"JohnH" wrote in message
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On Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:38:45 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:


"JohnH" wrote in message
. ..

On Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:27:06 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:


With all due respect, what you are missing is a vehicle designed to
tow
something.

You don't want to be in overdrive while towing. An automatic,
designed
for towing applications, will figure it out for you.



Anyway, the 4Runner may be fine for short distance and light load
occasional towing, but not for a travel trailer camper.
JohnH just bought a camper. Even though his camper/trailer is
light-weight, the 4Runner isn't an ideal tow vehicle for it.
The problem is the wind resistance, not the weight, and I guarantee that
is
what he is complaining about.

The 4Runner is a very nice, very light duty vehicle. It's not designed
to
pull high area resistance trailers down the interstate.

Tried to tell him, but he won't listen, so he has to learn for himself.
A
manual transmission will do zip for him.

Eisboch





Oh horse puckey. The 4Runner does a great job of towing a trailer which
is
about half its towing capacity. It wants to downshift going uphill if
I'm
in overdrive. That may be due to wind resistance.


But isn't that what you are complaining about? It should shift out of
overdrive. You shouldn't be in overdrive climbing a hill and pulling the
trailer anyway. The overdrive gear is wimpy to begin with, plus you are
lugging the engine. That's what tow/haul is all about in a tow vehicle
automatic. Ideally, you should be able to lock overdrive out or, use
tow/haul, if equipped.

Yes! I know what I *should* do, but that isn't what I *want* to do. Like I
say, if I leave it in 4th, not overdrive, it does fine. That's what the
book says to do.

If it makes you feel better, my F-250 Superduty, rated to tow twice or
more
the weight of your 4runner automatically shifts out of overdrive and
sometimes unlocks the converter pulling an empty, 3000 lb GVW Haulmark
trailer that probably weighs less than 1000 lbs empty. It's the frontal
area wind resistance that causes the downshifts. Tow/Haul mode prevents
the
transmission from "hunting".

4th gear and staying out of cruise control does that for me. I should have
held out for your van. No, no, I'm happy with what I've got.

We're taking our friends from Holland over to West Virginia for some
camping next week. We'll be staying at the north end of the Monongahela
National Forest. Absolutely beautiful country.

Eisboch


Need someone to show you how to drive that 4Runner?
Even my little Ranger 4x2 had a tow mode button in the auto transmission
lever.
I used it all the way on my 5000 kilometer round trip towing a 2330 lb load
last year.