Landcruiser (100 series) as a tow vehicle?

[REDrum]

Redrum, what is your suspension setup in the LC?

Bought from Slee ARB/OME Heavy weight 2.5" lift kit w/ 3" rear springs

How much does that LR weigh?

As it sits in the picture ~5,300# (rally car is ~3,300# + 1,300# in gear)

An AL trailer is about 1000#. A lighter weight steel trailer is #1900 or so. A thousand pounds is a lot, but it's also a ton more expensive!

AL trailers are lethally priced (both new and used) and not all are at 1K#, some I found are close to 2K#. I paid $2,300 for my new Anderson steel and its 1,800#

Weight distributing hitch can make a big difference if your load is approaching the OEM limits of tow

 

[Kaisen]

I know I'm going to catch flak for asking, but why aren't you considering a Nissan Armada? Or Expedition/Navigator? Or Tahoe/Denali/Escalade/Suburban?
The Armada is twice the tow rig a 4.7L Sequioa is, let alone a Land Cruiser 100.

So is there a reason you're stuck Toyota only?

 

[fireball]

Bought from Slee ARB/OME Heavy weight 2.5" lift kit w/ 3" rear springs

As it sits in the picture ~5,300# (rally car is ~3,300# + 1,300# in gear)


AL trailers are lethally priced (both new and used) and not all are at 1K#, some I found are close to 2K#. I paid $2,300 for my new Anderson steel and its 1,800#

Weight distributing hitch can make a big difference if your load is approaching the OEM limits of tow

RED - that is a heavy LR! And a lot of weight to be pulling around. The Bronco weighs ~4k so your rally car+gear setup is pretty close to what I'll be towing. I think the 100 will tow it OK, but probably won't be ideal. One last question for you....how does that ARB/OME lift ride without a ton of weight in the vehicle? If we go with the LC, it'll be used 6x per year for towing, 60+x per year for grocery getting!

I know I'm going to catch flak for asking, but why aren't you considering a Nissan Armada? Or Expedition/Navigator? Or Tahoe/Denali/Escalade/Suburban?
The Armada is twice the tow rig a 4.7L Sequioa is, let alone a Land Cruiser 100.

So is there a reason you're stuck Toyota only?

KAISEN - no flak from me, it's a good question. If towing were the main concern, we'd be getting a Expedition. 5.4L triton will have more than enough towing prowess, and compare year/mileage the Ford is way cheaper. They are Fords though, so lack the Toyota reliability which is the main reason! 2nd reason is that my wife much prefers driving a Sequoia over an Expedition. And furthermore, she'd prefer a LC over a Sequoia. Truth be told, she'd probably rather drive a Subaru around most of the time, but we're looking for a one vehicle does it all solution for the family. The big reason not to choose the Sequoia/Expedition is that we have a 4R right now, which is a really nice vehicle for the mild off roading and trail riding that we enjoy doing. We are trying to make the transition from car campers to overlanders, not the other way around

 

[REDrum]

RED - that is a heavy LR! And a lot of weight to be pulling around. The Bronco weighs ~4k so your rally car+gear setup is pretty close to what I'll be towing. I think the 100 will tow it OK, but probably won't be ideal. One last question for you....how does that ARB/OME lift ride without a ton of weight in the vehicle? If we go with the LC, it'll be used 6x per year for towing, 60+x per year for grocery getting!

Towing capacity of UZJ100 is 6500# I occasionally push it to just over 7000# Your user requirements are pretty much the same for me and the rally car + support gear. 6 times a year towing, and 60 times a year loading up at Costco. Having gown up in a boat yard, I've been involve with towing boats (or race cars) most of my life. My wife and I considered a diesel van or small box truck but it would then be a very special purpose truck. We can wheel, camp, and travel long range with another couple in the UZJ100, not so much in a Sprinter... We also considered an Expedition but price was very high and availability low.

FWIW... A lot of guys in the Land Cruiser club here in New England use their FZJ80s to tow FJ40 trial rigs to events, and that is a 6cyl engine. The Land Cruiser platform is very robust platform, I have no second thoughts about using the UZJ100 for towing. That said I'm not towing every weekend.

Ride is fine (to me) with HD springs, I run 285/75/16 GY Duratracs on it with 35psi around town and 45psi towing.

