V8 Towing question

[Dirtrider216]

let me start this by saying that I am not new to towing, I have been pulling trailers since I was 15, however all of that was done in a F250 or bigger diesel truck.
My question is about the capabilities of the V8 as it is in my sig. I will be moving from Maine back to Florida this summer and i plan to avoid the nasty stretch of i95 from boston to DC and instead take alternative interstates. More than likely i will rent a 5x10 UHaul trailer. Will my lifted 4runner have any issues pulling the trailer with a bed, couch, chair and clothing inside it through the mountains during summer. I am mostly concerned with operating temperatures. I am well aware of how the physics of towing change with a lifted vehicle but is there anything that would enhance the unpredictability of pulling 1700 miles?
Thank you

 

[Atlanta_man]

I pulled one of those 4 years ago with my 2WD V8 2005. Heavily loaded, packed tight. 1,000 mi GA to TX, no serious hills. Was safe enough, 10-12 mpg, biggest problem was parking it for overnight or travel stops. Won't win any drag races, brakes worked good.

 

[Gatafly]

Pffft no problem towing that load. When not cruising on level roads just take it out of OD.

 

[Dirtrider216]

So I won’t need to worry about getting any extra cooling gear for the tranny or oil?

 

[ElZilcho]

No, you will be well within the cooling capabilities of the stock hardware. I've pulled 6000# up a 7% grade without issue.

 

[V8Man]

You could always rent a truck and a trailer and put all the wear and stress on the rental. But you shouldn't have any problems. Get the lowest profile trailer you can. Cross winds can really move you around.

 

[Rodtheviking]

Do a tranny flush and fill if needed and you are good to go.

 

[TheTurboMRT]

let me start this by saying that I am not new to towing, I have been pulling trailers since I was 15, however all of that was done in a F250 or bigger diesel truck.
My question is about the capabilities of the V8 as it is in my sig. I will be moving from Maine back to Florida this summer and i plan to avoid the nasty stretch of i95 from boston to DC and instead take alternative interstates. More than likely i will rent a 5x10 UHaul trailer. Will my lifted 4runner have any issues pulling the trailer with a bed, couch, chair and clothing inside it through the mountains during summer. I am mostly concerned with operating temperatures. I am well aware of how the physics of towing change with a lifted vehicle but is there anything that would enhance the unpredictability of pulling 1700 miles?
Thank you

I recently hauled the 6x12 enclosed Uhaul from eastern Pennsylvania to Atlanta in a GX470 (heavier than 4Runner, same drivetrain)
11mpg hauling at 10 over the whole way. (mostly 80MPH. We were in a hurry)
When transmission temperatures got above 200F on my ultragauge, downshift to 4th and they drop right back down to 190-195
11mpg

No. Issues. Whatsoever. Outside temperatures were in the 80's

 

[Powder_Hound]

So I won’t need to worry about getting any extra cooling gear for the tranny or oil?

Nope. If you’ve got the V8 you probably have the towing package. This includes pre wire for lights (you’ll see 7 pin connector in the rear), tranny radiator (small one in front of main radiator), and a plug (behind left front side of dash panel) for brake controller. I think most Uhauls use surge brakes vs. electric so you won’t need to worry about a brake controller which is recommended for towing >1000 lbs. The V8 T4R is also capable of towing 7000 if 4WD or 7300 with a WSD if 2WD so your load shouldn’t be an issue at all.

Safe travels...

 

[COSteve]

I just towed a uhaul 5x8 with a similar load to yours over Vail Pass and Eisenhower tunnel to Denver with no issues at all. I only have the V6. Funny, my V6 gets about 22 mixed driving and on this trip it got 21 with the trailer. I wasn't pushing it at all.

 

[AuSeeker]

Nope. If you’ve got the V8 you probably have the towing package. This includes pre wire for lights (you’ll see 7 pin connector in the rear), tranny radiator (small one in front of main radiator), and a plug (behind left front side of dash panel) for brake controller. I think most Uhauls use surge brakes vs. electric so you won’t need to worry about a brake controller which is recommended for towing >1000 lbs. The V8 T4R is also capable of towing 7300 if 4WD or 7500 if 2WD so your load shouldn’t be an issue at all.

Safe travels...

Just an FYI the towing weights you mentioned here are only doable with a WDH..(weight distributing hitch) properly installed, if not the stock V8 hitch is only capable of around 5000 lbs. towing weight, which should still be OK for what the OP is planning.

 

[Powder_Hound]

Just an FYI the towing weights you mentioned here are only doable with a WDH..(weight distributing hitch) properly installed, if not the stock V8 hitch is only capable of around 5000 lbs. towing weight, which should still be OK for what the OP is planning.

The stock V8 hitch is capable of using a WDH and these numbers come from the 04 owners manual. The V6 hitch is not.

 

[AuSeeker]

The stock V8 hitch is a WDH and these numbers come straight from the 04 owners manual. The V6 hitch is not.

NO it's not, the WDH is a device attached to the trailer itself and hooks up to the hitch on the vehicle, do your research or going shopping around to know what a WDH truely is and how to set one up properly, if not setup properly it's no better than not having one, you could possibly do some damage to your T4R or cause someone else to damage their's or worst causing a bad accident by not giving complete accurate info.

Yes I know those numbers comes from the owner's manual as well as it saying that's with a WDH, also your numbers are incorrect it's 7000 LBS for the 4WD and 7300 LBS for the 2WD, and that's striaght from my 2004 owner's manual, there's also a label on the hitch itself.

 

[Elan_]

I hauled one of those enclosed cargo uhaul trailers with about 6,000 lbs of steel in it from central Indiana to western Pennsylvania last winter. The terrain is not mountainous but I had zero problems with the truck temps. '06 V8 Limited.

 

[CutthroatSlam]

I just towed a uhaul 5x8 with a similar load to yours over Vail Pass and Eisenhower tunnel to Denver with no issues at all. I only have the V6. Funny, my V6 gets about 22 mixed driving and on this trip it got 21 with the trailer. I wasn't pushing it at all.

Vail Pass/Eisenhower tunnel hits at 11,158'. There's nothing on the East Coast that comes close.

 

[Juicy]

In the end of August 2017 we drove from Jacksonville, FL to Mukilteo, WA (the long way) with a 6'x12' Uhaul that was packed full to the top. The plan was to go I10 west to I5 and then north, but Harvey decided to make us detour a little. There were 0 issues towing up passes or on the highway, including sitting in rush hour traffic in 120° F Phoenix and we even went through Los Angeles (never again will I go back there lol). Some of the smaller hills made it want to switch gears too much so if you just manually choose for it in certain situations it will be fine. The biggest issue was finding somewhere to park. :laugh:

 

[Dirtrider216]

Thanks for all the great info guys!
It sets my mind at ease knowing I don’t have to worry about the vehicles capabilities.
That being said, should I consider reinstalling my rear sway bar with some extended links? I had it removed when I installed my lift kit