Travel Trailer ideas - towing with an LC/LX ...

[Newps]

My rig is a loaded down pig with armor and 34" mud terrain tires on stock gearing. Just bought a 16 foot toy hauler (with tongue is 20.5 ft) dry weight is about 3400. My rig pulled it with no problems. Going up grades, momentum and rpm's are your friend. Places with altitude Colorado and Utah it's completely different story. I run it with the OD off, unless it's down hill or favorable tail winds. Cruises around 55 to 60 mph all day long. Tire air pressure is extremely important on both your rig and the tow rig. Make sure you are near the maximum suggested towing PSI when fully loaded including gas, food, gear etc. Tire pressure was the biggest difference in the way my rig towed.

 

[cwmoser]

One nice advantage our 1998-2002 LX470's have over our 5-speed siblings is that we are almost 200 lbs lighter.
Our curb weight is 5,401 lbs versus 5,590 lbs, and the towing capacity of the 2005-2006 is 5,000 lbs.

 

[Batlowboy]

I tow everyday for work, around 1600kg or 3500 pounds, no probs at all, recommend you have electric brakes on the trailer though. I also have heavier springs in the rear to accommodate the tow ball weight and keep the rig balanced. Your fuel bill will increase dramatically too.

 

[cwmoser]

Well, we picked up our Rpod 180 today.
Pulled well. You do know its back there.
When I got home with it I noted that the dealer had filled
the fresh water tank. And, I believe the WDH hitch is making
the rear of my LX470 sit too high. Gonna have to adjust that hitch myself.

 

[CruiserDog]

19,000lbs on a UZJ100 is a joke!

sounds like a joke, but they really do all the time

 

[CruiserDog]

One nice advantage our 1998-2002 LX470's have over our 5-speed siblings is that we are almost 200 lbs lighter.
Our curb weight is 5,401 lbs versus 5,590 lbs, and the towing capacity of the 2005-2006 is 5,000 lbs.

06-07 is vvti with 275hp and a tow capacity of 6500lbs

 

[arcteryx]

not really because they rated to almost 8000 pounds for markets outside of the united states.

Not to be the tow police, but I do not see that as a valid excuse when talking to your insurance company if you get into a wreck.


Storytime:

I had just sold my diesel Excursion and thought I could make do with the 100 to get trucks. I towed with mine twice to pick up 2 cruisers on my car hauler. I was about max at 6000-6500. I HATED it. Terrible mileage, butt sagged, and I didn't go over 65 as it felt too unsafe. The issue is the wheelbase is too short to be an adequate TV. This was on flat ground in Texas, no hills. When you tow an travel trailer, you increase the front drag, so it can get pushed around more.

I would give a safety margin of 20% at least when towing an RV. The 100s have a 6500lb rating, so your wet (fully loaded but not exceeding GVWR) weight would be no more than 6500-1300 = 5200. Personally that is too much IMO to tow, I would not want it to be more than 4300 lbs. 5200 lbs is about the weight of the 100 and simple physics says the large item will win.

I have mentioned this before but will do again. Here is a 99 that I picked up that was rolled. It had a 24 foot camper that was improperly loaded, too much tongue weight. He knew how to tow and had all the goodies- brake controller, weight distributing hitch and a beefy ball on the hitch, see the pics of it. The “tail wagged the dog” as they say, so even though he had everything he could put on the 100, it wasn’t enough. Flipped the truck on it's side after jackknifing around. His weight was about 6500-7000. Flat ground in East Texas too. Just look how mangled that hitch is.

My point is, be safe, your life, your family's and that of others on the road are at stake. Oh, I do have a big diesel again as my TV.

 

[CruiserDog]

Not to be the tow police, but I do not see that as a valid excuse when talking to your insurance company if you get into a wreck.


Storytime:

I had just sold my diesel Excursion and thought I could make do with the 100 to get trucks. I towed with mine twice to pick up 2 cruisers on my car hauler. I was about max at 6000-6500. I HATED it. Terrible mileage, butt sagged, and I didn't go over 65 as it felt too unsafe. The issue is the wheelbase is too short to be an adequate TV. This was on flat ground in Texas, no hills. When you tow an travel trailer, you increase the front drag, so it can get pushed around more.

I would give a safety margin of 20% at least when towing an RV. The 100s have a 6500lb rating, so your wet (fully loaded but not exceeding GVWR) weight would be no more than 6500-1300 = 5200. Personally that is too much IMO to tow, I would not want it to be more than 4300 lbs. 5200 lbs is about the weight of the 100 and simple physics says the large item will win.

I have mentioned this before but will do again. Here is a 99 that I picked up that was rolled. It had a 24 foot camper that was improperly loaded, too much tongue weight. He knew how to tow and had all the goodies- brake controller, weight distributing hitch and a beefy ball on the hitch, see the pics of it. The “tail wagged the dog” as they say, so even though he had everything he could put on the 100, it wasn’t enough. Flipped the truck on it's side after jackknifing around. His weight was about 6500-7000. Flat ground in East Texas too. Just look how mangled that hitch is.

