Shooter, thanks for the very informative posts. I have a 5th gen SR5 and just picked up a 25' 4300# dry TT and am looking at what I need installed to tow it plus the costs involved. A local camping world is telling me a grand for a wd hitch and brake controller, sound high?? And I bought the rv from them!
Weight Distributing Hitch? Yes or No?
- Thread starter Shooter33
- Start date
brockeverly
New member
:jaw drop:
You, sir, are cutting it WAY to close. That 4300# is probably much closer to 4800#, if not 5000#. Manufacturers always tend to list on the low side. Dry weight doesn't even account for water and propane, your cargo, etc. I would not be all that comfortable pulling that trailer if the 4300# was fully loaded, that is a long trailer for a short wheelbase. What is the GVWR of that trailer? I see a Sequoia in your near future, if not an accident first. It is not about getting it moving, its about stopping and controlling.
Winds of change - YouTube
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AlamoRunner
New member
Using WDH on 4Runner Trail
Just returned this evening from our second weekend trip and saw your post. My tow vehicle is a 2011 4Runner Trail, purchased in Sept 11. RV is a 2012 Airstream Flying Cloud 23' purchased in Nov 11. Dry weight 4400#, est towing weight is probably near 4800# so I am right at capacity.
Hitch with integrated sway control is Equalizer brand purchased from Airstream dealer with trailer. It was more expensive ($800 range) than models I priced at hitch installers, but I didn't want any finger pointing between the RV dealer and the Hitch installer if I encountered problems. We have done a 120 mile round trip and a 200 mile round trip so far. T4R pulls well, always feels under control. Central Texas hill country roads will put you around 55-60 uphill. Flats easy 65-70 in 4th. Brake controller is Tekonsha Primus IQ. Functions well, but I don't like the lower dash mount... too close to park brake. Considering upgrade to Tekonsha P-3 model with mount in lower dash area under aux and power point plugs. Will look more OE with ability to match orange/red lighting.
I cannot speak to any other combination of equipment, but I feel very comfortable with this setup at lower altitudes and moderate hilly terrain or freeways.
Just returned this evening from our second weekend trip and saw your post. My tow vehicle is a 2011 4Runner Trail, purchased in Sept 11. RV is a 2012 Airstream Flying Cloud 23' purchased in Nov 11. Dry weight 4400#, est towing weight is probably near 4800# so I am right at capacity.
Hitch with integrated sway control is Equalizer brand purchased from Airstream dealer with trailer. It was more expensive ($800 range) than models I priced at hitch installers, but I didn't want any finger pointing between the RV dealer and the Hitch installer if I encountered problems. We have done a 120 mile round trip and a 200 mile round trip so far. T4R pulls well, always feels under control. Central Texas hill country roads will put you around 55-60 uphill. Flats easy 65-70 in 4th. Brake controller is Tekonsha Primus IQ. Functions well, but I don't like the lower dash mount... too close to park brake. Considering upgrade to Tekonsha P-3 model with mount in lower dash area under aux and power point plugs. Will look more OE with ability to match orange/red lighting.
I cannot speak to any other combination of equipment, but I feel very comfortable with this setup at lower altitudes and moderate hilly terrain or freeways.
Bent factory hitch.
I purchased a 24ft lance this spring an promptly towed it from Oregon to Colorado Springs and back with my 2011 t4r.
I used a hitch leveler and it towed well even over all the mountain passes! some over 10k feet.
However when I got home and put my bicycle rack in it I noticed that the rack angled up now.
At some point in the trip I must have over torqued the leveling bars and bent the hitch.
So I am looking at replacing the factory one soon.
Any tips how to get the rear bumper off so I can get to the last 2 bolts?
I will continue to use the leveler hitch but be careful not to over do it.
I bought a used easy lift with the trailer for cheap and there are probably better ones out there.
Oh well, at least from the dealer the replacement is only $230.
I purchased a 24ft lance this spring an promptly towed it from Oregon to Colorado Springs and back with my 2011 t4r.
I used a hitch leveler and it towed well even over all the mountain passes! some over 10k feet.
However when I got home and put my bicycle rack in it I noticed that the rack angled up now.
At some point in the trip I must have over torqued the leveling bars and bent the hitch.
So I am looking at replacing the factory one soon.
