1977 Hilux with a 5th wheel camper HELP!!!!
 

So I just got this 17ft 5th wheel camper that I towed about 40 miles with my 1977 long bed hilux with a 20r motor, and it was real sluggish...barely made it to 65mph, and there was nothing inside the camper or my truck bed. I plan on loading it up and taking it around the states, but I feel like I need more power. I need to know two things: 1.) What is the biggest motor I can bolt onto my existing tranny?, and 2.) what is the biggest motor of any manufacture that will fit into the engine compartment? Also, a friend suggested a 2rZ motor from a '97 tacoma, but I'm not sure that will fit....ANY help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.....GO YOTATECH!!!!

3rz has more power than the 2rz. they sky is about the limit you go with what motor. if you are planning on using the same tranny you are kind of screwing yourself. more power needs to be backed up by a tranny that can handle it.
gm 350
4.3 vortec
3.0
3.4
2.4
2.7
supra I 6 turbo/ na
etc...
do some searching. there are some big how to forums i have seen for the supra motor into a 2 wheel drive yotas.

Sell it and get a real tow rig!! A mini van would tow that thing better than what your trying to do. What does that trailer weigh?? You could buy something else for far easier and probably cheaper than doing a whole engine swap. There is a complete sub section of the forum dedicated to engine swaps. Do a few days worth of research and then come back and ask SPECIFIC questions.

why are you putting yourself and those on the road at risk?

you are considering motor upgrades--what brake upgrades are also on the table?
the truck has at least an electric brake control right?

Not try to sound like a dick but you need to consider a bigger truck IMO....

I don't think its safe to pull...just as stated before. You will be able to get it moving with more power but that's not going to help you stop nor keep it under control. I think your just asking for trouble.

what is the weight of the trailer dry, and loaded?

17ft is a little long, IMO for these trucks, even if its a 5th wheel attachment.

Al

You're gonna need a bigger boat. :hillbill:

:guitar:

that little 20r actually made it to 65 WHILE towing a 5th wheel? holy cow batman !! that motor/tranny must HATE you right now!

Wheres the pics?

x2 on the pics!!! also i want video... i want to hear what that little engine sounds like pullin that thing

without pics, it didnt happen.
u should ask this question over on pirate4x4

I want pics too... In your small truck I'd be very concerned about controlling and stopping that trailer it's just too much for it.

I've 5th wheels that big [roughly] being towed by 89-95 trucks with trailer brakes. But they all said the best they could do was 70-75 on the flat {no wind} but the truck was really working to do that, it was much happier at 60-65. It could be a handful in a cross wind too. They also had heavy-duty cooling and brake set-ups on the truck as well.
Besides whats the rush? the journey is the whole point when you're RVing right?

That trailer's going to be driving you - over a cliff.

Your little '77 is a great truck, but that trailer is going to kill it, you, and somebody else.

Get a T100 or Tundra to tow it with.

I used to know a guy that towed a 17ft 5th wheel with his 82 long bed 4x4 22R 5spd... he just regeard it lower and did a tune up before everytime he towed

People do it. From what I hear, if you go to Australia or really a lot of other countries, people use trucks like ours for pretty much everything. You just don't see full size trucks for this kind of stuff, or really I guess you don't see them at all. There are trucks like ours, then really big trucks for serious stuff, but people tow stuff with Toyotas that for some reason people in the US seem to think they need a Ford F350 six pack long bed with 35" tires for...

But...I sure wouldn't tow anything that big with a little 2wd Yota, unless I upgraded the brakes and installed a trailer brake at least.

I saw a Toyota Tacoma (90's model) pulling a full size Airstream trailer once, plus the whole back of the truck was loaded down with stuff up to the top of the shell. Not saying that's smart, but they were doing it.

I tow a trailer all the time with my Subaru, It weighs up to 2000lbs. at times and it has no problems pulling it over passes. last weekend going over Stevens pass I kept up with a v8 Durango pulling a trailer with less of a load than I had, he kept his foot to the floor the whole way up, I put it in third and cruised up at 3800rpm (55mph) and still got 20 mpg. I'd take my truck, but the Subaru gets much better milage and is a lot more comfortable.
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/f...g?t=1245444255

a pickup with a 17 foot RV is a whole nother animal then a 10 foot er with a raft on the back!

still wondering what the weight of the 5th wheel is....

Al

I think we scared the OP away...

a properly set up truck will have no problem with a small 5th wheel, they tow much better than a class 2 or 3 hitch. A friend of mine used to regularly tow boats up to 26' with his 1 ton mitsubishi, he went thru lots of clutches and couldnt make it up the ramps but he had no problems on flat ground. I don't know if a 30 year old Toyota is up to the task though.
BTW thats 17' of trailer and 15' of car.