My point is, be safe, your life, your family's and that of others on the road are at stake. Oh, I do have a big diesel again as my TV.


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first off a weight distributing hitch on a tow vehicle is always a bad choice. mainly because it doesn't allow the trailer movement it needs on uneven pavement or in high wind situations. instead of the trailer wagging, it wags the whole rig and ^ case and point it rolls over. also it puts weight on the front axle which was never design for in the first place and results in binding of the steering and suspension. a weight distribution hitch is like cutting off half your trailer and stuffing it in your land cruiser. yes a short wheelbase isn't the greatest for towing especially on down hill switch backs, but if you take it slow on these obstacles like you are suposse to you won't have an issue. lastly a improperly loaded trailer no matter the tow vehicle or the weight will end in an accident.

 

[cwmoser]

I have the Equal-i-zer Sway Control Hitch – 900-00-0600 --- 600lb max tongue weight, 6,000 max trailer weight.

Here are the measurements on my 2002 LX470:
Amounts are in inches to the lip of the wheel well:

FRONT
LEFT RIGHT
Normal/noWDH/WDH Normal/noWDH/WDH
---------------------------- ----------------------------
34 34.5 34.125 34.25 34.875 34.5


34.75 32.385 34.25 35 32.5 34.75
REAR

Towing it feels a little bouncy ... but someone has posted that
his Rpod tows much better with the fresh water tank empty.
My tank was full, so next time I'll empty it.

 

[bamabrock]

sounds like a joke, but they really do all the time

It would be foolish to tow that setup at highway speeds. That pic has been posted before and it was a diesel & manual transmission equipped vehicle pulling at low speeds on an estate; not at any roadspeed with traffic. I just bought a JD 5055e and no way in hell would I tow it with a 100.

 

[CruiserDog]

It would be foolish to tow that setup at highway speeds. That pic has been posted before and it was a diesel & manual transmission equipped vehicle pulling at low speeds on an estate; not at any roadspeed with traffic. I just bought a JD 5055e and no way in hell would I tow it with a 100.

A person from the forum who lives holland sent me that photo after one of my posts and told me about there regulations of the cruiser being limited to tow 9 metric tons. I lived in Bayreuth Germany for many years and worked on the family farm. it was a common occurrence for euro spec ford rangers, land rover defenders, euro spec colorados, and land cruisers etc. to tow tractor style grain trailers during harvest season. My family owned a jeep CJ5 304 v8 golden eagle with farm attachments and all, which towed a small animal trailer and it towed a hay trailer during harvesting season to help the nieghboring farms bring in the crop. we towed these overloaded trailers 15km through towns and public roads no problem. if memory serves me right, we where limited to 50kmph on the road. Therefore I think a 100 series would have no problem towing that weight, especially with the v8 (which is more powerful than the diesel). (I will try to find a old photo of the jeep towing it was impressive.)

 

[CruiserDog]

heres a photo I found. I'll have to dig through the scrapbook to find some

 

[duggy]

A person from the forum who lives holland sent me that photo after one of my posts and told me about there regulations of the cruiser being limited to tow 9 metric tons. I lived in Bayreuth Germany for many years and worked on the family farm. it was a common occurrence for euro spec ford rangers, land rover defenders, euro spec colorados, and land cruisers etc. to tow tractor style grain trailers during harvest season. My family owned a jeep CJ5 304 v8 golden eagle with farm attachments and all, which towed a small animal trailer and it towed a hay trailer during harvesting season to help the nieghboring farms bring in the crop. we towed these overloaded trailers 15km through towns and public roads no problem. if memory serves me right, we where limited to 50kmph on the road. Therefore I think a 100 series would have no problem towing that weight, especially with the v8 (which is more powerful than the diesel). (I will try to find a old photo of the jeep towing it was impressive.)

You're being ridiculous. There's no way you'll tow that on any American highways safely.

 

[azPaul]

Older posts, but FWIW... I have a 99 4 speed running 285s on 16's.. just drove to SLC Ut. from Phx, Az (April 25-27,'17) to pick up a new Rockwood 2104s TT 4300# dry. Stabil-i-zer WDH, and a brake controler. 15mpg up, 8mpg for the return trip. the 100 did ok but you'll never forget it's back there.. kept OD off. 65-70 mph max comfortable mph (when able to do it). on the 4speed IMO there is a hole in gearing between 2nd and 3rd. on big hills its 2nd gear 50-55 is 4000 to 4300 rpm. just back off and fall in line with the big rigs.. no overheat issues at all. We had a lot of wind, the handling was just fine, but a big headwind would drop us down to 2nd gear.. not fun on an interstate signed for 80mph.. I got a good feel after my 700mile return trip, would I like a big 3/4 ton diesel..absolutely,
but not in the cards for me, just slow down, enjoy the trip and keep the 100 fed.. feel free to contact me if you have any questions on how the 100 pulled the camper.. we will be taking it out this summer to escape Phx heat, the places we go are around 7000ft with many 7% grades..

