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Towing Elite II with a Land Cruiser 200 V8


John E Davies

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Can anyone comment on this SUV for towing in the mountainous West? How about a Tundra owner? Can you comment on the drivetrain? Towing mpgs?

 

The 2008 and later Cruiser has the wonderful 5.7 liter V8 rated at 381 bhp and 401 ft lbs, six speed auto, max tow is 8500 pounds. 90% of peak torque is at 2200 rpm.

 

Here is a great thread about it... https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/towing-with-a-200-series-toyota-land-cruiser

 

Here's my background, and the reason for asking. I owned a very heavily modified 1996 Series 80 for 13 years but my son has been driving it for the last year, and a month ago he totalled it on an nasty icy stretch of I90 in central WA. I love Land Cruisers of all kinds, but for some reason I never realized that the new trucks had the tow rating bumped up so darned high. I think it would pull a tandem Ollie without working hard, and be a _much_ more capable and civilized ride the rest of the time, compared to my Ram 3500, which my wife loathes. To be frank, there is not ONE feature of the truck that she likes except for the superb Corbeau suspension seats I installed, once she manages to get into hers... She does like Land Cruisers, a lot, and that is an important consideration.

 

The plan is to park the Ollie at a camp site in the National Forest, then explore the surrounding area with the tow vehicle. While the Ram will carry you to your destination, it will destroy your kidneys in the process, not fit in many tight places and will get stuck easily. It is just not a pleasant place to be on anything but perfectly smooth pavement. The LC would make a fantastic back country explorer and a great daily driver... You could take it over a ledgey 10,000 ft Colorado primitive pass, do the Alpine Loop, or explore the White Rim Road, and you won't get beat up or stranded.

 

Prices are becoming reasonable for a five or six year old used one. With proper mauntenance these will go 300,000 miles and 20 years with minimal issues. Besides sucking gas.

 

I would need to use an Anderson or other equalizing hitch and airbags. Otherwise it won't need anything except a brake control. I would probably go with one of these new (and highly regarded) remote mounted ones from Oz:  ...  http://www.ebay.com/itm/REDARC-TOW-PRO-ELITE-ELECTRIC-REMOTE-EBRH-ACCV2-TOWPRO-BRAKE-CONTROLLER-EBRH-C-B-/221714079748

 

Comments are very  welcome.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

 

 

  • Thanks 1

SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

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Why would you want an Aussie brake controller? These work great for a ton less money -  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000P17NXQ/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=DVETVI1ZF5E8&coliid=I3SAC21JPONTFO

 

Air bags? I would go with a self-leveling air suspension if you can get it. It's nice to have a tv that levels itself with the trailer automatically. Plus with air suspension, you have a 2" to 6" lift for all 4 tires if needed with the press of a button for more extreme off road driving depending on the manufacturer.

Happy Camping,


null


Reed & Karen Lukens with Riffles our Miniature Poodle


2017 Oliver Legacy Elite II  Standard, Hull #200 / 2017 Silverado High Country 1500 Short Bed 4x4


Past TV - 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 4Matic BlueTEC Diesel


Click on our avatar pic above to find the videos on our Oliver Legacy Elite II


 

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Why would you want an Aussie brake controller? These work great for a ton less money – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000P17NXQ/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=DVETVI1ZF5E8&coliid=I3SAC21JPONTFO Air bags? I would go with a self-leveling air suspension if you can get it. It’s nice to have a tv that levels itself with the trailer automatically. Plus with air suspension, you have a 2″ to 6″ lift for all 4 tires if needed with the press of a button for more extreme off road driving depending on the manufacturer.

 

I already have a P3 and it is a cheap and great unit, but it is ugly as sin and bangs whatever body part is near it, and it is a theft target. That Aussie unit mounts remotely any old place and has a simple rotary knob in the dash.

 

Air suspension is garbage if a shock or pump fails miles from anywhere or a line develops a leak, and replacement cost can be well over $1000 per shock, depending on what manufacturer we are talking about. A Grand Cherokee Overland POS suspension air pump is $1200 (discounted!) and very failure prone. Land Rovers have cheaper shocks but even higher failure rates..... The Lexus LX570 (pimped out LC) has adjustable hydraulic suspension and that is ghastly expensive to fix. If you don't venture far offroad, have a warranty, and are prepared to live with CELs and flaky behavior, adjustable suspension is great. All you have to do is read the enthusiast forums to see how many people junk their air shocks (and also GM style magneto-hydraulic ones like in Caddies, Corvettes and MDXes) when one inevitably fails. They are a long term nightmare.

 

Raising air shocks to full extension is good for getting over a rock or getting out of a high centered snow bank, but it ruins the ride because you no longer have any down travel, so the suspension is always topping out . It makes marginal articulation even worse. It is definitely cool to watch, and I would like it for a street truck, but not for rig that might be six hours or more from assistance. Simple is better in this case.

 

Do you have an opinion of the 200?

