Towing a 16ft Airstream with a 4runner? Other alternatives?

[silentwinter]

Thanks for the input, everyone!

Okay, not a 4runner, then. Likely getting a truck.

As for why airstream specifically -- it's the only camping trailer I've found where I like the interior and exterior design. Design is very subjective and this is by no means an objective judgment on other campers! I also never thought airstreams were "cool" or anything of the sort. Just, when stepping into one, it felt nice and I could see myself spending time there. Living Vehicle would be the dream of course, but I can't afford that.

I'll likely avoid extreme weather, by the way. I'm thinking Summer in Alaska, Winter in CA.

 

[hobie17li]

speaking of Tales of Wanderlust: very capable woman and such but she was lucky enough and a lot
of hard work to get a Northern lite 6-10 TC and then got a Tundra which needed a spacer under the
camper. She did a lot of mods etc. She drilled a tie down hole through back parking assist sensor and
had all sorts of problems and finally got rid of the Tundra and got a 3500 Ram now she has an overly
big truck and may be tempted to get a bigger camper? just my guess. see how these things snowball.
I had a Stephan camper that I crossed the country with and then lived in for 3 years back in the 70s.
also had a Skamper 72 on a Tacoma, and then on a Dodge Tacoma, and then a small Hybrid Starcraft
TravelStar. all different compromises..

 

[calicamper]

Thanks for the input, everyone!

Okay, not a 4runner, then. Likely getting a truck.

As for why airstream specifically -- it's the only camping trailer I've found where I like the interior and exterior design. Design is very subjective and this is by no means an objective judgment on other campers! I also never thought airstreams were "cool" or anything of the sort. Just, when stepping into one, it felt nice and I could see myself spending time there. Living Vehicle would be the dream of course, but I can't afford that.

I'll likely avoid extreme weather, by the way. I'm thinking Summer in Alaska, Winter in CA.

I do find the Airstreams some offer fairly comfortable living space. I’m eyeing the 23D / 23CB and 23FB with interest. The duel axle setup for weight carrying ability ie more durability than the singles, the seating area is better configured for lounging use vs occasional weekend short trips. Quality is mehh all the brands have pluses and negatives. They do dent easily which is a negative. Because of their heavy tongue weight trend and smoother exterior they do tend to tow better which is a positive.

I like the 25 but its right on the edge of getting too big to shoe horn into tight NP sites making it just that much harder to find a spot when traveling but definitely has positives over the 23. The 23 would match my Heavy tow Expedition nicely the 25 would be a weight diet constant factor to stay in the happy zone for the Expedition 1700lb payload 9200lb max.

The 23’s land in the 5000-6000lb range and can get into the 700lb tongue weight which is definitely getting heavy for challenging routes regardless of tow vehicles..

If you do go Airstream definitely find one with the exterior window awnings not all have them. But they make a world of difference in livability especially in warm locations?

 

[Pablo1967]

I'm considering the idea of living out of a 16 ft Airstream and need something to tow it. The vehicle must also be a good trailhead access car -- currently I have a Wilderness Outback and it's perfect for my needs (but of course cannot tow that well.)

The 16 ft Bambi and Basecamp are both 3500 lbs GVWR, 3000/2650 base weight respectively.

It sounds like Basecamp can be done with a 4runner (Tails of Wanderlust youtube). I've even seen 20 ft trailers towed by 4runners (and not necessarily the v8 version), though I don't know how well that works over mountain passes.

But, is it efficient or recommended, particularly in places like the Rockies or Colorado?

The nice thing about a 4runner is, when I inevitably decide to settle down again, I can keep it as my only vehicle. It's great for trailhead access / roof tent adventures, and still not *too* big.
On the other hand, perhaps it's worth it to just get something just for towing since this would be my life for the foreseeable future. Something with more towing capacity would also open up the possibility of switching to a 20ft trailer in the future.

