Cross-country Motorhome + LX470 Adventure (1 Viewer)

[kpecks]

Just wanted to say thanks to all those who helped me along the way in the decision of acquiring a 100 series for our cross country trek!

I’ll try and update this post with pictures and adventures we take with our ‘06 lx470 we purchased from a forum member and slightly modified for our use!

Thanks for reading this post. Hoping to meet some of you along the way and put the LX to good use on some scenic drives and trails!

 

[kpecks]

Well, our new LexusCruiser has been good to us so far! Tows like a dream and is a joy to drive!

Angel Fire NM for a few days...

 

[BigBen97]

Looks great! What wheels are those?

 

[kpecks]

Looks great! What wheels are those?

https://m.tirerack.com/wheels/WheelCloseUpServlet?target=runWheelSearch&initialPartNumber=6408950BZG25DBZ&wheelMake=Granite+Alloy&wheelModel=GA640&wheelFinish=Dark+Metallic+Bronze&showRear=no&autoMake=Lexus&autoModel=LX470&autoYear=2006&autoModClar=

 

[kpecks]

Looks great! What wheels are those?

I mounted the ridge grapplers 275/70/18. They do not rub and I fit a 5th spare rim and tire underneath. They ride great for how aggressive they are. Not as smooth or quiet as an AT but nowhere near a MT.

 

[Matt Phelps]

What tow bar did you go with? We are getting our ready for 12 weeks this summer.

 

[kpecks]

Blue ox base plate
i ordered the base plate through these guys - RV Supplies, RV Accessories, RV Parts, Camper Parts, 5th Wheel Hitch. Cheaper and its the same time frame - 2-4 weeks and Blue ox ships directly to you via UPS.

Blue ox tow bars - aventa lx 10k - i already had a set of these bars and they work great. Just get the 10k bars and be done with it.

You dont need the bulb kit unless you want to drill into your rear tail lights. I ended up ordering it but only used the 4 wires to tie into the turn signals in the rear and i tapped into the OEM LED tail lights. So my turn signals on the LX blink red and function as they should when attached to the coach and when driving it normally. I also get full tail lights and license plate lights at night with the coach's lights turned on. If you go the route i did, you will need 4 red LED bulbs and 4 diodes otherwise you will get the hyper blinking which isnt cool.

Towing is super simple. Key on to release steering wheel. then all the way left but do not remove it. transmission in park and transfer case in N. I have a 12v charging line that keeps everything charged and powered up. I am running the RVI brake3 and wired a 12v plug directly to the battery. Super easy and doesnt take that much more time to install. I was going to go with AirForce1 but its too expensive and its a pain to remove again. The RVI3 can move from car to car with the addition of the runaway cable/disconnect.

 

[95Fantasma80]

thats such a nice color!

sooo unique.

 

[kpecks]

Thanks! I agree! Its a great truck.

 

[bucfl]

Great news! Wife and I have plans for an RV in the next couple years. Did you just make sure the RV has the required capacity?

 

[kpecks]

Yes. My coach can tow 15k.

 

[bucfl]

What’s your fuel consumption look like? Is it stable while towing?

 

[kpecks]

Yes

What’s your fuel consumption look like? Is it stable while towing?

No noticeable decrease in mileage towing. Maybe .2-.3mpg?? Biggest issue is the wind and inclined. When it’s windy it doesn’t matter what you tow or how fast you go.

 

[kpecks]

Pretty fun day exploring NM mountain fire roads!

 

[joseywales]

Towing is super simple. Key on to release steering wheel. then all the way left but do not remove it. transmission in park and transfer case in N. I have a 12v charging line that keeps everything charged and powered up.

Where did you get the “how to” info for flat towing the 100? I spoke to Christo about the time he spent doing that, but I’ve remained skeptical about possible trans/transfercase damage. Do you run the 12v + straight to the battery or through a relay of some sort?

I kind of gave up on flat towing when one of my clients gave me a 16’ car trailer. That way I don’t worry about tire and mechanical wear and tear on the Toy. That said, I’ve also recently acquired an ‘89 4Runner so we can do trails etc with the top off. It’s almost half the weight of the 100 too, so much nicer to drag around.

 

[kpecks]

Where did you get the “how to” info for flat towing the 100? I spoke to Christo about the time he spent doing that, but I’ve remained skeptical about possible trans/transfercase damage. Do you run the 12v + straight to the battery or through a relay of some sort?

I kind of gave up on flat towing when one of my clients gave me a 16’ car trailer. That way I don’t worry about tire and mechanical wear and tear on the Toy. That said, I’ve also recently acquired an ‘89 4Runner so we can do trails etc with the top off. It’s almost half the weight of the 100 too, so much nicer to drag around.

