You know, I think we are talking about two different experiences. Something Techis said rings a bell with me and I think that we don’t have the long steep downhills in BC that you have down south. There are very few places where 2nd gear won’t hold me at 50 mph that are longer than 1/2 miles. We don’t have any descents that go on for miles that engine braking needs additional help from brake applications at all. Almost all of our downhills are primarily handled with gearing down and what amounts to be considered snubbing because a light application for what you might consider to be a very short time is all that’s is necessary to bring the speed to an acceptable number. One of our longest descents is the Coquihalla Highway from the summit to Hope which is 36 kilometers (22 miles) and drops about 3200’. Only about 1/2 mile of this needs any brake application and the rest of it is engine braking. I understand that down your way that there are much longer, steeper descents that need longer, harder braking. So, we are talking about two completely different environments and mine is one of more manageable descents. IMO.
Towing with a 200-series Toyota Land Cruiser (2 Viewers)
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Yeah, diesels don't engine brake that well without some kind of an exhaust brake. I had a Jeep Liberty CRD that didn't have any sort of exhaust braking from the factory, so i adjusted the VNT maps in the tune to close up the nozzles in the turbine housing when at 0 throttle and above a certain RPM. It put backpressure on the cylinders and it also spun up the turbo and made boost while engine brake. That made a huge difference. With out the VNT map adjustments, the thing barely engine braked.
Just picked up my new travel trailer! 2024 Coachman Apex Nano 208BHS with the Off-Grid Package
FrazzledHunter
SILVER Star
So we're back from our 1056 mile trip up rt 81 to upstate NY and Wellesley Island. Gorgeous countryside the whole trip. The LC towed like a boss (S6/ECT) up and down the hills on Rt 81 at 65 mph; pretty much 1800-2200 rpm. Hills were 3300 and 3800 rpm with an occasional jump to 4000 rpm. Average 10 mpg.
The super steep mountain hills in PA I was so concerned about earlier, thanks to your advice, were a nothing burger: S3 and S2 are your best friend. Our confidence is way up! Thanks again guys!
The super steep mountain hills in PA I was so concerned about earlier, thanks to your advice, were a nothing burger: S3 and S2 are your best friend. Our confidence is way up! Thanks again guys!
Excellent, well done! Have the same experience with my 16+ LC200 including rpm ranges and speeds mentioned.
I have a 2014 LX 570 and I am going to purchase a travel trailer here in the next few days. Congratulations on your new rig. What type of brake controller did you install?
I went with the Redarc Tow Pro Elite brake controller which can be build into the dashboard:
Tow-Pro Elite Electric Brake Controller
The award-winning Tow-Pro Elite is suitable for both 12 volt and 24 volt vehicles and is the only brake controller on the market that offers two types of braking options in one dash mounted unit.
www.redarcelectronics.com
You also can get a pre-made cable. This includes the white ground which is IMO a good thing to connect to the body (if i recall correct there is a bolt as part of the dash frame you can use for this):
Toyota suitable Tow-Pro Brake Controller Harness (TPH-021)
Suitable for Toyota 4Runner, Landcruiser, Sequioa, Tacoma and Tundra vehicles. The REDARC Tow-Pro TPH-021 wiring harness offers the ability to connect the Tow-Pro™ Elite or Tow-Pro™ Liberty electric brake controller directly into suited vehicles.
www.redarcelectronics.com
And a switch insert for the same:
Switch Insert Panel to suit Toyota
Suitable for a range of Toyota and Mitsubishi vehicles including 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, Outlander, Pajero and Triton. The TPSI-002 Switch Insert Panel aids the installation of the Tow-Pro Elite and Liberty into suitable vehicles, replacing the switch blank in the front console.
www.redarcelectronics.com
Video of an install on youtube. He solders his own wiring harness. For $23.50 + tax I did not think it was worth the hassle and my time, so I bought the harness from redarc. In case you do want to solder yourself, the part and connector to the vehicle comes with the vehicle from new and "should be" in the glove box or in the compartment for the jack. Otherwise you definitely need the redarc cable.
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Thank you very much!
