Towing with a 200-series Toyota Land Cruiser (1 Viewer)

[stonepa]

I'm reminded that towing shouldn't be taken lightly. While we like to push limits here, articulated vehicles can inherently be unstable. Setup, speed, and conditions should be given ample consideration.

Crazy story in the news with an F350 towing a 30ft travel trailer, losing control, and ultimately hanging off the side of a bridge by a single chain. Likely causal factors: speed, load mismanagement (excess load hung off rear of trailer on a hitch rack), and wind.

Trailer Safety Chain Stops Dangling Ford Super Duty From Plummeting Into Gorge

Always double-check your chains.

www.thedrive.com

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Brave man. Look at all that frame rust!

 

[TeCKis300]

The free fall from 10,000 feet does not hurt until the last 10 inches..... Everything was just fine until it suddenly wasn't....

My 2007 Mercedes ML320 CDI diesel was a smaller vehicle that the Land Cruiser. We plan to carry the same stuff we carried in the ML. The trailer will be upgraded from the Hensley Arrow hitch to a new ProPriide that has more precise adjustability, new 3,600 pound axles with disc brakes (possibly also ABS) and new six lug 15" SenDel wheels to replace the five lug 15" SenDel wheels but still using the existing new last summer 15"Michelin 235/75/R15 XL 109T Defender tires, a new thermostat and television.

The trailer mods will allow us to take it with us in the Land Cruise off the beaten path and do short three to five day remote area camping.

Sweet! Glad to hear you're going down the path of lifting the Airstream. No more dragging WD hitch and trailer bumper. And I've found no difference to towing stability.

Curious on the Propride, no doubt in my mind their sway control ability is superior to anything out there. I've heard they can be finicky to hook up in off-camber or uneven surfaces. As you've used one for awhile, do you have any concerns to hitching up in varied boondocking situations? Part of the reason I've stayed with a traditional ball mount, and fortunately the 200-series has proven to be immensely stable.

 

[azstreamer]

The big secret is to not move the trailer hitch after pulling away. When you back up to re-hitch, the alignment should be pretty close. A few folks carry a 1 ½" or 2" by 18" piece of PVC pipe to use as a visual alignment tool.

The existing Hensley is fully operational. The issue is that Hensley only provides non-adjustable stingers in 2" increments. Thus in some situations one could be either 1" high or 1" low with the front of the trailer. The PPP adjusts in 1" intervals with plus or minus ½" adjustments so you get spot on. The truck receiver is 15" off the ground while the Land Cruisers receiver is 20" off the ground.

The Hensley factory is selling used Hensley Arrows for around $2,300 plus shipping and a new PPP is $2,950 plus shipping. Just ordered a PPP with 1,400 pound rated bars (can handle 750 pound tongue weight up to 1,400 pounds) and a second tow stinger to be configured for the truck, Got a discount as a repeat customer. The truck will have the existing stinger with Rock Tamer mudflats for the 31' Classic and another one configured for the 23D. Plan to sell the Hensley Arrow later.

Due to causing the blemish on the front grill that can I live with, the dealer is spared a $2,000 replacement cost for the grill, new radar unit and labor (not covered by warranty) by putting Firestone airbags on the rear for me.

 

[Dan Higgins]

Sweet! Glad to hear you're going down the path of lifting the Airstream. No more dragging WD hitch and trailer bumper. And I've found no difference to towing stability.

Curious on the Propride, no doubt in my mind their sway control ability is superior to anything out there. I've heard they can be finicky to hook up in off-camber or uneven surfaces. As you've used one for awhile, do you have any concerns to hitching up in varied boondocking situations? Part of the reason I've stayed with a traditional ball mount, and fortunately the 200-series has proven to be immensely stable.

So having used both Hensley and ProPride for four years now here is what I do to help me hook up. I picked up a pair of those long, yellow, fiberglass rods with magnets on one end that people use for alignment aids. I use one of them. I take the magnetic end and stick it to the "lower lip" of the opening in the ProPride main unit that the stinger goes into. I lay the other end of the yellow rod on the ground. Because the magnet is flat against the flat surface of the lower lip it is very easy to make sure the rod is pointing in the same direction as the opening. Now I just align the stinger with the yellow rod as I am backing up. I did get a backup camera as I found it difficult to use the off-center one on the Land Cruiser.

Simply backing up the same way I pulled away when I unhooked is often more difficult for me because I can't quite remember "exactly" how I backed up. I'll get it close but then use the yellow rod to be sure.

Why the yellow rod? So much easier to see when there is sunlight or glare on the backup camera.

