Towing Help!

R

rhightowerjr

New member
I've read a lot on here about transmission coolers, brake assist and towing stabilizers and now I'm just confused... Here's the deal, I have a 2013 SR5 4WD. I'm going to be pulling a 22 foot 1962 flying cloud air stream with a factory weight of 3205lbs and a tongue weight of 420lbs. What the heck do I need to buy to keep from tearing up my truck and killing my family in the process...

-Transmission cooler I'm down with ($70)
-Transmission cooler digital temp gauge is just cool looking ($25-$190)
-Brake assist? The trailer has it built in so that's sorta a no brainier, I'll need to buy the adapter (cheap)
-What about the weight distribution?
-I also read that adding a cold air intake will improve towing performance?

Just tell me what I need and don't need. I live in Alabama and plan of taking this thing all over the place and sometimes the smoky mountains can get a little hairy so I'm all about safety..
 
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Not to sound rude or be a downer... but just get a different truck for towing that thing. 4runner not up to the task IMHO.
 
wfo9 said:
Not to sound rude or be a downer... but just get a different truck for towing that thing. 4runner not up to the task IMHO.
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This. If you're gonna be towing something weighing over 3,200 lbs plus carrying your family plus luggage and stuff you're likely overloading the vehicle. And if you tried to take all that weight into the Smokey Mountains you'll be really struggling going up steep grades. The 4Runner is a great vehicle and can do a lot of things, but towing like a fullsize truck is not one of them.
 
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A cold air intake isn't going to make a big difference. The stock airbox is a great design and uses a decent filter.

Your concern should be braking. Controller or not, your little brakes are going to be hurting.
 
Yep. Making a trip pulling 4K (slowly) every now and then is one thing, and I have done it several times. Pulling it every weekend and in the mountains? I would have something else (Tundra would do fine for that weight) sitting in my driveway for that.

I say 4K because that's what it will probably be by the time you pack up all the crap that families take camping.
 
$35,000 + tax + license + more auto insurance + (whatever it costs to find a place to store a third vehicle) == whole bunch of hotel room stays.

But I guess if you can find a place to store an Airstream, you can store a Tundra too.
 
I am surprised by the feedback in this thread. A 4,000 lb. load (80% of Rating), w/Weight Distributing Hitch, w/Brake Controller & Electric Brakes, is a stretch for normal towing in hills? If yes, what is the PRACTICAL weight limit? Which performance area is deficient in this scenario (braking, acceleration, etc.)?

I too am planning to rent a trailer spec'd the same as the OP and believed I was good to go until now based on the Toyota manual.
 
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I'd tow it. What you'll need to realize is that the 1GR is going to spend a lot of time at higher rpms - so you're going to get crappy mileage. Worse than a larger v8 tow vehicle would. Be happy to go 65mph.

If you're like 99% of camp trailer owners, we're talking 2-4 trips a year.

FWIW - this is the order of upgrades I'd do.

Air bags: $100
Trailer brake controller: $150
Weight dist. Hitch: $200

After that I'd move to more $ stuff if you really want it
4.56 gears: $2,000
Transmission Cooler $100 (I'm not sure this is necessary - the actual radiator does a pretty good job on its own).
 
T4RDriver said:
I am surprised by the feedback in this thread. A 4,000 lb. load (80% of Rating), w/Weight Distributing Hitch, w/Brake Controller & Electric Brakes, is a stretch for normal towing in hills? If yes, what is the PRACTICAL weight limit? Which performance area is deficient in this scenario (braking, acceleration, etc.)?

I too am planning to rent a trailer spec'd the same as the OP and believed I was good to go until now based on the Toyota manual.
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Depends on who you ask. I wouldn't hesitate to hook up at a 6klb trailer with brakes. Lots of 5th gen owners would say a 4k lb trailer is too much. IMO the tow rating is VERY conservative considering the tacoma - worse in every metric except wheel base - is rated for 6,500lbs. And the 4runner has about the same power and larger brakes than almost every 1980's 3/4ton pickup (more hp and tq than every engine offered by GM except the 7.4L - and even then it's about 50more hp, but less tq)- yet most people wouldn't consider it a big load for those trucks.

With a WDH - I think it's pretty easily as capable as a tacoma and I'd tow a 6,500lb trailer if I needed to.
 
