HupDogDaddy

Just curious if anyone here pulls a small camper or travel trailer??

I am seriously considering a 15 foot toy hauler camper from these guys
http://dunesport.com/index.php
I'm pretty sure I could tow it but it would be rough on the 3.slow

I guess if i'm gonna keep the Runner i might have a good excuse to drop in the 4.0 Lexus engine.

N-e how if you pull a rig with your Yota put up some pictures s I can get some ideas

yoder519

i would never consider pullin a 15ft trailer, let alone a toy hauler with my yota. is your a 3.0 or 22re? looks liek itd be in constant strain. thats what comes to mind with me, but i amy be wrong.

rattlewagon

Now....that yoda has a solid front and a Ford mustang 5.0 in it, but he said he used to pull that camper when it was a stock truck with a 22re.

vasinvictor

iTrader: (3)

That trailer looks to be around 3,500 lbs dry. Loaded down with ATV would be over 4k. I would not. *IF I DID*, however, I would get a weight distribution hitch, take er out of O/D and take it nice and slow. Will it do it, probably yes. Is it safe, probably not IMO

bobby_duce

or just regear

86yota2wd

I don't know much about the 3.0 runners but my 86 22r towed a 20ft boat up parleys canyon a while back without to much trouble. but i would just be careful and not go 75 i've seen way to many flipped vehicles like tahoes because they were going to fast and started to sway and the vehicle isn't stiff enough to control it and they end up rolling. Id go for it just take it easy.

HupDogDaddy

I think that one of the small Featherlite trailers might be ok.

HupDogDaddy

here is the ultimate RV

cale

I like that guy's advice.

I used to tow a 34 foot long Airstream with a half-ton Tahoe. It was never a problem; there are products available to help you out.

Like Victor said, a weight distributing hitch is worth its weight in gold. For me, this is a must-have item. PM me if you want to know more about how they install and work. Look around Craigslist if you want one cheap. Anti-sway systems are also a great investment. Trust me, you'll be wishing you had these when you've got white knuckles fighting a steering wheel all over three lanes of traffic with an out-of-control trailer that can't decide which ditch it wants to put you in.

I would also highly recommend the Air Lift 1000 air bags for the rear coils. These airbags are installed inside your rear coil springs, and can be inflated/deflated with a hose that mounts to your bumper (or they sell an on-board system). You air the bags up to 35 PSI, hitch up to your trailer, then deflate to level your vehicle. They keep you from swaying because the trailer can't cause your truck to bounce very much. They're pretty affordable. See this link here.
These bags will basically temporarily increase your rear coils' capacity by 1000 pounds.

Also, do you have a transmission cooler? This could be a good time for an upgrade. You'll need to keep that tranny cool under the added stress of towing that beast.

The trailer has brakes, right? I didn't take the time to look it over on the site. I know my 4Runner probably wouldn't stop that thing. Get a power brake controller, so your trailer can help you stop itself. You don't want that thing to push you out into an intersection when a yellow light just doesn't last long enough.

I'm planning on towing my 14 foot travel trailer this spring. I've never towed it before with the 4Runner ('92, 3.0 Auto), so I've been thinking about these things a lot, lately.

Good luck! Hope this helps.

KZRider

I tried a 7.5 foot import camper, 1,000 lbs dry (and I used it dry) on my '92 ext cab 4x4 with 3.0 v6 and 5 speed.

I took it on precisely one trip and sold it. My truck can pull that weight in the box without being too slow, but it can't pull that kind of weight when it's a 6.5 foot wide and 2.5 feet higher than the cab and pushing all that air. lots of screaming up hills on the highway (mountains) in 3rd doing 80 or less. I can handle being a bit slow, it was only up the hills that there were problems, but other drivers were pushing the passing way past the end of the lanes and almost getting in head-ons right inf ront of me. I don't want to die (yet), so the camper is gone. Maybe a pop-top one in the future?

As for trailers, my truck struggles a little on the highway but keeps up when I have my boat hooked up (1,110 lbs boat, 3-400 lbs trailer (estimated)).

I wouldn't go any higher.

31's, all else is stock.

cale

Sorry, man, but you don't know what you're talking about.

A weight-distributing hitch is designed to keep equal pressure on all four corners of the tow vehicle so it steers and brakes predictably. A weight-distributing hitch isn't so you can tow a trailer that's heavier than you should. It's so you can tow a trailer without compromising your ability to steer and brake like normal. It also provides a good measure of anti-sway.

Go look in a dictionary and define "your" and "you're" before you call somebody a redneck.

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

might have the power to pull it but that truck does not have the wheel base or the brakes to handle that trailer, even if he had an electric brake controller...bad idea

I totally disagree with you about the weight distribution hitch.
I have been towing crap for 25+ years, a weight distribution hitch is just common sense. if I tow my camp trailer (4500 lb)with my Tahoe (rateed for 7500lbs, e-brake controller and airbags) with out the weight distribution I can tell, throw on the distribution and don't know the trailer is there.

I do agree with you about the rating of the 3.0. I towed a small trailer with my niece's 94 4Runner..I would not tow a trailer the size the OP is talking about...

vasinvictor

iTrader: (3)

You're right, while a WD hitch doesn't reduce the tongue weight, but it does distribute the weight over the entire vehicle, not just the rear bearings and suspension. My 12k dry travel trailer weighs 1,200 at the tongue. 1,200lb is a LOT on the rear end of anything. That also takes a BUNCH of the front of the vehicle. Suppose a WD hitch distibutes 30% of that to the front of the vehicle, restoring some of that weight. Now we only have about 840lbs on the rear and the rest on the front wheel bearings, brakes, and tires. That restores steering and braking. Nevermind sway control which is just as necessary with a 40' bumper pull travel trailer. A WD hitch will improve the safety of almost any bumper pull trailer, except for the lightest trailers. On our 4runners, I would want as much weight on the front steering and braking tires as possible. Not saying 3,500 lbs is safe for it, but it's the safest with one for sure.