I also find that except for the scenario I'll describe below I leave my WD jacks low, almost to the bottom, and my WD bars very loose. This allows the main unit to wiggle around and essentially self adjust as the stinger is inserted.

Two situations that are less straightforward.

1) The tow vehicle needs to approach the hitch from a left or right angle (not straight on). This is not terrible. @azstreamer pointed out that if you leave the PP (or Hensley) main unit at the same angle as when you unhitched and can back into it using that same angle when you hitch up again you will be close. But I often find that for some reason the main unit's position gets moved. Not hard to get it close to what it was but the yellow rod helps. Also, the "pivot" of the main unit is a bit different until you get used to it.

2) The two vehicle and trailer are at different angles front to back. This can happen when parking in a steep spot (typically one that requires you to lift the trailer quite a bit to level it after unhitching). Another case is when the tow vehicle is simply at a different angle due to a low area or "pothole" or something that keeps it from being level with the trailer. These cases are rare. But when they happen you may need to put the main unit in a slight up or down angle. This is done by using the WD jacks and bars like the handles on a wheelbarrow. You can even make one side a bit higher than the other if the tow vehicle is at a bit of a sideway lean relative to the trailer. These cases are rare but it is doable.

One final point on hitching up. Sometimes I don't quite get the stinger seated all the way in the main unit. It may be a half or quarter inch short. But if I can connect one of the latches that pull the stinger tight then I can nearly always pull it the rest of the way in.

BTW, I am now able to hitch up at least 90% of the time on my first try. The thing I usually don't get quite right is the height of the trailer tongue/main unit. If I leave it too low but a bit it seems like something along the top hangs up. I think this can vary with each situation depending on the angle of the stinger. (One additional difference with the ProPride stinger vs the Hensley stinger besides the ability to adjust the height is the ability to adjust the up/down angle of the stinger. On my previous trailer setup I had the stinger angled down as much as possible. I thought this would help me get more lift from the WD bars. It may have. But it also made the height of main unit more critical. With our current trailer the stinger is essentially flat so I almost never have an issue with it hanging up as it goes in.

 

[tarpaigh]

I would appreciate other’s opinions. I towed a outdoors RV 21dbs which weighed in at 6400lbs but felt uncomfortable going any faster than 65. My 2020 LC weighed in at about 6600 lbs so I am under all the weight limits. Nonetheless it wasn’t fun and I have towed a bunch before this. Is there something else I didn’t consider like the height of the trailer and lack of aerodynamics playing a big part in the towing experience or is it really just the weight and I should look for a lighter trailer? thanks.

 

[linuxgod]

What was the actual tongue weight? Weight distribution (both the hitch as well as how your gear is loaded) plays a big part in handling. Tires (particularly the trailer tire pressure) are probably next. Outside of that maybe torsion axle vs leaf sprung (though all my serious towing experience has been with trailers with the former)?

Your exterior trailer dimensions are similar to mine. My trailer is 6000# loaded, 25'6" long and 10' tall. My LC is lifted 2" and about 7300# loaded *without* the trailer, and I pull 75mph all day. I'm very comfortable with that and I get virtually no sway. I could drive faster but the trailer tires are rated at 81mph and I like to leave a safety margin.

 

[coleAK]

I would appreciate other’s opinions. I towed a outdoors RV 21dbs which weighed in at 6400lbs but felt uncomfortable going any faster than 65. My 2020 LC weighed in at about 6600 lbs so I am under all the weight limits. Nonetheless it wasn’t fun and I have towed a bunch before this. Is there something else I didn’t consider like the height of the trailer and lack of aerodynamics playing a big part in the towing experience or is it really just the weight and I should look for a lighter trailer? thanks.

pretty much all campers will feel unsafe at >65 mph. I owned an airstream for the 8 years prior to my current ORV 22BHS and my brother has an RPod. I cruse along at 55-60 mph most of the time, push it to 65 when it is flat. I’ve easily pulled a camper over 100k miles over the last 10 years with my LX and before that a diesel f250. I’ll add to that when you have your first blow out, emergency maneuver, or major sway issue you will be happier the slower you are going. And pushing them harder will lead to more failures.

I’ll add through I’m entirely on the crappy, rough, and rarely straight roads of Alaska and northern Canada. And frequently well over 150 miles from the nearest gas station so 9mpg vs 7.5mpg makes a huge difference as to how much extra fuel I have to carry.

