What Would YOU Do?
It's a fairly long story, but I'll try to keep to the essence. Coupla years ago we decided to upgrade from a popup to a travel trailer. Realized fairly quickly we'd need to upgrade tow vehicle as w...
Forum Discussion
naturist wrote:xtech wrote:
As a retired Toyota master tech (22 years with them) the problem with the hitch bolted to rear cross member only is that with a weight dist hitch it will try and twist that member. Welding it on solves nothing. Hitch needs to be attached to side frame rails. AS non is available if you really want to continue using it to tow with WDH I would as some above have already said find a competent shop that specializes in hitches, welding and fabrication and they can make a hitch that will install to frame side rails, then no more worry. Good luck and happy RVing!
X2.
Voice of reason and experience. Merely welding solves nothing. Trade for something more capable or have competent shop fabricate a full hitch.
X3...
Daughter and SIL own a FourRuner. They used to be DINKS towing U-Haul sport bike trailers (both one wheel on pavement and full trailer) and a very large PUP. U&sed to tow both with her Mozada B2500 (Ford Ranger half ton). No more now that they made me a grandad !!!...so sold their Ninja & Monster sport bikes...
Know the limits of FourRunners and say it is a very nice TV/SUV...and as with any TV...has its limits/ratings
To the OP, find your actual weights and ratings to do the simple math. Staying within its ratings will be a pleasure to tow with
As for the frame cross member used as a mount for the receiver pin box...it has issues and limits, but gotta understand what those limits are based on design (Laws of physics)
Traditional receiver design has the cross tube (round, square, hollow, solid, etc) work as a torsion bar (twist) when in WD mode. Dead load without WD has it in beam loading with a 'bit' of torsion loading
A vehicle frame cross member typically is NOT designed for torsional loading found with a WD Hitch system. Both in design and material
Why bolting on a receiver pin assembly is mainly good for dead weight usage. WD hitch will stress that cross member in a way it was/is NOT designed for.
Installing a traditional design, after-market receiver is better...but...the TVs frame needs to have the proper margin to withstand that kind of loading
Back on just the OPs TV...again...gather the actual weights of both TV & trailer and do the simple math vs the OEMs ratings
SIL installed LT class tires after asking why his wife's pickup has LT class tires...instant realization of 'the why'...given that, they have gone back to a lower class tires on their pickup. Both cost and that they only use it as a 'car', not a truck...