Idiot YouTubber Tows Giant Trailer with a GX

[jakemccurdy]

We’re dragging three tons of fun from Phoenix up to Sedona as we test out the towing capabilities of the GX 460. We’ll cover brake controllers, towing MPG, GX460 towing capacity and more. Hook up your safety chains, it’s time to try out trailer camping as we learn all about towing with a Lexus GX 460.

 

[r2m]

Jake!!! Your back!!
I'll have to look at your video later when I get some time.
Any further mods other than towing?

 

[scuzz]

I legit love the propane tank holder!

 

[BigSwede]

I watched your video yesterday. I could have predicted your experiences, although I haven't towed a camper that big. The GX is an adequate tow vehicle, but not an enthusiastic one. It's only a 281 cid engine, after all.

 

[Rednexus]

Nice video! We went through this exercise too and settled on a 3,100# dry TrailManor. After watching I'm glad we didn't go with a larger and heavier camper!

 

[xychromosome]

Another great vid Jake, thanks for your 'real world' review of towing with the GX!

 

[cgs2k2]

nice video. man i can't believe you pulled all that weight! don't think i'd wanna pull more than 4k lbs max with this thing.

 

[on the rocks]

No interest in being the tow police but I saw no mention of payload capacity of the GX on the video. The hitch capacity and tow specs are generally secondary to payload as these numbers are usually calculated with driver only if that.
I would suggest a trip to a CAT scale, or simply do the math, fully loaded with family weight, gear and camper loaded, then factor payload numbers in before doing any road tests. That’s a lot of camper for a loaded suv and no LD hitch( which also is added against payload #’s if you chose to use one which would be a smart move with that much trailer).
Good luck!

 

[r2m]

Jake, finally had a chance to view your latest work. Great video, especially since my wife and I have been playing with the idea of an adventure trailer. Something about 10' - 13' long that I can put my RTT on and keep it packed, ready to go with the kits I already have assembled.
Not this, but something similar to it: Off Road Travel Trailer 100% Aluminium Alloy Mini Camper Assembly Type Caravan Easy Installation Car Trailers - Buy Off Road Travel Trailer,Car Trailers,Truck Trailers Product on Alibaba.com - https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Off-Road-travel-trailer-100-Aluminium_1600315162332.html?spm=a2700.galleryofferlist.normal_offer.d_image.5d9f6afcd77AJn
Keeping it fully loaded, under 2,000 lbs.

Also, noticed few things:
You're still using a HAM handheld. Thought you had put in a mobile radio.
What OBDII app are you using? I just purchased a OBDLink dongle and app. I'm using an old Galaxy Note 8 phone I had lying around and have the app on it so I don't have to use my phone when I need my phone for maps, or more importantly: music.
Also I have the TPMS for ALL my tires. I've set up a system like yours to inflate/deflate all at once. With the OBDLink, I can watch my tires inflate/deflate in real time from the comfort of my drivers seat! A lot better than sitting in the hot sun, or snow checking the pressure gauges.

 

[jakemccurdy]

Thanks for all the comments, guys. Sorry they're coming slow these days, kids are getting older and super active at the moment.

@r2m Yeah, my buddy says Alibaba is the way to go for off-road trailers. I would want a slide out kitchen as a must though. Still using the handheld, just not enough trail use to justify anything bigger at the moment. I'll try OBD link. I bet it will work with my scanner. I didn't know you can check TPMS through the scanner, will def look into that.

@on the rocks I think I covered payload capacity by way of GVWR in this video, but sure I guess I could have mentioned that the tongue weight of the trailer applies.

@scuzz Half sized milk crate, two bolts sticking up out of the roof rack to keep it from sliding and a ratchet strap. Easier to use than the purpose built solutions and 1/4th the cost. Coverd it breifly in the roof rack load out video.

I also posted another stupid video last week on camping checklists in case anyone is interested in a related topic:

 

[r2m]

@r2m Yeah, my buddy says Alibaba is the way to go for off-road trailers. I would want a slide out kitchen as a must though. Still using the handheld, just not enough trail use to justify anything bigger at the moment. I'll try OBD link. I bet it will work with my scanner. I didn't know you can check TPMS through the scanner, will def look into that.

