Enhance stock towing

2017 4Runner with standard towing package, limit 5k.

Can the towing package be enhanced to allow for more weight?

 

Welcome to the forum, with enough money and time i would say yes.

 

What weights are we talking about here?

 

I would stick to the 5k lb. recommended weight limit as much as possible. I’ve used my 4th and now, 5th gen pretty often for towing a trailer behind. I’ve been very close to the limit a few times and there is noticeable difference in performance. I’d recommend 2 trips before locking up the engine. I cannot speak to the v8 engine that was put in many of the 4th gen 4R’s though.

 

I am far less worried about the 4Runners ability to tow more weight than I am with its ability to brake with more weight. I would not recommend exceeding the factory limit by much. You can enhance the towing experience by adding a brake controller and weight distribution hitch. Both make a world of difference once you tow at the upper ends of any vehicles tow capacity.

 

No. The 4Runner can't stop 5000 lbs, regardless if you have trailer brakes or not. I know I'm in the minority on this, but the 4Runner can't tow 5000 lbs safely. You are asking for a catastrophe. My Tundra is rated to tow more than my last 2003 F350 Diesel Ford...which is ridiculous. The Tundra is a half-ton with soft suspension and a very flexible frame. As much as a Toyota fan as I am, their tow ratings are looking through rose-colored glasses. Keep in mind - they made a "1-Ton" pickup years ago that my 4Runner could out-tow now.

 

Welcome from Wisconsin!

 

Your 4Runner has better brakes than that 1-ton did. It also has significantly more power, if you're referring to the T-100.

Edit: I was curious, so I looked. The T-100 was rated to tow up to 5200 lbs. So, it actually had a higher towing capacity than our 4Runners, despite having less power and worse brakes. Personally, I would feel safer towing 5K lbs with a 4Runner than a T-100.

I have never towed 5K with mine, but I wouldn't hesitate if I needed to tow that much. I wouldn't exceed the limit, though!

One mistake I see a lot of people make is driving too fast while towing. Toyota recommends 65 MPH maximum while towing. Many states have reduced speed limits for towing. I wish they would post them and enforce them! I would bet the the vast majority of towing accidents are caused by speed.

If I were towing anything heavy, I would limit my speed to around 60 MPH, and keep it in S4 and drop to S3 and S2 as needed.

 

No. I wouldn't attempt to tow more than the factory rating. And, I would be very careful towing at or near that rating.

 

I don't tow, so i don't know...

 

I wasn't talking about the T-100. I was talking the regular Toyota pickup made from the mid-80s to the early 90s. It was marked "1-Ton" on the rear tailgate and was referred to as such in the 80s. My point was Toyota doesn't have the best history with having a fundamental understanding of what American's do regarding towing and the proprietary "chassis" ratings the big 3 use. Don't get me wrong, they've gotten exponentially better since then.

FWIW, I have a 5000lb boat I wouldn't dream of towing with my 4Runner anywhere but maybe up and down my street....maybe..... and I've never tried it. I tried, once, towing my 2, 4 seat RZRs on a flatbed trailer to a riding site 20 miles away. Mind you...I have the HD rear springs. It simply wasn't up to the task. With my Tundra or Sequoia, towing that trailer in the same configuration is night and day difference.

Keep in mind, my comments aren't coming from someone who doesn't regularly tow. I'm currently on my 8th towable RV, not including enclosed/cargo trailers and motorhomes, and I've almost been drug off the highway and over a cliff towing a toy hauler with a diesel Excursion years ago when the hitch gave out. It's easy to tow in a straight line with no cross wind and no traffic considerations. It's when something goes wrong that you need to be able to control what you're towing and IMO, the 4Runner shouldn't be towing anything more than 3500 or 4000 pounds at highway speeds. Again, I know I am in a very small minority on this. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

 

I guess I'm confused by this statement then. Are you saying that the 4Runner is more suitable to tow this much weight than the old pickup? Because I would agree with that.

I would assume that a 5K lb boat + trailer would be well over 6000 lbs, so I wouldn't recommend towing it with a 4Runner either.

Based on what?

And, what do you consider "highway speeds"?

 

Based on what I've seen on the highway, this doesn't necessarily mean much. I see idiots regularly who seem to think that having a a HD pickup means they can haul their travel trailer at 75-80 mph. Just because you have a big, powerful vehicle doesn't make it safe to tow at high speeds.

As far as towing capacity; there's nothing to agree or disagree about here. Engineers with more knowledge than you or I decide what the towing capacity should be. Your opinion doesn't affect that.

I could agree that some drivers (like the ones I just mentioned) shouldn't be towing that much with a 4Runner. But, that doesn't mean the 4Runner shouldn't do it.
.

 

I pulled a goose neck horse trailer for many years with my F250 Diesel and have a lot of experience pulling trailers of different loads. I currently pull a 1700 lb tiny camper (loaded) with my 4R. I have electric brakes on the trailer and utilize a RedArc tow pro controller. I always pull in 4th gear, unless on a long descent and then utilize 5th. I have had no issues other than the low gas mileage (13 - 14 mpg average, 15 if you stay below 70). I would not want to pull over 5000 lbs with the 4R. Not because it couldn't, but because it would not be efficient. You may even need to add a transmission cooler if you start pulling a heavy load. The 4R is simply too little horsepower and torque for really heavy loads. Also, consider how much drag your trailer will create. My tiny camper is no taller than my 4R, so I have not added much drag. Start adding drag or weight and you will need more horsepower and torque.

 

I towed uhaul trailer 5x8 which was 2k pounds for 300 miles and i got 16MPG. This was from boston to pennsylvania.

Also i towed uhaul 6x12 trailer which was 4100 pounds for 700 miles and i got 12MPG. This was from pennsylvania to north carolina. I81 south and I77 south got lot of uphill and down hill.

Didn't see any issues while towing.