 

[ColoradoSequoia]

I would appreciate other’s opinions. I towed a outdoors RV 21dbs which weighed in at 6400lbs but felt uncomfortable going any faster than 65. My 2020 LC weighed in at about 6600 lbs so I am under all the weight limits. Nonetheless it wasn’t fun and I have towed a bunch before this. Is there something else I didn’t consider like the height of the trailer and lack of aerodynamics playing a big part in the towing experience or is it really just the weight and I should look for a lighter trailer? thanks.

I also tow an ORV 21DBS (w/ WDH, upgraded suspension and e-rated tires). I think it tows really well. It's definitely a heavy trailer (and 11'5"), but outside of high mountains and really high wind gusts, I never have a problem. Sway is also very well controlled.

To @linuxgod's point, there is a remarkable difference when tongue weight is correct - i.e. when fresh water tank is at least half full, my tongue weight is loaded (~925#).. When fresh water tank is low and especially if the black/greys are full, it tows much worse. In that case, there's just not enough weight on the hitch for you to control the trailer.

Nonetheless, I can tow faster than 65 mph on the flats but anything over that my MPGs plummet and it's not legal in Colorado anyway.

 

[ColoradoSequoia]

pretty much all campers will feel unsafe at >65 mph.

Agreed

 

[tarpaigh]

Th

I also tow an ORV 21DBS (w/ WDH, upgraded suspension and e-rated tires). I think it tows really well. It's definitely a heavy trailer (and 11'5"), but outside of high mountains and really high wind gusts, I never have a problem. Sway is also very well controlled.

To @linuxgod's point, there is a remarkable difference when tongue weight is correct - i.e. when fresh water tank is at least half full, my tongue weight is loaded (~925#).. When fresh water tank is low and especially if the black/greys are full, it tows much worse. In that case, there's just not enough weight on the hitch for you to control the trailer.

Nonetheless, I can tow faster than 65 mph on the flats but anything over that my MPGs plummet and it's not legal in Colorado anyw

Agreed

Thanks. It is really helpful to hear other people’s insight in towing with the same vehicle. I hadn’t considered tongue weight and definitely should have. I have ome progressive springs and equalizer wdh but always leave with empty water tanks to save weight. When they hooked up the trailer at the RV dealer they commented that they were shocked the truck didn’t sag at all. Great springs but probably needs more rear axle weight.

 

[ColoradoSequoia]

Thanks. It is really helpful to hear other people’s insight in towing with the same vehicle. I hadn’t considered tongue weight and definitely should have. I have ome progressive springs and equalizer wdh but always leave with empty water tanks to save weight. When they hooked up the trailer at the RV dealer they commented that they were shocked the truck didn’t sag at all. Great springs but probably needs more rear axle weight.

Your setup sounds good. Equalizer has worked well for me.

Try the tanks. Even 1/3-1/2 tank of fresh is a much better tow.

 

[TeCKis300]

I would appreciate other’s opinions. I towed a outdoors RV 21dbs which weighed in at 6400lbs but felt uncomfortable going any faster than 65. My 2020 LC weighed in at about 6600 lbs so I am under all the weight limits. Nonetheless it wasn’t fun and I have towed a bunch before this. Is there something else I didn’t consider like the height of the trailer and lack of aerodynamics playing a big part in the towing experience or is it really just the weight and I should look for a lighter trailer? thanks.

I have a different experience, and I'll say I'm generally pretty critical of performance. For context, as someone that's spent time with vehicles on the track, I have high expectations for performance and overall handling, towing or not, and I'm pretty dialed into vehicle behavior whether suspension geometry, suspension, tire pressure, etc. Having been on this board for awhile, I think most know how much I pour into detail when modding to get things just right.

My setup is stable that I'd be confident to let my wife drive, even 75+ mph. Whether she feels the same of her own abilities is a different story, but it is that stable. I do cruise on occasion at 80mph in states like AZ where even the big rigs are flying. I travel through mountains regularly being in SoCal to escape the heat, but the rig is seriously stable enough that I might even touch on freeway speeds in the mountains downhill. Sure you can read that as overconfidence, and I consider myself a conscientious and a safe driver, but the rig is seriously that stable. Passing on the freeway, touching over 85mph maybe a bit aggressive, but I've done that too. It's stable, and at no point is does the family sense anything but, and goes about doing their thing. Speed is the biggest variable to sway, and I've never experienced any onset or escalation of it. But then again, other than sometimes speeding (mostly 60-70 to conserve gas), I don't put myself in situations where I know it can be exacerbated, particularly when the trailer has excess momentum trying to overtake the TV, like in downhill slowing or braking situations. Setup is important, as it's critical to get the brake gain right so the trailer generally has the hitch lash up in tension...but I'm getting ahead of myself here.

