rear suspension. If you havent changed your stock suspension, you may notice some bouncing

 

[Berty_K]

I'd recommend airlift 1000 airbags to support the additional trailer weight. Less than $100 and easy install.

 

[importman]

I'd check the date stamps on the trailer tires unless you know when they were replaced. A lot of people don't realize that age along with sitting in the UV rays will dry rot tires. That's why you see so many trailers have blow outs as compared to regular vehicle tires. If the tires are over 5-6 years old or show signs of dry rotting I'd replace them before heading out with a heavy load. Trust me, I learned the hard way.

 

[zcruiser]

When you load the car, pay special attention to hitch weight. A tongue weight scale would be ideal to know how much is on your hitch w/o guessing. You want 400-500 lbs on your hitch or you will get fishtailing on the trailer.

 

[MikeinNH67]

When you load the car, pay special attention to hitch weight. A tongue weight scale would be ideal to know how much is on your hitch w/o guessing. You want 400-500 lbs on your hitch or you will get fishtailing on the trailer.

I added a sway bar to my large popup camper which helps tremendously when doing highway speeds.

 

[importman]

When you load the car, pay special attention to hitch weight. A tongue weight scale would be ideal to know how much is on your hitch w/o guessing. You want 400-500 lbs on your hitch or you will get fishtailing on the trailer.

This is very important. At the very least you need to have more weight in front of the axles than behind. Probably the most dangerous mistake you can make with a trailer.