Another Toad question

I do not know about the Tacomoa but foro four days I was the proud owner of a vintage JEEP 4x4 (long story) and it specifically said NOT TO DOLLY TOW. it could be towed 4 down or 4 up but not on a dolly.

I have read the manual for a RWD Tacoma, it said not to tow without modification (Dropping drive shaft, Lube pump or drive shaft disconnect)


I would read your owner's mnanual very carefully.


Oh.. Last weekend (Also for 4 days) I was the proud driver of a brand new JEEP PATRIOT 4x4 (All Wheel Drive) This one can not be towed either. Unless you put it on a trailer.

That said, MOST DP's can tow up to 10,000 pounds.. To be sure you need to do some math. And visit a scale (I recommend a 4-corner scale more on that in a second)

Find the ratings sticker it will give a mazimum COMBINED Gross vehicle weight (CGVW) rating

Now weigh the rig.. www.rvsafety.com has a link on it's web page for that, they come to you (After a short interview, be prepared with tire size, make and such when they call) and weigh your rig all 4 corners.. They tell you how much air to put in the tires based on the weight, they check your tire gauge and a few other things.. Very good service, not too expensive but there are cheaper ways to do it if you can find a FLAT scale and do not mind doing your own research)

Now subtract the actual RV's weight from the Max CGVW. if you are left with say 8,000 pounds.. You can likely trailer that Tacoma (all 4 wheels up) if you have the full 10,000 the hitch is rated at (NOTE: ONLY if you do not use a drop hitch adapter or extension) you may be able to go with a enclosed trailer/garage for the Tacoma. now that's... Towing in style.

lostdog wrote:

JanTx wrote:
so you say jeep wranglers can be towed 4 down? ours is a 09 4x4

IMHO....if you don't really need a pickup, jeep wrangler is the easiest 4 wheel drive to tow four down, especially the newer ones that do not need to have the key in the ignition to release the steering wheel lock. Simply hook tow bar, transfer case in neutral, transmission in park or 4th gear, pull the key and drag it away. You will want to look for newer than a 2009
model year.

It's no big deal on the earlier ones too. We owned two "TJ" models.(Produced from '97 to '06, there is NO '96 Jeep Wrangler) One, a '99 Sahara and, the other, an '04 Rubicon. Both needed the key to unlock the steering but, the smart move that Jeep/Dodge/Chrysler did was not have anything "turn on" when you put that key in the "unlock" position. So, unlike many Hondas and others, the battery did not discharge because of certain systems on while being towed.

Other than the Key being on, the instructions for towing would be identical. Some of the earlier "JK" models had to have a fuse pulled for when flat towing. Many set up switches etc. to compensate for that. Yes, Jeeps, at least from '91 forward, are all flat towable, as long as they are a 4x4 unit. As stated earlier, there are some Jeeps, as in Wranglers, that were "Two wheel drive units". Why anyone on this planet would want that model, besides the Post office, I surely cannot figure out. Prior to '91 Jeep/Borg Warner/and other transfer case makers, did not provide for adequate lubrication of actual transfer case for flat towing.

Yes, you could tow them, as I and many did but, because of their inherent design, you could only tow them for a very limited distance before you had to stop, start the engine in the Jeep, move the gears around some, and then, resume towing. The potential for transfer case damage was high. I know, I did it more than once.

Anyway, hope this info helps you out some.
Scott

JanTx wrote:
so you say jeep wranglers can be towed 4 down? ours is a 09 4x4

IMHO....if you don't really need a pickup, jeep wrangler is the easiest 4 wheel drive to tow four down, especially the newer ones that do not need to have the key in the ignition to release the steering wheel lock. Simply hook tow bar, transfer case in neutral, transmission in park or 4th gear, pull the key and drag it away. You will want to look for newer than a 2009
model year.

so you say jeep wranglers can be towed 4 down? ours is a 09 4x4

Bill,
Way to many "maybes" and "it shoulds" in this thread. You need to check a proper source like Remco Towing and the 2013 Dingy Towing Guide. Those sources with give you a much clearer vision of what you can tow and what you can't tow.

If you want/need a 4WD pickup, buy one that can be towed 4 down. Ford, Chevy, and Dodge 4WD's can be.

You can tow most chevy and dodge 4x4's, and maybe some newer fords, but am not sure . I tow a chevy 1500 crew cab 4x4 as do several friends without problems.

This has been posted on here many times, but this is the only way you can determine what you can tow as far as weight is concerned:

Work the numbers, the tow rating is the lower of:

1. GCWR minus RV's actual weight (if it's not over GVWR).

2. Hitch capacity.

3. Coach tow rating.

4. Chassis maker's tow rating.

In relation to the above post I just made, there may be things you can do to tow the Toyota four down like add disconnects, but I didn't want to have to modify my truck. You may also be able to tow it on a dolly if you disconnect the rear drive shaft either by unbolting it or getting a remote disconnect.

Like already said, most 4x4's cannot be towed a dolly. Unless Toyota has changed in the last couple of model years, they say their trucks cannot be towed four down. I looked at one as a towed and it does have the neutral switch just like all others and both the salesman and the sales manager assured it could be towed four down. I asked them if it would void the warranty if I went against the instructions in the owners manual and the assured me it would not. So I said fine, lets draw up a letter that says it can be towed four down and that in the event there was a problem and I had any issues with the warranty then the dealership would agree to perform all the repairs free of charge. Then all the sudden things slowed down. Even though they assured me all would be fine, they would not put it in writing so I did not buy the Toyota. I got a Dodge Dakota 4x4 instead and it is towable four down and says so in the owners manual.