Let me check........................................................No just little old me, currently in Vermont.......Why do you ask???

I think REG has moved to http://www.tractorbynet.com/

Your 4 runner will pull probably just about anything..  I'm not knocking that by no means.. But to really get the optimal fuel mileage out of it while you are towing you shouldn't drive the posted speed limit..  The sticker on the window that tells you the mpg is not based on the actual speed limit..  It is based on 55 mph.. Getting a v-shaped nosed on the trailer probably wouldn't make a big enough difference to justify buying one.   For your next trip just try it..  Drive 55 to 60 mph for the whole trip regardless if the speed limit is 70 and just see what happens.. You'll probably be suprised.   I drove across kansas last year at 60 mph all the way from Missouri to Colorado.  I wasn't pulling anything and I got 20mpg.  On the way home I drove 80.  I only got 17.5mpg.  Speed makes a difference.  

Whoa...care to state what you paid for the 4RUNNER or better yet...BMW X5...My guess i that you could have bought a no trim GMC 3500 Duramax for what you paid for either of those vehicles...

http://autos.yahoo.com/2007_toyota_4runner/

http://www.epinions.com/content_86842707588

Tell me I'm wrong...You won't be the first and you probably won't be the last...

The SUV's we use to tow w/ are daily drivers. A large PU set up for towing would most likely sit in the driveway as it wouldn't be something we'd want to drive around in the city on a daily basis.

We paid $21,000 for the 4Runner.

We paid $27,000 for the BMW X5, it was a 2001 and had only 11,000 miles on it when we purchaed it approx. 6 yrs. ago. We kept it for several years, selling it when it had 90,000+ miles on it.

Deirdre

Good prices on those vehicles...especially the BMW...

A used GM3500 Duramax should be in those price ranges...(do you think I favor a particular model of tow vehicle?)...

Well if you tow regularly...I would think about turning a BIG pickup into one of your daily drivers...

Just so you understand my position...as a Fireman...I have responded to too many trailer accidents where the tow vehicle was overwhelmed...YMMV

Anyhow be safe out there...

Plus a diesel isn't bad on fuel if you don't run the dog S__t out of it..

Not the newer ones.  They don't get any better than a gas engine.

Your getting better fuel mileage than anyone I know that has a truck newer than 2000.  Everyone I've talked to gets 15-18 empty and 11-12 towing.  That's what I got with my gasser.  If you have some secret to higher fuel mileage pass the info on.

There is no secret..   Drive the speed limit and don't romp the gas pedal every time you take off..   I drove across kansas this spring at 65mph.. The speed limit was 70 but I didn't care..   I got 20mpg with a 4wd 4 door 2500hd Duramax.   Driving home I drove 80 the whole way and got 17mpg..   I am thinking about putting a programmer on it and that should help get a mile or two better.. 

lets not get crazy here, we are talking about a 2h trailer. there are NO late model midsize or larger suv's that are going to be "overwhelmed" by 5000 pounds (or even less in this case).  the driver might be, but not the truck.........and if so, no larger truck is going to make up for lack of skill.

Tow Capacity of a Toyota 4Runner (Maximum) 5000 lbs

So hopefully her rig weighs less...

High speeds lead to smaller margins of safety...proven fact

Our trailer weighs 1900 lbs, we have 2 1000 lbs horses, two saddles, one bale of hay, 1/2 bag of feed, etc.

Anyway we are probably at 5500 lbs max including passengers, etc.

I think the 4Runner does a very good job of towing our small trailer (it has NO dressing room and is very compact in size) and I feel comfortable and safe using it.

Deirdre

as the op has stated the towing capacity is much more than 5000#.

and yes, "High speeds lead to smaller margins of safety...proven fact" who is arguing that?  but speed is also relative, within context of this discussion.  i see you claim vermont.....ever been out west?  75 mph is "gettin it" while towing (with ANY rig) as far as im concerned, but i have no problem doing it if traffic is light.

The day we hauled 700 miles and went 70mph at times, we were in Timbuktoo and were the ONLY people on the road. We were driving from Dallas, TX to Shiner, TX and once we got out of the DFW Metroplex, we had the roads to ouselves.

I agree that if you are on a straight road, by yourself, there is no reason you can't go a little faster as long as it's not wet, nighttime, foggy, etc. But on a clear, dry day why not?

I understand that a deer or dog or whatever might jump out in front of you, BUT are you really any better off if you are travelling at 60mph vrs. 70mph? You still can't stop and you're going to hit the deer or the dog, or whatever.

I'm not advocating speeding along in city traffic!! That would be nuts!

Deirdre

I don't know where these people live but the truckers in Texas do NOT drive the speed limit! They drive as fast as they can get away with, with 80-90mph NOT unusual.

I am MOST terrified when I see a semi coming up behind me, then pulling around me to blow by. I feel like I'm going to be sucked into their wake! It's esp. terrifying when I've got the horse trailer. When the semi trucks blow by it feels like a tornado!

Deirdre

Yes I've hauled from Colorado to Ohio corridor...the Dakotas to Ohio corridor...Yeah...I've even gone thru IOWA...

65 mph * 10 hours = 650 miles traveled

70 mph * 10 hours = 700 miles traveled

For an extra 50 miles...you've got more risks, more wear and tear on your vehicle and more expense for fuel...

Not to mention speed on trailer tires...ST are rated for 65 mph

For me, I'll slow down...YMMV

i guess we could discuss "risks" forever. its all about ones comfort level.  it is a "risk" just driving to work around here.  when you stop and think about it, shoving a 1/2" piece of metal in the mouth of a 1000 pound then jumping on their back is a pretty big risk also, probably bordering on asinine. 

i run the speed limit, conditions permitting.  some choose not to.  who is right?  no proof either way.  i dont care about "wear and tear" on my truck or mpg.  this is an expensive hobby anyhow you cut it, im not going to sweat the small stuff.  when this truck wears out, if i keep it that long, i will buy another one.  when the fuel tank runs empty, i fill it.  yes ST tires are rated to 65 mph, but im not the only one who has run many, many miles at speeds over that.  and there are always LT tires.

everyone just be careful.

you will get used to that "feeling".  when i was teaching my wife to tow i spent a fair amount of time driving around big rigs to demonstrate she was not going to die.  not that i would recommend it, but to show her that you can survive actually in the "bow wave" if necessary.  i drive a tractor trailer for a living, so i guess that makes me a little better at the vehicular foreplay.  you get used to only having inches between rigs.  she never got fully comfortable around the big trucks but she is far better than when she started.

The ST or LT designation have nothing to do with speed rating.   Need to check specs with your specific tire mnfct.