Towing a teardrop

I'm looking to get a 4runner tomorrow and trading in what I have now. What I have now on paper should be able to tow my camper but after one nerve-wracking trip, I want something better. Plus, a 4runner has been my dream car since I was a kid.

On paper the 4runner will work.

Trailer details:
~3100 lbs with everything except water and beer/food (went to a CAT scale and measured with our typical gear loaded in plus all awnings/propane tanks, etc installed)
11 gal water tank (~92 lbs)
12 ft long
Trailer has it's own breaks - will be getting a redarc TBC no matter which vehicle I get. I've had them before and really like them.

Driver details:
I am cautious. I don't foresee me exceeding 70 mph while towing. I do live in a mountain area so going uphill faster than 35 mph is a must for my sanity and safety because people here are not patient on the uphill.

Would this work out? I don't want to buy the car only to find out I still cant comfortably tow. I've read on other forums about 4runners not being great for towing campers but those comments usually mention 20+ft campers.

 

Welcome from Arizona!
The 4Runner is rated for 5000 lbs. tow weight. You are well under that unless you go wild with beer and food (just kidding). Trailer brakes and controller are a good safety measure. If you go west to Colorado to the mountains be prepared for some bozo mountain drivers. Using the manual shift function on the hills will help prevent automatic transmission gear hunting and help maintain your speed.
Enjoy your new rig!

 

Should be well within range. Not exceeding 70 while towing would be wise. I believe most vehicles don't want you going over 65 while towing even though you see people do it all the time.

 

I pull a 5x8 off-road camper. You will have to pull in 4S much of the time, as in 5th gear the 4R will be downshifting often. Also gas mileage will drop to 14-15 mpg. This of course depends on flat land versus hills or mountains. But actually pulling the trailer is no issue.

Our trailer and hitch combined probably weigh about 1750 lbs.

 

Yep, you’ll be fine. We tow a trailer heavier than that and are fine. Even towing over the Sierra Nevada mountains we maintain 45 mph on steep slopes. You won’t win any races and you will notice even slight grades that’s for sure, but you won’t be losing your mind level of slow.

 

Depending on what vehicle you're coming from, you might notice the engine noise more as the 4R downshifts during climbs. It sounds like it's working hard, but it's really fine.

I'd say your setup sounds fine, especially with the brakes. Agree with others about using S4 when towing. Gas mileage is the same as Drive, but temps stay lower.

 

Should be fine.

- keep it at or below 65 as recommended by the manual.

- tow in S4 to save the transmission from constantly downshifting. It won't hurt your mileage.

- I believe there was another thread around here somewhere discussing trailer brake controllers.

I recently towed approximately 5700#, which I certainly don't recommend. But, I didn't have a lot of good options, so I decided to chance it. I was actually impressed with how well it went. I also never exceeded 60 miles per hour , and was very conservative on the gas and brakes.

I'm assuming that you meant S4? When I read 4H, I think 4wd.

 

Yes I did - thanks I will fix that,