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Old 06-24-2021, 11:03 AM   #1
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Toyota 4Runner tow vehicle

I love my 4Runner. Does anyone successfully pull a 21 or a 19 with this vehicle. Would like feedback and factual information. Thanks, Raney
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Old 06-24-2021, 12:31 PM   #2
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I had an older model 4Runner, with the V-8. I used it on my 19 and I towed successfully for several years. Then I became uncomfortable with the feel. Sometimes it seemed the tail could wag the dog. Whether it was wheel base, total vehicle weight, WDH, loading etc. I am not sure. Because I was upgrading to a 21 I choose to upgrade to a Sequoia. It is a much different towing experience. I know there are many owners who tow with a 5,000 lb rated vehicle, after all that is the recommendation.

It certainly can be done, the operator does have to be very careful in watching the gross vehicle weight rating. In my mind that number is often ignored. We fail to account for the 420 lbs of tongue, WDH and what is inside the vehicle. A good review of “Trailer Weights in the Real World” will show how much that trailer can weigh. There are some surprising weights out there

That is about as factual I can get. Not sure you can expect anything but anecdotal replies.
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Old 06-24-2021, 12:53 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fudge_brownie View Post
I had an older model 4Runner, with the V-8. I used it on my 19 and I towed successfully for several years. Then I became uncomfortable with the feel. Sometimes it seemed the tail could wag the dog. Whether it was wheel base, total vehicle weight, WDH, loading etc. I am not sure. Because I was upgrading to a 21 I choose to upgrade to a Sequoia. It is a much different towing experience. I know there are many owners who tow with a 5,000 lb rated vehicle, after all that is the recommendation.

It certainly can be done, the operator does have to be very careful in watching the gross vehicle weight rating. In my mind that number is often ignored. We fail to account for the 420 lbs of tongue, WDH and what is inside the vehicle. A good review of “Trailer Weights in the Real World” will show how much that trailer can weigh. There are some surprising weights out there

That is about as factual I can get. Not sure you can expect anything but anecdotal replies.
Can you provide any more info about towing your 21' with your Toyota sequoia. It's at the top of our list right now for a TV. What kind of fuel mileage do you get? What year and how many miles? Any issues so far with reliability? My main concern is that a lot of them have high miles used but it doesn't seem to be an issue with Toyotas like other makes. 150k on a Toyota is like 75k on other makes.
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Old 06-24-2021, 01:54 PM   #4
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I have had two Sequoia. The second with the larger V-8. Both got similar mileage. Right now we do a happy dance with 12 mpg. I drive 65-70, any faster and I see 10 mpg. The car has a 26 gallon tank, which helps. Edmunds TCO calculator tells me fuel will cost me 20% over a five year period with a 2018 Sequoia. In the big picture whether I get 12 mpg or 15 is pretty insignificant.

I agree with what I have read. It, and it’s brother the Tundra, are workhorses. Just very dependable and durable. Not the latest tech gadgetry, but what is present works well. Both of us drive while towing, it is easy to ignore the trailer except when changing lanes and fueling. No WDH and no mirror extensions. Never had a situation where control was questionable. On our current trip we have three passengers and four bikes plus the trailer. Nothing extra in the vehicle as we are near gross vehicle weight rating.

2012 purchased used in 2016 with 38,000 miles now at 76,000. Since most of the miles are towing I “think” I will have more brake maintenance. Too early to be sure.
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Old 06-24-2021, 02:30 PM   #5
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Ok that sounds great thank you for the feedback
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Old 06-24-2021, 08:27 PM   #6
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I towed our 21 from Dallas TX to Reno NV to Santa Cruz CA with our Tacoma 4.0L V6 6-speed stick shift 4x4 that had airbagged suspension. Driving was fine, braking was fine, but the gas mileage was abysmal, and on the small tank of the Tacoma we were looking for gas every 150 miles, which in west texas, new mexico, arizona is too often.

