Towing with 4th gen Yet?

[Greenhorne]

Anyone else do much towing with theirs yet.

I was amazed at just how well it did with this load which I carried about 180 miles home.

This next week (Thanksgiving), I will be towing it to Idaho from home, about 500 miles with a couple big passes to go over (one of them being Donner Summit) which will be the real test.

 

[Good Times]

Towed a few vehicles Boy does it have some power! The braking is pretty nice too!

Just drive carefully when you tow ofcourse

 

[eddie]

I will be soon. How much weight do you think you were pulling there out of curiosity? I got to get a trailer soon too. Did the U-Hual one work out good for car towing?

 

[Iman74]

I own a 4 X 8 utility trailer because my wife hasn't let me get my pickup (yet...Tundra )

Anyway, I have towed that with logs, snowblower, tons of mulch, garbage, tiles and crap from my bathroom that got re-done, branches, you name it.

Ttttthhheeeeiiiiirrrrr Greeeeat

 

[mswscco]

V6 Towing?

Anybody have experience towing with the V6?

 

[Iman74]

Same trailer with same stuff in it, with my previous V6 Passport: no problems there either.

 

[Auburn 4Runner]

I have a V6 and during the spring and summer pull a 12' aluminum fishing boat. Doesn't weigh all that much but you can't tell it's back there.

 

[Greenhorne]

I will be soon. How much weight do you think you were pulling there out of curiosity? I got to get a trailer soon too. Did the U-Hual one work out good for car towing?

I am not 100% sure but not more than 3000. The car is solid steel of cousre and the darn thing is a bear to try and push/load.

The u-haul thing worked perfectly. I have used one from Penske also and it was newer and more heavy duty for a longer haul situation.

 

[Greenhorne]

because my wife hasn't let me get my pickup

The truck thing is over rated I think... harder to park, less gas milage, and in this case less quality than Toyota. This is what I traded in for the 4Runner.

 

[khaug]

Towing

I am not 100% sure but not more than 3000. The car is solid steel of cousre and the darn thing is a bear to try and push/load.

I beg to differ. I'll bet you a round of Beefeater Martinis that you're at or above 5,000#. That cast-iron U-Haul is at least 2,000# and I'd be very surprised if the car wasn't another 3,000# at least. The '03 Runners are only rated to tow 5,000#, of course.

I tow a Porsche 911 track car on a Trailex aluminum open trailer, and even that lightweight combo weighs in at 4,000#. I just got back from a trip from Michigan to VIR near Danville, VA, which involved lots of miles in the Blue Ridge mountains. My '03 did a wonderful job, including descending a long 9% grade with no brake problems, which used to completely fade the brakes on my '98 prior 'Runner. But, then, I used the gears to help brake the rig.

I would be VERY sure the trailer brakes on your rental are in working order, and be prepared to manually downshift to a gear lower than you think you'll need when descending steep grades to save the truck brakes. I'd also be sure that the shank of the ball is properly sized for the big hole in the ball mount (drawbar), and that the nut is torqued to the appropriate figure (250 lb-ft for the 1" ball shank, 450 lb-ft for the 1-1/4" shank).

I think you're going to be pushing the limits with that tow, and you'll want all the help you can get. Good luck.

-Karl

 

[Greenhorne]

khaug,

You are right on the money with the trailer weight: 2100 lbs and on the car weight I may just be way off.

This is my first project car and I really do not know how much it weighs... but it is pretty much just a frame and a shell. No engine, no tranny, and the body/interior are bare.

Thank you for the insight with the towing suggestions! I greatly appreciate the tips and will heed them well.

The first trip/tow with it went so smooth and seemingly easy for the truck that I may have been lulled into pure ignorance.

 

[Guest]

Greenhorne,
What a coincidence. This is what my buddy just bought

I gotta admit, it's pretty cool. Hey, is it me or are the seat bottoms really short in the Ram?

 

[Guest]

Re: V6 Towing?

Anybody have experience towing with the V6?

I towed a flatbed Uhaul trailer full of sand and rocks (homeowners can understand!). The V6 was great.

 

[khaug]

This is my first project car and I really do not know how much it weighs... but it is pretty much just a frame and a shell. No engine, no tranny, and the body/interior are bare.

Sounds like it's around 2000 - 2200 lbs. That should get you into reasonable territory for total trailer/load weight.

Toyota recommends you tow with 5th gear locked out. I do that unless the road is dead flat, in which case I tow in 5th. I get about 14.5 mpg towing at 70 on Interstates. Looks like your rig will probably have a bit more aero drag than mine (my car is lower) so you might get a tad less than that. I use 91 octane when I'm towing, but I don't know if that's really necessary.

I forgot to add that I'd check the trailer tire pressures before you start off. If the tires are trailer rated, 50 psi is appropriate. Otherwise, I'd use whatever maximum pressure is stated on the sidewall. I worked at a one-way trailer rental place when I was in school. Rental trailers don't get maintained!

Have a good trip and a happy Thanksgiving.

 

[Greenhorne]

Karl,

Thanks again for all the pointers. I am sure I will have better success now that I know what to look for on the trailer. Truly invaluable wisdom.

When you say 5th locked out... do you mean you just manually shifted it into 4th and left it there?

 

[khaug]

When you say 5th locked out... do you mean you just manually shifted it into 4th and left it there?

Yes.

 

[eddie]

hey guys, well I finally bought a 18' open trailer to tow our show car with our V8 4Run. The title for the trailer says its 1250 lbs. I test loaded a car similar to mine on it last night because I had to install some d-rings on it to fasten down the car. when I loaded it noticed the rear squad, maybe 3-4"'s or so. Do you think this is around right? The car weighs approx 3100lbs. Just wanted to see your expierences with how much your squated?

 

[Good Times]

Eddie:

Are you referring to the rear sagging? When I was towing approx the same weight as ya, it sagged for me too. It was enough for me to have my headlights point upwards and piss people off

 

[eddie]

Eddie:

Are you referring to the rear sagging? When I was towing approx the same weight as ya, it sagged for me too. It was enough for me to have my headlights point upwards and piss people off

handling wise, were you still ok? did it feel ok pulling? just curious for your input. I have to drive to Baltimore (approx. 300 miles from me) and pick up my show car thats been there for 5 months, and want to get as much feedback/input as I can before I depart. thanks. I have the same model as you except '04. and you said keep it in 4th gear right?

 

[Good Times]

handling wise, were you still ok? did it feel ok pulling? just curious for your input. I have to drive to Baltimore (approx. 300 miles from me) and pick up my show car thats been there for 5 months, and want to get as much feedback/input as I can before I depart. thanks. I have the same model as you except '04. and you said keep it in 4th gear right?

With my truck, I have towed approximately 12 vehicles to date. All of which varied from 50 miles to 450 miles. The tow weight varied from a measly mini cooper to a ford explorer (I know the total weight was way over my hitch setup though... )

Basically drive in 4th and just drive slow. Give ample space in front of ya just incase your brakes fade. You'll have more than enough power to tow the 4000+# load that you plan on doing. Since you have the 04, I believe your hitch is the 7000# so no worries there. Just make sure you have the right trailer harness and double check all connections (harness, chain, ball, hitch). Also make sure that the brakes on the trailer is working too (i.e. brakes and lights).

Handling will be great and you should have no problems towing that vehicle. You'll notice that you're towing something but it won't affect your performance that much. The v8 is very strong w/ the 5A/T so no worries there.

Enjoy the ride!