Can I tow this?

[markthegrea]

I'm a towing noob.

This is a 25' camper. I have a 2010 GX460 with a hitch. It is going from Peoria Illinois to Arkansas and back. Just once. Your thoughts?

 

[GrizzlyClint]

What's the weight?

 

[Bang Bang]

Weight of the camper? Tongue weight? Do the axles have brakes and does the GX have a brake controller? How much stuff (in weight) are you putting in the camper? Same question for the GX (include the weight of the passengers). All that goes into answering your question. But I will say, with a trailer that large, you will be the tail wagging the dog if you get into any high crosswinds. Also, plan to get only like 7 - 9 mpg pulling that thing.

 

[Rednexus]

6,500# is the max towing weight for a GX. IMO, anything over 5,000# is not going to be "fun" or easy to drive....but is within the limits of the vehicle. That 25' camper is probably bumping up over the 5,000# mark, but should have a sticker on it somewhere to verify. Don't' forget to account for gear you haul in the camper.

Assuming you're in that weight bracket, you'd need to have the OEM 6,500# hitch and trailer wiring, a trailer brake controller, weight distribution hitch with sway control, tack-on extended mirrors to see past the trailer, and a OBD2 dongle and app to read transmission temperatures. The weight distribution hitch requires trial and error to set up and dial. Yes, your GX might have airbags, but these still tow better with a good WDH.

Depending on where you are going in AR and how you get there, you may run into a lot of hills. The A760F does not lock up in 3rd gear or below (and you will need 3rd gear to get that up steep hills), so you can very quickly get the transmission hot. On the flats, I'd planning on running in 4th gear at 60-65 mph and staying out of 5-6 gears unless you're going downhill. You'll get buzzed all day by fast traffic on the interstate.

GX's can be good tow rigs - mine is for a low-profile 4,000# loaded camper - but it requires some trial and error to get them really dialed right.

 

[r2m]

I'm a towing noob.

This is a 25' camper. I have a 2010 GX460 with a hitch. It is going from Peoria Illinois to Arkansas and back. Just once. Your thoughts?

View attachment 3542104

It's all about weight and of course all the other suggestions made above.
If you're around your weight limit, and considering there aren't any mountain ranges to cross or severe grades from Il to AK, I'd say you'll be fine. Wouldn't go to AK via the Rockies...
Just don't push your cruising speed, keep it at and not much more than the posted speed, or under 70 mph.
If you have a OBDII Bluetooth dongle, you can monitor your engine and both trans temperatures in real time as you're diving for peace of mind. Myself and a few others on this forum use this and works great! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JFRFJG6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Again, the above being said if you're at or near the recommended towing weight.

 

[aztoytec]

A good transmission cooler would also be on the list!

 

[markthegrea]

All great info. We are going to weigh it soon.

I do not have airbags. I don’t think my rig ever had them. Can’t find the pump or wires for it.

 

[Rednexus]

All great info. We are going to weigh it soon.

I do not have airbags. I don’t think my rig ever had them. Can’t find the pump or wires for it.

You'll 100% need the weight distribution hitch then, which can cost several hundred dollars.

 

[r2m]

All great info. We are going to weigh it soon.

I do not have airbags. I don’t think my rig ever had them. Can’t find the pump or wires for it.

If you don't have the "premium" or "luxury" trim levels, no you won't have the adjustable rear suspension.

 

[Arailt]

I drove through Arkansas when I moved from PA to TX. I don't recommend doing it without a trailer. You'll find smoother highways in Gaza.

 

[woodsy460]

I'm guessing the empty weight on that trailer is somewhere around 4000-5000 lbs.

There is no way I would tow that any significant distance with a GX460.

 

[Rednexus]

I'm guessing the empty weight on that trailer is somewhere around 4000-5000 lbs.

There is no way I would tow that any significant distance with a GX460.

We tow 4K with our GX all the time - up to 700 miles in a single day - and comfortably. They can absolutely do it, it just takes the trial and error to get things dialed. Honestly ours rides almost better than empty with the camper and WDH putting some of the mass on the front wheels.

5K would be pushing it for me though....at that point you'd be in the slow lane quite a bit, especially with a big sail of a camper (ours is low-profile).

