hrod87

This is my first post. Sorry if its in the wrong place.

I just got a free pop up trailer that I plan on taking camping. I have an 87 4Runner w/ a 22re(stock) and im not sure if my truck can pull the trailer. I acually have never towed anything with my truck and I'm not sure what its capable of towing.

Does anyone have experience towing with a 1st gen 4Runner?

Thanks in advance.

swaysidelife

well how big is it? weight: tongue and curb? fully loaded with all your gear,water,gas,etc. it should probably be stamped on the trailer somewhere. does your runner have a hitch?

if its just a little guy you will be fine. i pulled my dads 21ft trophy which weighed 4000 pounds and it did alot better than i thought.

if its your first time make sure you check and double check the ball and hitch to make sure you have the right size, check the tire pressure on the trailer and your runner, hook the safety chains up and check your lights on the trailer. try and keep more of your weight forward and since your new to towing keep it around 55 to get the feel of it. and when you pull over for gas or whatever give everything a quick once over. and remember it takes longer to stop when your pulling so give your self some distance from the guy in front.

have fun. keep it safe.

hrod87

I'm not sure of the weight just yet but I'm sure its less than 4,000 lbs.

I wonder how it will do going up hill? I guess I might just have to make a test run.

Thanks for the reply swaysidelife

swaysidelife

its pretty much going to slow down no matter what its a 4 bang lol

i ride quads on the Oregon coast so i put one in the bed one on the trailer all my gear/ camping stuff gas,tool,ice chest etc close probably 2000 pounds
total with me and a buddy maybe more. And there are some pretty steep hills and passes i slow down pretty good but nothing slower than 50 mph.

i cant see a trailer like that weighing much more than a 1000 if that your probably looking at like 1500 fully loaded with maybe a tongue weight of 200 pounds maybe more depending on the center of gravity. but even a 400 pond tongue weight and a 3000 pound trailer is well within the ability of a stock 4 runner your not going to be the fastest up the hill but you will make it. just take it slow make sure you use your o/d and etc button if auto and if its a manual just pick a gear that keeps the motor in the power band. and dont be afraid to pick up a little speed before you hit the base of the hill always helps me get to the top faster and then you wont have to push the truck as hard.

any more questions post away im on here all the time lol

swaysidelife

i just looked up the average weight for a 14 to 16 foot pop out its around 1500 to 1700 so i was off a little on my guess lol
but thats a fully loaded total of no more than 2300 pounds which is still no problem for a yota

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

as long as you have stock size tires you will be fine if the weight is in swaysides figure of 2300'ish. If you have 31's or bigger and the engine is tired it will kind of suck towing.

make sure your truck's brakes, cooling etc are in good shape. You should be able to find a plug and play wiring kit for your 4runner. If an auto you might consider a tranny cooler.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

I pulled two different tent trailers with a 1979 2WD Toyota truck no problem, and it had the 20R engine in it.

Then I sold that truck and got my first 4WD back in 1990 when I bought it new.
It was a Xtracab, 5 speed, and the 22RE engine.
The truck pulled my second tent trailer fully loaded with gear in it, firewood, food, ect, and a full truck bed full of bikes, more gear, suit cases ect for me and my two boys.

That truck with the 22RE engine had more balls than my 1991 4Runner with the 3.0 V6.

You should be fine with the 1st gen 4Runner.
I towed my trailer over many a mountain pass.
Sure I had to down shift, but I was able to keep up my speed.

RobD

Wow, that was a nice little setup, Corey.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Thanks.
We got out about ten times each camping season from May through Sept, just about every other weekend it seemed.

That second picture was up in BC at Lightening Lakes campground at Manning Provincial Park.
Probably the best place we ever camped at for a pay campground.

RobD

You can't go too wrong with the BC interior. Try Shuswap Lake if you get up a bit farther north into the Columbia/Shuswap district.

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/exp...arkpgs/shu_lk/

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Thanks.
We went to another BC park the following year, but I forget the name.
Rained the whole time until the weekend we were leaving.
We were up there for about eight days.

I took about a ten year break from it, and just got back into it again two summers ago when I had the penthouse installed.

I am a gadget guy who digs his computers, TV, and other stuff, but I like to get away too and not worry about any of that stuff.
Best part is sitting around the fire at night.

RobD

Well, now that we've completely hijacked poor Hrod's thread, might I add a suggestion for your camp stall, Corey?

Instead of using the propane lantern, I've been using a set of cheap patio lanterns and a compact fluorescent light for lighting the campsite. Run them off your inverter. I use an external one, but you guys with the FJs have that cool one built in. I've run them for hours (figure less than 100 watts draw) without problem. The lanterns illuminate the site with a nice, soft light and the CFL is great for cooking by.

Give it a try.