wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

glad you made it safe and sound with no major problems.

bigt

i car dolly a 4runner, a 52 studebaker but mostly just suzukis with my 4runner.. its a diesel with the auto the drive train will handle it if your engine can... 4runners have bigger brakes than some of the big boy trucks!

QuickPaws

Alright... so rather than start a new thread... I'm posting this here and hoping for the best.


I'm about to make a trek to Indiana (from Arizona )using my ever loyal and trustworthy 94 4Runner.

This is a relocation move, and as such my two options for trailers are a 5x8 single axle Uhaul trailer ( no surge brakes or otherwise ) or 6x12 tandem axle w/ surge brakes.

I'm on an extremely limited budget, and have just barely been able to scrape up enough to cover the cost of the 5x8 trailer, and gas to get to Indy.

The brakes on the 'Runner are good ( great, even I dare say ) but I still worry about the stress put on my beloved truck.

So.. should I sell more stuff, and get the 6x12, just based on the surge brakes alone for help... or should I just stick with what I can get, and risk it with the 5x8?

Also, is a WD hitch 'really' required for towing a trailer like that? Most of what's in it will be pretty light ( don't get me wrong, the trailer will be full, but we are talking 1 king size mattress, some really light box springs, 2 desks, my computer (I'm a nerd.. so it's more than just a computer ) and other things. ( clothes, dog cages, smaller TV and crap like that... I've basically sold everything else )

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

dunno what a WD hitch is, but you can get a class 3 hitch pretty cheap. which would be better than a bumper mount hitch...not even sure if 98 4runners had one of those like a pickup..

I would recommend you go with the 5x8, it should be be that bad stopping with the load you described

Lumpy

WD hitch= weight distribution hitch.

You should not need a WD hitch. I'd stick with the 5x8 if you could. Keep most of the load under the rear axle of the trailer. But you have to watch if you are too light in the tongue its going to sway bad and you may jackknife, you do not want to be light in the tongue.

Take it easy on the hills and you should be alright. Remember it's not a race to get there, take your time and let them pass.

TNRabbit

I pulled a ton of 5x8 uhaul trailers with my rig; piece of cake.

Q: can you fit a King mattress in a 5x8??

QuickPaws

*coughs* I'm pretty sure I can -make- a king size mattress fit in a 5x8

You guys rock...Really you do. Everytime I make a post here I get less and less apprehensive about this trip.

QuickPaws

I figured the WD wouldn't be completely necessary. Something like that seems to be for MUCH MUCH bigger loads/trailers. Hence the question.

Sway was what really worried me... I obviously don't want to overweight the tongue and put a ton of strain on the truck, but I also don't want that sway problem. I figured if I could put almost ALL of the heavy stuff over the axle on that 5x8, I should be alright. I figure that playing finger jockey with the o/d and ECT switch, I can make it work.

( to be fair, I don't know many 3.0's that are notorious for winning races )

My goal is to get there.

With no new idiot lights.


Thanks for the words of wisdom... less and less apprehensive every day.

( 16 days to go )

Lumpy

Good luck on the move!!! I would not run the AC much going up big hills...Little less strain on the engine, may help some.

When ever I travel distance (usually heading to Myrtle) I drive at night. Less traffic, cooler, easier for me. On that note, if you run into issues there is not many to help out if you need it. I drove all night on the way down and though the day coming home and had to change a fuel pump in the parking lot of Advanced Auto.

Pros and Cons of both...Just some more to think about. Like you need it.

Slednecks594

Wait what year is the VW....4,000 sounds like an awful lot for an older one, we had a 1994 that weighed 2,800lbs and 1994-1999 were the same car essentially.

QuickPaws

Oh man.... what a project to do in a parking lot >.<

Our plan is to leave @ 5 am...And we will be stopping in NM to stay a night with a friend. After that.. it's a straght drive starting at like 10 am the next day. As a side note... we do have a friend moving with us who has Triple A ( this put my mind at ease just a bit.. )

Don't worry about giving me things to think about... I'm one of those guys who processes everything and thinks about anything that could possibly happen.

lunchindabox

My dolly has surge brakes. I think they cost an extra 400 bucks when the dolly was new, but the option is available. It also has the breakaway cable.