Good question. I spoke to several who have towed both 80 and 100 series for tens of thousands of miles and researched many threads on the internet. Rvi makes a 12v charging pack that hooks directly To the battery and receives a 12v charge from the electrical connection from the coach that operates all the lights.

I’ve towed it just about 1600 miles w 0 issues. Yes, the wear on all components is in the back of the mind but towing doesn’t put any more strain on those components vs regular driving.

 

[joseywales]

I have 9 trailers in my yard, and flat towed a CJ7 all over the western side of the USA, so I’m no stranger to it. I just hold my 100 as something that would be very expensive to fix if I screwed up flat towing. I know more than one person who has incurred major damage flat towing modern vehicles.

I’m not trying to put “the fear” into you. Just putting my thoughts on paper so to speak. I’ll keep an eye on your thread as it looks like you will be headed some cool spots!

 

[kpecks]

I have 9 trailers in my yard, and flat towed a CJ7 all over the western side of the USA, so I’m no stranger to it. I just hold my 100 as something that would be very expensive to fix if I screwed up flat towing. I know more than one person who has incurred major damage flat towing modern vehicles.

I’m not trying to put “the fear” into you. Just putting my thoughts on paper so to speak. I’ll keep an eye on your thread as it looks like you will be headed some cool spots!

No worries. I towed a Buick Enclave before I got the lx. That was way more complicated. Key on. Neutral, trans neutral and Two battery fuses to pull. The problem pulling fuses and disconnecting power is you lose all sorts of settings. I make sure I run through the checklist multiple times. I remember seeing the t-case pulled apart on a post and seeing how everything disconnects in there, it was reassuring how heavy duty the t-case really is. The only things moving freely are the axles if I’m correct.

 

[upperblack]

There are a few good mud articles from well respected mud members on the topic of flat towing a 100.
Here are a couple that convinced me it was fine to do:

Need to tow 100 behind motorhome

New to this forum and have searched for answers to no avail. I need to tow a stock 2006 100 behind a motorhome and I know I can't flat tow it without driveshaft disconnect. Questions: What is the front axle weight? If I put the front wheels on a dolly can I safely put the H/L shifter in...

forum.ih8mud.com

A Guide To Towing a 100 Behind an RV

Hey Guys, Many thanks to those of you who've provided input on another thread where I asked for info about towing my 1999 LX470. I'm starting this new thread to provide a "how to" regarding towing a 100 series behind an RV. In the last six weeks, we've rigged the 100 for towing and have...

forum.ih8mud.com

@kpecks its cool to see another mudder on the road in a DP towing a 100. We are currently on the road too towing our new to us lx470 behind our Monaco on this trip. Currently in SoCal.
Love your LX you purchased. Wish it would have been for sale a month early when we bought ours, that would have made life a bit easier as it was 30 min from my house. We love our new to us LX but had to jump through a few hoops to get it after purchasing in Washington state.
It's been a great addition to our travels.

Where are you headed on this trip?

 

[kpecks]

There are a few good mud articles from well respected mud members on the topic of flat towing a 100.
Here are a couple that convinced me it was fine to do:

Need to tow 100 behind motorhome

New to this forum and have searched for answers to no avail. I need to tow a stock 2006 100 behind a motorhome and I know I can't flat tow it without driveshaft disconnect. Questions: What is the front axle weight? If I put the front wheels on a dolly can I safely put the H/L shifter in...

forum.ih8mud.com

A Guide To Towing a 100 Behind an RV

Hey Guys, Many thanks to those of you who've provided input on another thread where I asked for info about towing my 1999 LX470. I'm starting this new thread to provide a "how to" regarding towing a 100 series behind an RV. In the last six weeks, we've rigged the 100 for towing and have...

forum.ih8mud.com

@kpecks its cool to see another mudder on the road in a DP towing a 100. We are currently on the road too towing our new to us lx470 behind our Monaco on this trip. Currently in SoCal.
Love your LX you purchased. Wish it would have been for sale a month early when we bought ours, that would have made life a bit easier as it was 30 min from my house. We love our new to us LX but had to jump through a few hoops to get it after purchasing in Washington state.
It's been a great addition to our travels.

Where are you headed on this trip?

Thx for the links. There are a handful of guys and gals on this forum and others towing the GX, LC, and LX.

Currently in NM. Headed to CO on Saturday. Utah, Arizona, then SoCal, then up to OR, WA, and going to attempt Banff and Whistler. Then back down thru the Midwest, and finally back home first of July or so. About 9500 miles.