Excellent stability is possible and important because if it sways at 65mph, it means there no reserve to handle other environmental situations that can exacerbate it more, to the degree that it truly becomes out of control. Also stable performance means less fatigue over long driving days. Happy to help you get there because I personally don't feel like there is a better vehicle that blends adventure, comfort, and capability.

Take a picture of the hitch from the side, and we can start there if you're interested.

 

[vapilotda]

I have a different experience, and I'll say I'm generally pretty critical of performance. For context, as someone that's spent time with vehicles on the track, I have high expectations for performance and overall handling, towing or not, and I'm pretty dialed into vehicle behavior whether suspension geometry, suspension, tire pressure, etc. Having been on this board for awhile, I think most know how much I pour into detail when modding to get things just right.

My setup is stable that I'd be confident to let my wife drive, even 75+ mph. Whether she feels the same of her own abilities is a different story, but it is that stable. I do cruise on occasion at 80mph in states like AZ where even the big rigs are flying. I travel through mountains regularly being in SoCal to escape the heat, but the rig is seriously stable enough that I might even touch on freeway speeds in the mountains downhill. Sure you can read that as overconfidence, and I consider myself a conscientious and a safe driver, but the rig is seriously that stable. Passing on the freeway, touching over 85mph maybe a bit aggressive, but I've done that too. It's stable, and at no point is does the family sense anything but, and goes about doing their thing. Speed is the biggest variable to sway, and I've never experienced any onset or escalation of it. But then again, other than sometimes speeding (mostly 60-70 to conserve gas), I don't put myself in situations where I know it can be exacerbated, particularly when the trailer has excess momentum trying to overtake the TV, like in downhill slowing or braking situations. Setup is important, as it's critical to get the brake gain right so the trailer generally has the hitch lash up in tension...but I'm getting ahead of myself here.

Excellent stability is possible and important because if it sways at 65mph, it means there no reserve to handle other environmental situations that can exacerbate it more, to the degree that it truly becomes out of control. Also stable performance means less fatigue over long driving days. Happy to help you get there because I personally don't feel like there is a better vehicle that blends adventure, comfort, and capability.

Take a picture of the hitch from the side, and we can start there if you're interested.

I won't repeat what's been said, especially by @TeCKis300 but I'm in the same boat. It took a few rounds to get the weight distribution hitch dialed in but my 27 airstream does great behind the cruiser. I've hit 80plus with it. Not that I want to but I don't feel unsafe. Oddly enough, a sprinter van or random box truck blows me around way more than a semi. I use a blue ox hitch and usually have my water full headed down the road.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

We interrupt this technical towing discussion to reminisce about good times and dirty trailers:

 

[vapilotda]

Nothing wrong with that! Spring break in Jekyll Island this month. Not as chilly!

 

[vapilotda]

Not sure if that's an airstream, landcruiser, or water filter commercial now that I look at it
Haha

 

[blatant]

Way too many folks, towing things way to big for the 200 in this thread. Yeah, I've towed with mine, but just cause I could doesn't mean it's to be done. The power plant is adequate, the size of the small 200 simply isn't. Regardless of special hitches, doo-dads etc. They make bigass trucks for a reason. Safety should be primary.

 

[Artie]

Nothing wrong with that! Spring break in Jekyll Island this month. Not as chilly!

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We just got back from Saint Simons a couple weeks ago, it’s our annual beach trip spot since the 90’s. We’ve been considering camping at that Jekyll campground in the future. What’s the vibe like there?

 

[vapilotda]

We just got back from Saint Simons a couple weeks ago, it’s our annual beach trip spot since the 90’s. We’ve been considering camping at that Jekyll campground in the future. What’s the vibe like there?

It's certainly a busy busy campground and difficult to get a spot but it's the only place in town. We enjoy it as we can walk or bike across the street to the beach. The island is pretty quiet, people are friendly, st Simon's is 20 min away. My buddy moved to St Simons and is a brewer at silver bluff brewery in Brunswick so it's a great combo package. I'd go ahead and call and make a reservation for when you want to go. Their website isn't the best and if you call, that can sometimes "fit you in."

 

[TeCKis300]

We interrupt this technical towing discussion to reminisce about good times and dirty trailers:

Hahah, this guy gets it. All the tech mumbo jumbo is just a means to this end!

It's not half a scenic out here in SoCal. Dispersed camping just outside of Joshua Tree. Headed out again this weekend for some local camping with friends, as that seems to be the thing to do these days. Just fine by me.