2018 4Runner SR5 towing a total of 900lbs (trailer and load)

For a 2018 4Runner SR5 towing a total of 900lbs (trailer and load) on a utility trailer - is there a tow button/setting that should be activated or what drive setting should be used normal “D” or “S”?

 

S

No tow mode.

 

Towing 900lbs is like having 4 grown men in your 4Runner at the same time....or two fat chicks (hey, no judgement!). You shouldn't have to put it into "S". The standard drive mode should be fine.

 

There is no "tow" feature, and for towing that much weight, which isn't much at all for the 4R, just drive how you normally drive and give extra space for braking, you should be fine.

 

That's less than a modern jetski and trailer. You'll be fine.

 

Use the gear that doesn’t cause hunting.

 

^what he said, and it depends a lot on the terrain.

 

A trailer with surge brakes is smart. It will use deceleration of 4runner to apply brakes to trailer wheels.
Without - the trailer could push the 4runner back end, perhaps causing you big trouble if braking while driving a curve-especially if you are emergency braking.

 

Since we are on this towing topic, I may be towing next week a trailer with a car on it, so roughly 3000lbs all together. Anything I should do to prep for it? Increase rear tire PSI?

 

Always tow in S4 or S5. Although, it's probably not important in your case due to the light load.

 

The rear tires should be able to handle the weight at normal pressure. But, I've bumped mine up at times when I towed heavier loads. A few PSI won't hurt.

As far as other preparations, I wouldn't be concerned. However, if you plan on towing something that heavy regularly, a transmission cooler is a good idea.

 

I'm not planning to do this often at all, but this one trip is around 500km, or roughly 5 hours of driving, 95% straight highway though with no real inclines.

 

Another thing is to take it slow. Toyota recommends a 65 MPH top speed for towing. I've gone a little over that with smaller/lighter loads, but only in good conditions.

With that much weight, I'd use S4. In S5, you're likely to be downshifting a lot. S4 will keep the engine and transmission happy.

 

Thank you I'll keep that in mind.

 

And why would he need that for a 900 lb total load?