no tow/haul

i wanted a tundra that would tow a camper with loaded weight of 7000lb. thru my own lack of research and a salesman that was loose with some facts i got a 2017 tundra sr with the 4.6 engine that i really like ,but did not have tow/haul,but said they would install it .well a few days later talking with service guy,i was told it could not be added. so my truck has a column shift with + and- on it. can i manually control shift points when towing. thanks for any good advice

 

I never use tow haul. As long as you can manually control your shifts with the +/- you'll do fine. If you're able to sense torque converter lock/unlock, and/or if you get something to monitor your tranny temps (OBDII bluetooth dongle, such as OBDLInk LS plus phone app, such as Torque or similar things) you can keep your transmission temps down while pulling the hills. If temps start to climb too high, downshift to lower gear, try to keep TC locked.

Since you don't have tow/haul, you likely don't have an aux tranny cooler. It would be a good idea to add one.

 

thanks.i am getting a trans cooler and brake system.i am looking into a smaller diameter tire to help a bit. will check out the blue tooth set up also

 

Bummer to hear about your sales experience. As @Ericsopa noted, a transmission cooler and engine monitoring device would certainly help. I installed an aftermarket head unit years ago and used iDataLink Maestro to view OBDII data on the screen. I can monitor trans temp, load, MPG, coolant temp, etc. Something like a ScanGauge 3 would also be a viable option.

IMO, your truck should do fine pulling that weight. Just make sure to keep an eye on the vehicle vitals. You may want to look in to some suspension augmentation, but I wouldn't call it necessary as long as you set up the vehicle and trailer properly. If pulling a camp trailer or similar, a weight distributing hitch might be a good idea as well.

I would also make sure that the vehicle maintenance is up to date. I would have the differentials and transfer case serviced, perhaps do a drain and fill on the transmission fluid, change the oil and air filter, and depending on mileage, think about spark plugs, PCV valve, and engine coolant. If you are mechanically inclined, you can do it yourself fairly easily. I recommend factory Toyota parts purchased from a reputable source - i.e. - a dealer. Scamazon and Fleabay parts are known to be counterfeit more often than I'd like to see. I, myself, have received fake parts on Amazon sold as genuine OE.

Since you don't have the tow package, does your truck come with a factory receiver hitch? Or does it have an aftermarket receiver? Unfortunately, adding ga tow/haul switch won't add tow/haul functionality. I typically use S-mode when towing to avoid gear hunting as well as keep the converter locked as much as possible.

 

thanks so much,great advice.i had a f-250,7.3 diesel for work and 38 ft. camper pulling .i retired and will get this tundra set up properly.i will get my son to help me with a scan gauge set up.it is just me,my gal ,and little dog ,so a 26ft. camper will be just fine

 

If you put it in S4, you should be good with both power and transmission temp. I had a tundra with tow haul and I just used S4 for heavy loads. I read somewhere that tow haul doesn’t work in S mode, but I’m not positive about that.

 

thank you, i bought truck used with 60k on it,unfortunately the factory book was missing ,so i ordered one to give some details and specs.with all the good info i have gotten on this forum i feel pretty good about setting this truck up for towing

 

I have the 4.6 motor and 4x4 model. I towed a trailer around 6500 lbs unloaded. It was a 31’ trailer. I never used the tow/haul when towing. No problems whatsoever. Longest distance towing was from North Carolina to Virginia when first bought. You should be ok with your setup. Good luck.

 

Stop-Go repetitions really heat any autos trans up alot. While mine is a 5.7 doing so would get it to 248 (pan and tc). So I added the factory trans thermo - metal lines and my cooler. I did not like the amount of temp reduction I got (still peaked at 230) so I added a fan with a 5pin relay and a dash mounted override switch (for winter).

Now it will cruise 75-80 at under 170 while peaking at 204 momentarily and 10 secs later its back down to 185. Ah now I feel better.

 

thank you gentlemen,i have always been a worrier,but with the trans cooler and other upgrades along with tundra owners real towing experiences i am good with my new ride