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Anyone Towing something big with a Toyota Sequoia?

Hey Hobie - that is one nice big camper! Holy cow. That truck probably pulls that beautiful starliner a bit better than the lumina too!

Ford is a good, profitable car company and I think their full size vehicles are probably pretty good. I owned an explorer and mountainer and I have never ever had such horribly unreliable vehicles - or such horrible treatment from a Ford dealer. My mountaineer went through 4 wheel bearings (a diff bearing, diff seals, ABS sensor rings, a host of sensors, a throttle body...) before it's second set of tires! The engine noise and any trans kickdowns sound downright abusive over 1/2 throttle (with or without a trailer). The explorer was actually worse. The dealer charging me $600 for my extended warranty repairs on the explorer because they charged more labor than the FORD extended warranty company would accept was the last straw. The Mercury service was much better and I'd imagine my warranty issue was an isolated incident from a bad dealer. In any case, I can't / won't ever recommend a blue oval to anyone ever after my experiences.

I drove our company expedition (with a 4.6) alot and it was a much much better vehicle. Towed the starliner effortlessly and got reasonable mileage. I just bought a bad platform and had some bad luck. Ford's doing a good job and I don't mean to bash them. Sorry for the venting...
 
Well, I'll chime in, but I'm not going to sing praises for the Toyota. Not because it's a bad truck, but I've no experince with it and have had no difficulty with my three American rigs.

97 F150 5.4 - 168,000 no problems at all. Tires and braksse that's it with the exception of repairs done because I cracked her up and bend the rear axle. Fixed and it's still truckin'.

02 Tahoe 5.3 - 158,000. Best truck I've owned. My wife has driven this thing cross country pulling trailers with babies on board twice and it has never let her down. Only thing besides tires and brakes was the water pump. That was last week. Hope that's it... And it get better mileage than my 07 Suburban. Turning radius is only about 1-2 feet bigger than an accord. No kidding. Parks like a dream in tight spots, solid mileage.

07 Bourban 5.3L - 68,000. I drive this for work. Hauls the boat very well, but hey...I know it's there. The four big discs stop it very well. Towed the boat from Northeastern WI to Southern MN, to Fargo ND. Drove right down town Minneapolis when there was a Twins Game getting ready to start. Bumper to Bumper at 75 with no difficulty accelerating, stopping or the occasional "thread the needle"...actually that was more like get the hell out of the way or get creamed.

My next truck...Tahoe. Does everything my Bourban does just easier and cheaper to drive.

I seem to be a thread killer. We'll see if anyone responds after I post.
 
my 1st ford and a like it,my father in law has a explorer,and it is a crapper..And that thing is not a camper,it is more like a train car,,way to big,but I have a family of 6,So it is what I need..



Counting down the days till summer,No one bought the starliner,and that is just fine..I was just looking for some extra pocket change,thought if i sold mine for 8,i would find a starflite for 4.....
 
I use an 05 Toyota 4Runner w/ a 4.7L V8 and have no issues w/ towing. My boat fully loaded is well below the tow rating.

4Runner pulls it better and stops it better than my 98 Jeep Cherokee with 4.0L Inline 6.
 
Late on this one

Sorry I was not a member when you posted. I have a few data points for the future perhaps. I have towed with the 4.7 Tundra and currently have a Landcruiser with the 4.7 motor basically identical to the Seqoia.

I have towed 7000 with both of these and it was a struggle for any distance of length. They did fine around town. I have towed ~4000 lb loads longer distances (~400 miles) and both vehicles did fine. I suspect they will do fine up to ~5500 but 6500-7000 was a stretch and also was at it's legal limit.
 
I have a 2005 Tacoma Quad Cab TRD with the 4.0V6 5spd Auto and my parents have a 2004 4Runner with the 4.0V6 4spd Auto and though we have multiple boats the heaviest is my Dad's Enchanter with a 200 Merc and we have no problem towing with either vehicle. Mine is even lifted with larger tires.

My buddy has a 2007 Tacoma setup like mine and just towed a 2009 Pulsare 2100 Open Bow with a 225 HO Rude from Lake Norman, NC to Shadyside, OH about 8-9hr drive without any problem straight through the mountains.

I don't really have much experience with the 4.6V8 but the ones I have driven honestly haven't impressed me and I would trade my truck or the 4Runner for it. Now the 5.7L in the new Tundra is killer. I have a buddy that tows a 30' Baja with twin 496's on a triple axle trailer with a new tundra rockin the 5.7.

One last little note. My dad has a 2003 Tahoe with the 5.3 for work so we've dont the comparison and the 4Runner tows a million times better, and feels alot more stable on the interstate.
 
Wow, this old thread seems to have gotten some life. I've owned the sequoia (2005, 4.7L, 4x4) for a little over a year now and it's the best truck I've ever owned. Rock solid, plenty of scoot, standard locking center diff and has taken me some places on worn highway tires that flat out surprised me. Towed the stinkray up a steep grass hill in 8" of wet spring snow - spinning the whole way, but it got it out.

The stingray is about 3600 lbs and per the state of MI my trailer is 1500 lbs. So I figure I'm towing 5500+lbs with gear and a little fuel. Absolutely no problems towing. It will tow 80mph in OD (5-speed auto) with the torque converter locked up until I get to a fair grade, then it will kick down a gear.

We towed the boat packed to the brim with beer and gear - including my in-law's stuff - I'd say 6000lbs to Watts Bar, up over the Jericho mountain and it was fine. I did take it easy on the couple of huge short grades, but the truck was fine. I just didn't see the point in running 70 mph up those hills.

We also recently purchased a 33' travel trailer - about 7000lbs dry. I don't intend to regularly tow it very far, it will sit just off of torch lake and travel about 60 miles total per year. We had to tow it 3 hours to get it up north and power-wise, it was OK. I kept it out of OD and down to around 65mph. No power issues in flat MI, but there was a wind advisory (yeah, I'm dumb) and the whole rig got pushed around a good bit. No sway, but just not a fun tow. Personally that thing is too big/wide/tall to be much fun towing often, and this wouldn't be the right truck for that.

We couldn't be happier with the truck. Thanks to all for the info.
 
yellowfiero88 said:
Nothing worse than seeing a small auto pulling a large trailer. Not only is it unsafe for those in that auto but others on the road as well. Too many have been killed around here by overloaded trucks, suv's or whatever else. I have talked to some azz clown that said his sequoia towed his 27' cabin cruiser to cumberland every time (4 hr drive) and that he never knew it was back there. I am sorry, but I have towed a 25' carver with my 99 k-3500 crew DRW gas and tho it was no where near unsafe, I knew it was back there. Ever heard the saying "the tail wagging the dog?" Just because the trailer hooks to the ball does not mean it should be pulling it.

I drive a 04 duramax crew, DRW. I know whatever I hook to it, I will be able to safely get there.
Click to expand...

If I dont have 8 lug nuts it dont have any business towing and it needs the HEARTBEAT OF AMERICA!
 
A buddy of mine had a 09 Tacoma with like 20,000 mile he burned the cluch out of it coming up my hill with lawn mower in the back todays yotas are real JUNK stick with the HEARTBEAT OF AMERICA!
 
Deff a chevrolet guy, its all I will ever own. However toyota makes a good product. With regards to your buddys clutch, he needs to learn how to drive a stick from the sounds of it!
 
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