Am I pushing the towing capacity? (1 Viewer)

[KNA]

Hello guys,

I just wanted to get some opinions from some owners that have towed with their Land Cruiser and to see if I'm setting myself up for failure with what I would like to do.

I have a 2017 Land Cruiser which has a 8100 lbs towing capacity.
I would like to tow my ATC aluminum trailer which weighs 3200 lbs and a GTR that weighs approximately 3800 lbs. The trailer is 24 foot enclosed. I have attached some images.

mathematically I should be ok , But I wanted to see if some of you would say that I'm pushing it and that I may feel unstable during transport.

I'm planning to purchase a Blue OX weight distribution hitch because it is necessary and evaluate this set up.

Thanks guys

 

[teambell]

Will you be adding a brake controller also? Eventually this becomes a wheelbase and comfort/pucker issue IMHO. Terrain, elevation change weather and potentially rear air bags also come to my mind in making a Go decision. Clearly you have towing experience!

Great pics!

 

[RET2]

A lot depends on the CG of your trailer ie: how you load it

 

[chilibit]

I tow a race trailer. I think you could do it but I, personally, would not do it on public roads. Trailers are magnets for wheels, winches, tool chests, awnings, chairs, coolers, generators and the list goes on.

 

[mcgaskins]

What kind of terrain will you be driving on? If you will be heading up windy mountain passes, I'd say stick with something longer wheelbase, but if you're on the plains and will be just cruising on arrow straight highways you should be fine with a weight distributing hitch and brake controller.

 

[Sandroad]

So here's some things to think about.

The flat front of the trailer will put extra strain on an already stressed drivetrain because of large frontal area. That may tip the balance against towing near the weight limit.

The Blue Ox WDH itself weighs quite a bit and will add to the tongue weight.

You may find tongue weight daunting (maybe close to 800 lbs?) in a heavy set up like that. WDH for sure and consider adding Airlift bags to the rear LC springs to aid in controlling all that weight.

Have you actually weighed the trailer and the car, or are you just going by advertised weights? There can be a big discrepancy
in those and it's pretty much always the advertised weights that are lower than actual.

What else will you be carrying in the trailer, what does that stuff weigh and where will it be loaded?

As you total things up, including what goes in the LC, make sure you don't exceed the GCVW.

Consider E-Rated tires on the LC

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Can you do it sure but, I think your hands will be sore after 1 hour. A real tow rig requires little more effort to drive with or without a trailer making your travel a much nicer and safer experience.

 

[NMNORSSE]

For example, a RAM 2500 with Cummings Diesel has a 25,000 lb tow capacity and would pull your loaded trailer almost without you noticing it was back there. You can get it with a brake controller, towing mirrors, factory rear air suspension (adjustable air bags), and trailer cams. Most of the manufacturers make something similar. For only a few trips a year you might be able to rent a truck built for towing for less then even buying a used one.

 

[Angelo1]

I would never pull anything longer than the LC with anything above 5000lbs. The LC is not designed for pulling trailers, it’s meant as an overland vehicle and mall cruiser in the snow. I would buy a F-250 Platinum with all the trailer upgrade goodies. I’ve towed my CLS63s on a flatbed car trailer with my previous 200 and it sucked going mountain passes. A week later used my buddies 250 King Ranch and that 6.7L diesel destroyed the mountains.

 

[Haggis]

I have a friend that regularly tows a 25ft Airstream International with no problems. He did add a brake controller unit.

 

[SWUtah]

I owned a Dodge duelly 4x4 CTD 6 speed manual that's what you need. Based on your pic's does not look like money is an issue but safety is always priority number #1. Get a big diesel truck as others have pointed out. PS- that new LC needs some BFG AT/KO's

 

[TeCKis300]

Wow, surprised at the lack of confidence in our 200-series.

From personal experience towing thousands of miles with my 28' Airstream rated at 7700 GVWR, and ~1k tongue weight, no problemo!

Absolutely steadfast stability with zero wiggles from even passing rigs. With almost 400hp/400tq on tap, power has never been close to an issue, even on extended 7% grades. Neither is engine braking.

Key in this is the hitch and setup. Sure, our wheelbase is on the shorter end, but I've not found that to be a limiting factor. Gotta make sure to keep enough tongue weight, and apply enough weight distribution to transfer weight to the front axle. Also, anything you can do to the stinger to keep the ball as close to the rear bumper will help. LT load range E tires would be a good mod.

Only knock if there is one is the small gas tank. Aux tank mod in my future.

My tow report - LX570 Tow Report

 

[GordJ]

Wow, surprised at the lack of confidence in our 200-series.

From personal experience towing thousands of miles with my 28' Airstream rated at 7700 GVWR, and ~1k tongue weight, no problemo!

Absolutely steadfast stability with zero wiggles from even passing rigs. With almost 400hp/400tq on tap, power has never been close to an issue, even on extended 7% grades. Neither is engine braking.

Key in this is the hitch and setup. Sure, our wheelbase is on the shorter end, but I've not found that to be a limiting factor. Gotta make sure to keep enough tongue weight, and apply enough weight distribution to transfer weight to the front axle. Also, anything you can do to the stinger to keep the ball as close to the rear bumper will help. LT load range E tires would be a good mod.

Only knock if there is one is the small gas tank. Aux tank mod in my future.