 

[CreeperSleeper]

Here is the bottom line: My 100 pulls a trailer a heck of a lot better than my Tahoe did. However, it doesn't pull nearly as well as my old Dodge with a Cummins... I wouldn't even consider hooking up a trailer without airbags and trailer brakes. That being said, I don't regret moving to a 100 as a tow rig / daily driver. If you can except the fact that it's not a 3/4 ton diesel and it's going to pull like a 1/2 ton gasser, go for it! It's a heck of a lot nicer to pull with than any other 1/2 ton I've owned...

 

[SOFME]

Guys,

Relatively new to the site and the hobby, but hoping I can get some info and opinions. With a family of four including 2 growing kids and a large dog that is essentially a 5th family member, we've outgrown our '99 4R. Trying to decide on its replacement, either a Sequoia or a LC. We're in the $10-15k bracket, which means a '00-03 LC or a slightly newer '05-07 Sequoia.

In addition to it's uses as my wife's DD, a family camping/psuedo-expo rid, I'd like it to be able tow my '76 Bronco. Unless I spend big bucks on an AL trailer, we'd be talking 5500-6000lbs. So that puts it pretty close to the tow capacity for either vehicle, but my research shows the Sequoia with 4.7L I-Force and 5spd tranny should do just fine. How about the 100?? Anyone towing relatively decent sized loads? Towing would be a few times a year to various shows and events along the east coast. Maybe 5-6 trips per year max.

I'm torn between the 2 right now. The 100 gets the nod in off-road prowess, aftermarket support and just plain cool factor! The Sequoia would be a bit newer for the given price, have additional storage space and a much more comfortable 3rd row seating. Plus a bit better mileage than the 100.

Any thoughts or advice or opinions is welcome!

Thanks,

Ben

VW Tourage. The v10 TDi is the end all be all for towing with an SUV. Other trucks in its class are going to be the Chevy/ram 2500 or the F-350 with diesel motors.

 

[Viggen]

Get something designed to tow that much weight.


As much as I like the VW TReg, dont get one in V10 TDI guise. It was a limited availability model and many dealers dont know what to do with them.

You can find F250s or F350s in extended cab and short bed or quad cab and short bed.

 

[SOFME]

Get something designed to tow that much weight.


As much as I like the VW TReg, dont get one in V10 TDI guise. It was a limited availability model and many dealers dont know what to do with them.

You can find F250s or F350s in extended cab and short bed or quad cab and short bed.

Not a guise... They violated California emission laws, which was resolved for its second gen, iirc.... However yes, the v10's motor has to be pulled for 90% of mechanical work. Secondly, never take a vw/Audi to the stealership for maintenance. Find a good autohause. With a legit German car master mechanic. It's just a really sexy SUV, especially considering it can tow a Boeing 777... Honesty for a dd/dirt roads/tow vehical, the best model would be the v8, or newer tdi v6.... But I do agree, if you need something to tow, buy something which was designed to tow. Don't add stiff springs to a lesser vehical. Daily driving will suffer greatly with the harsh ride. To the op, your wife will complain her ********** hurt.

 

[Viggen]

Not a guise... They violated California emission laws, which was resolved for its second gen, iirc.... However yes, the v10's motor has to be pulled for 90% of mechanical work. Secondly, never take a vw/Audi to the stealership for maintenance. Find a good autohause. With a legit German car master mechanic. It's just a really sexy SUV, especially considering it can tow a Boeing 777... Honesty for a dd/dirt roads/tow vehical, the best model would be the v8, or newer tdi v6.... But I do agree, if you need something to tow, buy something which was designed to tow. Don't add stiff springs to a lesser vehical. Daily driving will suffer greatly with the harsh ride. To the op, your wife will complain her ********** hurt.

Ive had a MKII, two MKVs and an allroad. I know all about finding a good mechanic. Problem is, you cannot always get to that mechanic and a stealership will be your only choice. The 4.2, with the exception of the timing chains, is a great motor that will last a long time. The V10 is a monster that barely fits and wasnt sold in large enough numbers for everyone to know exactly what to do. Not to mention things like $2k+ for replacement snails. TRegs will tow but I wouldnt want something with that short of a wheelbase towing something that is about the same weight and length as the tow vehicle.

 

[Kaisen]

VW Tourage. The v10 TDi is the end all be all for towing with an SUV. Other trucks in its class are going to be the Chevy/ram 2500 or the F-350 with diesel motors.

