Who is towing a boat with a 5th gen 4 Runner?

I recently purchased a 16’ TRD pro and the plan is to do some infrequent towing of a 19 1/2 bass boat and dual axle trailer. I take the boat out typically 20 times a year with most trips each way about a half hour with an infrequent (1-2 xs ) a year -4 hour trip up north to Vermont. With outboard , boat / trailer / batteries -the set up is coming in at 2975lbs. I know the 4 runner tow capacity is 5000 lbs so well within that range.
I believe one wants to tow in S4. Also keep speed to under 70 mpg to get any chance of acceptable gas mileage. Any absolutely must have mods for the truck for purposes of towing? Heavier coil springs , shocks etc ? I have towed this boat trailer set up before with my wife’s 17’ ORP but didn’t tow in S4 and just regular D. Wasn’t aware at the time of the S mode……
it worked ok but wasn’t winning any races that is for sure. For those folks towing with a 5th gen 4 runner -any other towing tips you guys suggest for a newer 4 runner owner? Lastly what kind of gas mileage can one possibly expect to see 12-14 mpg?
thanks

 

I would add a transmission cooler. Not towing but in heat of summer under load I have seen ATF temps spike.

Very easy install on 4r and common with towing packages.

I think that I read a lot of the engineering for drivetrain was focused on towing. Keep speed low and you should have no problems. Make sure brakes are solid.

 

Can anyone recommend an after market transmission cooler they have used ? My vehicle is a 16’ TRD Pro. Thanks and really enjoying the forums

 

Since you have a 16 pro you should have bilstein 6112/5160 shocks. Which are way better then the standard 4runner shocks.

 

Decent thread on ATF coolers. I used the B&M 70268 and am happy with it.

https://www.4runners.com/threads/transmission-coolers.32901/page-2#post-514944

 

I tow our 1992 22' Progression with a Mercury 250R four stroke pretty regularly. It's under 3,000 pounds all together. It actually tows better with the T4R than it did with my 2014 Tacoma TRD Sport. No special mods to the suspension or cooling system to do it.

BTW, I recently retired from 30 years in the marina business, so I've towed more than my share of things.

 

@Thatbassguy has towed a boat a time or two (or something similar)

 

I towed a 2022 Airstream Basecamp 20X with my 2011. The only upgrades I did to the 4R were Powerstop brakes, OME suspension with their "medium" duty rear springs, and a RedArc brake controller. I did use a weight distribution/anti sway hitch as well, and I highly recommend. The Airstream weighed in at about 4300# dry. And yes, forget about using 5th gear. I kept it in "S" mode and shifted as needed to keep revs up. I only had one long pull up a steep grade where I was able to do it in 2 and maintain 25 MPH. No overheating, no problems. I got about 9 MPG while towing.

 

It sounds like you have your head in the right place.

S4, reasonable speed, etc..

Springs shouldn't be necessary, but I definitely appreciate my heavy spring when I tow. OTOH, I don't love them when I ride around empty. Airbags can be adjusted, but I have no experience with them.

As far as fuel economy, it could be all over the place depending on conditions. I tow a pop-up camper, and have gotten everywhere from 12 to over 17.

 

So knowing that I may only be towing 1 to 3 times a month -7 months of the year and most trips a half hour each way- is it absolutely necessary that I get the transmission cooler . Through research it sounds like my vehicle has a combination trans cooler radiator but not a dedicated full transmission cooler. I guess overall putting a dedicated transmission cooler on there couldn’t hurt and would likely lengthen the life of the transmission. Does that sound about right?

 

I wouldn't bother.

 

Yes I would agree with your assessment. Not required but some extra insurance to protect transmission if interested. Longer tow distance or hot temps I would recommend it.

Safest is to monitor your ATF temps to see how comfortable you are and how much buffer in temp you have.

 

I wouldn't worry about the trans cooler, personally. As mentioned above, you could try monitoring the transmission temperature and use that information to make a decision.

 

Sounds like a good plan -thanks guys will do that

 

I'm get some sort of gauge that reads trans Temps first. That would tell you if you need a trans cooler.

Does your trailer have brakes?

If you have some money to spend upgrading your 4runner brakes is a good way to spend it. Also dobinson does make coil springs rated for a little more load without lifting. And there is tuning company's out there kdmax,ott, yotawerx. Their tunes do help with towing.

But How do you shocks look? I thought earlier bilsteins had issues with leaking and rust.

 

For monitoring ATF or other temps I have been happy with OBDLINK.

https://trail4runner.com/2020/01/28/obdlink-mx-bluetooth-obd2-scanner/

 

As has already been suggested, I'd also recommend a dedicated trans cooler if yours doesn't have one. Also might want to look at a set of these helper air bags as well:

https://www.4wheelparts.com/p/air-lift-load-lifter-5000-ultimate-88388/_/R-BBCG-88388

 

I tow my 21' Sea Ray runabout with my 22 Limited. Also tow our trailer with two full-sized 3-seat 2016 SeaDoo GTi's. The SeaRay weighs about 4300lbs loaded and fueled - boat and trailer. The SeaDoos are about 1700lbs. I don't pull it long distances usually 20 miles-ish, or less, but the Limited does great with those in tow. Here's a pic of the boat.

