Towing with a V6 '05 Sport 4x4.

[DoTheMath]

So I have lurked here for a while and I have searched the site and not really been able to find anything definitive thus I figured I'd ask. My truck came with the stock hitch set up - described in the owners guide as a weight carrying hitch. They show a weight distribution hitch in the owners guide that looks to span a greater width of the rear of the vehicle. What I am looking to do is tow a boat on a tandem trailer with surge brakes, and the weight is going to be about 4,800 lbs +/-. So, has anyone added air bags to their 4R, used a weight dist. hitch, or even changed out the stock hitch for a beefier unit? I will be towing it about 120mi. to the house then about 20 mi. a summer for routine maint. and the like. I just want to be sure I have the best / most stable set up where I am approaching the rated limit on the vehicle.

FTR - my dealer told me I shouldn't need to do anything but hook up and go... not to sure I'm good with that answer.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[Uneek]

Welcome to T4R.org

I don't tow. With that said, the information might be wrong (bad memory ), but hopefully it's enough to set you in the right direction searching. From the information gathered here...

Get an auxilary transmission cooler, search for Hayden.

The weight carrying hitch will be fine unless you exceed 5000lbs. The V6 can tow a bit more (maybe 6000lbs) if you upgrade the hitch. An OEM alternative would be the Hidden Hitch 70411, which is discontinued but still carried by some retailers.

Good luck.

 

[JungleJim]

Does your V6 manual state anything against using a WDH set-up with the standard hitch? Boat trailer tongue weights are typically less than other trailers (usually 10%).

If you get any sag, you might want to try adding a weight distribution hitch set-up to the hitch you already have. Air bags don't really solve the issue, because you still have all that force on the rear axle.

 

[kanadakid]

Weigh your boat

Math,

I just recently went through a silmilar sort of project. I can't speak directly to your challenge but would reccomend you going to a local truck stop, paying the 8 bucks and have them weight your boat with full tank of gas and all your gear.

You will probably find that the rig probably weighs more than you are estimating. This way you can have the confidence of knowing that you are within your limits and safe.


Good luck, you will find a solution.

Kid

 

[gizmopt2002]

We tow a boat that I hand calculated at 5,200. Although that is with less than a half tank of gas. We tow it over the summer and plan on a big trip this summer. I would HIGHLY recommend the transmission cooler, it's just extra insurance for your transmission. I doubt you will need air bags or a weight-distributing device because the tongue weights on boats are usually VERY light. I would recommend a beefier hitch though, so that its not at its full weight capacity. I would go get my boat weighed but There is no weigh station for a while over here, so I just hand calculated everything, boat, engine, trailer, gear, water, gas, ect.

 

[mtnracer]

All V6 and V8 4Runners can tow up to 5000 LBS with their respective standard hitch (V8 comes with beefier model that attaches to sides of frame). This is also the limit for the V6.

The V8, however, can tow up to 7300 LBS if a Weight Distributing Hitch (using load bars, etc) is used. For WD Hitches check out the Hensley Arrow or Equalizer setups.

Hope that helps.

 

[TeryT]

Boats are inherently easier to tow, due to their aerodynamic shape. I believe the V6 hitch non-weight distributing hitch is only designed for 500 tongue weight. The hitch & the V6 vehicle are both rated at 5,000 towing capacity. You are real close. If you were towing on relatively flat land, being this close to capacity might not be an issue.

I put about 650-700 lbs. of tongue weight on my set-up, with the 27 foot travel trailer. At this weight the rear does sag some. I installed air bags as the weight distributing hitch adjustment just needed another 1-2' inches of help in the back. (Before the air bags, it would bottom out on the rubber axle stops.) This was mainly so in driving at night I wasn't blinding people with higher than normal headlights.

If you don't have anything close to that kind of tongue weight, then wouldn't worry about air bags - and especially if you don't tow much at night!

 

[DoTheMath]

Thanks for all the info, I am still a bit unsure as to which way to go so I think I'll just contact a local truck / trailer accessory shop and see what they have to say. I guess I could just buy an '07 Tundra with the 5.7 in it and solve all my problems quickly!?

 

[Camprunner]

I have a "06" runner sport V-6 and I tow a 21ft. Jayco twin axle camper under full load with water and twin full prpoain tanks im aprox 4,800 lbs including all the junk that my wife wants to bring that we don't need.

