Moving across county, Towing 4Runner

Hey everyone. I am in need of some advice.

Long story short, I am moving from Arizona to Pennsylvania in a few months. I have a 2017 tundra crewmax and need to figure out how to tow a 2015 4Runner to PA.

Uhaul looks like they will rent me a car hauler for about $700. A google search says that the trailer has a gross max capacity of 7500lbs and a carrying capacity of 5290 lbs. That leaves a net trailer weight of approximately 2210lbs.

I have not weighed my 4Runner. (I know, I need to. Let’s let google estimate for now) googles says the curb weight is 4,400 to 4,800 lbs. The sticker in the door gives 6300lbs of GVWR and a payload of 1165. GVWR minus Payload gives me closer to 5135. Let’s assume that’s how much the 4Runner weighs.

5135 lb 4Runner + 2210lb uhaul trailer is 7345lbs of total weight being towed.

I can’t find any specifics on how much my truck can specifically tow. It’s an sr5 with the 38 gallon tank. I think I have read on her that max towing is like 9800lbs. So I’m assuming I’m good on the overall weight. Seems to be the case in most everyone’s situation so let’s get to the limiting factor. Payload.

The sticker on the door says my truck has a payload of 1270lbs. Does the 10% value apply here for tongue weight for an estimate? I know, I need to get it all weighed before, but this is just the initial research. If 10% works that gives me a hitch weight of 735lbs.

Now to the questions. Getting to that much hitch weight, do I need to start looking at air bags? What about a weight distribution hitch? Is one more practical then the other? The truck doesn’t tow all of the time, but I do like being able to hook up to things if I need to. The hitch I have now is a b and w tow and stow.

What about monitoring gauges on a trip like that? It’s close to 2200miles of a trip. I have a tendency to drive too fast. I think I’m good on the whole towing at an appropriate speed and hauling tow/haul and putting it in s5 or s4 as needed. Would now be a good time to invest in some type of gauge to monitor transmission temps and various other temps?

Am I overall on the right track, have I missed anything? Criticism encouraged.

 

Have you thought about shipping it?
It maybe cheaper that way, rental fee and gas mileage.

https://quote.carshipguys.com/

https://getcarrier.com/?gclid=Cj0KC...hzYhG31PHmLNdxfwwRhjtREFNZwz9mpgaArSSEALw_wcB

 

I have not thought about it, thanks for the links.

 

If you're towing mor than 4,000-5,000 lbs. you definitely want a WDH. Airbags don't do anything but fix sag and dampen the ride a little. The WDH will help far more for actual control while towing. Also, I wouldn't tow over 60-65 MPH. You'll get better MPGs, have more control, and it's an all around more enjoyable tow experience. Leave earlier than you think you need to, and don't rush.

 

WDH and done, especially if it’s a one time thing. S4 & tow/haul and you’re golden

 

Just ship it. It should cost anywhere from $1200 - 1500 for that distance. The cost of the trailer and gas alone should be about the same as the shipping fee. However, the most important thing is the safety factor and the time you'll save from not having to tow it.

I did something similar 2 weeks ago when I thought about towing a car from CT to TX (about 1800 miles). Basically for me I would actually lose more money by towing it because of hotel and food for the trip. The average price to ship a car right now is about 55 cents per mile.

 

If u only driving by yourself, and towing mpg is hideous on tundra

 

The roundabout calculations I’ve made off of average quotes I’ve received today is that if I shipped the tundra and drove the 4Runner it would cost me about $150-$200 more for that convenience. Seems like a no brainer to me.

Just when I think I have it all figured out….

Thanks all!

Also, that’s crazy about that b and w tow and stow picture. Seems like that would have been severely overloaded. I can’t imagine that a company as reputable as b and w would design something with a high likelihood of that happening.

 

I shipped 2 vehicles at same time from Yuma, az to manassas, ca for $1500, 1/2020.

 

Cross that off my list...

 

Anyone have any experience with some of these companies? Holy cow my phone has been blowing up for the last two days

 

I am moving to Fort myers Florida from the upper peninsula of Michigan in 18 days(7/30/21, 1800 miles).. we went with penske, they were $1400 cheaper than uhaul, but that was for the 22ft truck and trailer for the 4runner.

We are using the tundra for the camper. We unloaded a lot of our unnecessary belongings in a garage sale, the rest went to donations. This allows us to use just the 22ft truck.

I was shocked at how much cheaper penske was.

 

it was the same for me. From what I understand your “move request “ goes onto some sort of message board where a bunch of different companies and drivers can see it so when they have a truck in your area going the right direction they can pick up. You’ll keep getting messages for a couple weeks after the move.