I'm open to other ideas as well, perhaps a Tundra. Ideal would be -- can tow a 20 ft (5000 GVWR) trailer without issues, no/minimal leather interior, under 50k, smaller is better, and nice interior design.
That last one is very subjective but I like the Tundra's interior. Not a rule but am not the biggest fan of the interiors in American cars -- prefer Japanese or European. Willing to compromise if needed.

FWIW, I've towed my 2019 Airstream 22'FB tens of thousands of miles throughout the west with a 2014 and now a 2021 Tacoma double cab. Both vehicles had builds and suspensions thought out and upgraded with towing the Airstream in mind. Brakes were upgraded too. Everything is, ultimately, a compromise, but the Tacoma works well for me. I'm using 66% of rated tow capacity. My truck is right at GVWR when hitched up (including an Alucab Gen 3.1 RTT not shown in pic). Use your local CAT scales to dial in your configuration and loading. I also prefer to close-couple hitch and use a Gen-Y Mega Hitch versus a weight-distribution set-up. I don't exceed 65mph. I've lived full-time in my Airstream since I bought it new.

 

[calicamper]

FWIW, I've towed my 2019 Airstream 22'FB tens of thousands of miles throughout the west with a 2014 and now a 2021 Tacoma double cab. Both vehicles had builds and suspensions thought out and upgraded with towing the Airstream in mind. Brakes were upgraded too. Everything is, ultimately, a compromise, but the Tacoma works well for me. I'm using 66% of rated tow capacity. My truck is right at GVWR when hitched up (including an Alucab Gen 3.1 RTT not shown in pic). Use your local CAT scales to dial in your configuration and loading. I also prefer to close-couple hitch and use a Gen-Y Mega Hitch versus a weight-distribution set-up. I don't exceed 65mph. I've lived full-time in my Airstream since I bought it new.

Whats your guess on upgrade costs which don’t change load rating? $8000 ish?

 

[Pablo1967]

Whats your guess on upgrade costs which don’t change load rating? $8000 ish?

My experience is limited to the double cab Tacoma platform V6 4wd with factory tow package. $8k would be plenty ample but it can be done for much less. IMO, the Achilles heel of the stock truck seems to be the rear suspension leaf packs, especially if you plan to tow. Even lightly loaded factory suspensioned Tacomas tend to squat. At a minimum, replace the OEM leafs with appropriately rated packs to handle coach mfr published hitch weight plus truck bed cargo with margin. Air bags would be ideal as well. They allow you to tailor the spring rate to the majority of driving you'll do versus the minority towing and also level the truck, if required. Personally, I went with an Aussie brand for leaf packs and US-made bags. As I said, this is a minimum approach and I did much more to my vehicle as it serves as an overlander when I'm boondocking the Airstream. While good equipment choices are important, especially when compromising with a Tacoma or 4rnr as a tow vehicle, more important is to understand tow vehicle/trailer loading and dynamics while undeway. CAT scales are invaluable as is not getting in a hurry.

 

[Porkchopexpress]

To clarify, late model 4runners have coil springs in the rear.

 

[calicamper]

All my Tacoma buddies move up primarily for one reason. Braking power can’t be made better and they all seemed to migrate to heavier loads especially as they did longer farther trips.

 

[Over The Silent Planet]

This is the Toyota section, so I hope people don’t get too upset if I post this here: I would go with a 2nd Gen tundra. These positively prehistoric trucks are capable of being ridden hard and put up wet for hundreds of thousands of miles. The trucks that went a million miles with no issues ran heavy loads beyond their ratings with no fuss.

I’m not advocating for going beyond your limits. But if you’re towing <7k lb into remote places, there is nothing else I would trust more.

The downside is fuel economy (in reality, it’s only a few mpg behind the rest of the segment when unloaded and does much better comparatively while towing) and available payload rating. The plus side is that It is the least likely to strand you or have any issues. It also has the best turning radius and visibility and is a great mild off-roader, especially out west where the trails aren’t too tight for full size trucks. It is overbuilt and underrated.

