Just started towing a travel trailer that's about 3,800lbs including gear with our 2012 GX460. Just plan on cutting your gas mileage to almost half (I was kinda shocked) and be using 4th and 5th gears often, sometimes 3rd rarely 6th. But the GX is still a do almost everything vehicle and I wouldn't go out and buy something else because it only tows better. 4,000lbs or less is what I'd go with for towing using a GX460.
I tow a 1500lb camper with mine and that's as far as I'd like to push my 460. Props to you for going big and wrangling your GX to do the work whether it liked it or not! 😁
@Stay at Home Dad No, never said my 460 had problems with it. I can cruise at highway speeds easily with that in tow. I just don't personally want to tow much more than that because of the short wheelbase. Personal preference.
@Stay at Home Dad I'd imagine any vehicle's perceived towing "feel" is nothing if not relative. My F-250 tows much better than my GX460, obviously, which surely skews my perception of the GX's tow "feel". To each their own, but I can't imagine the 470 is dramatically different than the 460.
Yup, 9 miles a gallon is what I get, and we are planning to drive round trip to Alaska from Corpus Christi this summer. Sometimes I wonder about my sanity.
Very detailed video on towing with the GX, thank you. We are thinking of moving into a GX from a Subaru Ascent. We tow a much smaller trailer that has a max weight of ~4400 pounds. It REALLY surprises me that the Mini Whinny trailer is only 1000 pounds more than my Jayco 184bhs, and LOOKS to be 40% bigger.
I tow a 4000 pound trailer (dry) and with about 300 lbs of stuff in it 4300 total with a Toyota Highlander. It’s rated for 5000 lbs. I always change the oil before each trip and the vehicle gets about 10mpg average. Thinking of upgrading to GX460 for more tow power. It struggles going up hills (I stay in right lane and go 55mph)
Also, yes, in order to use a travel trailer without hookups for a decent amount of time, you need a considerable amount of battery capacity. I used to have two Group 24 deep cycle batteries and that would barely get me through 3 days and 2 nights. I now am running three Renogy 170 a-h LiFePO4 batteries along with a 3000 watt inverter. This should give me a conservative 7 day off grid capability with zero recharging. Add a couple of solar panels to keep things floated and it could extend much longer. Then you start running into water and propane issues.
Great content 👍🏽 I’m slowly realizing the more and more I camp I’m always cramping more stuff in my rig. I’m gonna try to do the opposite approach next time. Less and less…. to enhance the nature experience 🏕️
Ambitious ..but awesome! I tow regularly with mine, I use it like a work truck(that’s what it is on the inside:)annnnywhooo I’m prob in the 3-4k range in any given trip and on occasion I’ll do a 5500lb pull but just to pull and put the boat in/out once a year. MPGs ..I dont even look, it’s inconsequential. What matters; are we safe, is GX melting, are we having fun/making money? Looked like a totally awesome family trip🤩and that’s what it’s all about. A dollar a ‘smile’ is more like it.
Got a job and kids! Bring more of your friends to the party and maybe YT will make it more worth my time ; ) I appreciate the motivation though. You guys are why I make these. I just wish I had more time.
Just stumbled across your channel and loved the video and information! I have an F150 that was built with max tow options from the factory and im always crunching numbers and pushing its limits. We drive up to the mountains from Florida so the elevation changes are always interesting lol happy camping!
Also, one more comment and ill shut up. I also run a Redarc tow pro in my GX460 and it works well, but the factory integrated trailer brake controllers that come with the Ford, GM, Ram and probably Toyota trucks are just much nicer. The problem is the Redarc is relying on G-forces to sense when you are trying to slow down and then tries to match the trailer brakes to the tow vehicle. The integrated factory controllers are actually tied into your trucks braking system and knows exactly when and how far you are depressing the brake pedal. In other words, the factory controllers are, in a sense, proactive in their function. The immediately start applying the brakes in a proportional manner to the brake pedal and you can adjust that proportionality to make the trailer feel as if its one with the truck. The Redarc(and other aftermarket TBC's) are reactive in that you have to start slowing down first before the Redarc can start to figure out how much you are trying to slow down, and its not always fluid. I typically find my redarc's responsiveness is not linear with speed. When I am going fast it might feel like the trailer brakes are not coming on hard enough, but when I am going slower and coming to a stop, they feel too aggressive.
We tow an Aliner Ranger popup with ours. I'd say it's about 2,000 lbs fully loaded, but the weight isn't what kills you, it's the wind profile. Popups are the way to go to solve that problem. Plus I get negligible MPG loss that way. I used to have a full size camper and the ~150 mile range when fully loaded was a complete deal breaker.
@@WastingTimeInTheWoods I would imagine so. Keep the top of the camper under your GX's roof line, and you should be, as the kids say, Gucci. I get about 18 mpg driving the highway with my GX460 with nothing behind it and I'm about 16 to 17 towing the Aliner. And as another user mentioned below, tow in S4 when on the hills. It keeps your torque convertor locked. Locking and unlocking the TC is what causes so much heat and kills your transmission. I'll bump it up to 5 when on long flat sections and that does well.
