Towing Capacity of a 2011 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

[ScottG]

Q1: Can a 2011 TOYOTA 4RUNNER tow a [unspecified model year] OUTRAGE 18 with a Mercury 150-HP engine on a single- axle trailer with electric brakes?

I am worried about the 4RUNNER sliding down a launch ramp and not being able to climb up the ramp.

[MarkCz]

I think the answer of this question has more to do with the angle and surface condition of the ramp than your tow vehicle. If the ramp is slick you way have a problem, but if it's not you should be finewith that vehicle and boat combination.

[jimh]

Q1: Can a 2011 TOYOTA 4RUNNER tow a [unspecified model year] OUTRAGE 18 with a Mercury 150-HP engine on a single- axle trailer with electric brakes?

There is no way to answer from the limited information provided.

The answer to your question regarding towing can be found by weighting the boat and the trailer on a certified scale to determine the total towed weight. Include all the gear that will be on the boat when you will be hauling the trailer. From a proper weighing you should get three weights: tow vehicle steered axle; towed vehicle rear axle; trailer axles.

From these three weights you can deduce the tongue weight.

The first element to consider is the total weight of trailer and tow vehicle.

Find the maximum gross combined vehicle weight (GCWR) rating for your SUV. Not all manufacturers provide that data on the car itself. Usually you can find a sticker on the driver side door frame that will list specifications. The GCWR is the total weight of the vehicle itself and a trailer that the manufacturer allows. The GCWR indicates how much weight can safely be towed and how much weight can safely be stopped by the brakes.

In addition to the GCWR there are many other ratings that need to be considered, such as:

• tongue weight compared to hitch rating;
• tongue weight compared to vehicle receiver tube rating;
• tongue weight compared to trailer coupler rating;
• tow vehicle rear-axle maximum weight rating;
• tow vehicle rear tire maximum load rating;
• trailer axle load ratings;
• trailer tire weight ratings.

Several articles and comments describes more of the weighing process and what capacities should be considered. See

Boat Weight From Certified Scale
https://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/016667.html

Trailer Hitch Loads
https://continuouswave.com/whaler/refer ... tions.html

Note that any weight in the towing vehicle other than the driver will reduce the allowed towing weight. If you will be towing with four people in the SUV and 200-lbs of luggage, you must subtract all that additional weight from the tow rating. Also if you are extremely overweight (that is more than 185-lbs as an adult male) you should account for that extra weight, too.

Another element that can result in a lower tow rating: the rear-axle ratio. The maximum listed tow rating is often for the vehicle ordered with a special towing package that includes a higher (numerical) rear axle ratio. Manufacturers often equip trucks with lower (numerical) rear axle ratios in order to boost the fleet fuel economy average. If you want to obtain the maximum rated towing capacity, you need to be sure to get the proper version of the vehicle that uses the higher rear axle ratio.

[jimh]

Regarding sliding down a launch ramp, this generally is only a concern if the ramp surface is covered in slime or other slippery residue. No amount of trailer or truck brakes can overcome loss of traction between the tires and the ramp surface.

The problem with slippery ramp surfaces is more common in areas with a large tide range. If you a using a ramp at low tide, much of the ramp surface that is exposed will have been underwater at higher tide. This often creates marine growth on the ramp.

Having a tow vehicle with all-wheel drive can help overcome slippery ramps, assuming the front wheels of the tow vehicle remain on dry pavement. Of course, the design of the ramp, its downslope angle, and where the transition from level to sloped pavement is positioned will all affect the way the towing vehicle and trailer will behave on the ramp.

[prj]

Q1: Can a 2011 TOYOTA 4RUNNER tow a [unspecified model year] OUTRAGE 18 with a Mercury 150-HP engine on a single- axle trailer with electric brakes?

In short, yes.

I have towed a 1990 Outrage 18 on a single-axle trailer without brakes for tens of thousands of miles with two different 4Runners; a 2004 V8 and currently a 2023 V6 model. The V8, unsurprisingly, pulled [the boat and trailer] with more authority. Both [4RUNNER models had a braking capacity] that was more than fine for the load [of the boat and trailer].

[jimh]

Regarding towing a trailer without brakes: on a very few occasions I have experienced the effect of loss of my trailer’s brakes on all four wheels, and the increase in braking effort from the tow vehicle required to decelerate the rig has always been a shock.

[Jefecinco]

It seems very unusual for a single axle boat trailer to have electric brakes. Electric brakes on trailer usually include a controller in the tow vehicle to allow the brakes to be engaged independently from the tow vehicles brakes. The controller could aid in added braking power when the trailer is on a ramp. When a trailer is on a launch ramp surge brakes have no useful purpose.