Is a GVWR of 3200 any worry for a car rated for 5000? - Fiberglass RV
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Old 02-22-2018, 11:15 AM   #1
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Name: Rob
Trailer: Shopping
North Carolina
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Is a GVWR of 3200 any worry for a car rated for 5000?

When I first found these forums I really wanted to tow a Scamp with a Subaru but plans have changed

My wife and I are planning a three month trip all over the US to visit national parks and see as much was we can Jan-Mar of next year.

We initially were looking at fiberglass trailers for the weight and size, but ultimately decided to go a little bigger because we have two large dogs and I'm a pretty tall guy, and we may be more than two in the trailer sometime down the road.

Although this is a fiberglass forum, I really respect the courtesy and advice I got about towing the first time I posted here.

The trailer is a 2011 17' Forest River R-Pod with a GVWR of about 3200, and we don't have a towing vehicle yet, but the world of options is currently open to us.

Right now I'm favoring the idea of used 4WD Toyota 4Runners, because my family has always had great luck with Toyotas and I like the body-on-frame construction which I know makes towing an easier job than unibody cars.

Starting from 2010, 4Runners are rated for 5000. Is that enough of a gap to feel at ease, or since we plan to encounter a lot of mountains and potential winter conditions, should I think of something with more capacity?

The trailer does have electric brakes, and 4Runners 2009 and older have a higher capacity, but this car will be a daily/weekly driver when the trip is over, and most older 4Runners I can find are close to the 200k mile mark already. I should also mention that I'm only interested in SUVs. Trucks don't fit our lifestyle, and theres no room at my house to keep a third towing vehicle and a trailer.
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Old 02-22-2018, 11:27 AM   #2
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Name: Steve
Trailer: 2018, 21ft escape— 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie
NW Wisconsin
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Tow rating is only one of the parameters that need to be considered when choosing a tow vehicle .
Plus even though a vehicle may meet all the parameters , that does not mean that you will be happy with it as a tow vehicle.
IE ; I have towed with vehicles that others categorize as adequate to great but for me they fell in the terrible category.
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Old 02-22-2018, 11:32 AM   #3
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There are others, but this video is a great tutorial. It is also a good YouTube channel.
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Old 02-22-2018, 04:08 PM   #4
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Name: Ben
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Washington
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As alluded to above, payload will probably be your limiting factor. But you need to be aware of tongue weight as well. The trailer manufacturer "specs" are not usually too accurate, so take those with a grain of salt.
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Old 02-22-2018, 04:44 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by Firetruck41 View Post
The trailer manufacturer "specs" are not usually too accurate, so take those with a grain of salt.
Actually, they are likely very accurate. But what they describe doesn't include options you may choose, or how you load your trailer, or how many cases of beer you put in the front. Dry weight is dry weight.
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Old 02-23-2018, 07:50 AM   #6
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Sounds doable to me, but as others have said, it does depend on how many people and how much cargo you plan to carry in the tow vehicle. Tow ratings generally assume two 150 pound adults and no cargo.
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Old 02-23-2018, 07:56 AM   #7
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Name: bill
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Payload will likely be your limiting factor, with two big dogs, two people, and most likely a fair amount of gear in the vehicle.

On my truck I have a tow rating of 9,800 pounds but I run out of payload at about the 5,500 pound mark.

Tow rating is really just the tip of the iceberg.

Dry weights often don't include such items as propane and batteries. And of course, any and all options go over the dry weight figure. Its one reason the trailer's GVWR is more realistic.

Looks like the payload on a 4Runner could be pretty decent. Check the door tag on the one you buy. Also, only the V6 model has the 5,000 pound tow rating. The 4 cylinder only has a 2,000 pound rating.

So if you have a V6 4 Runner, with ample payload, you will probably be just fine. As you load up the TV with options, payload drops accordingly.
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Old 02-23-2018, 10:41 AM   #8
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Doable, but we went with 'doable', and then 'overkill'. Overkill gave us a great intangible: "Confidence" with a body on frame V8, driving stress is simply gone. We'll never turn back. V6 SUVs run about 20 mpg, and mine was 10 mpg towing. The V8 is 15, 13 towing. Do the math on what 5 mpg will cost you over a year. That's the price of confidence.
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Old 02-23-2018, 03:33 PM   #9
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Not a toyota person but if your looking at a 3rd (1995.5 to 2004) generation 4runner they have a frame rusting problem and unlike the Tacoma there is no recall on them.