 

Thanks.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

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Do you have an opinion of the 200? Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

 

No, I'm not very familiar with Toyota's. I almost bought a used Toyota truck from our local dealership that was supposedly in great shape. The paperwork was being written while I did a thorough check and that's when I went underneath and found a broken frame and the problems unseen by normal customers. It was a certified truck but not looked over and then they actually tried to make me take it, so I will never ever own a Toyota being that's the only dealership in my area. So I bought a 2005 Hummer H2 with air suspension instead and I love it. I used the air suspension again this last summer when needed on a 4x4 trail and watched the other guys scrape their way over the rocks and bumps. The suspension isn't something that needs to be jacked up all the time but to me, on my tv, with 35"stock tires, it's a great addition. I agree with your wife on the Dodge, the passenger floor has the transfer case built in to it, leaving no place to put both feet down flat, next to each other, comfortably. Karen & I are picky customers :) So the salesman at Dodge this last summer was really pissed when we walked away after a couple hours of looking them over and choosing one with the Eco-Diesel. She sat in the back on the test drive and then got into the front when we got back all excited and basically ready to buy. That's when we found out that she couldn't put her feet down... We waited and bought the Oliver instead :)

 

My usual tv is a 2012 Mercedes ML 350 4matic Blutec and it's hard to beat the diesel at its 19.5mpg towing average. Here's the deal - We walked into Mercedes, they showed us what they had, we chose one decked out, then they handed us a set of keys and said take it home for the weekend to test drive it... Unbelievable, but true none the less... These salesmen don't work on commission and that really sets them apart from the rest. They treat us great, everyone knows me by name, the customer service is amazing and they do their best to earn your loyalty. They never even asked me for my drivers license. It's an amazing different outlook on car sales and that won me over as a loyal customer. I was in there this last week getting the ML tuned up for the big trip to Hohenwald next week and everyone there made it a point to come over, shake my hand and shoot the breeze with me. Then they started bragging to the new guys about me crossing river's and about the way I drive my Mercedes. Then I make movies also and I talked to Jason today and asked him if he would like to make a complete walk thru video on the Elite II with me for everyone, he's got a week to think about it and I have all of my cameras packed already :)

 

SnapShot-2.thumb.jpg.0a89c2cbe22049f0819cd078514ddaca.jpg

 

I just shot this with their loner car that they gave me last week - 

Happy Camping,


null


Reed & Karen Lukens with Riffles our Miniature Poodle


2017 Oliver Legacy Elite II  Standard, Hull #200 / 2017 Silverado High Country 1500 Short Bed 4x4


Past TV - 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 4Matic BlueTEC Diesel


Click on our avatar pic above to find the videos on our Oliver Legacy Elite II


 

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I'm glad your H2 has been working for you, but please keep a very close eye on the bags and replace all of them when one starts to degrade or you notice the pump running longer than normal. Once your pump gets worn, it is a very expensive fix.

 

Have you ever been bothered offroad by the width? Is it a problem on forest tracks? I'm sure it is fantastic in the desert, but how about the Idaho woods?

 

I love the big GM engines but I am not enamored of the general design and build quality and the interiors..... how is your truck holding up, and how many miles on it? Any steering or drive train problems? What's the towing experience like? How many squeeks in your interior?

 

The Hummer H1 and H2 trucks are a testimony to the effectiveness of steep approach and departure angles, monster rubber and plentiful ground clearance in negotiating obstacles offroad. Coming from a Series 80 with three electric lockers and no traction control, the brute force approach is very tempting....

 

http://www.fourwheeler.com/vehicle-reviews/129-0608-2005-hummer-h2-sut/

 

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/15/autoblog-comparo-moving-mountains-toyota-landcruiser-vs-humm/

 

Bottom line: it's all about correct tires...

 

Thanks,

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

 

 

SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

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I take good care of my H2 because it is my primary mining vehicle. I ended up selling my 72 Ford F150 because it wouldn't come out of our claim without tearing everything in its path because it didn't have posi. It needs to climb a shear 70° wall and I would have to go so fast that it just wasn't safe. I have a 78 Chevy short bed with Detroit Lockers that makes it just fine but it wasn't large enough to carry all of the gear. Most people don't drive into places that we do and there's no way that I would ever consider taking either my Mercedes or your Land Cruiser, down this old mining road that we put in with a D8. I bought the H2 to tow my trommel into that area that only has 2 ways in. One is down the hill via our trail and the other is crossing the river, which would be suicide in either of the 2 smaller rigs of ours. The Hummer holds it's own and it's way more comfortable then my Chevy Step Side with the stock bench seat but both serve their purposes really well. There really isn't much different in the width of a full size truck, the Hummer just looks bigger because of the way that it's built and with the 35" Nitto Trail Grapplers it has the tires needed to go anywhere. I can push a button and raise it 6", push another and lock in the posi, push another and it levels it for pulling trailers, has the built in air compressor... There's just no comparing it. Granted, most people buy them for the looks and never take them off road, but mine is rarely on road and still has way over 100,000 miles on it. I do break things on it because of how it's used but no more then any of my other off road vehicles, but at least I'm breaking things in comfort... lol :)

 

Hummer.thumb.jpg.2f44615287d74f87ec9b5c8f28002372.jpg

 

This is what the Hummer goes thru on a daily basis or business as usual driving thru the woods. The 1st 4 minutes is in the bush... 

