towing with a 4 Runner

[IN2deep]

I am about to purchase a new truck and I would like to make it a new 4 runner but i need it to pull a 6x10 enclosed trailer with my sport quad in it with some gear some times on about 5-6 hour trips, My concern wold be the trans more than the engine i belive, is there a towing package available with a larger radiator and trans cooler like the tacoma has or s it only a weight distributing hitch? I was looking at a V6, but i had heard the V8 can get the towing package with the extras i mentioned above, so a little help would be appreciated.

Anyone on here tow anything like what I am talking about or know about the towing package? I really want to get the Runner but if it cant tow Ill have to change to a tacoma or something else

 

[sbbamafan]

How much does the whole rig weigh including the trailer, contents of the trailer all the way down to the fuel in the quad? If you have no idea i recommend that you take it to a local landfill and weigh it. Without any more info I can't imagine that you will be anywhere close to the maximum, even with a six cylinder. I regularly pull 4300# of boat and trailer behind my six cylinder SR5 with no problems, whatsoever. FYI I did not use the factory towing package. I added a Hidden Hitch 70411 and a Hayden tranny cooler. Neither is a big deal. I saved money and know exactly what I have.

 

[IN2deep]

i dont have the trailer yet and could not give a complete inventory b/c it wold vary but i got a sport quad weighs less than 500 lbs a say 200 lbs or crap i would take and I am talking about a single axle 6x10 enclosed i think its like 1500 lbs but im not positive.

How hard was the trans cooler to install? did you install it yourself?

 

[TheBlueWave]

The install on the tranny cooler is a simple matter and took me about two hours. If I were to do it for you it would take me one hour tops.

Here: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17358&highlight=hayden+cooler

 

[GYoter]

From the sound of it, the V6 would probably do just fine. Although the V8 comes factory with the weight dist. hitch and a tranny cooler so it wouldnt require you to add anything.

 

[4x4v8]

I have the V8 Limited and I pull an open 6.5x10.5 trailer with my Kodiak (450cc utility). I have the factory hitch. The GVWR is almost 3000lbs. I usually have 2-4 people, gear, spare tire for the trailer, cooler, jerry can and so on in the runner. I pull it comfortably, sometimes forgetting that it is even there. Pulling uphills are still quite simple with this little load. Hope this helps.

 

[Jcon]

These V6's are pretty hardy. I have a v6 2005 limited with a weight dist hitch and Prodigy brake controller. I tow an open car trailer - 1600lbs with a 3000lb car on it up and down the northeast to race tracks like Watkins Glen NY, Summit Point West Virginia, Pocono PA (I'm in Philly) The truck handles it great. If you know these areas you know there are plenty of long steep inclines. It really tows that load without any drama. Would a V8 do better - yes. But I only tow 5-6 times a year the rest of the year it gets me to work and my sons to every imaginable sports field. Having said that ...Once you start to tow the weight only goes up...you take more and more stuff each trip, you start looking at bigger trailers etc. You start to ask yourself maybe I should swap this for a new V8 4runner?? That's what I'm asking myself.

If you stick with what you describe the V6 will handle it fine.

Enjoy
Jeff

 

[juneau92]

You can see a photo of my trailer I pull in my sig. Trailer weighs about 5500 pounds loaded.

 

[4x4v8]

You can see a photo of my trailer I pull in my sig. Trailer weighs about 5500 pounds loaded.

Just curious. Do you have the air suspension in the back? I was thinking of getting something like that too...

 

[juneau92]

Just curious. Do you have the air suspension in the back? I was thinking of getting something like that too...

No air suspension, just a weight distributing hitch, the one I have is the Hensley, photo of that in sig also.

Air suspension is nice to have, no doubt about it. But it is never a must have. What you do have to have to pull a trailer like this is one or the other.

This is a great camper, and the V8 4runner is a surprisingly good tow vehicle for it's size. I towed the camper from Arizona to Arkansas and back this summer.

 

[4x4v8]

Im thinking of getting a travel trailer in the 26-29foot ish range. And I was wondering how well it pulled. How do you think it would pull with a V8 Sequoia?