I do recommend a trans cooler and im running a weight dist hitch I think it's made by "Reese." When you tighten the two weight adjustment bars on either side it just brings the ass end of the truck right up to normal.

Also you might want to install a friction sway control (just a bar with a brake on it that is placed between the hitch block to the camper) This will cut down on the sway a great deal.

And don't forget to put more air in the tires as well I run aprox 40 psi and it helps quite a bit.

 

[JungleJim]

I have a "06" runner sport V-6 and I tow a 21ft. Jayco twin axle camper under full load with water and twin full prpoain tanks im aprox 4,800 lbs including all the junk that my wife wants to bring that we don't need.

I do recommend a trans cooler and im running a weight dist hitch I think it's made by "Reese."

Camprunner,

You stated that you're running with a Reese WDH. Are you using that with the stardard V6 factory receiver hitch (weight carrying)? Or did you install another type of hitch?

I'm trying to find out if I can use a WDH set-up with the standard factory receiver hitch on the V6.

 

[boston_kevin]

There is a lot of incomplete information here... A stock V6 4th gen is only rated to tow 5000 lbs with the standard receiver.

You can upgrade a V6 with a weight distributing hitch (same on the V8) and add a tranny cooler (same on the V8) to tow up to 6700 lbs. This is written up several times in Toyota's literature, although they don't push this because the V8 is better to tow this extra weight.

That being said, I regularly tow a 4200lb boat and trailer every year behind my V6. I added the tranny cooler (cheap insurance) just to be safe while towing in traffic or if we decide to take the boat to the lake (instead of the ocean). Seeing as you are already close to that 5000 lb limit, I would highly recommend changing that hitch to the WD hitch and adding the tranny cooler (maybe looking around $500+ to do both which is a lot cheaper than tearing out the frame or dropping the boat). General rules of towing state you should have at least 10% cushion between the weight you are towing and the maximum capacity of the vehicle (as it is configued).

 

[Camprunner]

JungleJim--

Im running the stock hitch reciever on the truck with a WDH set up.

 

[JungleJim]

JungleJim--

Im running the stock hitch reciever on the truck with a WDH set up.

Thank you very much for the response. Toyota sure confuses things by incorrectly calling the V8 hitch a "weight distribution hitch". People unfamiliar to towing who have a V8 will think they have a WDH.

 

[DoTheMath]

There is a lot of incomplete information here... A stock V6 4th gen is only rated to tow 5000 lbs with the standard receiver.

You can upgrade a V6 with a weight distributing hitch (same on the V8) and add a tranny cooler (same on the V8) to tow up to 6700 lbs. This is written up several times in Toyota's literature, although they don't push this because the V8 is better to tow this extra weight.

That being said, I regularly tow a 4200lb boat and trailer every year behind my V6. I added the tranny cooler (cheap insurance) just to be safe while towing in traffic or if we decide to take the boat to the lake (instead of the ocean). Seeing as you are already close to that 5000 lb limit, I would highly recommend changing that hitch to the WD hitch and adding the tranny cooler (maybe looking around $500+ to do both which is a lot cheaper than tearing out the frame or dropping the boat). General rules of towing state you should have at least 10% cushion between the weight you are towing and the maximum capacity of the vehicle (as it is configued).

Kevin - so, along with others here I have to agree that Toyota confuses the crap out of you with the info in the manual. I have the standard hitch receiver set up on my truck now, it looks to go to the frame rails if I am seeing things correctly? So, aside of the trans cooler, should I change out the factory hitch receiver for an aftermarket unit AND add a weight dist. set up (spring bars), leave the hitch receiver that is on there and add a hitch with spring bars, or just change the hitch receiver to a heavier duty one and fore-go the spring bar set up? I think I just confused myself there - but thanks for all the info, I hope to figure this out before I have the boat delivered in a few weeks!

Mark

 

[gizmopt2002]

Hey DoTheMath, I've noticed most boat trailers do not allow a WDH set up, What kind of boat/trailer will you be buying?