Same thing I'm looking at for a trailer. Needs slide outs for fridge, stove, sink, etc.

Take a look at my build thread on post # 492 (page 25). Although, you can only have one "network" up at a time. Either all the engine telemetry OR TPMS. So you need to press the disconnect the button to in the app, change to either the engine or TPMS and connect again. There is no other way of having ALL working at the same time. And when I say all, I mean any OBDII dongles or apps. Toyota/Lexus just doesn't allow it with how they have their system. TPMS network will have pressure, low pressure, temperature, battery voltage for each of the sensors, etc.
But not a big issue. When airing up/down, I just sit in my car and watch the real time pressure on the app. Don't need to be standing in front of the car looking at a dial gauge. When I'm on a trail, I'll keep the TPMS on to monitor my tires pressure and temperature.
One last thing, I use GPS for my speed since my speedo is off.

 

[giovanni]

I echo all the sentiments about the GX towing - it *will* do it, but not with any authority. It is heavy enough that it never feels twitchy, but somewhat underpowered for real towing.

I pulled one of those "Aussie off road trailers" (weighing ~4200 loaded) from Dallas TX to SLC UT and back - averaging around 9mpg. At altitude it struggled - there were inclines in CO where I was floored doing 45 or 50 mph.

And @jakemccurdy - the slide out kitchen is a MUST HAVE.

 

[Rednexus]

I think the frontal area makes a BIG difference. When driving 55-65 mph, 13-14 mpg is not a problem to hit with our 4K# loaded TraiManor. It just sticks up maybe an inch above the GX, but is wider. 70-75 mph on the interstate is also no problem, although the gas mileage drops to 11 or so.

It seems like folks with tall campers rarely exceed 10 mpg.

 

[Tex68w]

I recall multiple towing events with our last GX and I wasn't impressed with any of those experiences. It's under powered, it gets tossed around in the wind, it has horrid fuel economy (6-8mpg) and I never felt comfortable with weight over 3500lbs. All of that had a profound impact on me, so much so that I haven't even added a hitch to our 2022 GX and should I ever do so it'll only be so that I can use my Pakmule or T-bar for the kayaks. I have zero interest in towing with a GX ever again.

 

[Rednexus]

I recall multiple towing events with our last GX and I wasn't impressed with any of those experiences. It's under powered, it gets tossed around in the wind, it has horrid fuel economy (6-8mpg) and I never felt comfortable with weight over 3500lbs. All of that had a profound impact on me, so much so that I haven't even added a hitch to our 2022 GX and should I ever do so it'll only be so that I can use my Pakmule or T-bar for the kayaks. I have zero interest in towing with a GX ever again.

That has been a bit different than my experiences with my 470. I have a chain-style WDH with sway control, after getting it dialed (which took some trial and error), the GX tows remarkably stable and is not really affected by wind. We have narrow, steep/curvy roads around here, plus higher-speed interstates. We've towed our camper as far as 700 miles in one day (from MI to MO, all interstate/4-lane at 70+ mph), and it's overall a comfortable experience for our family of 4 (outside of foot fatigue from not using cruiser control due to the gearing/power). With the WDH putting tongue weight on the rear and front axles, it actually rides a bit better than stock and feels very planted to the road. Perhaps some of the MPG issues are a 1UR vs. 2UZ thing, but the chassis is similar between both vehicles.

Regardless of engine/platform, towing either without a WDH or a WDH that isn't dialed properly can make for a miserable experience (bad ride and lots of trailer sway).

 

[Tex68w]

That has been a bit different than my experiences with my 470. I have a chain-style WDH with sway control, after getting it dialed (which took some trial and error), the GX tows remarkably stable and is not really affected by wind. We have narrow, steep/curvy roads around here, plus higher-speed interstates. We've towed our camper as far as 700 miles in one day (from MI to MO, all interstate/4-lane at 70+ mph), and it's overall a comfortable experience for our family of 4 (outside of foot fatigue from not using cruiser control due to the gearing/power). With the WDH putting tongue weight on the rear and front axles, it actually rides a bit better than stock and feels very planted to the road. Perhaps some of the MPG issues are a 1UR vs. 2UZ thing, but the chassis is similar between both vehicles.