 

[URJ150L]

I occasionally tow a 3000 lb low profile off-road style pop up and that’s about it for me

 

[markthegrea]

The facts:

GX460 with us in it: 5860lbs
GX460 with trailer and us in it: 10520

ergo, Trailer: 4660lbs

Seemed to have plenty of horsepower to pull it. We have an interstate nearby and we drove it on there. 65 easy. We plan to install a brake controller and mirrors. We also can flip the hitch to bring the trailer up 5".

Keep in mind, this is a one time trip. No mountains.

 

[Rednexus]

You really need a WDH with that setup - that may be fine on flat IL interstates but can be dangerous otherwise. Flipping the hitch may get the trailer up but will still result in the majority of the tongue weight sitting on your rear axle, taking weight off the front axle and making steering more difficult. The trailer and rig should both be sitting level - I used a tape measure to dial mine in perfectly (wheel well height). Otherwise, the weight is in the wrong place. You can tweak the ball position vertically and number of links in the WDH chains to perfectly dial in.

Your WDH setup also really needs to have sway control on it - if you get into a sway situation (say after making a panic maneuver or hitting a set of ruts in the interstate), the trailer can really push your short wheelbase SUV around, especially if you are not experienced towing.

If you're just doing one trip, you can buy this stuff cheaply at HF.

10,000 lb. Capacity Weight-Distributing Hitch

Amazing deals on this 10000Lb Weight Distributing Hitch System at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

Trailer Sway Control Kit

Amazing deals on this Trailer Sway Control Kit at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[aztoytec]

That looks unsafe. Too much tongue weight. Go rent a U haul or a truck. It’s not worth it.

 

[rav8]

The facts:

GX460 with us in it: 5860lbs
GX460 with trailer and us in it: 10520

ergo, Trailer: 4660lbs

Seemed to have plenty of horsepower to pull it. We have an interstate nearby and we drove it on there. 65 easy. We plan to install a brake controller and mirrors. We also can flip the hitch to bring the trailer up 5".

Keep in mind, this is a one time trip. No mountains.



View attachment 3543224

I wouldn't drive it more than a few miles like that. You'll hate it the whole drive. Probably get worse if you flip the hitch to the high side.

I use one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Andersen-3350-Weight-Distribution-Hitch44/dp/B006X21B0M

It doesn't add much weight, does both weight distribution and sway control. It will keep both your GX and the camper riding level and with all four of your tires carrying the load evenly. Nice thing is that you can use it on pretty much any trailer after you are done with this trip.

I wouldn't have any hesitation pulling it with mine (using the Andersen hitch) but the GX has a pretty short wheelbase and that camper is a long sail. Wind is going to try to murder you. I've been there and hate the feeling. Best of luck and be safe.

*Edited to add that I also use a Tekonsha brake controller, aftermarket transmission cooler, SG2 (for monitoring trans fluid temps) and I stay in manual shift mode, never going past 5th gear.

 

[woodsy460]

I'm guessing the empty weight on that trailer is somewhere around 4000-5000 lbs.

There is no way I would tow that any significant distance with a GX460.

There is no doubt you could tow it with the proper equipment (WDH, TBC).

Your picture is a perfect example of why you need a WDH. Towing like that is asking for trouble.

What I said is there is no way I would do it. Even with the proper equipment I wouldn't want to subject a nice clean 13 year old GX to that. Your next thread could be "Why is my transmission acting funny".

If it were me, I'd rent a Suburban or equivalent and have a nice relaxing trip towing well under the max towing limit.

To put things into context, I am a hillbilly from Ohio. I have certainly towed trailers that were over the max tow limit without a WDH and maybe even brakes. But I am older now and slightly less stupid. At my advanced age, If I am going on a trip, especially with family on board, I want it to be nice and relaxing.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. But please get a WDH and set it up right before the tow.

 

[GrizzlyClint]

OP please consider a transmission fluid cooler...

 

[Bang Bang]

The facts:

GX460 with us in it: 5860lbs
GX460 with trailer and us in it: 10520

ergo, Trailer: 4660lbs

Seemed to have plenty of horsepower to pull it. We have an interstate nearby and we drove it on there. 65 easy. We plan to install a brake controller and mirrors. We also can flip the hitch to bring the trailer up 5".

Keep in mind, this is a one time trip. No mountains.



View attachment 3543224

No way I'm towing that with a GX. Rent a truck that is designed for towing and call it good.