4Runner Towing Capacity Question

[Your Uncle Moe]

Hello All!

I was looking to get myself a truck to tow my weekend race car back and forth from the track. I think the car and trailer total should weigh little over 5,000 lbs. Is this too much for a 4runner?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Im looking for a 1997 4runner and I also wanted to know, how much mileage is "ToO MUCH" when looking at used 4Runners?

[fourwd1]

If you're talking a V8 equipped truck, yes.
5000lb is too much for the V6, except for maybe occasional towing.

[Your Uncle Moe]

I would tow the car out to the track maybe once every other month or so. Maybe tow it only a few times a year. Only in the case of it breaking down at the track and would require a tow ride back home. But it would be a couple of hours to the track from my house.

What would be a good solution to my towing needs while still staying within the Toyota Family and having a budget of around 6500?

[fourwd1]

You'd absolutely need a trailer with brakes and a controller in your truck, and a weight distributing hitch would be good.

[ctrj]

A V6 4Runner has a 5,000 lb. towing capacity. Do yourself and those who share the road with you and don't overload your tow vehicle.

[TheUltimateBohab]

I towed a Camry on a trailer today and my runner did just fine pulled her up hills like nothing could barely even tell it was there except during braking, the only problems I had where ice roads and driveways with lots of snow had to use low 4WD. and to maybe give you an idea on mileage I have 3 runners and everyone has over 250,000 miles my 97 (the one I use) has damn near 300,000 and still runs excellent never had a single problem except valve cover gaskets.

[Your Uncle Moe]

Originally Posted by TheUltimateBohab

I towed a Camry on a trailer today and my runner did just fine pulled her up hills like nothing could barely even tell it was there except during braking, the only problems I had where ice roads and driveways with lots of snow had to use low 4WD. and to maybe give you an idea on mileage I have 3 runners and everyone has over 250,000 miles my 97 (the one I use) has damn near 300,000 and still runs excellent never had a single problem except valve cover gaskets.

May I ask what kind of trailer you used? Because my car is AWD I had to use a flatbed car transport which raises my towing capacity drastically. The trailer alone is 2,000lbs. My vars weight is a little over 3000lbs.

[TheUltimateBohab]

Originally Posted by Your Uncle Moe

May I ask what kind of trailer you used? Because my car is AWD I had to use a flatbed car transport which raises my towing capacity drastically. The trailer alone is 2,000lbs. My vars weight is a little over 3000lbs.

It’s just an old standard flatbed type car trailer with removable ramps I’m thinking it’s the same as the one you are using but maybe older the one I have has no brakes which I would highly recommend of your pulling for a long distance.

[Your Uncle Moe]

Originally Posted by TheUltimateBohab

It’s just an old standard flatbed type car trailer with removable ramps I’m thinking it’s the same as the one you are using but maybe older the one I have has no brakes which I would highly recommend of your pulling for a long distance.

The trailer Uhaul has to offer weighs 2200lbs. I wish I could afford my own. Maybe find something that weighs a little less.

My vehicle weight is a little less than 3,000 lbs. The Trailer weighs 2200lbs bringing the total to only a little over 5,000lbs. Would a V6 4Runner be able to do the job safely? I would need it to do this maybe 4 or 5 times every summer.