Towing with the 4Runner

[baker.aa]

I have been a member for about 2 years and this is the first question that i have ever had to post. Search is an amazing tool!! Am looking at buying a travel trailer
http://www.colemantrailers.com/e3
I have a 2004 limited V8 4wd with x-reas, third-row, and a 2"1" cornfed lift. My question is for those of you that tow, do you think this trailer will work with my runner? My concern is with the hitch weight 420 lbs unloaded. if i put a 600 lbs quad in the front of this trailer it would seem to me that i would be over the max hitch weight of 700 lbs. What are your thoughts and suggestions?

also thought i should finally post some pics since this site and Toyota 120 have been so helpful.

 

[SportRunner]

Yes, you're gonna be a little heavy on tongue weight.....I would def. get some air bags....u could fix the problem by offsetting some of the weight, if u can put a couple hundred pounds in the back of the trailer that would help and offset it a little...

 

[baker.aa]

SportRunner, i saw your toyhauler set up in another post. how much does that thing weigh when its loaded? what kind of hitch set up do you have?

 

[SportRunner]

SportRunner, i saw your toyhauler set up in another post. how much does that thing weigh when its loaded? what kind of hitch set up do you have?

When its all loaded it weighs about 6500lbs to 7000lbs....I have a lot of tongue weight as well but I can really offset it by putting stuff in the back of the hauler but I also run airbags and Reese Straight-Line Hitch, which really levels the trailer and keeps it straight behind me even in windy conditions....
-Kris

http://www.reeseprod.com/

 

[peter78]

Wow, that looks like a nice pop-up. Coleman used to make pop-ups, actually Fleetwood made them and there was a big problem with the roof design and Coleman stop selling them. I wonder if Coleman is using Fleetwood again for their 2009 models or using another company?

Anyway, nice rig. Tow suggestions about campers:

1.) Make sure you have figured out how to change a tire, buy the proper jack, etc. BEFORE you need it.

2.) Re-pack the wheels bearings every year. I carry extra wheel bearings, just in case.

Oh, there is a third rule, don't put your keys on top of the camper and then crank up the roof, but you will figure that one out and other dump things after you do them........

 

[jetboy1975]

420lbs unloaded hitch weight will be too much once you put gear in it. Put a 600lbs atv on the front and you'll be way overloaded. Airbags won't fix the problem, they'll just keep the ass end from sagging too much. The big problem is the weight that is removed from the front axle of your t4r affecting steering control etc. You'll definately need a weight distributing hitch with sway control setup like above post to transfer some weight back to the front axle.
From the pics you post it looks like you have the stock hitch reciever which is only certified for 500lb hitch and 5000lb max trailer weight and is not recommended for a wdh. It's limited because it is only bolted to the cross member and not the frame rails. Overload it and you will twist the crossmember and do serious frame damage. To get the max certified weight(7300lbs) you'll need to upgrade the hitch. Search Curt and hidden hitch on here.
I just swapped my stock one for a Curt 13445 to tow my 20' hybrid, 4000lbs, 400lb hitch wt. With airbags and a wdh it tows with no problems.

 

[baker.aa]

Thanks for the reply's! Once again I am impressed by the knowledge on this site.......jetboy you are correct, for some reason on my 04 V8 i have the weight carrying hitch. I had the Toyota dealer here run the Vin while pricing up the factory WD hitch. I was told by the parts guy that his system showed i already had the WD hitch on my truck. After i assured him it didn't i spoke with the service manager to see if they could "help me out" but to no avail. Seems strange to me that my owners manual and the Vin both indicate that i should have the WD hitch, yet i don't.

 

[jetboy1975]

Its easy to tell the difference. Just look underneath. The stock one is small and you'll see a couple of bolts to the cross member. The other are hidden behind the bumper cover. The wdh hitch is much larger and will have round tubes welded to the sides running the width of the bumber out towards the frame rails. It'll have 4 bolts on either side on the mounts(just above the exhaust on one side and behind the tow hook on the other). It's rare that they have the upgrade from the factory.
Aftermarket hitches are about $150us delivered and take about an hour to install. Easy do it yourself job. The hardest part is removing the stock one.

 

[pickerdd]

baker,

I have a similar trailer in weight and size - the Fleetwood Avalon. Like a dope, I pulled it to Kansas from Atlanta last year (1k miles each way) with the standard 7k hitch on my V8 last year and no sway control. Although it was fine I wish that I had bought a sway control for it, which I'll do this year. I'm planning to buy a Hensley Arrow sway control mechanism. I suggest you do something similar after upgrading to a 7k WD hitch as others have suggested.

 

[baker.aa]

thanks for all the replys, just wanted to post a link with some answers

http://www.popupportal.com/index.php?topic=18899.0

this site has an excel file for calculating tongue weights on trailers as weights are added and moved around. Hope this helps anyone who has the same issues as i did in the future.