Towing with a Toyota 4runner?

Before I even consider an Oliver Legacy Elite II.. I wonder whether I will be good for awhile with my current TV?

My 2005 4Runner is a 4.7L V8 Sport Edition (only 76K miles) with full time 4WD and 270 horsepower and 330 lb/ft torque. It is a body on frame vehicle but sort of a short wheel base at (110")

It has a frame mounted hitch, tranny cooler, brake controller and Firestone airbags in the rear springs. I also have larger A/T load capacity tires than standard. The specs say the 05 Sport Edition model can tow 7000# with a 730# tongue weight. I currently tow a Casita with a 420# tongue weight and about 3300#'s fully loaded. I have no issues towing it now with sway control.. but do not use a weight distribution hitch (which I would consider)

Any input would play into our decision to order.

Unless you plan on towing often in the Rockies in 100 degree temps, you will have NO worries with that truck, as long as everything is in good shape (drivetrain, steering, shocks and brakes). There are plenty of Oliver owners happily towing with lesser vehicles. Your body on frame truck is a good choice.

The only limiting factor might be the short wheelbase, by I doubt that you will have any issues. If you do get a new tow vehicle consider a longer wheel base SUV or pickup., something like a Ram 1500 Ecodiesel would be dandy.

John Davies

Spokane WA

First thing you need to consider, those specs are cut in half if you don't use a weight distribution hitch, so effectively without the hitch you have a tongue weight limit of 365 lbs and towing limit of 3500 lbs.

Now at the risk of angering many I would emphatically disagree that your current TV is really adequate having owned two Toyota trucks in the past, an 01 Tacoma DC (V6) and an 04 Tundra with the 4.7L V8. Had that last truck for over 10 years. There is no other way to put it than to say it was a gas guzzling gutless wonder regardless of what the specs state. Also the torque values you mention I believe are a bit high, which should be barely over 300. My gut instinct is Toyota is very ambitious in their specs based upon my own experience.

Our first camper was Coleman pop up we towed with the Tacoma. It was a wretched miserable experience, but somewhat better with the Tundra. From there we bought our second camper an 06 T@b, still a micro lite but heavier by some margin than the Coleman. Fully loaded perhaps around 2000 lbs. For long trips, again this was a miserable gas guzzling towing experience there is just no other way to describe it. But as long as the trips are an hour or so you can probably put up with it though. Cross country or into the Rocky Mountains no way with an Elite II.

If this isn't enough, getting the thing going is one thing, stopping is another entirely. Our Tundra or Tacoma did not have rear disc brakes and to this very day Toyota still doesn't install them on the newest Tacoma or at least the ones I've seen on the road. I suspect your 05 4 Runner doesn't have them either. Keep in mind fully loaded you will be hauling some 6000 to 6500 lbs behind you plus what ever you put in the 4 Runner, i.e. people, gear, ice coolers etc. Relying strictly on the brakes in the Oliver is risking disaster IMHO.

We actually get better gas mileage with our F150 with 3.5 EB engine towing the much heavier Oliver Elite II than we did with the T@b Tundra combination and the towing experience itself, even with a camper literally 3 times the weight of the T@b is on an order of magnitude better. Cutting to the chase I am a firm believer that one cannot have enough tow vehicle versus getting by with the least amount of tow vehicle available. Getting down the road is one thing, doing it safely is another issue altogether. Hopefully you find this helpful.

We're currently considering a new tow vehicle, 2016 5.7L Tundra, but looks like we need to include the F-150 3.5EB for consideration, too. We want to buy a larger TV this summer before purchasing a Oliver Legacy Elite II later this year. Plan to tow the Oliver all over the lower 48.

Currently tow with a 2013 Nissan 261HP 4.0L V6 towing a 2000lb LivinLite CampLite travel trailer.

Also tow with a 2003 Tacoma 2.4L 4 cylinder. Tow low profile trailers up to 1500lbs in the eastern US with this TV.

It would definitely be worth considering, but I also think the Ram 1500 is a very nice truck as well. Our daughter and son in law own one with the 5.7 L Hemi and its a very nice powerful truck, and has probably the nicest interior of all the trucks. The Chevy/GMC twins would also be worth considering.

There are some videos on the Ford website, if you care to investigate where the smaller 2.7L EB engine is pitted against Eco Diesel in the RAM and 6L of the GMC/Chevy towing 7,000 lbs up the steep grade to the Davis Dam in AZ. The smaller 2.7L pretty ate the lunch of the Ram Eco Diesel and while it outperformed the much larger GMC motor the conclusion was not quite so decisive. The worst thing about the video of course is Fords over the top clamoring about the race.

Each of these trucks have their own attributes worth considering and really you can't make a bad choice IMO. Good luck in your shopping.

I will be adding a WDH if we decide to order the Elite II.

We are definitely not in a position to be considering a new TV at the same time as the new trailer. Oliver seems to think we'd be fine...but they also want my business.

We do travel light and will not be adding many of the options like solar or even a microwave, TV or radio. I'd be surprised if we topple 6,000# BTW, the cover of Trailer Life shows a new Tacoma towing the Elite II. The review was favorable. Torque ratings are spec on the '05 4Runner Sport Edition V8, don't know know how they come up with that. I also run heavier springs in the rear as well as the air bags. We also don't travel the miles others do, normally staying within 5 hours of home.

Thanks for your input.

Understood on all accounts. And given your above travel descriptions you probably will be OK. Only time will tell. If you have the auto tranny, you'll probably be spending a fair amount of time in 3rd/4th gear unless its very level roads or going very slow I know we did towing the T@b.

I did see that cover story regarding Trailer Life and the Oliver. Personally I thought it was irresponsible based on my own experience. But heck a couple of years ago down in UT red rock country we camped next to a very nice couple full timing in a Tacoma towing no less than a 25 ft Flying Cloud Airstream that probably was loaded to 7500 lbs. They were at their max at all times. It would be an understatement to say it just looked wrong, tiny TV by comparison to the camper/trailer.

Best of luck with your decisions.