Agree with the posts above about the ATF cooler. If I was going further, I'd install one too. Most of the time our boat stays on a hoist at the marina - so the towing I do is to take it to the car wash, do maintenance, etc. Probably 10-12 times a year.

 

Towed a 2017 19'.5"ft Chaparral H20 v6 Merc 4.3MPI W/2015 Tacoma TRD Sport, until I bought 2018 4R TRD OR until I sold the boat early summer. Never had any issues & drove the 4R like I did everyday. Traded the 2018 4R TRD OR W/63k mi. Oh & BTW I had some rust on my 2008, 2012 FJ's, 2015 Tacoma TRD Sport & my 2018 4R TRD OR OEM Trailer hitches. Never whined abought that either & I like to keep my stuff nice too, but I Always buy new too everything

 

How did you like the basecamp 20? Always wanted one but wasn’t sure our two dogs and us would fit well. Was also concerned about the tongue weight.

 

Really liked it and was going to plan some epic excursions. However, during our six months of ownership, it spent three of those months in the shop. So many quality issues. I really have a bad taste in my mouth for Airstream. When you pay that much goddam money, I expect shit to work and not fall apart. Especially on a trailer supposedly designed for overland/offroad/offgrid camping. It was one of the reasons we bought Airstream, because of their reputation. And every other trailer we looked at in the same size range just seemed flimsy. I really don't know anymore. Maybe they're all crap. For the money we spent on that thing, we can drive to A LOT of places and stay in hotels, Air B&Bs, B&Bs, etc. As for the dogs... I think it would be reasonable with two dogs. Maybe not St. Bernards, but medium sized dogs. The rear bed is very roomy, like king sized bed roomy, and the front dining/seating area also converts to a twin size bed. More than enough room for dogs to sleep. Tongue weight was no problem. I DEFINITELY would not tow with the 4R without having a weight distribution/anti-sway hitch and brake controller. But I think that's just good common sense for towing any travel trailer. I never exceeded tongue or trailer gross weight with the Basecamp 20X.

 

Boy, that's very disappointing to hear. I wouldn't expect an Airstream to be problematic, either.

As far as the "Maybe they're all crap" comment; My Mom's BF has a $300K Holiday Rambler, and it has issues as well. Way too many issues, if I'm being honest. He basically says that they're all junk. So, you're probably correct.

 

If I was to invest in some sort of travel trailer, one that can be easily towed by a 4R, I think those ones made out of fiberglass would be at the top of my short list. I forget the brand, something like Scamp? I think they're basically two halves joined together around the middle? From what I've read, they're considerably lighter for the same size compared to the other designs.

 

I've looked at those. They look awesome!

My plan is to do a cargo trailer conversion. I currently have a pop-up, but I want something I can sleep in without any setup.

 

Those are the best designs, you know exactly what you want and where. Back in my field artillery days, the "special weapons" guys had an enclosed box van. I was toying around with converting something like that, having fold-down cots on the sides, making use of the overhead space for storage and what not, but it never progressed past the "zombie apocalypse vehicle" good idea fairy stage!

 

I'll add to this thread that I installed air bags and a good brake controller to my 4R.
The B/C is for safety (also the law in the states I've traveled through) and piece of mind.
As far as the air bags, I chose them because of the variable tongue weights of the different trailers that I drag around.
Unladen, I keep the bags at 3-5 psi. When I hook up some heavy tongue weight, I'll add air (max 35 psi) to the bags to level the 4R and bring the headlights back to the ground.
I always tow in "S" mode and down shift as needed to maintain peak torque RPM and good air flow through the radiator.
I've never checked and never will check the fuel mileage while towing or unladen. I don't see the point of having a sad drive to wherever I'm going.

 

We have towed a 5000 lb Center console boat and trailer for years without issues. We are in Florida, so flat. We try to keep it under 65 MPH. At this weight / speed we average about 11 MPG.

 

My first boat was probably 3K soaking wet.

Flat ground was fine with the 4R. Towing it over the mountain I think my 4R wanted to kill me. Trans temps were fine also I don't think there is a need for a cooler.

 

so after getting my new to me 4 Runner 2016 Trd pro -used it to tow 4 times towing a combined weight of 2950 pounds dual axle trailer with 19.5 ' bass boat...... gas mileage around 12.5-13 mpg on several hour and a half trips. I have to say I am pleasantly surprised, towing in S4 - plenty of power, surprisingly very stable and several times have cruised at 75 with the boat in tow...... but trying to keep it at around 68 to 70..... no sag at all in the rear end likely due to the upgraded shocks on the pro model...... also decided to not install a aftermarket transmission cooler as most of my trips are under an hour and once or twice a year I might make a four hour trip each way up to Lake Champlain. Previously, I towed with my wife's 17' off-road 4 runner and was disappointed, but was never aware of the fact that you should not be towing in drive...... again I am coming from a 2007 full-size Yukon XL- I have put about 4000 miles on the truck since December hands-down the best SUV I have ever owned!

 

FYI, shocks don't carry the weight.