 

[FXJ 96]

Older posts, but FWIW... I have a 99 4 speed running 285s on 16's.. just drove to SLC Ut. from Phx, Az (April 25-27,'17) to pick up a new Rockwood 2104s TT 4300# dry. Stabil-i-zer WDH, and a brake controler. 15mpg up, 8mpg for the return trip. the 100 did ok but you'll never forget it's back there.. kept OD off. 65-70 mph max comfortable mph (when able to do it). on the 4speed IMO there is a hole in gearing between 2nd and 3rd. on big hills its 2nd gear 50-55 is 4000 to 4300 rpm. just back off and fall in line with the big rigs.. no overheat issues at all. We had a lot of wind, the handling was just fine, but a big headwind would drop us down to 2nd gear.. not fun on an interstate signed for 80mph.. I got a good feel after my 700mile return trip, would I like a big 3/4 ton diesel..absolutely,
but not in the cards for me, just slow down, enjoy the trip and keep the 100 fed.. feel free to contact me if you have any questions on how the 100 pulled the camper.. we will be taking it out this summer to escape Phx heat, the places we go are around 7000ft with many 7% grades..

Not sure if you are still around but curious if you have any long term usage feedback. I’ve been shopping travel trailers to tow with my 2006 LC (vvti and 5 speed but wonder if wheelbase is limiting factor).

I’ve considered up to 25’ total length 4800 pounds dry - that would be max. Probably under 4500 dry and 22’ or less would be best but we’re a family of five. Hybrid campers seem to be best bet for space and weight.

 

[azPaul]

Not sure if you are still around but curious if you have any long term usage feedback. I’ve been shopping travel trailers to tow with my 2006 LC (vvti and 5 speed but wonder if wheelbase is limiting factor).

I’ve considered up to 25’ total length 4800 pounds dry - that would be max. Probably under 4500 dry and 22’ or less would be best but we’re a family of five. Hybrid campers seem to be best bet for space and weight.

My experience towing the 21' 4300#dry who knows loaded Mini-Lite 2104S is I would not go heaver. your 5 speed vvi may handle more weight but it seems I'm at the limit. I do have big grades and hot air to get to the forest though. Our last trip was to Show Low, Az. which is about 80 miles past where we typically go, that last 80 miles is pretty flat and was actually easy going. So depending on your topography you may be ok.. we went with our model with the mindset that we'll have the camper longer the the '99 100.. no plans yet on a replacement but next time around it will be a 5.7L something... Also 25' seems pretty long for our wheelbase.. WDH a must, Airlyft bags recommended too...clip on mirror etc... Good Luck..hope this helps...

 

[FXJ 96]

My experience towing the 21' 4300#dry who knows loaded Mini-Lite 2104S is I would not go heaver. your 5 speed vvi may handle more weight but it seems I'm at the limit. I do have big grades and hot air to get to the forest though. Our last trip was to Show Low, Az. which is about 80 miles past where we typically go, that last 80 miles is pretty flat and was actually easy going. So depending on your topography you may be ok.. we went with our model with the mindset that we'll have the camper longer the the '99 100.. no plans yet on a replacement but next time around it will be a 5.7L something... Also 25' seems pretty long for our wheelbase.. WDH a must, Airlyft bags recommended too...clip on mirror etc... Good Luck..hope this
helps...

Yes, it helps and I appreciate your reply. I’ve looked at units of similar length and weight as yours, good to know you’ve been towing it successfully for a while. I’ve been searching old posts and have found some folks towing up to 30’ and 6500 pounds and they say it is “fine”, doesn’t mean it’s wise.

I’ve towed a couple different travel trailers, tow vehicles have been a ‘99 suburban 2500, 2005 Nissan Titan, and 2005 Ford Excursion. We had a 33’ trailer weighing over 7k pounds and the Titan struggled a bit - towed fine but transmission would get a bit warm and you could tell it was pushing its limits. Switched to the diesel excursion, which had been beefed up to around 700 ft lbs of torque, and you couldn’t tell the trailer was there - so nice and carefree. I don’t want to be driving white knuckled or feeling like I am breaking the Land Cruiser when towing. Of course the wrecked LC pictures above aren't exactly confidence inspiring, but you can probably find someone who has wrecked every type of tow vehicle due to carelessness.

 

[bucfl]

I’ll add this...

When we went shopping the salesman was showing us trailers in the 4500 - 5500 range and saying it would be fine.

I think doing your research and staying within your comfort is key for your safety and everyone else’s.

We did our research and found that the Winnebago Micro Minnie 2100BH served our purpose nicely. 3750 lbs dry with bunk beds for the kids and a slide out for added space. Tandem axles for the win!

Another tip is if you can wait until Januar. Around here that’s when they have a huge RV sales event and you can get really great deals as they are offloading invent.

Good luck...make safety a priority.

 

[krice118]

I dont think its been mentioned yet but just because you can pull it doesnt mean you can safely stop it...

 

[nikramos]

I pulled an Rpod 180 on HiH7. My 2000 Lx struggled all the way from Durango.