13' vs 16'

[JBB]

Rabbit

If I'm understanding you correctly, we should stick to a 13' camper, or forget pulling with the 4Runner altogether? My husband's truck is a 2005 Tacoma V6 straight drive. Should we be using that as a TV? We wanted to use the 4Runner as we could carry more inside it than the truck as it's only an extended cab. Your thoughts?

[floyd]

Originally Posted by JBB

Rabbit

If I'm understanding you correctly, we should stick to a 13' camper, or forget pulling with the 4Runner altogether? My husband's truck is a 2005 Tacoma V6 straight drive. Should we be using that as a TV? We wanted to use the 4Runner as we could carry more inside it than the truck as it's only an extended cab. Your thoughts?

Here is a photo of our 13D (with brakes of course) attached to our Escape 4CYL. This photo was taken at the MT St.Helens observation site,during a 5800 mile trip from Illinois to Oregon & Washinton, in which we averaged 22.8 MPG.
Your V6 Forerunner should certainly be more capable than our 4CYL Escape.
It is also likely has a tow rating which comfortably exceeds the manufacturer's tow rating.(So all the hub-bub and fear mongering is rendered moot)

Still.... vehicle prep and condition, driving habits, and loading, are factors.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

I also agree that a lower fuel bill is advantageous but to me it does not justify towing with a vehicle that is basically designed to haul passengers only. Their is a lot more to consider in a tow vehicle than mileage such as braking ability , wheel base , torque ,suspension . steering ,FWD , height of the vehicle versus the trailer , sway , aerodynamics ETC. I often see on this website lawyers, towing standards and Government rules being bashed . I do not wish to go to court to explain to a judge or my peers why I injured or killed another party because I failed to follow the law or the vehicle manufacturers towing guidelines . Spending the rest of my life with an avoidable tragedy on my conscience is not appealing to me. Even drunk drivers have excuses for their behavior

What those who like to stick a finger up at the towing specs set by their vechile manufactures seem to forget is that although they may not be found criminally responsible in the event of an accident its a good bet that if they injure or kill someone they can find themselves facing a personal liability case, even if they are found not guility of criminal charges or were never criminal charged. In personal liabilty cases the judge is not required to follow to the letter of the law and as such have a lot more leeway in regards to determining liability.

There are a lot of vechiles being made today that are rated to tow a 16' fiberglass trailer or smaller and they get pretty darn good gas milage while doing it. The 2 or 3 mpg saved in gas while towing something a vechile isnt rated to tow isnt going to even cover the lawyers fees & it sure will not save you from loosing your home in order to pay off a judgement against you and it sure as heck will not make you sleep any better at night if your found guilty. One should not cant count on their insurance company to pay up either – best to read the real fine print on an insurance policy. Not to mention that no amount of money paid out is going to put things right for the people harmed.

As others have suggested when this topic has come up in the past & what those who have had real life experence in this regard know all to well is that there is only one things for sure. When its all said and done the party found responsible will be back begging for forgiveness.

[rabbit]

Jan, I have no experience with the 3.4litre from 97. As you've got a backup in the much newer taco w/ the larger displacement 4litre, I'd certainly take a chance on the 16' trailer. If you're happy with the performance of the old 4runner, load up people, dogs, and stuff in the back until you're not.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Carol H

What those who like to stick a finger up at the towing specs set by their vechile manufactures seem to forget is that although they may not be found criminally responsible in the event of an accident its a good bet that if they injure or kill someone they can find themselves facing a personal liability case, even if they are found not guility of criminal charges or where never criminal charged. In personal liabilty cases the judge is not required to follow to the letter of the law and as such have a lot more leeway in regards to determining liability.

There are a lot of vechiles being made today that are rated to tow a 16' fiberglass trailer or smaller and they get pretty darn good gas milage while doing it. The 2 or 3 mpg saved in gas while towing something a vechile isnt rated to tow isnt going to even cover the lawyers fees & it sure will not save you from loosing your home in order to pay off a judgement against you and it sure as heck will not make you sleep any better at night if your found guilty. One should not cant count on their insurance company to pay up either – best to read the real fine print on an insurance policy. Not to mention that no amount of money paid out is going to put things right for the people harmed.

As others have suggested when this topic has come up in the past & what those who have had real life experence in this regard know all to well is that there is only one things for sure. When its all said and done the party found responsible will be back begging for forgiveness.

