mountain towing w/ TM and 4.5L inline 6...

does anyone on the board have experience towing a TM in rocky mountains with a 4.5L inline 6 engine( a toyota land cruiser '96 model to be specific)? we fly fish, and have the toyota to get us to alpine lakes for cutthroat trout. of course, we would leave the TM lower, but it would still climb some Mt. passes. it's just that the toyota would be going further up.  does anyone have an opinion on how this engine would performin steep mountains? it has factory tow pkg, which includes oil and trans cooler. it is rated at 6500 lbs. but others say it is rated for 5000 #. i appreciate it!

when you say your tow vehicle is rated at 6,500 pounds, is this what the decal on your vehicle (usually on the driver's doorpost) says about GVWR or GCVWR?  (People have said you can also get this figure by calling the manufacturer and giving them your VIN.)

Everyone I have ever talked to says this (decal number) is the figure you go by and I am sure you know this includes ALL payload, passengers, fuel, and total weight of everything in or on the trailer.  UMMMmmm, you are going to some wonderful country if you are after cutthroats, and I wish you happy (and successful!) fishing.

firefly,
the sticker on driver's doorpost says: GVWR 6470#.
also, the GAWR is (front) 3305 and (rear) 3970. do you know what this all means? i know the car weighs about 5000#. thanks for your enlightenment. we have not towed before(except for a tent trailer with a suburban!). we have two different toyota dealers in our area--one says it will tow 5000# the other says no-with the tow pkg it'll tow 6500. confusin'. 2swans.

the sticker on driver's doorpost says: GVWR 6470#. also, the GAWR is (front) 3305 and (rear) 3970. do you know what this all means?

2swans, GVWR 6470# means the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating is 6,470 pounds.  GVWR is the TOTAL weight maximum rating of your car and all the gear.  If you were to pull onto a truck scale, Toyota is saying your entire vehicle with occupants and gear should not exceed this amount.  Since your car weighs about 5000#, you have 1470# for people, gear and the tongue weight of your trailer.  Most TMs are around 500# tongue weight (I didn't notice the model you're towing) so you have about 970# for people and gear.

GAWR is Gross Axle Weight Rating (front) or (rear) and tells you Toyota's load ratings for each axle.   You'll note these don't add up to GVWR so you have some leeway in your weight distribution.

Tow rating is a different matter than GVWR or GAWR.  It is more a matter of the chassis and drivetrain strength.  That'll be in your owner's manual, I'd think.

I owned a Ford pickup once.  There were so many variables (4x4 Vs 4x2, for example) that each variation of the basic pickup has its own rating.  The same may apply to your truck.  The Land Cruiser is a beefy vehicle, IMHO you're fine but you could install a transmission temp guage since (again, a generalization) automatic transmissins are a weak link in tow vehicles.  Caveat emptor, of course.

well, Jon explained the whole matter of weights MUCH better and in fewer words than I ever could, but I do have one additional thought.  If you have a tow package on your Land Cruiser it will include a tranny cooler which all the "towing experts" I consult tell me is one of the most crucial pieces of equipment any tow vehicle can have since towing causes the risk of heat damage to the transmission and a cooler offers an extra edge of protection.  

Also, although there is not total agreement on this, even among my "experts," I did switch all fluids to synthetics when I had my van serviced before picking up the TM.

By the way, I pulled onto a CAT scale at a truck stop  and had all my axles weighed on a recent trip with the TM. It was fast, cheap, and easy, even though the professional drivers chuckled when they looked over my shoulder at my weight sheet.

Happy towing and happy camping--and fishing!

;D thanks to firefly and jon for your advice and interest. yes, the cutts are in gorgeous country, firefly! say...does the TM have an optional fish cleaning counter? ha ha ha.

I just got back from the Colorado Rockies. I ended up pulling my 3023 over the Continental Divide 3 times. I have a Toyota 4runner (4.3 liter straight 6) with factory tow package rated to tow 5,000lbs. Each time I made the climb I pulled it at 30 mph @4,000 rpm. The oil guage never wavered from its middle (normal) position. It's a little hairy having to go that slow, but once I even managed to pass a semi crawling along at 20 mph.

[Bill]

Does anybody have a good experience (and advice) about getting and installing an aftermarket transmission temp gauge?

Also, my Explorer seems to have no problems pulling my TM uphill, even continental-divide-type grades in the Rockies. But I downshift the five-speed automatic to 3rd (or even 2nd on really steep hills) to conserve the brakes on the downgrades. I have a feeling that this is even harder on the transmission than steep uphill grades, but I don't know why I feel this way. Would the braking load show up as increased temp readings in the transmission fluid? I need some knowledge and experience - all inputs gratefully accepted!!

Thanks for all inputs

Bill