So if it helps.. we have some people up in SLC that rent Off-grid trailers for about $90/night. We averaged 12mpg towing it with our 2011 460, and it was not bad at all. Don't give up on trailers yet!
Awesome! Maybe we’ll try that next time. Ive since seen a couple people renting them here too. It was really the big trailer experience that left us underwhelmed.
We towed a 3500 dry camper from Los Angeles to Moab. 13mpg average. Power was okay except for the hills, which I had to shift to 3 and floor it. The stock rear suspension did not like it at all. I felt like I was riding on bump stops the entire time, because I probably was.
I have the same brake controller and own almost the same trailer mine tows way better at lower rpm’s seems odd. Did you put the transmission in sport mode?
Have done the same and experienced the same. Phoenix to Gunnison, CO. Phoenix to LoLoMei (Sedona). About 9mpg. You definitely feel it behind you. The weight distribution system on the bigger trailer is 100% a must. The GX does have it's own anti sway system built in. I definitely felt it kick in on the I-70 west of Gallup. On the wheel it feels like slight micro corrections when the wind blows. As for tent vs glamping? My wife prefers glamping. I'm just fine with a tent. To each their own. Question for you: how do you manually engage the redarc? I have a more classic trailer break. Going down steep descents (Blackrock Canyon) I would manually use the trailer brake to engage the trailer first then the GX brakes. This puts less wear and stress on the GX brakes.
Great report. Did you monitor transmission fluid temps? The GX transmission runs pretty hot without a trailer, often 210F-220F on highway so I’d definitely monitor it towing. GXBOB on RU-vid has a great easy DIY for a Hayden cooler install and we have all the parts and will install with our new bumper here soon.
@@WastingTimeInTheWoods The scanguage II gives transmission temps with the right Toyota code. Took me 5 minutes to find it online. Then it’s plug and play.
@@WastingTimeInTheWoods If you happen to go that route you should be able to use: TXD: 07E12182 RXF: 046105820000 RXD: 2808 MTH: 0090005FFD8 That will make sense for programming with the manual. It has been plug and play on a 2014, 2016, and 2017.
@@WastingTimeInTheWoods There are two transmission temp readings you can pull with OBD, one at the transmission pan (coolest after return from the xmsn cooler) and the other at the torque converter (hottest). If you have an app like Android Torque or Apple equivalent, then you can add the PIDs (google them). Alternatively save yourself the hassle and get something like OBDLink MX+ which has all the enhanced diagnostic PIDS for most brands (I use this on my 4Runner, GX, and LX). You can also get gear status and gear lockup status from the OBD that let you know what gear the transmission is on and if it locked up. I also tow a trailer with both my GX470 and LX570. You should not tow in overdrive gears (avoid 5th and 6th gear if you can). Manually shift to 4th or even 3rd gear if you are on the hills. You'll definitely want to upgrade the stock transmission cooler on the GX with a bigger one. I guarantee your transmission temp was up in the 230s with that stock transmission cooler. There are lots of writeup on how to put one on in GXOR or IH8MUD (including mine where I swapped the stock LC200/LX570 xmsn cooler to the GX since it is about twice the size of the stock GX cooler). Upgrading the transmission cooler also helps when you off-road at low gear a lot. Note that GX is a relatively short wheelbased vehicle compare to a 1/2 ton, so it should not be used to tow long trailers. Hell even the LX570 is short compared to 1/2 ton pickups but I do feel more comfortable towing with the LX than the GX. Much more stable. I do not tow with my 4Runner at all...
Did you tow in s4 at all? Ive found that a smaller trailer like a casita or airstream being around 2800-3500lbs is the perfect size for towing with a relatively short wheelbase vehicle like the gx/4runner
If I bought a trailer thats where Id aim too. Used s4/3 on the down hills but it never even tried for overdrive on anything flat or inclined so I just let it “I think I can” its way up.
Great video! I love your GX, but man it is horrible for towing. I have a 2023 Colorado and pulls my 5000lbs of boat great,, but now am worrying the 2024 Land Cruiser I have on order will not be up to the task.
The new LC has a lot more torque than my 460, so hopefully, you'll be good. Would love to hear how it pulls for you once you get it! Thanks for watching!
Hey. Apologies for brining this here but I shot you a question regarding your original Yakima locknload (smaller size). I’m waiting to pull the trigger but would love your feedback! Thanks in advance
I am thinking about buying a 2022 2306bh (same trailer you towed). I have a stock 2022 gx460. How do you FEEL (no professional opinion, keep you out of legal trouble) the GX handles, brakes, etc. We will likely just be at campgrounds. Nothing Crazy.