Jetboy said:
Depends on who you ask. I wouldn't hesitate to hook up at a 6klb trailer with brakes. Lots of 5th gen owners would say a 4k lb trailer is too much. IMO the tow rating is VERY conservative considering the tacoma - worse in every metric except wheel base - is rated for 6,500lbs. And the 4runner has about the same power and larger brakes than almost every 1980's 3/4ton pickup (more hp and tq than every engine offered by GM except the 7.4L - and even then it's about 50more hp, but less tq)- yet most people wouldn't consider it a big load for those trucks.

With a WDH - I think it's pretty easily as capable as a tacoma and I'd tow a 6,500lb trailer if I needed to.
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Not that it won't tow it it's the FREQUENCY of towing it. Sure, I would not hesitate (and I haven't) to tow 5-6K set up properly with my 4Runner. Now, if I had to tow it weekly it would get old real fast and I would want a proper tow vehicle. The OP said he would be towing a lot all over the place.
 
Jetboy said:
Depends on who you ask. I wouldn't hesitate to hook up at a 6klb trailer with brakes. Lots of 5th gen owners would say a 4k lb trailer is too much. IMO the tow rating is VERY conservative considering the tacoma - worse in every metric except wheel base - is rated for 6,500lbs. And the 4runner has about the same power and larger brakes than almost every 1980's 3/4ton pickup (more hp and tq than every engine offered by GM except the 7.4L - and even then it's about 50more hp, but less tq)- yet most people wouldn't consider it a big load for those trucks.

With a WDH - I think it's pretty easily as capable as a tacoma and I'd tow a 6,500lb trailer if I needed to.
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Why are we talking about 1980s trucks? Speed limit was 55mph in 1980 and the domestic auto industry was at its worst.
A modern 1/2 ton (1500) chevy full size gas truck can be had with 420hp/460tq (6.2) and rated to tow 11,900 lbs conventional. The 3/4 ton would be overkill.

The t4r can tow it... but will it be an enjoyable experience. Will it feel adequate and keep up with traffic....? Constantly watching the transmission temps and struggling to keep up with traffic would not be much of a vacation for me.......

Personally, I would get a domestic truck for towing in the mountains... Just one opinion.

I like making things do what they were not equipped for from the factory, but our hands are very tied with the motor on these trucks.

If I was going to tow large loads with it, the gearing change would be a must, + the airbags and aux trans cooler.

Most trucks that offer different axle ratios, will jump up about 1500 lbs with a single step up in gearing.
 
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T4RDriver said:
I am surprised by the feedback in this thread. A 4,000 lb. load (80% of Rating), w/Weight Distributing Hitch, w/Brake Controller & Electric Brakes, is a stretch for normal towing in hills? If yes, what is the PRACTICAL weight limit? Which performance area is deficient in this scenario (braking, acceleration, etc.)?

I too am planning to rent a trailer spec'd the same as the OP and believed I was good to go until now based on the Toyota manual.
Click to expand...

Just for fun google "The Long Long Trailer" with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Fine the following video on youtube and fast forward to about 1:40 and watch through about 3:40...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNC5Dn0Dtnc

As for the Tundra, I had a 2010 with the 5.7. Excellent truck with killer towing capacity. I didn't use it much but did tow a U-Haul trailer with dual axles (their largest one, I think maybe it was 8 X 12?) and brakes from Florida to Arkansas. No matter how I drove or what fuel I used, I got 9 or 10 MPG, period. I Once towed the same size trailer from Montana to Florida in a 1996 Tacoma with the V6 and probably got 15 MPG or better. What the T4R will do is anybody's guess but if you plan to tow that large trailer often, I'd consider up sizing as others have said.
 
I tow a 21' Sea Pro every other weekend with no add-ons with no issues. (though I am about to add air bags)

Sea Pro = 1600 lbs
145HP Suzuki = 400 lbs
Gas = 400 lbs
Gear = 300 lbs

Total = 2700 lbs give or take
 
1engineer said:
Not that it won't tow it it's the FREQUENCY of towing it. Sure, I would not hesitate (and I haven't) to tow 5-6K set up properly with my 4Runner. Now, if I had to tow it weekly it would get old real fast and I would want a proper tow vehicle. The OP said he would be towing a lot all over the place.
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I'll agree it's not ideal. If you're actually towing it regularly, I'd probably try to find a better tow vehicle for more comfort. Without having done it - I would be curious to see how 4.56 gears would work. I suspect it might work really well. I guess the idea could be tested pretty easily by towing with some smaller tires just to see how it feels.

I really wish Toyota would produce more gear ratios like they used to for the 8". 4.30's were pretty standard in the 3rd gen 4runners and might be perfect for us.
 
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