96 FZJ80 Cross Country Towing. GOOD or BAD idea

[rbeachjr]

Hey everyone, first time on the forum. I have a 96 LC with 100k miles on it and a 25' Terry Torus Camper 4500 pounds. Im adding airbags to the front and rear shocks, new electric braking system, hitch rated for 7k pounds, and a weight distribution + sway control system. I'm also planning to updated my brakes and oil cooler.

We are in no rush, and plan to stay away from the mountains for the most part. The plan is to try and stay in lower elevations, park, then drive up into the mountains with out the camper. Driving from Brooklyn to LA over a month long period.

Looking for some advise or experience with this.

 

[jfz80]

Welcome to the Mud madness !

Doable but probably not too fun... will be a tiring drive requiring your best attention.
You have the right equipment which is a great start but its going to be a slow journey.
Stay well rested and dont be in a rush or push the vehicle beyond its limits. Thats a big/heavy trailer for the 80. But if your 80 is stock youll have a better time at it than most of us here.

 

[rbeachjr]

Excited to be here! Thanks for responding @jfz80. My wife loves this LC, she grew up in it and her parents barely drove it though, hence the low miles. My issues is I have been renovating the Trailer and don't really want to sell it for a smaller one, nor do I want to sell the LC. My concern is f-ing up the LC. And yes its totally stock other then some 30 tires for a little hight and a new paint job.

 

[Brentbba]

Airbags in the rear coils I presume, not shocks, should be sufficient for a 4500lb trailer, besides, if you read your owners manual, Mr. Toyota doesn't recommend weight distribution hitches. That being said, I did use one on a 4000lb trailer for awhile before switching to airbags. When you install the airbags, just be sure to plumb them separately so you don't get air transfer from side to side as weight shifts. Why are you putting airbags in the front too? Good that you'll be avoiding mountains when possible because you won't set any land speed records uphill and even worse at altitude! I sucked wind with my '94 just going up to 4500' altitude towing this kind of weight. 35-45 mph at best and just pray that you don't have to lift off the skinny pedal for any reason on the climb! Getting back up to any speed is even worse.

Oh and Official Mud Welcome!

 

[rbeachjr]

@Brentbba I just read somewhere that if you go with a weight distribution system having airbags in the rear as well as front can't hurt, only help, maybe just over kill? Yah, the climbing is what scares me, obvs.

 

[Brentbba]

Been towing a very long time and never have heard of airbags in the front coils. Guess it's doable tho. Airlift offer them? Install in the rear is easy. Do some reading in the trailer tech section and search on weight distribution hitches and airbags. Lots of great info there. You'll find a wealth of info on electric brake controllers as well! Consensus is the Tekonsha Prodigy IIRC.

 

[lcgeek]

We are in no rush

As long as you remember that you said that and really believe it - then the 80 will be almost acceptable for dragging that trailer across the country. In the past I talked myself into pulling trailers with the 80 thinking I could convince myself slow was ok. Even as much as I love the 80, and would prefer to have it wherever I go, nowadays I always choose a different tow vehicle, just not worth the hassle. ymmv.

 

[ZackR]

I'm just visualizing that distance and towing that trailer (shaped like a brick) and don't think I could talk myself into it. Seems like you are on the right track safety wise and I'm sure it will make it but it will be slow.

Before committing to a cross country voyage you might want to try something a few hundred miles from home to get a taste of what it will be like.

 

[Brentbba]

Another thing to consider is your gas budget. I know it's much cheaper just about everywhere besides Kalifornia, but plan on about 8mpg!

 

[JeepinPete]

Last summer my family went on a two week road trip from PA up through NH and back. Drug a camper along too. 12k lbs for the entire rig, weighed at the local truck scale:

Stock gearing, 37" tires, 270k on the odo. It spent a lot of time in first and second gear running at 4k rpm. We averaged 8mpg on that trip. You will have the advantage of stock size tires and a much fresher engine, but the disadvantage of a lot more wind resistance. We also have no where near the elevation to deal with.

