All things Towing thread, weight, trailer type, etc..

[GTcamps]

We just got an 08 GX470 because of its towing capabilities, and the day after we brought it home.... I towed my new tent trailer. Its only about 2500 lbs, but was very satisfied. I am ordering a Tekonsha P3 to take advantage of the trailers electric brake. I used a 2” ball on 3 1/4” drop. I also have a 2” drop I might try next time. Stock airbags, only 85k miles, so hoping they stick around a while.

We replaced both a car-v and a ford e-350 with the gx470. We used the van for camping, and often had a light motorcycle on a hitch carrier. The GX and tent trailer will replace the van, but now I gotta figure out how to get the motor cycle to the camp site.

 

[GXO]

New trailer. 3300#. Still no issues with the valve body, trans cooler, etc.

 

[Nothinghead]

Sold the ~3600 lb dry (4500 lb GVWR) 22’ airstream last fall. Picked up this old 27’ airstream last weekend. It’s dry weight is supposedly 4575 on with a GVWR of 6500). I haven’t weighed it yet but instead of the 11-13mpg I used to get towing, I got 9 mpg on the interstate coming home. I might need to budget a re-gear into this.

 

[ngilbert]

Sold the ~3600 lb dry (4500 lb GVWR) 22’ airstream last fall. Picked up this old 27’ airstream last weekend. It’s dry weight is supposedly 4575 on with a GVWR of 6500). I haven’t weighed it yet but instead of the 11-13mpg I used to get towing, I got 9 mpg on the interstate coming home. I might need to budget a re-gear into this.View attachment 2241524

Hey Nothinghead. It looks like your pulling in the neighborhood of what I want to be pulling. I've got a 04 GX and I am looking to get a Apex UL 245BHS. The trailer is 24 ft long (27'6" total) with a dry weight of 4,584lb (advertised weight). I'll be using a e2 anti-sway hitch and I am shopping for a brake controller.

Got any pulling/gear/setup tips for a newbie?

Thanks,
Nick

 

[Nothinghead]

Hey Nothinghead. It looks like your pulling in the neighborhood of what I want to be pulling. I've got a 04 GX and I am looking to get a Apex UL 245BHS. The trailer is 24 ft long (27'6" total) with a dry weight of 4,584lb (advertised weight). I'll be using a e2 anti-sway hitch and I am shopping for a brake controller.

Got any pulling/gear/setup tips for a newbie?

Thanks,
Nick

Forget about 5th gear and the left lane. Be sure to tune your trailer brake controller and antisway hitch well (I assume the antisway is also a weight distributing hitch). More psi in your tires (are they 10-ply?) will help them from having too much side to side movement and keep them from heating up and failing.

I found that with the trailer, trips on the interstate were more comfortable than without. It carried better momentum, was flatter on curves and generally seemed smoother. That may have been the 65 mph instead of 80 but the difference is real. It does get pushed a bit by the wind from passing semis. Just anticipate some movement when going by.

if I could go back in time, I would have re-geared the diffs and maybe upgraded the transmission for better lock up in gears and firmer shifting. Still, I haven’t had any mechanical problems, just a transmission that won’t decide on a gear.

 

[ngilbert]

Forget about 5th gear and the left lane. Be sure to tune your trailer brake controller and antisway hitch well (I assume the antisway is also a weight distributing hitch). More psi in your tires (are they 10-ply?) will help them from having too much side to side movement and keep them from heating up and failing.

I found that with the trailer, trips on the interstate were more comfortable than without. It carried better momentum, was flatter on curves and generally seemed smoother. That may have been the 65 mph instead of 80 but the difference is real. It does get pushed a bit by the wind from passing semis. Just anticipate some movement when going by.

if I could go back in time, I would have re-geared the diffs and maybe upgraded the transmission for better lock up in gears and firmer shifting. Still, I haven’t had any mechanical problems, just a transmission that won’t decide on a gear.

Thanks for the info. I certainly won't be pushing it beyond 65mph and will not be utilizing 5th gear. My tires are not 10-ply. I'm currently running 4-ply Falken Wildpeaks (265 70/17 115T). It looks like they can handle the job, but I don't really know. What are your thoughts?

 

[z00t3ch]

My tires are not 10-ply. I'm currently running 4-ply Falken Wildpeaks (265 70/17 115T). It looks like they can handle the job, but I don't really know. What are your thoughts?

The GXs tow ratings are given with stock rubber, which are 4ply. 10ply tires are great offroad as they resist sidewall damage, but are certainly not a requirement for towing and are very heavy.

 

[fenwick]

Somewhat along these lines, I'll be towing a 4200 lb. boat (dry) and am leaning toward Cooper AT3s. The load range on the 4S (P) tire is sufficient, but I'm hesitant to go with a P for towing. They have two LT versions - C and E. I don't know that I need E, but oddly, the C load rating is lower than the 4S. Any recommendations?