My tow report - LX570 Tow Report
View attachment 1569197

I agree. My ‘08 LC needed air bags to pull my 27’er up the Alaska Hwy and back and my ‘14 LX went to the Arctic Circle with the AHC. Your trailer looks like the Center of gravity will be quite a bit lower than the travel trailers and the axles are farther apart which will smooth out the up and down and puts the weight over the axles and not 15’ behind. I am lighter than you by about 1000 lb.s and I seldom exceed 60 mph on the roads up here. I went with the Michelin AT2’s for tires and am very happy with the 20” wheels on the LX. Over 10,000 actual miles towed.
IMO, you will have no problem hauling your trailer.

 

[Malleus]

I (irregularly) pull a 16' tandem axle stakebed with mine, frequently loaded between 6k-8k, with no real problems. I know the weights because I've verified them on commercial scales. The OEM brakes aren't up to the task though; this is documented in the owner's manual. Install a trailer brake controller, and you'll be fine. Full disclosure: I do not pull this load on any kind of inclines like those out west. I can't tell you how the truck would perform under those conditions. Also, your aerodynamics aren't going to be as good as mine, but that's more a performance and gas mileage problem, than a purely strength concern.

HTH

 

[linuxgod]

I've not towed a race trailer but I do have a 24', 5000# travel trailer.

If you're actually at 7000# and a 24' box (which is actually closer to 28' when you include the hitch) it's probably manageable. Mountain passes will suck, particularly if you lose speed, but flat lands and low grade hills/passes will likely be fine. You need a brake controller for anything over 3000# GVWR by law, and at the very least you'll need a good WD hitch and anti-sway.

That said, you need to get your trailer loaded on a scale as tools, spare tires, etc will quickly add up.

FWIW my 24' TT (including hitch) which is 5000# and about 600# of tongue weight is fine with my LC, aside from gas mileage. It's fine on flat lands and hills even with 34" tires (I regularly cruiser 70-75mph), but a couple mountain passes in Colorado this summer were a struggle, particularly when I got boxed in and had to drop down to ~25mph on one climb - getting back to 55 up a 7% grade took well over a minute. I've found I average about 10mpg @ 55mph, and the mileage drops about 1mpg per 5 mph.

 

[John E Davies]

I tow a 6000 lb 24 ft Oliver trailer and it is no problem. I towed the trailer before with a Ram 5.9 Cummins and it was absolutely effortless. The ONLY reason I bought a 200 is that the HD truck was beating us up so badly on bad roads and it was a horrible vehicle for exploring National Forests and rough passes.

I know my 200 will be a gutless pig at high altitude in comparison and I am willing to deal with that in exchange for its high comfort level and back country capabilities.

In your situation I would definitely be towing with a diesel HD truck. No question about it. The aero drag is the killer factor with your trailer, I hate to contemplate dragging that uphill at 6000 ft into a 30 mph headwind, or worse. My Ollie is heavy for its size but is low, highly aerodynamic, and only 7 ft wide. It makes a huge difference compared to your huge box.

You never told us where you live, if you plan to stick to Florida you will be OK.

John Davies
Spokane WA

 

[dnh1]

I tow my boat with my ride. It weighs a lot.

 

[TeCKis300]

I get the whole diesel truck thing, but for occasional towing of an enthusiast vehicle, the 200-series will surely suffice for motive power.

Even in the hills. Hear me out...

While everyone likes to talk about torque... at speed on the freeway, it's all about HP. I contest that a 381hp (401tq) 200-series can make it to the top of the hill, towing a load flat out, ahead of an F250 Super Duty Crew Cab @ 450hp (925tq), towing same said load.

It's the very definition of hp, to do work, and move loads up hills - "One unit of horsepower is equal to the power needed to lift 550 pounds one foot in one second"

But the F250 makes more hp... true, but it also has a curb weight of 8300lbs, vs 5750lbs for the LC. So say a trailer weighs 7000lbs.

LC (5750lbs) + trailer (7000lbs) / 381 hp = 33.46 lbs/hp
F250 (8300lbs) + trailer (7000lbs) / 450 hp = 34 lbs/hp

I don't need to know torque to figure out which setup has the power advantage.

Why, because power (hp) is a product of torque * gearing. hp = tq * rpm

Which gets to my other point. Gas motors are made to rev. Let her rev! It's a Toyota after all and own't hurt a thing. To 5600rpm for max hp. That lets you take advantage of hp and gearing to put the torque at the wheels. Which also means that some of us with big AT tires probably suffer from some gearing loss, and hence perceived performance. Stock sized tires will do better in this respect. The new 8-speed transmission will do better overall, and deal with upsized tires better as well.

I won't dismiss the advantages of diesel though. As it can be more relaxing to access grunt vs rpm to make the power necessary to haul the load. Also, as they are forced induction engines, they suffer from slightly less power loss at elevation. But then again, the 5.7 is a smooth motor. It bothers me not at all to let her rev on grades. I've never not been able to accelerate on a grade, and can definitely stay ahead of rigs as I wish (to burn gas!)

 

[whitey45]

You are endangering yourself and others with that load! Towing is all about common sense and being safe. To the above response, good lord you are confused, you are spewing wrong advice for how to properly tow a trailer. My guess is you do have not much towing experience and surely haven’t towed with a diesel.

 

[blatant]

Good thread here: Towing with a 200-series Toyota Land Cruiser