I think it you stick to the pavement and you are at lower elevations you can manage it. I wouldn’t recommend dragging that configuration across the rockies and back.
it blows my mind how much fuel the GX uses reported from owners. I towed over 2,000 lbs + 400 lbs of cargo with my stock (305hp) Subaru STi over 2,000 miles (3500kms) and I could still get 18mpg. By "still" I mean, I get 18mpg unloaded, so it didn't use much more fuel.
We're running C-load KO2's. No special tires are needed for towing. Just ensure your tires meet the OE load rating or better, and you're good. Stock tires are fine. Have fun!
Jeez man...i just bought a GX 460 because i also bought a travel trailer albeit a much lighter one at about 1400 lbs. I'm starting to think i should have just skipped buying both and bought an EV and camp on the ground. LOL.
I didn't think of that, but I doubt it was ever in 5-6. It was screaming pretty good going up hills and pretty sure it was in 3-4. Downshifting wasn't a problem, it was just the power it took to drag that box up the hill.
Just "upgraded" from a 03 V8 4-Runner to the "new & improved" 22 V6 4-Runner. DON'T DO IT!!!! The V6 is wimpier than I thought and is constantly downshifting in cruise mode. Plus many of the features weren't thought out very well by Toyota Engineering from the ding-dong chimes for bad farting to the pretty useless and horribly difficult to use navigation system. There are pre-sets for FM, why not XM? The list goes on, and on, and on. I regularly tow a 2000 lb cargo trailer (think pulling a parachute) and while mpg went up 2 mph overall the happy factor went down 8 stars. It dowshifts constantly and sounds like a Corolla engine! The 03 V8 had 100 more ft lbs of torque, 354,000 miles and overall the truck was still in perfect condition. Please beat me with a stick for trading . . . . but with the manual transfer case should be able to tow it with our MASSIVE Class A diesel pusher, the main reason for trading. DON'T DO IT!!!
It's a tough time for gasoline engines. New emissions standards are squeezing the utility out of them but electrics still can't do anything close to what a gas/diesel truck can do with ease (like going on a 500 mile trip with a trailer or going out for 3-4 days).
I suspect you'd feel much, much differently about "managing the box" if you had inclement weather on your trip. Tent camping in the cold or the mud or a combination of the two with kids is...not my idea of fun.
We’ve had a lot of mishaps with inclement weather over the years which is why we tried it. I guess we’re just spoiled here in AZ with more good weather than bad.
9 mpg is what virtually any gasoline powered vehicle will get towing a travel trailer. The aerodynamic drag is so immense towing that brick through the air. That said, you cheated a little. A Micro Minnie is only a 7' wide trailer and has about 13% less frontal area than an 8' wide trailer. Its actually one reason I have been wanting to get one. That 13% is a big deal when you are towing at speed, and even more important when you get into a headwind. But otherwise, I agree with most of your conclusions. I have a Jayco X213 that has a 5500 lb GVWR and a 2011 GX460 and live in Utah at 6500'. The 460 can pull it, but its not super enjoyable. The power is an issue at higher elevations going freeway speed, and the other major issue is fuel tank size. If you are going on a longer trip, or planning on boondocking somewhere remote, the 24 gallon tank is not enough. You have to be able to get the trailer in, drive around all weekend, and get back out on a single tank while averaging 9.3 mpg or worse. That pretty much limits your "combat radius" to less than 100 miles from your nearest gas station. I also have an F150 with the 3.5L Ecoboost. It is night and day better. It pulls the same trailer like a locomotive up any grade at 70 mph and has a 36 gallon fuel tank which means my usable range is 50% greater than my GX. If you plan on towing a >4000 lb travel trailer in the western states, I wouldnt get anything less than a 1/2 ton truck with at least 350 hp and large fuel tank. Also, you can't just rent a trailer for a weekend and expect it to go well. It takes time and effort to make it work smoothly. A travel trailer allows you to go on trips during times of the year that you would be struggling to take small kids out camping. I can camp in 20F weather at night with a 1 year old and its not a big deal. Are you gunna throw a 1 year old in a sleeping bag when its 20F out? If you were trying to tent camp with kids in a place like Utah, half the year is a wash. Our friends with a pop up basically won't camp if its much less than 40F at night, which is any time its 70F or less during the day.
I actually cut out one of the last lines because I thought I was droning on too much. I said “ does that make me a Fairweather camper? Maybe… But in Arizona you can be a Fairweather camper year-round.” : )
@@WastingTimeInTheWoods Yeah 100%. I kinda can in Utah too if I head south to the desert and lower elevations, but even then, it can get nippy at night. But winter is also our favorite time of year to camp because its not obnoxiously hot, and most people stay home. We can go out boondocking and not see another person all weekend. Thats where the trailer shines. Eventually, once my kids get older and get some more meat on their bones, I will get them out tent camping and backpacking. The trailer does tend to cause the kids to wanna go inside vs hang out playing in the dirt and stuff.