 

This is just more work with the Hummer, etc... 

 

Then this is just a good series where I tell everything I know about Hydraulic mining and shows the mine where I found my early retirement.

 

 

and it shows parts of our road into another one of the old family mines that was written about in the book, "You Bet Gold Fever - https://www.amazon.com/YOU-GOLD-FEVER-Signed-Author/dp/B001CBOWYQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486232946&sr=8-1&keywords=You+Bet+Gold+Fever

 

where Jerry writes about my great Aunt Netti being the only person to witness a murder in the old You Bet Hydraulic Mine here in California.

 

I have 3 main cars and all 3 are self leveling... hehe.

 

11143443_10153368511340269_6984733861646997267cc_n.jpg.fb0fb142e9e01b520ad312a7671fafab.jpg

Happy Camping,


null


Reed & Karen Lukens with Riffles our Miniature Poodle


2017 Oliver Legacy Elite II  Standard, Hull #200 / 2017 Silverado High Country 1500 Short Bed 4x4


Past TV - 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 4Matic BlueTEC Diesel


Click on our avatar pic above to find the videos on our Oliver Legacy Elite II


 

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  • 4 months later...

Bump for an older thread. Any new comments, maybe from last generation Tundra 5.7 owners?

 

Thanks

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

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Related:  I have a UZJ100 (Toyota 100-Series) that is heavily modified and customized.   I've pulled a variety of trailers (<3,000lbs) with my Landcruiser but now our plans are changing.   We will end up with either a Kimberley Kruiser, Oliver or possibly an Escape trailer.  I drove an LX570 and although the horsepower and torque were comparatively impressive I still don't feel it is adequate for pulling a 2-1/2 ton trailer especially in the mountain regions.

 

Enter our new to us '07 Chevy Classic HD2500 with the 6.6L Duramax and Allison transmission.   Keep in mind I had to break a significant promise made to myself almost 4 decades ago to NEVER own another GM vehicle!   But as hard as it is to say this, for a very steeped all things Toyota loyalist, Toyota just doesn't have a product that competes.  At least in North America and heavy, capable towing related.

 

Just my 2 cents and possibly all its worth.

 

Dan

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We were considering a Kimberley, but couldn't get past them not having a service center here in the US - especially since they tend to stay on the bleeding edge with a lot of their designs and equipment.  There's just a lot to go wrong.  In the end, the exchange rate reversed direction and that was the nail in the coffin for that.  Nice trailers though - part of me still wants one.

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Related: I have a UZJ100 (Toyota 100-Series) that is heavily modified and customized. I’ve pulled a variety of trailers (<3,000lbs) with my Landcruiser but now our plans are changing. We will end up with either a Kimberley Kruiser, Oliver or possibly an Escape trailer. I drove an LX570 and although the horsepower and torque were comparatively impressive I still don’t feel it is adequate for pulling a 2-1/2 ton trailer especially in the mountain regions. Enter our new to us ’07 Chevy Classic HD2500 with the 6.6L Duramax and Allison transmission. Keep in mind I had to break a significant promise made to myself almost 4 decades ago to NEVER own another GM vehicle! But as hard as it is to say this, for a very steeped all things Toyota loyalist, Toyota just doesn’t have a product that competes. At least in North America and heavy, capable towing related. Just my 2 cents and possibly all its worth. Dan

What made you feel the LX 570 was not adequate? Was it the squooshy suspension? LXes are pretty darned soft so they will ride like a car. The Land Cruiser 200 is stiffer and it is easy enough to upgrade the springs, or just add  airbags in back for the extra tongue weight. and they also do not have the darned self adjusting stuff to fail....

 

My Cummins 5.9 is a wonder going up a 12% pass at 10,000 feet while towing, that would be hard to give up.

 

I sure wish we got the diesel Cruiser 200  here....

 

Thanks,

 

John Davies

 

Spikane WA

SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

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No, although I could rework the suspension easy enough, it came down to several factors:   Price of entry/overall value; still the same stupid (IMO based upon my own experiences with same; ditto for Tundra guys pulling larger yet rated loads) semi-float rear axle system I've had problems with; relatively low hp/torque/mpg/tow rating; some QC & reliability issues that I feel are letdowns given the LC pedigree; and as you stated:   No 1VD-FTV for North America (although I'd still prefer the LBZ Duramax + Allison).

 

Here's a pic of how my '99 currently sits.

 

IMG_4010-1.thumb.jpg.901891133ad51f0eefb2c3ab2bcec7f1.jpg

 

 

IMG_6553-1.thumb.jpg.a494697e129a6192d72d5d7100414295.jpg

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