I know the 8 is a fine towing transmission. And I’m sure somewhere in the 1300 plus posts in this thread, others will say the 6 is fine too. I’d base your decision on other things. Since the youngest 6 speeds are going to be at least 8 years old, vehicle history, care, and condition are more important. Since towing is important, might be worth reading this entire thread. Settle in, put the recliner on massage, and enjoy the evening read.
Towing with a 200-series Toyota Land Cruiser (3 Viewers)
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You can tow in any gear, so long as the torque converter stays locked up. It's hard to tell if it's locked unless you use an app like OBD Fusion with an OBD2 reader though. Speeds, trailer weight, and trailer aerodynamics all play a role in whether it will stay locked.
If you don't have an app, use S mode and limit yourself to 4th or 6th gear depending on whether you have the 6 or 8 speed. Those are the 1:1 ratio gears and will ensure the torque converter stays locked on normal highway driving.
If you do have the app, start with the above guidance and then you can try one higher gear and watch your torque converter lockup and your transmission temps.
If you tow in your overdrive gears (5/6 or 7/8) and the torque converter does not lock, you will generate a LOT of heat in the transmission. If normal operating temp is 195-200F, expect to run in the 230-240F range in overdrive if the torque converter stays unlocked. Temps above ~240F are typically where fluids start to break varnish, and 260F+ is where they really start to break down. You don't want to stay in those ranges for long, or else you're going to shorten your transmission life considerably (unless perhaps you're doing full fluid exchanges annually... and even then it's not great).
Note I tow in 5th on flat lands in my 6 speed, but I also have 4.88 gears. With stock gears and a 5k # trailer I could not keep the TC locked above 4th.
Now that I've given you the facts, go do whatever you want, it's your rig, not mine, and you can feel free to make use of my experience of 30k+ miles of towing with the LC or not. To me the 0.5mpg difference you'll see when using overdrive while towing isn't worth the wear on a $5000 transmission, but to each their own.
If you don't have an app, use S mode and limit yourself to 4th or 6th gear depending on whether you have the 6 or 8 speed. Those are the 1:1 ratio gears and will ensure the torque converter stays locked on normal highway driving.
If you do have the app, start with the above guidance and then you can try one higher gear and watch your torque converter lockup and your transmission temps.
If you tow in your overdrive gears (5/6 or 7/8) and the torque converter does not lock, you will generate a LOT of heat in the transmission. If normal operating temp is 195-200F, expect to run in the 230-240F range in overdrive if the torque converter stays unlocked. Temps above ~240F are typically where fluids start to break varnish, and 260F+ is where they really start to break down. You don't want to stay in those ranges for long, or else you're going to shorten your transmission life considerably (unless perhaps you're doing full fluid exchanges annually... and even then it's not great).
Note I tow in 5th on flat lands in my 6 speed, but I also have 4.88 gears. With stock gears and a 5k # trailer I could not keep the TC locked above 4th.
Now that I've given you the facts, go do whatever you want, it's your rig, not mine, and you can feel free to make use of my experience of 30k+ miles of towing with the LC or not. To me the 0.5mpg difference you'll see when using overdrive while towing isn't worth the wear on a $5000 transmission, but to each their own.
All 200-series are plenty capable of serious towing. They aren't necessarily designed around towing, but that has its own benefits for mixed use. In countries like Australia, the LC is THE workhorse for towing, including for commercial use and into the unforgiving outback.
I haven't towed with the 8-speed but my experience towing several different heavier trailers with the 6-speed is that it's great and holds its own. Perhaps some of that credit is to the robust and tractable 5.7L. The one area where I would probably appreciate the much lower 1st gear of the 8-speed, and more usable ratios is in the mountains at elevation, and powering away from a stop on grade. The wider ratios of the 6-speed (effectively a 4-speed when towing 8k lbs) can sometime put me in a gearing desert where I don't have enough torque after dropping into 2nd gear at low RPMs to further accelerate. The 8-speed would be better at helping the engine stay on boil with high RPM power. This is teasing at details though as this is the extreme exception, where otherwise the 6-speed delivers all around. I suspect the 8-speed can eek out more cruise MPG with a better selection of ratios.