Any tips how to get the rear bumper off so I can get to the last 2 bolts?
I will continue to use the leveler hitch but be careful not to over do it.
I bought a used easy lift with the trailer for cheap and there are probably better ones out there.
Oh well, at least from the dealer the replacement is only $230.
G8RB8_12SR5
New member
First things first, I highly recommend going to get the truck weighed at certified scale without the trailer, with the trailer dry, and after you load it. It'll cost about $10 and you gain a lot of info in terms of weight per axle as well as overall weight to make sure you can distribute the weight around for maximum safety and handling. Totally worth the money spent plus it takes the guess work out of how much the trailer actually weighs (mine actually came in 100lbs UNDER dry weight on the first weigh in).
I've done the first 800 miles of that drive from Renton, WA to SF Bay Area with my 4800lb loaded trailer with a Pro Series WDH with sway control and Prodigy P3 brake controller, and no tranny cooler. 4Runner did great. Be prepared for all the hills/mountain passes in southern Oregon. Most of the time you'll be running in 3rd gear around 3000rpm and 50-55MPH unless you really want to push the engine (this is for going uphill). Up Siskiyou Pass it's 6-8% for 7 miles, ended up doing around 45-50 for most of it around 3200-3600RPM in 3rd gear, if it drops below 3200 RPM the truck will jump down to 2nd and the RPMs will just to 4000-4500RPM (knowing to expect it will alleviate any stress when it happens). Speeding up or slowing down will help alleviate that jump (speed when that happens is between 42-46mph depending how steep the grade was at that point on the road). Expect to get around 9-10mpg in the mountain areas. I got 12.5 on I-5 in the flats of Oregon and WA. If you go to Pilot stations they offer an RV value card that gets you 3 cents off/gallon and they're easy to get in and out of with a trailer.
Once you get out of the mountains in California it is straight and flat for a long way. Just be aware of heavy crosswinds and California's law requiring any vehicle towing to do 55mph (I wouldn't push it above 60 CHP can get pissy). Enjoy your trip!
G8RB8_12SR5
New member
Talk to the folks over at Etrailer.com, I picked up my WDH with sway control and a prodigy P3 Brake controller for like $425 out the door (free shipping). Also, as I mentioned above, take your 4R and trailer to a certified truck scale and get the whole setup weighed, no trailer, dry trailer, and loaded trailer. The info you gain will be invaluable.
homeyclaus
New member
We pulled our Koala with a WDH, no issues at all.
This being said, "bolt to frame" vs "crossmember" talk is kind of trumped up armchair engineering. What do people think a hitch bolted, or welded, to both frame rails is? Uh-huh, it's a crossmember.
All a WD hitch is is effectively a spring that, in applying upward force, relieves weight on the rear axle and "distributes" it to the tow vehicle front axle and the trailer axles. One other side effect is that a WD hitch reduces effective tongue weight as a result. OP, with < 300 lbs on the tongue, over-adjustment of the WD bars can cause some driveability issues, mainly rear traction.
This being said, "bolt to frame" vs "crossmember" talk is kind of trumped up armchair engineering. What do people think a hitch bolted, or welded, to both frame rails is? Uh-huh, it's a crossmember.
All a WD hitch is is effectively a spring that, in applying upward force, relieves weight on the rear axle and "distributes" it to the tow vehicle front axle and the trailer axles. One other side effect is that a WD hitch reduces effective tongue weight as a result. OP, with < 300 lbs on the tongue, over-adjustment of the WD bars can cause some driveability issues, mainly rear traction.
johnnotestine
New member
Frame Mounted WD Hitch?
Does anyone make a frame mounted WD hitch for the 5th gen yet? I think I have read all the discussions on WD hitches, most are from 2010-2011. I am hoping something is available now.
JCWhitney says this one might fit, but I'm dubious: http://www.jcwhitney.com/curt-class-3-receiver-hitches/p2011910.jcwx?filterid=c2324d2166u0j1
Thanks!
Does anyone make a frame mounted WD hitch for the 5th gen yet? I think I have read all the discussions on WD hitches, most are from 2010-2011. I am hoping something is available now.
JCWhitney says this one might fit, but I'm dubious: http://www.jcwhitney.com/curt-class-3-receiver-hitches/p2011910.jcwx?filterid=c2324d2166u0j1
Thanks!
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