Thank you!
I use a Tekonsha Prodigy P3 brake controller. TEKONSHA | 90195 | Prodigy P3® Proportional Brake Controller for Trailers with 1-4 Axles, Black - https://www.tekonsha.com/product/90195_trailer-brake-control-proportional
I, personally, don't like the lake of features on the Redarc, but a lot of people like them....
I had the tekonsha before the redarc I use now. I liked the features and performance of the tekonsha prodigy p3 because I could manually apply whatever amount of brake force to the trailer that I wanted in addition to some other features. It seemed to apply brakes and release very smoothly and almost imperceptibly. I now have the redarc and my knee loves not banging into it all the time like it did with the tekonsha. The redarc is more noticeable in that it seems to take a bit of time to bite after I start to apply brakes through the pedal and then it also seems to hold onto the brakes for a moment after I release. I always notice this which is annoying but not a deal breaker. For me, the stealth makes up for it. Maybe the Tekonsha prodigy ID would be the best of both but I haven't investigated it much.
You’re describing the inertia braking feature on the Redarc pro. Here is how you can switch to the more traditional brake controller function:
Thanks. This should help.
At least it’s worth a try. I usually use this mode when off road as my speeds are lower so the inertia mode isn’t as predictable as the traditional mode.
I have the towpro liberty, not the elite so I don't think this is available to me. I think proportional braking is my only option.
I added an @CruiserBrothers transmission cooler and torque converter lockup kit to my 2013 200 Series. I recommend both for trailer towing. The torque converter lock up is amazing when going downhill and downshifting and letting the engine braking work. It is a real brake saver.
hbar
SILVER Star
Obligatory "I haven't read all 108 pages" but has anybody towed something like a Jeep on a UHaul car hauler (not the dolly, but the actual 'flat bed' trailer)? I'm particularly wondering about tongue weight, because UHaul's guidance is to put the tow vehicle all the way forward on the trailer, which would mean it's at "worst case scenario" for tongue weight, right?
I realize people tow on Uhaul stuff all the time so I'm probably overthinking it. The Jeep weighs 4000lbs as it sits on the trailer, but I don't have the stuff to actually measure the tongue weight. Wondering if anybody else has used a similar setup.
I realize people tow on Uhaul stuff all the time so I'm probably overthinking it. The Jeep weighs 4000lbs as it sits on the trailer, but I don't have the stuff to actually measure the tongue weight. Wondering if anybody else has used a similar setup.
I'm quite sure I've seen plenty of photos in this thread of people towing other vehicles (on flatbed trailers) with their 200-series.
Worst case scenario for tongue weight, but best case scenario for trailer stability.
Airbags in the rear would certainly help level out any squat, but not worth the effort if it's a one-off tow. A weight distribution hitch would help in a big way, but would have to be installed/uninstalled, which is also a bit of a headache.
hbar
SILVER Star
It's not quite a one-off, probably like 2 times per year, max. It's just a 6 hr trip, and the worst of it is the rolling terrain of I-44 across southern MO.
I don't think I realized more tongue weight made the trailer more stable. Doesn't it effectively take weight off my front tires though?
It's not the extra tongue weight that improves stability, but rather weight distribution of the trailer. You want the heaviest objects to be as far forward as possible; the worst place for heavy items is behind the trailer axle. Increased tongue weight is the result, but not necessarily the goal. Have a look at this classic video for a visual example:
And yes, more tongue weight (ie. weight on the rear of your tow vehicle) does take weight off the front (steering) axle. This is where weight distribution hitches come in, which allow you to have the best of both worlds, so to speak. You still get the benefits of proper weight distribution in the trailer, and you also "shift" weight from the rear to the front of the vehicle, maintaining proper weight distribution there.
hbar
SILVER Star
I was specifically referring to the uhaul car carrier. With it being shorter & hauls guidance for placement, it poses its own set of challenges (like weight distribution).
There's no fear of having the weight behind the axles, there's very little space behind the axles on the uhaul anyway. They want the vehicle all the way forward, but it seems like having it back ~24" would make it much more balanced.