You don't specify.... Would you be refering to a defiant middle finger, or do you reject even the use of a sensible cautionary index finger?
If the latter is the case, then any commentary on the subject should be eschewed on all sides. [Afterall, everybody has an owner's manual]

[Carol H]

Jan, you might want to change the heading on your question to reflect towing with a 4Runner in order to get responses from people who have actually towed with one to find out how well it does under all towing conditions - not just up hills. Yes some of us do tow 16' trailers with 4 cyl. vechiles that are rated for that weight capacity and have no problems passing on steep hills more vechiles than just semi's but the reality is all vechiles are not built the same. Lots of things impact how well a vechile tows or does not tow not just the engine size. In some situations it is possible for a 4 cyl to be a better tow vechile than a V6 - so its always best to get the word on how one particular vechile actually tows from those who have actually towed with it. Other wise its kind of like trying to compare an apple to an orange.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by floyd

You don't specify.... [Afterall, everybody has an owner's manual]

Yup they do but how many actually read them? Its seems for many that reading the cars owner manual falls into the same catagory as reading the one that cames with the PVR - how many dont bother to read it until something no longer works & you miss recording our fav TV show?

[Ed Harris]

Originally Posted by JBB

Our 4Runner is a 1997 straight drive.

I have no idea what "Straight Drive" Means?

Still I presume this one has the 3.4L motor?

[Ed Harris]

Originally Posted by rabbit

The 05 4runner v6 was 245hp. I had a 3litre six in an early 4wd T-100; it was 150hp and couldn't get out of it's own way with an empty box. I wouldn't recommend it for towing more than a small utility trailer. I don't see that the alleged performance of ANY 4 CYL ENGINE in IN ANY VEHICLE INCLUDING a 4runner has any bearing on the original question. Determining the specs, reputation, and probable performance of a specific engine IS the question. The 3.4litre V6 in the 97 was 183hp.


jack

Jack

Who suggested that the OP had a 4 Cylinder?
I still have no idea which V6 they have but the 1st post says that it is a 6 not a 4.

Ed

[rabbit]

I don't mind an irrelevant testimonial occasionally. We all need an occasion to strut our stuff. I don't mind a warning of dire calamnity repeated at intervals calculated to encourage preaching to a new flock. I do mind when the two are in collision and appear at great frequency and great length. Any way we can have a moratorium on the hobby horse wars as concerns tow vehicles?

jack

[rabbit]

Wasn't me, Ed. The 97 had the 3.4 litre six with 183 hp. I did miss Jan's reply to your request for model yr. but caught up after I posted. I apologize for any confusion I may have created as to the nature of my advice which is GO FOR IT.

jack

[Ed Harris]

Originally Posted by rabbit

I don't mind an irrelevant testimonial occasionally. We all need an occasion to strut our stuff. I don't mind a warning of dire calamnity repeated at intervals calculated to encourage preaching to a new flock. I do mind when the two are in collision and appear at great frequency and great length. Any way we can have a moratorium on the hobby horse wars as concerns tow vehicles?

jack

Huh?

[JBB]

Ed

Sorry, didn't mean to confuse you with 'straight drive'. Our 4Runner is a manual, not an automatic.

[JBB]

With 4 wheel drive.

[Ed Harris]

Originally Posted by JBB

Ed

Sorry, didn't mean to confuse you with 'straight drive'. Our 4Runner is a manual, not an automatic.

I just have not heard of a Manual Tranny described as Straight Drive before I guess?

Thanks

A friend has an earlier 4runner with a manual and the smaller 3.0L V6 and driving it across the country with him it would barely pull itself up the mountains much less pulling a trailer!

The 3.4L is a whole different animal though and I am sure it will have no trouble with either the 13' or 16' Scamp.
As I said my Tundra V6 had the same motor but is a bigger and heavier truck and I pulled much heavier rigs than those with it without any trouble.

[Raz]

Originally Posted by Ed Harris

The 3.4L is a whole different animal though and I am sure it will have no trouble with either the 13' or 16' Scamp.
As I said my Tundra V6 had the same motor but is a bigger and heavier truck and I pulled much heavier rigs than those with it without any trouble.

yup. And to this day I wonder whats was I thinking to sell it? Raz

[S Bradley]

I pull my 16ft Scamp with a Nissan Murano 6 cyl AWD and have no problems. the only thing I like about my 16 better is you dont have to go outside to change your mind like a 13ft. I get about 19 mpg on the hwy at 65 mph.

[Mike Magee]

That year/engine 4Runner appears to have been rated at 5000 lbs. tow capacity. It should do all right with a 16' egg, with the caveat that it has a high center of gravity and will not be as good at fast turns (think avoidance maneuvers) as a lower vehicle (like my Highlander, for example).