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I have to turn slightly to open the door fully with my trailer so it is more annoying than the 4Runner I previously had.
The differences between trailers,
The same trailer set-up with my 4Runner the liftgate on the 4Runner hit the tongue jack and would not open enough to access the back.
I was also concerned, but there is actually no problem, the door opens far enough for accessing most gear in the back.
Excellent picture of what I was thinking. Just something to think about when I tow a trailer. If there was something you might want to get in the cargo area I guess you could also place it near the pop open window.
I have just started to tow a 3000LB camper and wanted to share my experience to see if this sounds normal. We drove about 80 miles on Friday to a campground with no issue, getting 13mpg @ 65MPH, well under 3000 revs the whole way. On the way back however, it was a different story. I started @ 7mpg ending with an average of 8.9 and twice under load the cruise control stopped working (Which is quite an alarming feeling) also the revs were pushing up to 4000. Someone who ran the same route down as we did said we had a strong tail wind, could that be the reason for the discrepancy, and does this all sound OK?
I just had an auxiliary trannie cooler installed and the tech told me point blank "Do NOT use cruise control when towing" he also told me that I-90 east to the Minnesota border is basically downhill all the way, you don't notice it, but your millage tells the story on the west bound leg of the trip....Who knew?
I keep my 460 in 4S when towing, I find that when I go to 5S, or leave it in drive the transmission temperature goes up. I did a 5400 mile trip to Utah last year towing a 5500lb trailer over the Ike gauntlet with no issues. I just did a 2000 mile trip into the U.P. of Michigan, again with no issues.
Using a scangauge has been amazing for keeping track of coolant and transmission temperature.
I just purchased a Starcraft Superlite 212fb RV Trailer.
Unloaded Vehicle Weight (lbs) 4,825
Cargo Carrying Capacity (lbs) 1,575
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) 6400 Lbs
Tongue weight or Dry Hitch Weight (DHW) 425
I don't plan on loading the trailer with 1400 lbs of cargo. I expect to keep it under 5500 lbs. That leaves 1500 lbs of room for more.
I drove it home empty yesterday from Bellingham to Blaine, nothing too steep.
Complaints:
1. There were sections of the road where it bucked like a bucking bronco.
2. The GX ran up to 4200rpm up pretty easy hills just to stay at 60mph.
3. I got less than 10mpg for the trip.
Questions:
Is this normal?
What should I expect going over steep mountain passes with 1000 more lbs?
Do I have to plan to fill the tank every 200 miles or less?
Should I get a better towing vehicle?
That is a lot of weight. If the manufacturer says dry (unloaded) weight is 4825, and they often fudge the weight on the light side, you can add 60 lbs for two 20 lb propane tanks, 200-400 lbs for water (fresh and/or grey), often batteries are not included so add another 65-120 lbs (1 - 12 volt or 2 - 6 volt). even these simple items bring the trailer up to about 5300 lbs without food, clothes, bbq, .... I highly recommend you weigh the trailer so you know the real weight.
My trailer is 4200 lbs fully loaded for camping, weight taken at a certified scale. I tow at 100 kph (60 mph) live in the mountains so pull passes regularly and average 13-14 mpg towing.
04-28-22, 07:41 AM
5000 lb trailer too big?