Discussion - severe towing conditions / transmission question(s).

[tonydyvr]

Hi all -

I've read /u/linuxgod's most-excellent thread on his 200-series setup for towing a travel trailer, and I'm hoping for some extra feedback from anyone who has had experience towing on mild- to moderately-difficult offroad situations.

Where I live, there are lots of fun places to camp that are at the end of a Forestry Service Road (FSR), some of which are maintained better than others.

My current goal is to buy an LX570 (the most common version where I live in Soviet Canuckistan) then buy and/or build out a smallish trailer somewhere in the 3500 lb. wet range (well below the 7000+ lb. rating of the 200) that is sturdy enough to survive the kind of washerboards and bumpy roads I expect to drive on.

I have no doubts about the trailer nor the LC's abilities to handle the FSRs on their own - my question is about the towing combination when the road gets rough, and in particular how I can help the transmission from cooking itself.

By "rough roads", I will sometimes encounter places where the road can be a pretty severe grade (12% or greater) with uneven/gravel/smallStone surface for an extended distance (1/2 mile or more). I'm more than happy to air down and pick a speed and a gear to take these stretches slow and careful, but I'm curious how much control the driver has about things like locking the torque converter to prevent overheating.

For instance, if I select a combination like second gear in low range, would the transmission start in first, shift to second, then lock up the converter? Or is is speed dependent? Or ???

(I have seen OBD2 apps that can at least display tranny fluid and torque converter temperatures and similar, but that's only part of the solution. I've also seen torque converter override/lockup electronics packages from third party towing equipment vendors which leads me to believe that the transmission might sometimes need a bit of extra guidance in order to do the right thing.)

So does anyone on here have any experience towing with their LC200/LX570 offroad that could chime in with suggestions or advice?

And can anyone explain the nuances of how/when the torque converter locks up in these vehicles, is it dependent upon Hi/Lo range selection of the transfer case, gear selection, speed, etc.?

Much thanks in advance.

 

[GordJ]

That’s interesting that where you are they are called FSR’s because here in B.C. they are called that too, I have towed my 3500 lber with my LX all over BC in and out of 4Lo but I don’t know how that would compare to your location so I can’t offer any advice.

 

[CanadianRockyCruiser]

I can tow my ~7500 lb trailer on most FSR roads here in 'berta and in BC for that matter. I'm more concerned about the trailer getting beat to sh&t than the possibility of overheating the tranny or any control issues. I'm towing with a 2013 LX570. I would have no hesitancy towing a 3500lb trailer. If your trailer can hack the conditions, then your LX will be fine.

 

[NKP Garage]

The LX570 tows very well. Short list of tips:
* Put it in Sport + mode, better shift points and AHC settings for towing in my personal opinion
* Measure your tongue weight, and make sure it is appropriate given your tow weight, number of trailer axles, and your trailer type
* User a good brake controller. I prefer the Redarc tow pro elite, along with electric brakes on 1 axle for your size trailer
* When you shift into drive, move your lever to the left, and set it to 5th or 6th gear if you are on the 8 speed transmission. Or 5th or 5th gear if you are on the 6speed transmission. That way you will lock the computer out of going into the higher gears.
* If your LX is lifted, especially in the front, you may experience some uneasiness in the front end. You may want aftermarket front UCAs to adjust caster/camber to accomodate for the lift. If its just lifted 1-1.5 inches you're probably okay. But anything more than that and you'll want at least aftermarket front UCAs.

For the torque converter, I haven't looked for a way to manually lock it. Not sure if you can set that any differently without a tune. Although from the "feel" it seems like it locks sooner with it in Sport+.


Here's a short towing tips video I did a while back:
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And if you're going to do a brake controller, here's the install step by step for plug'n'play install of the Redarc:
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[tonydyvr]

That’s interesting that where you are they are called FSR’s because here in B.C. they are called that too, I have towed my 3500 lber with my LX all over BC in and out of 4Lo but I don’t know how that would compare to your location so I can’t offer any advice.

Ha ha! I am indeed in B.C.!

As an local-to-me example you might be familiar with, the last bit of the road from Stave Lake up to Sayres Lake is pretty gnarly. My current (temporary!) setup is a sticks-and-staples bed camper on a 3/4-ton first-Gen Dodge Cummins. No worries about hurting the truck, but I have to creep and crawl up stuff like that just to stop the camper from shaking itself to pieces, not to mention my spine getting beat up by those 30-year-old leaf springs.

Time to upgrade to something a bit more comfortable, but last thing I want is to blow up my transmission struggling up some steep gravel road in the middle of nowhere.

I'm encouraged by others on here testifying to the durability of the LX.

 

[Artie]

We tow something about this size and frequently off road on high clearance recommend roads. I’d recommend the following:

Air down. 20-25 psi on LX and trailer

Gear down. 4lo is your friend. This will keep trans temps far below any temps to worry about.

Slow down. Don’t get in a hurry, you’ll break stuff. 4Lo will keep you from doing this as well.

I’d also recommend the obd fusion set up to watch the appropriate temps. This isn’t a requirement but the info is very helpful.

Also have a way to change trailer tires if the need arises. You don’t want to find out your cruiser jack won’t lift your camper when your out in the middle of no where. Plan accordingly and test before you go.

Try to get familiar with your route before you go. Turning around with a trailer takes up 2 to 3 times more room than it does without one. Backing out is a pro level skill set but also can be the drive of shame.

Bring more fuel.

Editing to add: this type of driving will put you into the severe driving conditions maintenance schedule so keep that in mind. Differentials are every 15k, the other fluids are shorter life span as well. Not a huge deal but something to be aware of.