Slow Paddler
SILVER Star
I added a photo to the other towing thread, so I’ll add some here as well.
2021 Land Cruiser Heritage Edition (2-row), all stock except removed 60% second row seat, Redarc Tow-Pro Elite, and Firestone air bags.
2023 Oliver Legacy Elite II in twin bed configuration (that we picked up at the factory March 29th.) 4900 pounds empty, maximum of 7000 pounds. Measured tongue weight with all gear except food and with all tanks empty is 550 pounds.
A stealth luxury trailer is the perfect pairing for my stealth luxury LC!
2021 Land Cruiser Heritage Edition (2-row), all stock except removed 60% second row seat, Redarc Tow-Pro Elite, and Firestone air bags.
2023 Oliver Legacy Elite II in twin bed configuration (that we picked up at the factory March 29th.) 4900 pounds empty, maximum of 7000 pounds. Measured tongue weight with all gear except food and with all tanks empty is 550 pounds.
A stealth luxury trailer is the perfect pairing for my stealth luxury LC!
Like I said, the only time the manual says to gear down is when you want to utilize engine braking. The bullet point regarding S mode is regarding engine braking. They are not combining another situation in the “maintain engine braking” bullet point. If you want to use engine braking and you’re in S mode you have to use a lower gear than 7.
Don’t you think that if they wanted you to drive in S all the time they would have led with that and not offered it as an afterthought?
In retrospect, sorry to come across so harsh. This is only my interpretation.
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I don’t even want to know the price.
While your interpretation isn’t necessarily incorrect, it also doesn’t come from much real world towing with this vehicle. The torque converter locking up is extremely important, especially when towing, and any towing with a torque converter temp gauge and torque converter lock up gauge would make this a very obvious observation. For me, the only times I ever put my transmission in “D” is when I’m deep into 70 mph or more on the interstate or by mistake. On surface streets it hunts gears at uncomfortable frequency and the converter rarely locks up and when it does it’s not long enough to keep the temps down. I drive in 6th 99.99% of the time and converter temps are rarely above 180° and that includes towing. I drive a fat pig on 34’s and tow 4500 pounds so YMMV but if you’re towing in “D” I’m willing to bet your temps will be similar regardless of your build.
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The advice often given to not tow in overdrive mostly comes from early OD autos that had no torque converter lockup or coolers and so were prone to overheat and fail. Your 200 has a cooler and electronic controls to change shifting and even initiate lockup of the TC if it gets too hot but that temp is quite high (260°?) and will certainly shorten the life of your atf.
I prefer to keep it in 6th to keep RPMs up and more fluid flowing through the cooler and keep temps down (I rarely get over 210° towing 6,000 lbs over 10,000 foot passes). I also like the 1:1 or lower gearing when letting off the accelerator. It’s probably unfounded fear, but I don’t like the idea of multiplying the torque from the trailer pushing through the gearbox in 7th(1/.82) or 8th(1/.67) gear and the wear that will put on the clutches.
Unlike some on this forum, I don’t usually like to share an uninformed yet passionate opinion with internet strangers. I have no engineering degree or SAE publications to cite for these claims. However, I do have a mild anxiety disorder and this rationale helps me avoid medication
and for me, that’s a win.
I prefer to keep it in 6th to keep RPMs up and more fluid flowing through the cooler and keep temps down (I rarely get over 210° towing 6,000 lbs over 10,000 foot passes). I also like the 1:1 or lower gearing when letting off the accelerator. It’s probably unfounded fear, but I don’t like the idea of multiplying the torque from the trailer pushing through the gearbox in 7th(1/.82) or 8th(1/.67) gear and the wear that will put on the clutches.
Unlike some on this forum, I don’t usually like to share an uninformed yet passionate opinion with internet strangers. I have no engineering degree or SAE publications to cite for these claims. However, I do have a mild anxiety disorder and this rationale helps me avoid medication
and for me, that’s a win.I don't think you're quite staying under the stealth luxury threshold with such a fine looking rig. My wife knows nothing about these things and this sure caught her eye. I have to agree.