There is a whole lot more to towing than just a motor. A Corvette ZR1 makes a bunch more torque than a V10 TDI....when was the last time you saw one towing?

A unibody, short-wheelbase SUV with a 7000# GVWR similar to a half-ton pickup is NOT going to compare to a 3/4-1 ton full-size truck over 9000#GVWR

Full frame to better distribute loads (and quick jabs/jolts)
Full-floating rear axle so weight-supporting bearings are separate from drive bearings
Rear ring gear that has mechanical leverage, thermal mass, and cooling capacity to handle high GCVWR
E-load range tires that are safer with weight load, lateral loads, and heat than passenger car tires
Brakes that have thermal mass, not just mechanical leverage
Steering, bearing, and suspension components that are meant for high GCVWR

There is a reason that a 112" wheelbase, 5,900 pound Touareg V10 TDI has a 7K lb GVWR (~1100 lb payload), and a 7,700 lb tow rating (616 lb tongue)

There is a reason why my 171" wheelbase, 6,100 pound Suburban 2500 has a 9K lb GVWR (~2900 lb payload), and a 12,500 lb tow rating (1250 lb tongue)


The Touareg is a fine tow rig, certainly up to the task of normal towing (car trailer, normal boat, normal travel trailer), but is NOT the "end-all be-all for towing" with an SUV or otherwise. It's not safe to tow much more with the Touareg than its rating. The diesel 3/4 ton pickups nearly double the Touareg TDI's capacity.....not even close to being in the same class.

 

[SOFME]

And I was just educated good sir

 

[TeCKis300]

Great post. For comparison's sake, I'm tossing the LC100's number in here:

112" wheelbase, 5,425 pound Land Cruiser 100 has a 6925K lb GVWR (~1500 lb payload), and a 6,500 lb tow rating (650 lb tongue)

Of note, an LC100 gets a tow rating of 7700lbs in Australia which is what the Toureg is rated for there as well.

There is a reason that a 112" wheelbase, 5,900 pound Touareg V10 TDI has a 7K lb GVWR (~1100 lb payload), and a 7,700 lb tow rating (616 lb tongue)

There is a reason why my 171" wheelbase, 6,100 pound Suburban 2500 has a 9K lb GVWR (~2900 lb payload), and a 12,500 lb tow rating (1250 lb tongue)

 

[fireball]

Thanks for the info thus far. We are still debating, not in a huge hurry so want to make sure we make the right decision. Would love to hear more from others who might have actually used their 100 to tow.

What do you tow?
How much does it weigh?
Terrain?
Mods to the 100 to help it tow better?

I am well aware that there are better choices for a tow vehicle out there. I had a '07 Tundra with the 5.7L In my original post I mentioned that we're looking for a jack of all trades: wife's DD, family hauler, grocery getter, weekend family adventure vehicle, green and easy blue trail capable off roader and ~6x year tow rig. That's a lot to ask of a single vehicle!

 

[TeCKis300]

I've towed my turbo Lexus 200 miles each way to the track on a U-Haul car trailer. Combo totaled a bit more than 6000lbs.

It was effortless, stable, and climbed medium grades hills with ease. I could recover speed and keep up with traffic without an issue.

I'm on slightly upsized tires (~33s), that wouldn't help towing really, but otherwise stock. AHC worked incredibly well to keep the LX level.

I regularly pull a 5000# boat with our 99 LC 4speed model. I find myself hard into the throttle on grades but it does it fine. Same boat with our old 06 LC 5speed VVT motor and now we are talking. On a 7% highway grade I can get knocked down to 35mph in traffic and pull back up to 65 mph with little issue. We had a small travel trailer for a while and it seemed move the LC around more then I liked. The biggest problem I have with towing with the LC is no good mirror extensions that I have found. I would be seriously interested if anyone knows of a set that work.

Awesome to hear the comparison between an early and late model year hundy. I suspected as much, based on my own experience with my '06, that it is a great tow vehicle. And that experiences from earlier years (non 5spd, non vvti), did not reflect the experience had in the later model years, specifically the '06 and '07.

 

[Chris Boyd]

As far as mods, I've gone to 863's in the rear and Timbrens to keep everything level while towing our adventure trailer. Heavily loaded 100 with drawers and RTT. I'm pretty happy with the way it tows. I've also added a brake controller to manage the trailer a bit more granularly when off road. I got this recommendation from a few other 100s guys who tow (JHarris)