Toyota does not recommend weight distribution rigs due to the LSPV. No sag in the rear = no increase in rear braking while towing. I run air bags in the rear which work very well, but I have also eliminated the LSVP and ABS due the tire size. I will probably add a weight distribution setup to our camper this year.

 

[Rifleman]

Another thing to consider is your gas budget. I know it's much cheaper just about everywhere besides Kalifornia, but plan on about 8mpg!

Make sure you bring your favorite gas credit card, because you'll be making lots of stops.

 

[Landseer]

If you haven't already done so a cooling system overhaul and transmission fluid flush would be good ideas.

 

[rbeachjr]

Thanks everyone! Its a tough choice, I really want to have both worlds. The LC I've spent time working on and the Trailer I'ver spent time working on.

 

[Funner]

Is this a round trip vacation or a relocation?

 

[rbeachjr]

@Funner relocation, was planning on living in the camper for a 3-6 months once we arrive in LA from Brooklyn. And planned to spend a month on the road. Drive somewhere, stop explore, move on again.

 

[Brentbba]

@Funner relocation, was planning on living in the camper for a 3-6 months once we arrive in LA from Brooklyn. And planned to spend a month on the road. Drive somewhere, stop explore, move on again.

Oh Good! Another homeless person from a cold northern state setting up trailer residence in LA! Just kidding!! There's a great homeless trailer encampment near LAX right now.

 

[rbeachjr]

Oh Good! Another homeless person from a cold northern state setting up trailer residence in LA! Just kidding!! There's a great homeless trailer encampment near LAX right now.

HA!

 

[HardyDanger]

It spent a lot of time in first and second gear running at 4k rpm

So that's the second or third time I've heard this advice.

I.e. Drive the 80 like a boat motor. Wind it up and let it rip along in 2nd. Presumably, that applies to chugging up a long hill in the mtns or in the soft stuff, trailer or not. It just counter intuitive to any "car" I've ever driven.

But I'm a believer, I did it last weekend 40 miles in second at 3500rpm. So total noob question is, what makes this feasible in the LC?

 

[Grench]

Hey everyone, first time on the forum. I have a 96 LC with 100k miles on it and a 25' Terry Torus Camper 4500 pounds. Im adding airbags to the front and rear shocks, new electric braking system, hitch rated for 7k pounds, and a weight distribution + sway control system. I'm also planning to updated my brakes and oil cooler.

We are in no rush, and plan to stay away from the mountains for the most part. The plan is to try and stay in lower elevations, park, then drive up into the mountains with out the camper. Driving from Brooklyn to LA over a month long period.

Looking for some advise or experience with this.

You have the right idea - including the load distribution system. Yes, I know that Toyota does not recommend them on a stock setup. However, Toyota also did not include a trailer braking system.

Airbags alone are a false assurance. They fix the 'look' but actually decrease the stability by raising the fulcrum point (rear axle) without adding any additional downforce to the front axle. The front axle lift from a heavy hitch decreases handling and can cause the front wheels to skid & skip around during turning and can be outright dangerous at highway speeds. Just jacking up the rear end to compensate for height lost to trailer tongue weight does nothing to solve the then unloaded front axle.

A properly set up load distribution system pushes that downforce from the rear wheels forward to the front axle and helps keep it on the ground. The rear end comes up a bit, the front end goes down a lot. The drawback is that it gives a false unloaded signal to the LSPV as the vehicle is 'flat'. Having a properly set up trailer brake controller and good trailer brakes counters the LSPV drawback significantly.

Either way, the end result is outside of specs for an 80 series US Land Cruiser. You're crossing into that realm of your own choosing and should weigh advice accordingly. None of us are going to pick up the bill if/when your rig jack knifes (unloaded front axle) or breaks (too much weight on one or both axles).

 

[gandrimp]

If you love your 80, don't do it. I could not imagine pulling a trailer that far in some of the cross winds you will undoubtedly experience. Hill's not mountains will make to rethink your decision. Be safe.