Bass Fishing Forum - Westernbass.com

I'm getting my moms 2001 V6 Limited SR5 4runner. It has a tow hitch and all, but Im afraid it won't do so well on hills and such. It has the same engine as the Tacomas, but the weight of a 4runner is a little bit heavier. Do any of you guys think a 4runner can tow a 18-20 ft. bass boat? Thanks, Patrick.

Well my dad had an older 4runner and he used to tow his 17ft. Ranger with it. It also had a V-6 but it was an older model than yours, and i am sure it had less HP. The only thing I can tell you is to read the owners manual and make sure that your 4runner can tow the weight of your boat with some weight to spare. It's definitely not going to get up hills as fast as a V8 but it will get it up there. The real concern is with the braking!!! Dont go over the recommended tow weight of your vehicle at all!!! Thats something that you really don't want to play with. If you're brakes cant hold YOU'RE DONE.

GOOD LUCK AND GOOD FISHIN'!!

you wont be the fastest up the hill but youl get there no problem. a buddy o mine pulls a 23 ft ski boat with his tacoma without issue.

Towing will get you there - eventually. I would keep the overdrive turned off to keep as much strain off of the transmission as possible.


The more important things to consider are the short wheelbase while at crusing speeds and braking - as to always stay in control IMO.

Is it the v6 or 2.4L? I had a Tacoma w/ the 3.4L for several years. Great truck, but not alot of guts for pulling a sizeable load up hills. I just towed a 14' skiff around and it did that ok, but you could definitely feel it back there. I would not want to pull a bassboat around with one. Maybe a really light 17 footer, but it would struggle up grades. Stopping is another issue, the brakes on that truck are small and you could put yourself in real danger. If you are towing a short distance on the level, like say around the Delta or something, I think that would be just fine provided you have trailer brakes. Long hilly terrain, like going to Clear Lake, the truck is going to struggle and youll put alot of strain on it. Trailer brakes, and a tranny cooler are a must. Might even think about a cold air intake and an exhaust for a little more power....

Paul W

You should be okay but just keep in mind what the others have said and make sure that you stay on top of all of your fluid levels especially coolant and trans fluids,Also if your truck doesn't have a trans cooler it may be good idea to have one installed to help keep the transmission cooler.

I saw one time a toyota FJ cruiser pulling a Z-20 and it looked like it was doing okay


Just be really careful the first couple of times so that you get used to the handling of this unit.

god bless and happy fishing

I used to pull a 17.5 footer with my Pre-Tacoma 4x4 toyota pickup. I did ok. On some of the steeper ramps I felt it worked less being in 4-wheel drive. But other than that she did great. I miss that truck to this day....

i have a 98 tacoma v6 3.4 liter. i can do 65 up any grade in 4th gear. yes its a stick and its the 2 wheel drive not a pre runner or 4 runner. It runs a 14 flat in the quarter mile and had 300,000 miles on it. its pulled every size bass boat out there. No it doesnt like to stop but it pulls no problem. i recommend getting gears put in it. 391 are good for that motor and rear end.. i did and it makes all the difference in the world. i get 17 miles a gallon pulling a twenty footer and its easier on the motor. good luck. try and get a stick so you dont use the brakes.

have a 96 4 runner V6 auto 4/2 and pull a 18'6" champ. haven't had any problem coming out of any ramp. Taken it to Clear and still makes it over the hill not like those big V8's but still doing 50+. Truck has 212,000 and so far all orig and no major problem. Getting 16-17 mpg towing and 20 hwy.

I have a ford escape, and tow an 18' glass boat. It seems to work fine with the 3.0 v6. The 4runner has a little bit larger v6 so you should be able to do fine. Just leave enough stopping room so you don't burn your breaks out too quickly.

Your fine dude. I had 98 taco. standard cab 4x4 2.7 and pulled an 18' ranger. I was the slowest guy on the rode but it did fine. I had to use 4x4 low at steep ramps though. LIke the other guy said, I miss that truck!

