Towing with Toyota 4runner V6

[rickst29]

Originally Posted by PopBeavers

When it comes to panic stops, as long as I am towing in a straight line, I expect to be able to push the brake pedal to the floor, let the TV ABS brakes do what they are supposed to do and stop it all in a straight line, very nearly in the same distance that I would have stopped the TV all by itself.

(You know all this, of course- I'm post for the sake of other readers.) All of the TM trailers have brakes, and you "tune" your brake controller to assure that the trailer and TV stopping power is properly matched. (A TV dragging a TM with extremely excessive braking power is bad; a TV being pushed by a TM with failed brakes, or insufficient brakes, is headed straight for the ditch. . Trailer brake power should be set so that Trailer braking is just a tiny, tiny bit stronger than TV braking-- a slight "Drag" on the TV, never a "Push". ) Test your Trailer brakes every single time you put the TV into "drive". ALWAYS!

The straight line braking power of the TM is matched, and the combination of TV and TM should brake in roughly the same distance as the TV alone. (Very slightly less, actually.) "Undersized TV" towing accidents should never be a result of insufficient braking. Instead, the accidents happen when you, or (far more often!) other people, cause a situation which forces the TM to go out-of-line versus your tow vehicle. Then, by either dragging sideways, or by pushing, it causes the rear axle of your vehicle to skid.

If you're skidding, try to steer towards the direction your REAR AXLE is moving, and also step on the gas (SLIGHTLY) to bring it back in line. If these movements are impossible... then you're probably screwed. And that's the deal about tow vehicles: TV's with longer wheelbases, and more mass, have better resistance against the forces being imposed on the hitch from an out-of-line, misbehaving trailer. They do a better job of resisting induced skids.