 

[fenwick]

Somewhat along these lines, I'll be towing a 4200 lb. boat (dry) and am leaning toward Cooper AT3s. The load range on the 4S (P) tire is sufficient, but I'm hesitant to go with a P for towing. They have two LT versions - C and E. I don't know that I need E, but oddly, the C load rating is lower than the 4S. Any recommendations?

Got a response back from Cooper. Maybe this is common knowledge for others, but it was helpful for me. Here's what they said:

"Thank you for your email. The load rating on Light truck (LT) tires is decreased by 10% as a safety margin because it is assumed that these tires will be used in a loaded application. A load range C will have a stiffer sidewall and will also be a stiffer, harsher ride compared to the P/standard load tire. As long as you are within the load/towing limits of your vehicle and the P-rated/standard load tire meets your OE tire specification for load index, the Discoverer AT3 4S will be fine when you are towing your boat."

 

[jonshonda]

I have C-Rated BFG KO2 on mine towing our 19' camper that when loaded up is probably close to 4800lbs (3 big batteries, two full propane tanks, 4 bikes, all our s***, and 400lbs of water when the tank is full) and always tow at the max rated sidewall pressure (50psi for KO2). I opted for an Anderson WDH to keep the tongue weight down, and it has performed great. We have camped 45 times or so with it, and it tows great in all conditions but you will do yourself no favors if you don't take an active part in driving while towing. It's got a short wheelbase and a small V8, so you will wrestle with it from time to time. If you want to just set the cruise and go, you need a bigger truck.

I have an OBDII bluetooth reader with the torque app on my phone, and can monitor trans and water temps while driving to ensure it isn't getting too hot. I rarely use cruise control as I feel it hunts through the gears too much, and accelerate before reaching a hill to help get me over it w/o too much strain.

I am getting my transmission fluid exchanged tomorrow and will be curious if the trans temps change much, as the old fluid has 60k+ miles on it. I am also replacing the OEM bags (180k miles on them) with some Arnotts this weekend. Nothing wrong with the OEM one's I just depend on the truck too much to leave it up to chance/luck. I do plan on installing a larger transmission cooler if the trans temps don't change much after the exchange.

My wife and I agree that if the GX ever needs to be replaced, it will be with a newer Tundra. At some point we will want to keep traveling further and further away from home, and I don't know that I would want to do a cross country trip w/ the camper and the GX. Not that I don't trust it, but it would be a chore to drive all that distance while having to babysit the throttle. But I know that I will miss the physical size of the GX if/when I get a Tundra. Maybe a 200 series Landcruiser instead if I win the lottery?

 

[fenwick]

Thanks for the info. I'm probably only going to be towing an hour or two at a time. Ended up going with Continental TerrainContact A/Ts (supposed to be a bit better for highway driving and this is my wife's DD) and am pretty happy with them so far, but haven't towed yet. I'm planning on towing the boat for the first time this weekend, so we'll see how it goes!

Do you mind sharing which ODB2 reader you went with?

 

[Nothinghead]

We traded the older airstream to get our house painted and then my wife sent me to Scottsdale to pick up another one (my wife has a habit of buying trailers and then selling them for a loss).

GX is maxed out (2760# front and 3450# rear) with the heavier tongue weight (720#) and loaded trailer (4880#). The tongue weight will change once the lead batteries are gone, replaced with lithium under the bed.
It rode very well and we averaged 10.5 mpg @65-75 mph. ATF temps stayed in 190°s except when downshifting on passes around 6-7000’ when the got up to 210°. This was with ambient temps in the 30-50° range. I think I’ll need to put on a bigger cooler to get through the summer until the 22 turbo v6 tundra goes on sale.

 

[Clickws]

View attachment 1438124 this is how it looks

Just wanted to say your post was helpful seeing both Lexus and Toyota part number stamped on the tow bar hitch. I am here to confirm that the PT228-60540 is the correct part number for the GX470. Mine is a 2004 and had the 7 pin plug already under the car and it already had the bracket mounted to the rear most cross member to receive both tow hitch options they offer.

Part number PT228-89460 is the same exact thing but is for Toyota models (4Runner). Both of these are kits that include spacer plates in the middle, spacer plates at the frame rails on both sides, the 7 pin relocation bracket, and all necessary bolts/ hardware to install. It even comes with a cover plug insert but they are badged according to the part number.

So if you need a frame mounted tow hitch for a GX470 or a 4th Gen 4Runner, these part numbers are interchangeable. I found a better price on the Toyota part number however it was on national backorder. I utilized the the Lexus part number that was not on backorder and was able to get the pricing closely matched. Next day pickup.

Install instructions for both attached. Here's a video too that was helpful.

Put that in your smipe and poke it...

 

[GXGEEK]

Thanks VERY MUCH, amigos, for this thread and ESPECIALLY the last post!!!

