Question for all you 4Runner owners: I have an 88 with 22re. I just bought a popup camper, it's a big one. The sticker on it says it weighs 2500lbs. The trailer does have brakes, but I don't have a controller. Does anyone regularly tow with their 22re? I don't notice that my brakes are all that good really in the runner, do you guys tow trailers of this weight with only the yota brakes? I live in South Florida so it's really really flat. Furthest I would probably tow is about 6 hours away to Ocala. I know I should probably get a controller, that might be the smartest thing, but I have 2 vehicles and I was thinking of putting the controller in my other truck (UZJ100).

 

I wouldn't do it without the brake controller.
one thing you could do is harness the controller so you could move it from truck to truck as necessary.

 

I tow a boat that wieghts around that all the time. I also live in FL
And the boat has no brakes on it and have no real problems

however I could be comparing apples to oranges because I have a tacoma and i don't know how much different the braking system is between both of these rigs .

 

I tow my ski boat all the time with mine, it has an inboard 302, it and the trailer weigh about 2500.

 

maybe I ought to add, that most of the tongue weight stickers display GVWR, or the maximum the trailer is rated to carry. just because it says 2500# does not necessarily mean it weighs that much.

but I stand behind my recommendation to have a brake controller on the tow vehicle, particularly a Toyota. I would do it for a trailer rated 1000# even. If you consider that when you step on the brakes, if the trailer has no brakes, it will push on the truck... and could lift up the rear end... and cause the LPSV to reduce brake pressure to the rear drums.... Personally, I'd rather have all 4 my truck tires braking and maybe even two or 4 more tires in the back helping out.

And it's easy enough to get the harness and mount bracket as spares for whichever brake controller bought, and wire multiple trucks up for the controller, then just move the controller around between trucks as needed.
if that sounds like too much work, the fool proof system is to convert the trailer to hydraulic/surge brakes and thus no need to worry about a controller in every tow vehicle. but it's not cheap.

 

Very true, but I must say that you have to drive at your best ,defensive that is. And be on the look out for those people with cell phones glued to their heads, they will pull right out in front of you.