If you’re stuck on using an SUV, a clean early 200 series would be my recommendation.

 

[bkg]

pet peeve...

when narrow vehicles tow wide campers... and the owners don't consider visibility.

Not saying a 4runner won't work... I just personally would never do it.

 

[JayOtheMountains]

What I don't understand is that no one has mentioned upgrading the suspension of the 4runner to handle the expected load. They come pretty well appointed stock, but if you're planning on any hauling you should look into beefier coil-overs and shocks in the rear, at the minimum.

I'm upgraded and have no issue towing under spec rating. But I wouldn't do a long-term live-out of with a 4runner towing a large trailer, there are better tow vehicles for long-term living. For week/weekends it's suitable and gives you an adequate platform to start from. There are better options tailored to be towing-specific platforms. You have to sacrifice performance in some area when accommodating for wanted utility in other areas. I.E. Off-road performance being paramount may mean a smaller, nimble trailer. Camp comfort, you're going to sacrifice off road performance to a rig that can haul that 35' slide-out.

I don't think anyone in this thread can tell OP what they actually NEED based on your personal requirements paralleling what the OP really wants. Without unlimited budget or funds you have to compromise somewhere.

 

[vintageracer]

Buy the Bambi AS camper. The Basecamps have had problems and the resale value is crap compared to the Bambi.

A properly equipped 4runner will do just fine with a Bambi. The Bambi has trailer brakes and is well within the 5K towing of the 4runner. IF fuel mileage is a huge concern you need to find another way to live.

All this doom and gloom above over towing with a 4runner. No wonder the world is going to schidt. Everyone is a pessimist!

 

[billiebob]

It sounds like Basecamp can be done with a 4runner

Yes, not sure about living indefinitely out of it but the Basecamp is the tiniest Airstream and pretty skinny to fit behind the Toyota. But you will quickly overload the FourRunner before you fill it.

For the Bambi, a full width trailer I'd start with a full size North American pickup... like the F150.

Ot is way more enjoyable to tow with a bigger truck than to max out a smaller truck. And often a bigger truck not always stressed out will deliver better gas milage than a smaller truck pushed to the limit.

 

[tlrols]

I have a 3rd Gen and 4th Gen V8 4Runner. No way would I want to tow in the mountains with a V6…even a 4.0 liter (mine is a 3.4 liter with 4.88 gears). The V8 tows my 2200 pound Aframe trailer rather well in the mountains of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. I get 13 mpg doing it with the V8. That is a 3 to 4 mpg hit.

The Airstream Bambi sure isn’t light. As others have said you might want a full sized pickup with a diesel or big displacement gasoline. You want 300 plus foot-pounds of torque.

I try to tow at half my rigs rating. My V8 4Runner is tow rated at 7,000 pounds and I find staying below 3500 pounds makes towing pleasurable.

 

[calicamper]

I have a 3rd Gen and 4th Gen V8 4Runner. No way would I want to tow in the mountains with a V6…even a 4.0 liter (mine is a 3.4 liter with 4.88 gears). The V8 tows my 2200 pound Aframe trailer rather well in the mountains of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. I get 13 mpg doing it with the V8. That is a 3 to 4 mpg hit.

The Airstream Bambi sure isn’t light. As others have said you might want a full sized pickup with a diesel or big displacement gasoline. You want 300 plus foot-pounds of torque.

I try to tow at half my rigs rating. My V8 4Runner is tow rated at 7,000 pounds and I find staying below 3500 pounds makes towing pleasurable.View attachment 748549

I have noticed all the out west experienced tow types end up going this way regarding sticking as close as they can to 1/2 ish the max rating. I think we all have done the long, big climbs in hot, windy conditions or the big head winds in 100 degree temps etc. Nothing worse than being in vehicle preservation mode and not sure if you’ll make it to the destination without cooking it. Been there done that a few times. The max fully loaded 80% rule or less definitely carries allot of respect from experienced RV types.