U-haul Trailer

[zsmithku]

Hmmm. Well the instructions said that if I wanted to bypass the radiator all together I should get a bigger trans cooler. The one I have is rated for 2500 lbs towing and is maybe 7 in by 11 in in size. Is that big enough to properly cool the trans fluid? What is the pink milkshake anyways?

 

[rdgt4r]

the size you have is good to run solo as its more efficient than stock.

 

[BTO]

What is the pink milkshake anyways?

This

Don't look like fun, does it. That ain't even the bad part, the tranny is.Here is the thread

 

[4daRUNNER]

I have driven to Albuquerque, NM from San Antonio, TX and thee other way around too numerous times in recent years along w/ a 6x12 UHaul trailer. Five times to be exact. Loaded down pretty heavy each time. I own a 97 SR5
2wd w/ a cooler. Drove w/ OD on and ECT PWR On, it ran great. Yes I also (at times) turned OD off while climbing a hill. I filled up often so I took that extra time to rest and cool off the 4Runner a bit. Lots of feedback here so I thought I'd share mines too. Good Luck !

 

[hdoggie24]

i drove from orange county, ca to az when i moved. i pulled equivalent size trailer filled. no problems for me. just dont use o/d if u dont have to. i had a 97 2wd sr5. bout 6hr drive. lived in cali 28 years. love the weather, hate everything else. been gone 2 years and much happier in az. besides i like hot weather

 

[zsmithku]

Thanks again for the advice guys. I think I'll be set up just fine. And I ended up changing my trans cooler set-up, so now I'm no longer using the radiator.

 

[024RunnerSE]

If you want to gain the best performance, install a cooling fan and it'll freeze your fluid! ha, joking. If your traveling from eastern WA, why not take 97 through Weed to I5 then down to SD? I'm sure you'll be taking out 2-300 miles out of your trip thats for sure.

Towing techniques, you should do a lot of engine braking and using your brakes a lot less because our 3rd gen brakes aren't the greatest wonders of the world lol. I'd also recommend you put more weight in the 4Runner VS putting more weight in the trailer. Last thing you want is the trailer pushing you around. Also, having more weight on the drive wheels gives you better control, especially on snow and ice since I'm guessing you'll have a fair bit of that.

If you have a lil more weight towards the rear end of your trailer past the axles, you'll experience trailer sway, and let me tell you, its not something you want to experience. It can yank you sideways and push you into a jack knife. Don't starve the engine! Don't floor the gas peddle if the thing is hunting for gears. Down shift manually and keep it in a lower gear untill you crest a hill and engine braking comes from lower gears.

When I tow in my 4Runner, I open up the intake box to let it breathe easier. I've towed a car trailer with a 3500lb Cressida in it from Florida in my 4R in O/D accross the flat highways and with power mode, the truck down shifted as soon as it sensed there was going to be excess load from the slight uphills.

 

[milazzo78]

Moving made easy

I'm moving from Washington state to San Diego, CA in two weeks and am taking a a 5x8 enclosed trailer. The drive is about 1,200 miles so I'm wondering if I'm going to have an issues pulling it with my '99 SR5? The trailer weighs 900 lbs and I imagine I won't put in anymore than 2000 lbs. It's mainly just bedroom furniture and such. And the back of my 4Runner will be full of lighter items like clothes.

So am I going to have any issues or should I be okay?

Thanks.

I work for U-haul in Orlando. I use my 97 Limited to pull trailers everyday across town. The 5x8 is a very light trailer. You can pick it up and move it with your hands with no problem. Now you are going to be putting items in ti and making it heavier, I understand that. I recommend getting U-Haul to install a medium duty tranny cooler on your vehicle. It will cost you about $100 bucks but it extends the life of your transmission even if you are not pulling anything. I have 189,000 on my 4runner and it pulls EMPTY trailers around town with no problem. I installed a tranny cooler when I started working for U-Haul. Just do it and you will feel better when you have 250,000 miles on your transmission and running strong.

 

[zsmithku]

Update

I probably should have written this earlier, but better now than never. I took the 4Runner 1,250 miles from Washington State to San Diego, CA towing a 5x8 U-haul trailer loaded with about 2,500 lbs of "stuff." I installed an external trans cooler and crossed my fingers. The 4Runner could not have preformed better! Up hills, down hills, flats, this thing drove like a dream. And the mpg was in fact not terrible, which was a nice surprise. I had no issues whatsoever.

And even better, just a few days ago my 11 yr old 4Runner passed California's stringent smog test with flying colors. And with such frequent freeway driving I'm getting 325-350 miles on a tank of gas. Not to shabby if you ask me.

Thanks again for all the advice gents.

 

[ChildrenOfBodom]

bah I was gonna say you should call me when you're passing Alicia Parkway on the I5, I woulda jumped in my car and greeted you on the freeway hahah.