That Tacoma had a total payload of 1200 lbs per the plate on the door frame. subtract almost 100 lbs for the fiberglass shell. subtract ~500 lbs for my wife and I and our basic personal stuff (ok, we both need to diet). subtract ~500 lbs for the hitch weight of the E21. *oooops*, our dog just about put us overweight.

so we sold the Tacoma and bought a full sized truck.
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Old 06-25-2021, 03:36 AM   #7
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I had a 2017 4Runner TRD Off Road and a 2007 Esacpe 17B. Great combination for around Ontario. I felt though for longer trips at higher elevations the 4Runner was lacking power. We did a trip from London Ontario to Los Angeles and absoulutly no problem till about North Platte Nebraska. I usually tow in 4th and 5th which is OD but after North Platte I had it in 4th all the time. The elevation really makes a difference. Climbing west of Denver, I had it in 3rd gear. Keep in mind my 2007 17B had a dry weight of 1900lbs and I kept gear to a minimum for that trip, no bikes, no boats. The 4Runner got reasonable mileage. On that trip we got 14MPG to 17MPG towing, hand calculated per tank.

The extras I used, a Eaz-Lift Weight Distribution Hitch and a ScanGauge2 to monitor transmission temps. The ride was excellent with the WDH. As for transmission temps, it was July and we had to pull over 3 times to let the truck cool. The trans hit 230F 3 times.

Thoughts, for every 1000' of elevation, you lose 3% HP, so the 4Runner with 278HP at sea level, only had 180ish HP going over Loveland Pass. For high elevation towing, look for a vehicle with a Turbo.

Today, we have a Tundra with a 5.7L, man is it thirsty.
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Old 06-25-2021, 04:46 AM   #8
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oh, I meant to add a paragraph in my Tacoma story. a Tacoma is very similar to a 4R of the same generation. The biggest difference is, the Tacoma has live axle leaf spring rear while the 4R has IRS coil springs, and the 4R is probably sprung even softer than the Tacoma. My Tacoma was a 2008 access cab (1.5 door) TRD Off Road 4x4 w/ 4.0L V6 and 6 speed manual. I put KO2 tires on it, better bilsteins, and airbags on the rear for loads... it was awesome on dirt roads, and also did very well towing our Casita long distances. It just didn't have the payload rating to haul what I wanted to carry while towing the Escape 21. It actually did it anyways, the airbags kept it from sagging.

I think a 4R would do fine pulling a 17, maybe even a 19, but you'd have to pack carefully light, but I'd only want to haul a 21 any long distances as a one shot deal, and not regularly.
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Old 06-25-2021, 09:16 AM   #9
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My "full sized" Ram can only carry about 1300 lbs, so with towing that is even less to put in the rear. I'm glad I have a tonneau cover, with cap I'd be tempted to carry more.
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Old 06-25-2021, 10:56 AM   #10
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Personally, I would not do it, mostly due to the tail wagging mentioned earlier. There is little likelihood in my estimation that a 21 would behave stably with that light a vehicle and that short a wheelbase even if the power or other limitations did not come in to the picture. You do not want to be driving a combination that complicates emergency manoeuvres with unstable steering.

We tow our 21 with a Tacoma successfully, but only with airbags, a serious WDH, major upgrade on the transmission cooler, and a scangauge to monitor the transmission. If/when we replace the Tacoma, it will be with a Tundra or Ford full size. And I am sure that we love our Tacoma as much as you do your 4Runner.
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Old 06-25-2021, 12:10 PM   #11
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We tow our 2012 19 with a 2016 4 Runner. Been back and forth across the Rockies many times.
We travel with just two people and not a lot of extra stuff. To maintain 60 MPH on grades expect to be in 3rd gear revving at 3600RPM. The trailer tracks perfectly with out sway. We use a Pro series weight distribution hitch most of the time.
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Old 06-25-2021, 06:12 PM   #12
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i know two couples that have towed 21s with a Highlander - no problem not sure how the Highlander compares to the 4 runner. But if i was going to do it i would go with the Sequoia.
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Old 06-25-2021, 07:05 PM   #13
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My take, after watching for info on towability for a while now:

If you already have and love your 4Runner, then yes, it will do OK and you can tow Escapes with it, even a 21 with light loading and a WDH. There are lots of people who say they do fine with a 5,000 lb tow capacity. This is what we’re hoping to do too. (Our 17 is easy, but we want to step up to something bigger, same tow vehicle). Escape themselves told me 5,000 lb tow capacity is enough.

However if I were in the market right now for a different vehicle I think I’d rather step up to the next class of tow rating, whatever that next level is above 5,000. There are many people who advise excess tow capacity.
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