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LX manual says the same thing about 1K and unbraked ... Toyota appears to be overly cautious in their ratings... to a level that would certainly eliminate any chance of litigation.
They have been adamant about adhering to SAE J2807 standards... not saying wrong... but seems needle on some things may have swung a little too extreme levels IMO....
I'm sure the lawyers had a lot to say about it. I think you are absolutely correct about that. that same lawyer will be asking you questions in court.............................."So the owners manual states; that trailers over 1000 lbs require trailer brakes. How much did your trailer weigh when you couldn't stop, and hit that other car, where people died?" Answer, "Ah I dunno." Lawyer....................".You did read the manual, cover to cover, DIDNT YOU?" "What,!!!!? you didn't read and understand the manual?" That borders on negligent homicide! Oh wait, you did read the manual, but chose to ignore it knowing full well the ramifications................... ETC ETC, ETC. This nightmare doesn't end well, for anybody, well, except for the well paid lawyer.
Too bad, since I think the car MAY be very capable of doing much more than the stated 1000 lbs. Anybody know what the manual says in other less litigious countries? I'm curious now.
I tow a KZ Sportmen Classic that is 3500lbs GVWR. Empty it is 2350lbs. It is 16 feet long but only 7 feet wide. I use a brake controller but no extended mirrors. Tows great. I particularly like the steering wheel angle in the center display when I'm backing. Fuel economy drops to 10-12 depending on terrain and speed. When hitched, the whole rig fits in two parking spaces. I think if my trailer was wider, I'd want mirror extensions. But as it is, being short and narrow, I'm comfortable towing without.
Agreed, its craziness. I don't know how they figure those ratings. Anybody know? I have asked dealers, both car and trailer dealers. Haven't gotten any decent responses,(Didn't expect to anyway). I would think, since the 4Runner and GX are so similar, but the gX weighs ~1000 lbs more. Then it makes sense that to get the 4 runner stopped would be easier than getting the GX stopped. I expect the brakes are pretty much the same on both cars. so the 4 runner would have excess brake energy available that the GX doesn't.
So this opens up another question,(I know I coulda searched for this, but I'm lazy) What brake controllers are you using? I have a Prodigy 1 (I think) sitting on the shelf. Took it out of a previous car that we towed with. Would that be a good fit, and where did you mount the controller? Or is there a $$$$$$$ Toyota one that fits in the dash someplace, and looks like it belong there.
Has anyone towed a 22' travel trailer (approximately 6,000 lbs) with their GX. Lexus shows it towing an Air Stream trailer and the spec indicates you can. I am interested in feedback from people who have actually done it. I would assume you used a weight distribution hitch with electric brakes. I would love to learn from your experience.
Has anyone towed a 22' travel trailer (approximately 6,000 lbs) with their GX. Lexus shows it towing an Air Stream trailer and the spec indicates you can. I am interested in feedback from people who have actually done it. I would assume you used a weight distribution hitch with electric brakes. I would love to learn from your experience.
I've towed my Infiniti G35 Sedan on a car trailer. I'd assume around 5,000 lbs for the car and trailer. The GX was a dog and the braking was awful. I'd feel comfortable towing 3,000lbs, but once you get over that, you really want a Sequoia or Land Cruiser IMO. This was when my gx was stock and I had no air bags to level it out. I tow two Honda jet skis(750lbs ea) on a steel trailer (~1000lbs) without much of a hiccup regularly. I've towed heavier loads in trucks like the F150 and Ram 1500 and it was much more stable and relaxing of a drive. But none the less it can do it, but just remember you are running it at it's limits and any hill climbs are going to be dreadful.
I've found 3-4K lb loads pretty easy. I'd go over into sport mode on hills though and don't let it go above 4th gear. Unfortunately the only Airstream stories I have come from my late grandfather who towed a 25 footer all over Canada, US and through central america down to Panama IIRC back in the mid 70's on one of those Airstream caravans. IIRC towing vehicle was a '72 GMC 2WD 3/4 ton pickup with the big block 402 (I believe these were bored out 396s). My dad would have kept it had it been 4WD.
With only two responses and none with a travel trailer, I guess I will assume that people do not tow with the GX. Thanks for the input.
I think you are assuming correctly. People who know they are going to tow usually buy something with higher tow capacity than they require for their setup. Not many people want to tow a 6,000lb trailer when the max is 6,500lbs. You are at the limits of the vehicle and asking for more to go wrong.
Going to be Towing a 2018 Winnebago Micro Minnie 2106 FBS
I ordered a Red Winnie Minnie Micro 22' travel trailer that weighs in at 3750lbs.
I'll be outfitting it with a Reese self leveling hitch with anti-sway bars and a Reese brake controller.
I have no doubt that my 2017 GX will handle it well. Tongue weight is very important and keeping it within 10% of the gross trailer weight will make the load manageable.
I don't plan on towing it with full water tanks, but we'll have all of our "Glamping" supplies so I'm guessing it will come it at about 4400 lbs.
I'm sure not counting on getting super gas mileage though. I've been averaging 18.7 on the highway and I expect that to go down to about 10 mpg.
Planning our first trip the weekend of October 28th.
I'll report back.
08-10-17, 07:04 PM