Wow, I'm quite surprised that knowone has addressed the issue of "BRAKES"! It's not the towing, it's can you stop safely!

18' single axle trailer with no brakes and he would likely be ok if he is very carefull and keeps a good distance between him and the other cars on the road. Actually go out with no traffic and make a panic stop just to see what happens then you will know!

Now, a 20" setup with dandem axles with no brakes will be an absolute NO NO!!! If you have brakes and most double axle rigs do, make sure they are working like they should and you could get buy if the owners manual says it's OK! Reguardless, even if you stay out of overdrive [and you should], Your transmision life is going to suffer!

I towed my 20ft Skeeter for a number of years with a 1996 Pathfinder V6 3.3L . Towed it from Socal to Clear Lake and back with no issues. You'll be more than OK with the 4 Runner. If you're trailer has brakes, that's a huge plus as well....

BassinFever wrote:Wow, I'm quite surprised that knowone has addressed the issue of "BRAKES"! It's not the towing, it's can you stop safely!

Ummm...I think about one third of the responses addressed the issue of brakes...

I dont recommend anything but a full size truck with a V-8. I have towed with a 4runner and now a Ranger. They both sucked. The 4 runner lost the tranny quick. My ranger doesnt have 80 thousand miles on it, and is falling apart. The ranger has gone through 1 clutch, and 3 pressure plates,slave cylinders and master cylinders. Countless brakes, about every moving part bearing ECT.. has gone out at least once. Currently there is something rattling around inside my drive line. I can wind it out and make 50mph up the grade to clear lake, but one slow down going up, I will never get past 40. And highway 4 with the rolling levee road almost ejects me through the roof. And here is my sales pitch, when the roads wet and you have to stop, the front end skids.

Just my opinion, but boats eat small trucks in my experience. And my boat is small 18' 3" procraft. About 2500# fully loaded.

brambo0311 wrote:I dont recommend anything but a full size truck with a V-8. I have towed with a 4runner and now a Ranger. They both sucked. The 4 runner lost the tranny quick. My ranger doesnt have 80 thousand miles on it, and is falling apart. The ranger has gone through 1 clutch, and 3 pressure plates,slave cylinders and master cylinders. Countless brakes, about every moving part bearing ECT.. has gone out at least once. Currently there is something rattling around inside my drive line. I can wind it out and make 50mph up the grade to clear lake, but one slow down going up, I will never get past 40. And highway 4 with the rolling levee road almost ejects me through the roof. And here is my sales pitch, when the roads wet and you have to stop, the front end skids.

Just my opinion, but boats eat small trucks in my experience. And my boat is small 18' 3" procraft. About 2500# fully loaded.

Thanks for all the replies guys. I'm more than likely going to get a transcooler and possibly an an upgraded air intake as far as modifications. I'll look into brakes and see what can be modified to help it not dying out.

As for bramboo0311, sounds like you had some pretty crappy luck on your side lol. i would get a truck if it wasn't for my mom giving me the SUV. but I would definitely get a V8 truck in my opinion.

I have a 2000 toyota 4 runner towing a 18.5 stratos bass boat. No problem but it is slow going up steep inclines. I have a stick shift to get the most hps out of the car.

The only problem with towing is that your suspension is going to be mushy. I have had two 4 runners towing bassboats and had to replace the shocks twice, otherwise, its no problem.

my wife has 2008 4runner tows my 20' ranger fine with tandem traileroh its a v8 sorry

I towed an 18' Ranger w/ my Sonoma for a number of years. The problem? Not the hills - it's the stopping and control! I installed electric (not surge) brakes on the trailer. That way, the brakes engage on the trailer instantly when you hit the pedal. If no trailer brakes are installed, the boat/trailer will tend to push the tow vehicle out of turns and thru straight stops. I found out the hard way. I also installed the tranny cooler, heavy rear shocks, K&N air cleaner and FlowMaster exhaust. Big difference. Good Luck. R