RRrider

Very cool.
I'm thinking through trailer hitch right now. I'll be adding a new bumper (to increase departure angle) and will want to carry a Motorcycle to the track on the back via hitch mounted MC carrier. To get around the rear tire mount, I'll need an extender, which cuts the available tongue weight rating in half, so I'm considering how to set this all up so it will be worry free.

Trijicon

We've been pulling our Forest River Wolf Pup 18TO (Dry Weight 3797 lbs) for a year now and it pulls it great! Especially up steep grade (+7%). One thing to keep in mind is the GX's max payload which is around 1400 lbs - you should not exceed this. So in my case if you subtract the hitch weight (450 lbs), 2 adults/2 kids (350 lbs), and 300 lbs of gear (cloths, food, etc) I am only left with 300 lbs before I hit the max payload. That quickly changes when you go uphill. Make sure pull within your means Another rule of thumb is the 80% rule. You should not pull any trailer that is more than 80% of your tow capacity. In my case the GVWR is 5000 (I try not to reach that) which is 77% of the GX's tow cap. I'd never pull anything heavier.

Trijicon

Just to supply more content to this thread because it is a top search on google for GX towing. We just came back from a 9 day trip from California to Moab and back (+2000 miles). Pulling our travel trailer (see specs above) and it did amazingly. It pulled great on the flats but especially in the mountains. There were long stretches of 8% grades and several sections that reached 10%! She pulled with confidence in 3rd and sometimes 2nd gear (+10% grade). I found the sweet spot to be 3-4k rpm will pulling up this steep. Downhill was no problem as long as you have trailer brakes and are good at engine braking. We loaded up the trailer too for this long trek so we were approaching its max load - ~4700-5000lbs.

wpelfrey

This thread is very helpful. I tow a Rockwood Roo travel trailer (weight about 3600lbs) with my 2013 GX 460 and it has gone pretty well. I've been considering adding a transmission oil cooler. Anyone made any additions or upgrades to their vehicle (beyond tow hitch or trailer brake) to accommodate towing? Thanks.

Acrad

You can track AT pan and torque converter temps with Torque or OBD Fusion.


​​​​​​​https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gx-...s-via-obd.html

jkonquer

Does the air bags on the luxury make huge difference in towing?

Acrad

It does help level things out quite a bit. You could add aftermarket bags as well like those ones that fit inside the coil. Either manual inflation or a compressor you could adjust from the inside.

jkonquer

Would you say its a must?

Acrad

I don't think it is a must but I think handling of vehicle might be better not sagged in the rear. I don't think adding manual rear air bags to the rear would be that costly for a non-airbag model. They just slip inside the coil springs.

One nice experience I had with it one time towing one of utility trailers... I was on somewhat uneven ground and even with trailer at full height I couldn't quite get the ball onto the hitch... I dropped the suspension down and was able to get it hooked up. In addition I have to drop the suspension when I have my Yakima basket on... it just squeezes by on the low setting to get out of my garage.


Similar to this install

Trijicon

I wouldn't say its a must but it's definitely a benefit. I used to tow with an FJ and had manual airbags installed in the springs. It worked great and leveled/supported the trailer like a charm. It was manual so you had to fill it by "feel" or by measuring the height of your springs. It gets a bit more tricky with weight distribution hitch.

With the GX, it's all done for you. I install our hitch and the distribution bars, then let the GX auto level itself once everything is installed. Just one less step, but and important step.

Acrad

If or when I go aftermarket shocks/coils/springs I will either try to make the OEM system work or add aftermarket bags to whatever setup I have. I'd also do a compressor I can control inside too. I thought I read a thread where someone did that using the stock compressor with aftermarket bags.

jkonquer

thanks for the info guys,
I'm torn between the premium and the luxury. I do plan on adding some mild lift down the road and also planning on towing as well. Wondering what would be a better choice.

Acrad

Are you planning on buying a new one?

jkonquer

Acrad

A Driver Support optioned Luxury model is probably 40-60 to 1