12-10-2007, 12:03 AM
Wow Chris, I thought i was picky :-).
Definitely go with the V8 on it. Considering your doing a one-car trailer and only occaisionally, I think the 4Runner should be fine. As was stated it's a shorter wheelbase that most prefer, which can make towing a little twitchy, but if you're careful and prepare the truck accordingly, I don't see any reason why you can't do it.
I would HIGHLY recommend getting a trans temp guage immediately before towing anything so that you can make sure you don't overheat and destroy your trans; a decent-sized tranny cooler might be helpful there as well. I'm sure the V8 can handle the power department if it's well maintained, but it can't hurt to look into some low-budget ways to give it some more power as well. I'll also 2nd some stiffer springs or something in the rear to help out with the load when you are towing, and I doubt that will really hurt the comfort of driving it every day.
As for any haters talking about driving and parking such a beast, don't listen. I have found after driving my big bastard of a truck a while that it really isn't much worse than a car once you get used to its size. Sure, I can't whip into a spot in an instant, but I park in a parking garage every day and back it into a spot and have never once have a problem. Just leave the hitch ball attached and locked in; better to hit a wall with that than your bumper and gives that asshole behind you something to consider before he tailgates you.
If I were you, I would keep my eyes open for the lower mileage models, but I'd be calling on that higher mileage one immediately since you are being very particular about your needs and it seems to fit the bill. Find out the maintenance history, lowball him, and see what he says, phone calls are free and at least you'll know you tried :-). Rising gas prices is making people bail on bigger vehicles more than ever (not saying the market is flooding, but there has been a response) and if you are proactive you might get a steal. No matter what, you're going to pile the miles on this vehicle pretty quick, and since you're going with a gasser I imagine you'll probably be cycling out of this truck in a few years anyways, so that is something else you might want to consider.
Definitely go with the V8 on it. Considering your doing a one-car trailer and only occaisionally, I think the 4Runner should be fine. As was stated it's a shorter wheelbase that most prefer, which can make towing a little twitchy, but if you're careful and prepare the truck accordingly, I don't see any reason why you can't do it.
I would HIGHLY recommend getting a trans temp guage immediately before towing anything so that you can make sure you don't overheat and destroy your trans; a decent-sized tranny cooler might be helpful there as well. I'm sure the V8 can handle the power department if it's well maintained, but it can't hurt to look into some low-budget ways to give it some more power as well. I'll also 2nd some stiffer springs or something in the rear to help out with the load when you are towing, and I doubt that will really hurt the comfort of driving it every day.
As for any haters talking about driving and parking such a beast, don't listen. I have found after driving my big bastard of a truck a while that it really isn't much worse than a car once you get used to its size. Sure, I can't whip into a spot in an instant, but I park in a parking garage every day and back it into a spot and have never once have a problem. Just leave the hitch ball attached and locked in; better to hit a wall with that than your bumper and gives that asshole behind you something to consider before he tailgates you.
If I were you, I would keep my eyes open for the lower mileage models, but I'd be calling on that higher mileage one immediately since you are being very particular about your needs and it seems to fit the bill. Find out the maintenance history, lowball him, and see what he says, phone calls are free and at least you'll know you tried :-). Rising gas prices is making people bail on bigger vehicles more than ever (not saying the market is flooding, but there has been a response) and if you are proactive you might get a steal. No matter what, you're going to pile the miles on this vehicle pretty quick, and since you're going with a gasser I imagine you'll probably be cycling out of this truck in a few years anyways, so that is something else you might want to consider.
