Towing an FJ40 (2 Viewers)

[Alan Kiecker]

Do you tow your FJ40 with a pickup camper? What camper are you using?

My Silverado 3500HD diesel is rated for cargo 4151 lbs. My Lance 992 weighs 3868 lbs wet. That is only a difference of 283 lbs. I am guessing the combined trailer and FJ40 to be about 6000 lbs. With 10% - 15% on the tongue, that is 600-900 lbs, which is more than the 283 lbs difference. I would very much like to tow my FJ40 witgh a camper, but to avoid any issues my wife and I either take just the camper, or tow the FJ40 and stay in a hotel.

So I am curious what you are doing?

 

[cruiserpilot]

How does your Silverado sit when loaded? Do you have air bags and a load leveler hitch on the back?
You can move the 40 back a hair, lighten the tongue weight a bit, but not too much. I'd say if you are
cautious you'd be like everyone else out there. How about selling that Lance and buying one that's lighter?
That would be the best thing to do. As for options, there are many in that direction

 

[Alan Kiecker]

How does your Silverado sit when loaded? Do you have air bags and a load leveler hitch on the back?
You can move the 40 back a hair, lighten the tongue weight a bit, but not too much. I'd say if you are
cautious you'd be like everyone else out there. How about selling that Lance and buying one that's lighter?
That would be the best thing to do. As for options, there are many in that direction

 

[Alan Kiecker]

We really like the room that the Lance 992 has - two slides, one on each side. For now we have no plans to change, so we will either take just the camper or trailer the FJ40 without the camper.

 

[Jetboy]

One option would be to either flat tow the FJ40 or to put on a dolly. In either case there is virtually zero tongue weight. Pulling rear driveline is a bit of a PITA, but I'm sure you could get pretty proficient at it after a few times.

 

[Alan Kiecker]

One option would be to either flat tow the FJ40 or to put on a dolly. In either case there is virtually zero tongue weight. Pulling rear driveline is a bit of a PITA, but I'm sure you could get pretty proficient at it after a few times.

I have thought about that, but don't know much about it. And yes, I know that it is recommended to disconnect the rear driveshaft. When you disconnect the driveshaft from the differential, the important thing is to mark them both so that they get reconnected exactly the same.

 

[Jetboy]

I haven't flat towed mine. From memory the transfer case shouldn't be flat towed so you should pull the rear shaft apart at the flange. It doesn't really matter where it gets put back on the bolt flange. It does matter that the shaft joints are in phase. So if you separate the shaft at the splines then you need to put back how it came apart. (Unless you have CV shafts - I have them on mine, but they're aftermarket shafts).

There are some alternatives to pulling the shaft. There's an aftermarket quick disconnect for towing. And I think you can still buy a transfer case rear drive disconnect as well. Both are about as expensive as a car hauler though.

I know it's not what you asked, but 2 other outside the box options would be to buy a side by side instead - much lighter. Or buy a long flatbed trailer that could accommodate the camper and the fj40. Use that when you want to camp with the FJ and put it in the bed when you want to take just the truck. It could still pull the FJ40 without the camper too. Like this:

One other outside idea is a custom trailer with an extra long tongue. A longer tongue requires less tongue weight for dynamic stability. Or getting even more unusual you could have a custom built car hauling wagon style trailer with no tongue weight.

 

[Alan Kiecker]

Thank you! Lots of ideas! to consider!