Is it true that I can't use a weight distribution hitch?

[edekgb]

I was planning on driving to new mexico near espaniola about an hour west of there but indont know now im getting kinda nervous

[edekgb]

I just looked up towing capacity of 2014 4runner and it is 4700 lbs. My 198bh amerilite is 2790 dry with a bumper hitch weight of 350 lbs. Am i really that close to overloaded?

[edekgb]

I guess i just hate to have to put alot of money into hop up parts or even maybe mess with the warrenty on my 4runner to be able to pull my trailer because i cant use a W/D hitch system. But if i have to i have to - if you guys think i should make modifications to my 4runner what do you think i should do? Airbags? Something else?

[84prerunner]

Take it for a test tow, see how it does! I did a little but of digging on this topic. the older 4runners that came with the factory cross member mounted hitch (like my neighbors) would physically not fit a weight distribution hitch. From what I am reading that is not the case with the newer ones and I did come across 1 person that is using a weight distribution hitch on a 2014 without issues, just not going crazy on the spring bar tension.

my neighbor has a set of these he installs in place of the stock bump stop while towing. not sure how much difference the new 4runners are but if its doable its not a bad option for the price.
https://www.amazon.com/Superior-12-1.../dp/B00029K1XK

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by edekgb

I just looked up towing capacity of 2014 4runner and it is 4700 lbs. My 198bh amerilite is 2790 dry with a bumper hitch weight of 350 lbs. Am i really that close to overloaded?

Tow rating of 4,700 pounds tells you only how much weight the drivetrain can PULL without overheating and without being he slowpoke holding up traffic on steep grades. But a tow vehicle has other limiters as to how much weight you can tow. GVWR of the tow vehicle is usually the limiter. Wet and loaded weight of the tow vehicle plus hitch weight should not exceed the GVWR of the tow vehicle. Else your tow vehicle will be overloaded. But in your case it may be the hitch.

Ignore that dry hitch weight of 350 pounds because you won't be towing a dry trailer. Your hitch weight will probably be 13% to 15% of the gross trailer weight. If it's the average of 13% for most travel trailers, then that's 461 pounds. Exceeding the hitch weight limits is a really dumb thing to do, so you don't want to go there. But if your hitch has a weight-carrying (WC) tongue weight (TW) max more than 461 pounds, then hitch is not your limiter. So then you worry about GVWR of the tow vehicle.

With a Bravada, you can either haul a wagon load of people and stuff, or you can tow a trailer that has 461 pounds of hitch weight. but not both at the same time without being overloaded.

That's why they make scales. Weigh your rig, then decide. Don't use estimates that include dry weight. If you must estimate, then use 13% of the GVWR of the trailer to estimate the wet and loaded hitch weight.

I was planning on driving to new mexico near espaniola about an hour west of there ...

That's in the mountains northwest of Santa Fe, near Los Alamos, and near the Continental Divide. There's no good way to get there from Denver without crossing some steep grades. If your hitch is rated for 460 pounds or more WC TW, then just remember that weight is your enemy. Don't haul anything in the SUV or trailer that you can live without. And good luck.

But if your receiver hitch is not rated for at least 460 pounds WC TW, then don't risk it until you replace the receiver with a frame-mounted receiver rated for 500 pounds WC TW or more.