Towing max capacity with a 5th Gen 4runner

[Porkchopexpress]

I just moved about 1k miles towing a 12 foot uhaul loaded at max capacity (about 5k, maybe a little over) using a 5th gen 4runner and thought I would post the performance since I couldn't find anything before my trip.
-Acceleration was decent but you could definitely feel the weight. Especially up hills. Terrain was mostly flat with rolling hills. I think it would have struggled crossing a mountain range.
-Fuel economy was 14.5 to 14.9 on mostly flat terrain, light wind and 60 to 65 mph. I saw as low as 14.0 average on rolling hills at same speed and sometimes slowing up hill.
-Stability was good up to about 65. I got minor fish tailing above 65 in a turn or with wind gusts. My load distribution was probably pretty close to recommended, (60% up front).
-Ride height was pretty level. I have Bilstein shocks set to stock ride height so it usually sits nose low. I attached a photo below. You might also notice the hitch height is a bit low and the trailer rode nose low.
Overall I was comfortable driving at that weight but I wouldn't want to do it often or on mountain terrain or faster than 65 mph. I was a bit surprised how good the fuel economy was.

 

[Porkchopexpress]

 

[Dalko43]

5th gen is not a tow vehicle. It's a rugged 4x4 that has the ability to tow, if needed.

The 4.0l v6 paired with the 5-speed auto is a workhorse combination, but has its limits.
If I were towing 5k with any amount of regularity, I'd definitely consider a 1/2 ton truck. None of the current midsized trucks (except for the diesel Colorado) are really ideal for heavy towing.

Also, I'd be interested to know what your tongue weight and Gross Vehicle weight were. Sounds like the 4runner performed as needed, but you are definitely correct in that this vehicle is not ideal for heavy towing up and down elevation.

 

[Porkchopexpress]

I didn't measure the tongue weight, maybe 450lbs of people pets and suitcases in the truck. I was probably a little over gvwr but you can see from the picture that it didn't compress the rear suspension too bad. I agree the short wheelbase and low HP handicap the 4runner's towing capabilities. It is body on frame so I think its a pretty good choice for light towing, especially compared to unibody SUVs of similar size.

 

[billiebob]

youtube says wheelbase has little to do with stability when you see all the HD QuadCabs crashing with travel trailers.
I actually prefer how quick a short wheelbase can react.

 

[calicamper]

Short wheel base reacts really fast! Heck even my shorter wheelbase MT Bike sucked big time on down hill stuff vs my longer wheelbase bike. Sucked so bad I sold it.

 

[Adam_Cole]

youtube says wheelbase has little to do with stability when you see all the HD QuadCabs crashing with travel trailers.
I actually prefer how quick a short wheelbase can react.

I haul travel trailers for a living, and speaking from experience a longer wheelbase provides more stability when towing. I drive 2 different trucks through out the year; a Chevy 3500 dually crew cab long bed and a Chevy 3500 dually single cab short box. The crew cab is way more stable when towing compared to the single cab, especially when faced with side wind gusts and passing semis. Even smaller 25ft travel trailers can shake the rear end of the single cab where the crew cab long bed doesn’t even budge.
I drive 13-16k miles a month and would much rather have the longer wheelbase for the stability.


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[billiebob]

I haul travel trailers for a living, and speaking from experience a longer wheelbase provides more stability when towing. I drive 2 different trucks through out the year; a Chevy 3500 dually crew cab long bed and a Chevy 3500 dually single cab short box. The crew cab is way more stable when towing compared to the single cab, especially when faced with side wind gusts and passing semis. Even smaller 25ft travel trailers can shake the rear end of the single cab where the crew cab long bed doesn’t even budge.
I drive 13-16k miles a month and would much rather have the longer wheelbase for the stability.


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No arguement but I'm betting the big difference is you pay attention. I drove for a living too and maybe a long wheelbase was a more comfortable ride but since I paid attention and drove like a professional I loved the shorter wheelbase because the vehicle reacts faster to inputs I choose to input. Things like passing semis, I anticipate the turbulance...... which is likely the thing drivers of diesel duallys who lose control do not do.

Wheelbase is not a free ride card. Short wheelbase just makes it more obvious you must pay attention.

 

[Porkchopexpress]

From the etrailer website, "...the longer wheelbase the truck has, the more stable the truck will be while towing. As a general rule, the vehicle's wheelbase should be at least half of the distance from the center of the trailer's rearmost axle to the center of the coupler."

Obviously you just have to be deliberate when matching your load to a tow vehicle. Short wheelbase like a 4runner is fine and maybe even more enjoyable to drive with light loads in a small trailer. I wanted to share how my 4runner performed pushing the maximum recommend limit so it would be easier for members to plan their own set up. I did notice a little bit of fishtailing above 65 mph while I have hauled similar loads in a half ton pickup at higher speeds and no fishtailing, (maybe 75 mph).

 

[Adam_Cole]

No arguement but I'm betting the big difference is you pay attention. I drove for a living too and maybe a long wheelbase was a more comfortable ride but since I paid attention and drove like a professional I loved the shorter wheelbase because the vehicle reacts faster to inputs I choose to input. Things like passing semis, I anticipate the turbulance...... which is likely the thing drivers of diesel duallys who lose control do not do.

Wheelbase is not a free ride card. Short wheelbase just makes it more obvious you must pay attention.

The only thing I like about the shorter wheelbase is the turning radius. I pay attention the same in either truck, just have work harder to keep the short wheelbase Silverado going straight down the road.


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[20DYNAMITE07]

I tow a travel trailer with my 4Runner... (a Casita 17). The Casita clocks in around 3300 to 3500 lbs fully loaded. The 4Runner tows it really nicely, but I wouldn't really want to tow anything much bigger.

 

[Porkchopexpress]

I finally did the math on the weight tickets I got and total load including the trailer and everything inside the truck including a full tank of gas was about 5,600 lbs. I'm guessing that's 5,200 towing and 400 inside, (I was not included so that would be another 230 lbs).

 

[Adam_Cole]

I finally did the math on the weight tickets I got and total load including the trailer and everything inside the truck including a full tank of gas was about 5,600 lbs. I'm guessing that's 5,200 towing and 400 inside, (I was not included so that would be another 230 lbs).

Glad you made it safely. Just don’t forget there are other people traveling down the same highways as you; it would be unfortunate for you to lose control of your overloaded vehicle and get in an accident. I’ve seen it happen countless times and unfortunately it usually affects other drivers around them.


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[edd M42]

Short wheel base reacts really fast! Heck even my shorter wheelbase MT Bike sucked big time on down hill stuff vs my longer wheelbase bike. Sucked so bad I sold it.

Seeing videos like this scare me. What caused this to happen? Was the trailer to heavy for the jeep? Was the trailer to long compared to the tow vehicle?

I have a small off road trailer and have a few trips under my belt, but I am far from experienced and would definitely want to prevent something like this from happening to me.

 

[Porkchopexpress]

Glad you made it safely. Just don’t forget there are other people traveling down the same highways as you; it would be unfortunate for you to lose control of your overloaded vehicle and get in an accident. I’ve seen it happen countless times and unfortunately it usually affects other drivers around them.

Max GVWR is 6300, max tow is 5000 with about 500 on the hitch. That is a total of 10,800 and my total was 10,340. I wasn't over loaded.