Regardless of engine/platform, towing either without a WDH or a WDH that isn't dialed properly can make for a miserable experience (bad ride and lots of trailer sway).

A WDH certainly helps but it still doesn't change the fact that a 120/150 Series truck is in the D League when compared to a half-ton, 200 Series or a true HD truck. I have owned those alongside of the 150 and it just makes it the very last option I'd ever want to use for that task. Now, if I didn't have those superior options available to me and I needed to tow often then I'd definitely look into a WDH and bags for the GX.

 

[Rednexus]

A WDH certainly helps but it still doesn't change the fact that a 120/150 Series truck is in the D League when compared to a half-ton, 200 Series or a true HD truck. I have owned those alongside of the 150 and it just makes it the very last option I'd ever want to use for that task. Now, if I didn't have those superior options available to me and I needed to tow often then I'd definitely look into a WDH and bags for the GX.

A half-ton or larger will of course always tow better than a GX due to the longer wheelbase, usually having more power, etc. However, even those trucks are susceptible to towing issues when the hitch is not set up correctly. On the way home from buying our camper I remember passing a newer F150 who was struggling to tow a small camper (maybe 4K pounds) at 55 mph on the interstate. He had the hitch set way too high relative to the camper (limited tongue weight) and no sway control. His little camper was swaying like crazy on a flat road and pushing the F150 around. I blew by him at 70 mph with my little GX and a dialed WDH.

These tow very well when the WDH is dialed and you don't creep up too close to the 5,000 pound zone (I've driven and towed with 3/4 ton trucks as well). A half-ton truck becomes "D" league when you start getting close to the max tow ratings (and/or don't set the hitch up correctly), so does a 3/4-ton, etc. I'd say my experience is a solid "B" (with the cruise issue and foot fatigue dropping it).

 

[Tex68w]

A half-ton or larger will of course always tow better than a GX due to the longer wheelbase, usually having more power, etc. However, even those trucks are susceptible to towing issues when the hitch is not set up correctly. On the way home from buying our camper I remember passing a newer F150 who was struggling to tow a small camper (maybe 4K pounds) at 55 mph on the interstate. He had the hitch set way too high relative to the camper (limited tongue weight) and no sway control. His little camper was swaying like crazy on a flat road and pushing the F150 around. I blew by him at 70 mph with my little GX and a dialed WDH.

These tow very well when the WDH is dialed and you don't creep up too close to the 5,000 pound zone (I've driven and towed with 3/4 ton trucks as well). A half-ton truck becomes "D" league when you start getting close to the max tow ratings (and/or don't set the hitch up correctly), so does a 3/4-ton, etc. I'd say my experience is a solid "B" (with the cruise issue and foot fatigue dropping it).

I am glad that it works for you, we will just have to agree to disagree here, nothing wrong with that.

 

[jakemccurdy]

My issues were all with power. Felt plenty stable. Brakes worked great. Just struggled on the uphill, which was the whole journey. I bet they’re not bad tow vehicles east of the rockies. But Im changing 5-6k elevation in the first 100 miles from my house so it was kind of a drag.

 

[Rednexus]

My issues were all with power. Felt plenty stable. Brakes worked great. Just struggled on the uphill, which was the whole journey. I bet their not bad tow vehicles east of the rockies. But Im changing 5-6k elevation in the first 100 miles from my house so it was kind of a drag.

Definitely not surprising, with the GX maxed out on GCWR, the big frontal area of the trailer and height above the top of the GX, and then having to deal with elevation on top of that. Towing a sub-4,000# trailer with a lower profile would eliminate two of those factors slowing you down and likely be a very different experience (which is why we deliberately stuck with such a trailer for our GX ). Kudos for trying the maxed-out trailer first before deciding to get one.