I've seen it first hand and it's bad. It's so wide spread that there are replacement pieces on ebay and frame and spring shops are getting good at repairing them
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Old 02-23-2018, 04:24 PM   #10
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Trailer: 2018, 21ft escape— 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie
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I too am not a toyota person . As Joe said the rust problem is bad and it's everywhere. I have seen frames that literally rusted in half making the vehicle unsafe and useless.
Considering how badly rust weakens a vehicle frame , I would crawl underneath and make a thorough examination
My son's buddy has a 5 year old Nissan Frontier . I swear to God that truck has more rust than it does sheet metal.
Even the rear bumper has rust holes the size of my fist.
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Old 02-23-2018, 04:39 PM   #11
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Why would anybody consider a 2004 or older anything as a tow vehicle? That's at least 14 years old to start.
We know that Steve hates Toyota, since he posts that at every opportunity, so one must consider that when valuing his opinion. He also likes being cold.
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Old 02-23-2018, 04:52 PM   #12
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Trailer: Escape 21, behind an '02 F250 7.3 diesel tug
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo View Post
Why would anybody consider a 2004 or older anything as a tow vehicle? That's at least 14 years old to start.
We know that Steve hates Toyota, since he posts that at every opportunity, so one must consider that when valuing his opinion. He also likes being cold.
most of my vehicles are quite a bit older than that, but well maintained, and have virtually zero rust due to living on the central west coast. My 2008 Tacoma is about the only exception to that (age, its quite rust free), and we're considering swapping it for a 2000-2003 Ford F250 7.3 diesel, if we can find a nice enough one.
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Old 02-23-2018, 05:06 PM   #13
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Name: Steve
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Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo View Post
Why would anybody consider a 2004 or older anything as a tow vehicle? That's at least 14 years old to start.
We know that Steve hates Toyota, since he posts that at every opportunity, so one must consider that when valuing his opinion. He also likes being cold.
GLENN ,Answer me one question " Why did toyota issue a
4 BILLION dollar recall because of rusty frames ?
My distrust of toyota's has nothing to do with the fact that toyota's were literally falling apart due to their faulty design that led to major rust
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Old 02-23-2018, 05:11 PM   #14
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And, why is Toyota one of the top selling vehicles, worldwide?
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Old 02-23-2018, 05:35 PM   #15
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aand I've never seen a 5 year old Big 3 superduty truck with thoroughly rusted out brake lines because they were too cheap to use cupernickel.... oh no!
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Old 02-23-2018, 05:50 PM   #16
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Name: Steve
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Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz View Post
aand I've never seen a 5 year old Big 3 superduty truck with thoroughly rusted out brake lines because they were too cheap to use cupernickel.... oh no!
That's strange I've seen several / many Ford's in the local repair garages having rusted out brake lines replaced. I had a brake line rust out on my 1999 Ram after 14 years ,so I know it happens .
I would assume because you live in California and don't have to deal with road salt ,that rusty brake lines are not common.
Different climates have different affects on different vehicles.
I can only post what I have witnessed .

I am not part of a cheer leading squad for any vehicle.
I own a 2014 Ram 1500 but I would not and have not recommended my choice in vehicle to others. Bad policy in my book! !
**My Ram has a lousy payload capacity , the transmission shifts rough when it's below zero and the MPG'S could be better!


Glenn , I can't answer your question . Why do people take drugs ?,
Why do people commit murder ? Why do people hurt little kids ?
,I don't know and may never know , there is no logical answer !!
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Old 02-23-2018, 06:12 PM   #17
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Name: Michael
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Some years ago, when I was young and stupid, as opposed to old and stupid now, I went to the GM dealership to buy a new tug. I told them I planned to pull a 26 ft trailer with a dry weight of 3500 lb. with my wife and two young kids. They recommended a 1/2 ton Safari van with a 4.3l V6 and a tow package. They said it was all I needed.
Did it work? Barely!
My fuel mileage dropped by a half when I was towing. The engine was always hot. The tires and brakes and shocks and front end parts wore out quickly. It was scary to drive any distance. It always felt like I was driving on a mattress the way it swayed and wobbled.
Then I bought an F250 7.3l diesel from a friend who ordered it new with a tow package. Heavy duty everything plus a Gear Vendors high and low range attachment and a Dana posi rear end.
What a difference! I don't even know I'm towing even with two ATVs on the truck. Better fuel mileage, no engine laboring or overheating, power to spare going through the mountains, engine braking for down hill. The electric brakes on my trailer crapped out and I didn't even notice it.
My unit is a little older than the ones you are considering and has an International diesel engine but nothing tows like a heavy diesel truck!
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Old 02-23-2018, 06:13 PM   #18
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Trailer: 2005 Escape 17
Washington
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A few years ago I bought a 2011 4runner to pull my t@b trailer. My research definitely pointed to the 4runner as being the ideal tow vehicle for my needs, 4WD, big V6, decent mpg and basically the same concerns you have. My first trip was pulling the my Tab from Seattle to Branson Mo then up to Chicago then back to Seattle. I found the trailer was like a big boat anchor behind me for the whole trip rarely able to exceed 60 MPH. Everyone passed me. The cruise control could not be used unless going down hill. This trip was only me and the dog. My next trip in the 4runner was pulling a 16 foot Casita heading South from Seattle to Modesto Ca. and return, this trip was more tolerable because the wind profile of the Casita was better, the speed limits were enforced and the terrain less mountainous than a East/West trip.

You will be pushing the 4runner even more pulling an R-pod and you can forget one with the slide-out.
I really do not have a recommendation for you unless MPG is not a concern.
Good Luck.
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Old 02-23-2018, 06:45 PM   #19
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And, why is Toyota one of the top selling vehicles, worldwide?
For 2016, 2017 sales are not all in yet, Volks Wagon group was the worlds top seller.
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Old 02-23-2018, 07:13 PM   #20
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For 2016, 2017 sales are not all in yet, Volks Wagon group was the worlds top seller.
Joe - are you sure? https://focus2move.com/world-cars-brand-ranking/
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