RV Trailer Towing vs. 4.7L V8 Engine

[PK470]

Hi guys,
I am in the process of acquiring an RV Trailer but I would like to solicit some insight and/or ideas regarding my anticipated towing set up.

Towing vehicle of course is my 2006 LX470 (Max towing capacity of 6,500lbs). Camper trailer in mind has GVWR of 6000lbs at FULL carrying capacity. I don’t believe I would ever come close to the fully cargo capacity at any given time during towing.

Anyway, considering the 4.7L engine capacity and the dreaded AHC in the LX/ Land cruiser, is there any tricks/ suggestions on how I could manage it? I have read quite a number of horror stories on here regarding AHC shutting down/ malfunctioning during heavy trailer pull. Is the AHC system ‘LOW’ reading during entire trailer pull acceptable? Can I simply turn it off?

Also, I am considering getting a WDH (Weight Distribution Hitch) on the actual Trailer to help with sway control. My understanding is that the LX comes equipped with Stability Control System. How would this affect the use of the towing trailers’ sway control hitch?

I am completely new to towing trailers and besides my questions above, I would welcome any other specific suggestions pertaining to how the LX/ Land cruiser handles during trailer pull.

Thanks.

 

[TeCKis300]

You'll be just fine. I've towed right around 6000lbs before with my '06 LX and it was great. How long of a travel trailer are you towing? Make sure you have a brake controller setup properly.

Some notes:
- Contrary to popular belief, AHC is a boon for towing. No sagging, no manual airbags to deal with, and great damping control. It just works and keeps the vehicle nice and level.
- If you load the AHC system with too much tongue weight (which u won't for 6k lbs if you set it up right), the system may report 'L'. Note that this is not a malfunction as the indicator is dual purpose: 1) height setting 2) height readout. Any sprung vehicle carrying lots o weight will squat and AHC is no different beyond its normal capacity. It just means you are beyond the constant height capability of the system, and it is telling you the actual height readout is lower than the typical normal/constant height. Fully acceptable and nothing to turn off.
- WDH and sway control are two different things. I believe the manual suggests not to use a WD hitch with AHC. You can add sway control if your travel trailer is really long and you think you need it.
- Keep the hitch ball as close to the bumper as possible to minimize sway. This keeps the rear axle to hitch ball vs wheelbase ratio to your advantage.


Let us know how it goes!

 

[arbetrader]

Spend $100 and get an airlift system. It will work in conjunction with AHC. Turn off AHC when hooking the trailer up then simply add enough air to the airlift system to bring it back to level (careful - not too much though). Then turn the AHC system back on. Done I would definitely add sway bars to the 100, I think with that amount of weight it's important due to the short wheelbase of the hundy.