Dunbar
SILVER Star
I am shopping Airstreams. Reading a lot about hail damage possibilities. I like the Oliver but need more beds. If the big one had a bunkhouse plan with bunks that folded down from the walls and an extra full suspended over the main bed I'd bite. As it is I am looking at the AS Flying Cloud 30' FB Bunk. I have 3 college age kids and would do multi-month trips. Other option would be a 23' Corner bunk bunk. That would fit us all using the dinette and couch in their bed function. It would work better for just 3 of us while the other 2 are at school. It would tow easier with the Cruiser. Otherwise I would tow with our built 7.3 Excursion. If I could custom design an Oliver with a dry bath and a bunkhouse, I'd like to go that route.
That's a tough set of requirements. Keep water and tank capacities in mind. Besides space, that often becomes the next limiting resource. Airstreams in general have more limited space including relatively smaller tanks. I love the 30' floorplans but it's likely over what the 200-series should be towing.
If taking the whole family along and towing with the 200, I'd suggest giving the Lance 2185 a look.
Lol. Doesn't come from much real world towing? I love the opportunity to roll out the old
which I have seen three times, both with the LC and the LX. I have over 300, 000 miles in 200's and have dragged my two travel trailers and jet boat over most of BC and the Yukon in D and often on Cruise. I have a Class 2 licence which gives me the ability to drive tandem axle trucks and I have been driving trucks at work for over 50 years. Just saying that I have had a fair bit of experience towing, both with these vehicles and others.
But this is irrelevant as far as interpreting the manual goes. I know that a lot of people on this board whose opinion I respect highly believe that it is important to gear down all the time but the manual does not say that, in my opinion. And in my 300,000 miles I have never seen an overheated transmission, probably because I have no way to tell if it is hot or not, I just drive it.
Thanks for not piling on me too much, you’re clearly experienced. I had made an assumption and I shouldn’t have.
I’d be very curious to see some temps while you’re towing in “D”. I’m of the mind set that avoiding high temps is always preferable to not… this may be from driving sh*t boxes for many years or having trans temp issues in my daily driver several times in the recent past leading me to bail on it. For me, gear hunting and high temps are not worth the long term risk when 6th alleviates both with no discernible difference in MPG and added benefit of converter lockup. Again, as always, YMMV.
No problem, I really do appreciate every chance I get to roll out the Arctic Circle sign. One of my big regrets is that the trailer only made it to within 50 miles of the Arctic Ocean sign.
And I realize that my “methods” aren’t necessarily the best ones because there are a lot of really sharp guys here who disagree with me. My main point is that the manual does not say to gear down except to utilize engine braking.
Slow Paddler
SILVER Star
It's just a Highlander towing big Scamp. Nothing to see...I don't think you're quite staying under the stealth luxury threshold with such a fine looking rig. My wife knows nothing about these things and this sure caught her eye. I have to agree.
Slow Paddler
SILVER Star
Almost exactly the same as our house.
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A 1976 1300 sq ft split-level in Ohio, bought in 1991
It is a lot less than an equivalent Airstream. Especially with all of the quality issues since Thor bought Airstream. A disproportionate number of new Oliver owners are unhappy ex-Airstreamers.
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It’s funny you brought up Ford because it was a 2018 Navigator I just bailed on due to multiple transmission issues. When towing with it it would automatically go into “tow/haul” mode which changed shift points and pretty much made the last 4 gears unattainable unless I was really moving. The 10R80 transmission in it is apparently no stranger to complications and coming from that experience has really influenced my towing strategies in the cruiser.
Dunbar
SILVER Star
My cruiser is being built to tow with Kings valved correctly, air bags and the Harrop blower but it's going to have a back up roll to the Excursion. The 200 rides so much better and it quiet. But the 7.3 Ex with tunes ball bearing turbo and R4100 transmission built by Brians Truck Shop in Lead Hill AR, it's much better suited to tow 8,000lbs 80mph all day long. Kids like the room, so does the dog. The newer diesels are so nice and quiet but i get to ask the owners, "blue what? "!
We have some friends with an Excursion, they got it with really low miles, it’s like a time capsule. The size is overwhelming… in a good way.