 

[Camprunner]

Kevin - so, along with others here I have to agree that Toyota confuses the crap out of you with the info in the manual. I have the standard hitch receiver set up on my truck now, it looks to go to the frame rails if I am seeing things correctly? So, aside of the trans cooler, should I change out the factory hitch receiver for an aftermarket unit AND add a weight dist. set up (spring bars), leave the hitch receiver that is on there and add a hitch with spring bars, or just change the hitch receiver to a heavier duty one and fore-go the spring bar set up? I think I just confused myself there - but thanks for all the info, I hope to figure this out before I have the boat delivered in a few weeks!

Mark

06/V-6/sport

I had to make the same exact decision last year towing my Jayco camper Aprox 4,800 lbs under full load and I asked many people who tow campers about this as well as some camper expert reps at the last camper show I went to Feb/17/07 so here goes.

You should be fine with the stock reciever on the truck it is good for 5,000 lbs. If you want to change it out to the one that is on the V-8 runners even better and I say this only because it spreds the weight out more even over the frame of the truck. Do you need it up to 5,000 lbs NO.

I would not tow my camper aprox 4,800 lbs without a Weight dist hitch (spring bars) the WDH makes a HUGE towing difference.

Also add a sway control (friction brake) to the WDH this also makes a HUGE difference in the sway of both the truck and trailer.

Also (WDH) is not to confused with (WMD)......... (WMD) is something our president is still looking for but thats another topic.

 

[LV4R]

If you will be using weight distribution (spring bars) on your hitch such as equal-i-zer or reese dual cam then you need to upgrade your weight carrying hitch to a weight distribution type such as the 70411. If you use "spring bars" with the weight carrying hitch you may put too much stress on it because it is not meant to distribute weight and there is only a small portion in contact with the frame. When you use a weight distributing hitch such as the 70411 in combination with spring bars there is much more surface area distributing weight to the frame. I know that when I use my spring bars on my RV the whole back end of my 4runner is lifted up. Something I would not want to do with the original weight carrying hitch as this is just what it is meant for -"weight carrying" not distributing.

Hopefully this clears some of the confusion up.

 

[boston_kevin]

Kevin - so, along with others here I have to agree that Toyota confuses the crap out of you with the info in the manual. I have the standard hitch receiver set up on my truck now, it looks to go to the frame rails if I am seeing things correctly? So, aside of the trans cooler, should I change out the factory hitch receiver for an aftermarket unit AND add a weight dist. set up (spring bars), leave the hitch receiver that is on there and add a hitch with spring bars, or just change the hitch receiver to a heavier duty one and fore-go the spring bar set up? I think I just confused myself there - but thanks for all the info, I hope to figure this out before I have the boat delivered in a few weeks!

Mark

Sorry for the delay in responding... Lost track of this thread... If you are towing within 10% of the load rating for the hitch (in this case a weight carrying mount), you should consider upgrade to the towing setup found on the V8 which spreads the weight capacity and attaches to the frame rails instead of just the back cross member. This setup, according to Toyota, allows the V6 to tow up to 6700 lbs (approx 300 lbs less than the V8 due to the engine capability I think).

My boat and trailer weigh in at 4200lbs. I figure with fuel, water, and some other goodies (cooler, tackle) and the kids in the car, I am coming in around 4500lbs. The maximum I would be towing/carrying is 4700-4800 lbs but that would be for short distances (from the house to the boat ramp - less than 1 mile).

 

[DoTheMath]

All great information, thanks very much - all you guys - for taking the time to reply, I think I'm going to work on the theory of "better to have and not need then to need and not have" and just replace the hitch, add the spring bars and a trans cooler and be done. I'm only towing it about 10mi. a couple times a season to do oil and drive lube changes, but it would be nice to know I can tow it more if I wanted to.

Mark

 

[DoTheMath]

Update...

Well, I ordered and subsequently installed (myself) the Hidden Hitch #70411 and am I glad I did! Once I got the back fascia off the truck and saw what was underneath, including the weenie piece that Toyota gives you... yikes! I should have taken a picture of it but it is just a small welded piece bolted to the cross member, and that's it. I'm not sure I'd feel good about putting 5k lbs to it... The new hitch bolts to the frame AND the cross member, is super stout and looks damn good too!

Thanks to all for the advice and helpful techniques I found on here to do the job - all-in-all it was pretty easy so long as you have all the right tools.

Mark