Quote:
Originally Posted by Annico
No, we're not at all limited by pulling weight, as we have a 8 cyl Toyota 4Runner.
|
Oooh, be very careful here. The 4-Runner is not a small vehicle, but it is by no means a large one either. A quick trip to the Toyota web site shows that the 2007 4-Runner (with new goodies that previous years didn't have) has a 4.7L V-8, which is very close to the 4.6L V-8 that my Explorer has. It has a bit more hp and torque, since it now has 32 valves and VVT - but not a lot more. Does your 4-Runner have these? Finally, the advertised towing capacity is 7300/7000 (presumably 2WD vs 4WD), which is exactly the same as my Explorer.
So now the first question becomes,
Where will you tow? In the midwest or the Gulf coast, you will not notice that a TM is back there. At 10,000 feet in the Rockies or Sierras, you will find that your 4-Runner is kind of limited, just as I find that my Explorer is kind of limited.
And that begs the question of
What will you tow? My TM 2720 SL has a dry weight of 2865 pounds. It is hard to make a direct comparison between TM and Hi-Lo models, but the nearest Hi-Lo model (2706) has a dry weight of 4479 pounds. That's a difference of 1600 pounds - almost a ton - right off the bat in the basic trailer, and you will DEFINITELY notice that! And remember that "dry weight" (sometimes called UVW) is a misleading term - you will load either trailer with about 600 pounds of stuff.
I personally would not even try to tow this Hi-Lo up into the Rockies or the high Sierras - and since that is one of the places we love to play, that would make me very sad. But if your playground is the midwest or the Gulf coast, you'll probably be OK either way.
So. Continue in the direction you are going. You have a good tow vehicle, but don't overestimate its capabilities. Be sure you understand the difference between dry weight and road-ready weight, and be sure you understand what the term "towing capacity" really means - you need to deal with terms like GVWR and GCWR. Be sure you know where you will be towing. And enjoy. Done right, it's a wonderful experience. Done wrong, it ain't quite so fun.
Bill