 

[BukkakeAisu]

So.....my Prado didn't come with factory towing. I've been trying to figure out my best move for adding an aftermarket harness and boy do they make it convoluted. I think I understand but better to ask questions than screw this up.

First mistake, I already bought a 7pin flat/4pin OEM replacement from Hopkins thinking the truck had the towing package. I have no problem with cutting up and soldering the wiring on the unit I bought since that will be necessary on some level anyways...but appears I also need to buy and wire a "Tail Light convertor" in line to function correctly. Right?

Unless I'm not finding it, there are no OEM plug and play convertor setups for the GX/Prado/4Runners so I just need to buy something and splice it to the OEM wiring brake light/signals harness and then to the Hopkins 7/4pin connector unit?

All the convertors I can find seem to be only 4pin....since the trailers here are all 7pin, the other 3 pins need wiring for reverse, brake controller and marker lights, no light convertor needed for reverse and marker lights....right?

Rather than run all the wire and mount a brake controller, I like the idea of the bluetooth brake controller that fits inline between the truck and trailer (7pin flat male/female) so I need to run a 30A auxiliary to the brake controller pin. Would I be adding a relay that kicks in with AUX that pulls from the battery or am I overthinking that?

 

[BukkakeAisu]

Left side behind the jack, two lonely connectors....assuming this is what the OEM towing connector plugs into? Can anyone show me if that's right on their GX with towing package?

 

[Rednexus]

I don't typically revive older threads, but this seems to be the place to post.

We're considering getting a travel trailer (e.g., camper) with a dry weight in the 3,500-4,200- lb range. Most our our camping will probably be within a 3-hr radius of home (we live in the Ozarks with lots of short, steep hills and windy roads) but we'd also like to take some longer trips.

The question is, how tolerable is a longer tow with a GX and a trailer that is in the 4-4.5K # range when loaded? It would also be nice to be able to take a CO/UT trip loaded up, unless these things are just too short on power or wheelbase when loaded up to 1) deal with a windy 600-mile trip across the plains and 2) tackle a mountain pass without running WOT in 2nd gear. The GX is in tip-top shape mechanically and has a bigger aftermarket trans cooler already, but we haven't really towed more than 1,000 lbs with it. We'll get a weight distributing hitch and Redarc controller before getting a trailer. It already has the OEM 6,500 lb hitch and 7-pin connector installed.

Basically, we're not interested in upgrading tow vehicles at this point - so whatever trailer we gets needs to be towable by the GX without a huge amount of effort, including at least a couple of trips out west.

 

[Nothinghead]

I don't typically revive older threads, but this seems to be the place to post.

We're considering getting a travel trailer (e.g., camper) with a dry weight in the 3,500-4,200- lb range. Most our our camping will probably be within a 3-hr radius of home (we live in the Ozarks with lots of short, steep hills and windy roads) but we'd also like to take some longer trips.

The question is, how tolerable is a longer tow with a GX and a trailer that is in the 4-4.5K # range when loaded? It would also be nice to be able to take a CO/UT trip loaded up, unless these things are just too short on power or wheelbase when loaded up to 1) deal with a windy 600-mile trip across the plains and 2) tackle a mountain pass without running WOT in 2nd gear. The GX is in tip-top shape mechanically and has a bigger aftermarket trans cooler already, but we haven't really towed more than 1,000 lbs with it. We'll get a weight distributing hitch and Redarc controller before getting a trailer. It already has the OEM 6,500 lb hitch and 7-pin connector installed.

Basically, we're not interested in upgrading tow vehicles at this point - so whatever trailer we gets needs to be towable by the GX without a huge amount of effort, including at least a couple of trips out west.

Mine is lifted 2” and runs on 33s. We towed a 22 foot airstream single axle airstream 4500# over 5,000 miles through the Pacific Northwest, BC and Alberta over many mountain passes as well as multiple shorter trips here in Utah without any problems. Make sure your tires are inflated properly, your trailer brakes are well controlled and adjusted and you use a properly set up weight distributing hitch (best with sway control) and you should be fine.

Don’t go over the posted speed limit and swallow your pride/hang out in the right lane. You don’t need to get into a phallus measuring contest with all the diesel bros.

 

[Rednexus]

Mine is lifted 2” and runs on 33s. We towed a 22 foot airstream single axle airstream 4500# over 5,000 miles through the Pacific Northwest, BC and Alberta over many mountain passes as well as multiple shorter trips here in Utah without any problems. Make sure your tires are inflated properly, your trailer brakes are well controlled and adjusted and you use a properly set up weight distributing hitch (best with sway control) and you should be fine.

Don’t go over the posted speed limit and swallow your pride/hang out in the right lane. You don’t need to get into a phallus measuring contest with all the diesel bros.

Thanks! Out of curiosity, on one of those 10-mile, 6-7% mountain pass grades, what kind of speed/gear seems to work for the GX?

 

[Nothinghead]

usually, these high mountain passes are also on twisty roads and so posted 30-40 MPH in 2nd gear is fine.