Hey guys,

I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to get my 3 cars to California in June. I was thinking about possibly renting a tow dolly and hooking it up to my 87 4runner and pulling the lancer. The weight of the hitch is set at 3500 lbs, but the tow dolly will have no brakes on it. This makes me worry about the feasbility and safety of towing this thing from Ohio to the California, esp over the mountains.

My 4runner isn't meaty, its a 4 cylinder, but I do have a manual transmission.

any thoughts or advice?

Thanks

MJ

Um...eek.

4-cylinder truck + brakeless trailer + '62 Lancer = Eek.

Also, a manual trans isn't better for towing, it's worse.

I do a lot of towing and I think your combination is more than I would take on. Towing the 4runner with the Lancer is about the same movie.
The crosswinds I encountered last week on the Plains would scare the crap out of you enough to make Donner Pass seem like a simple horror show.
Not going via Donner? ....Grapevine?
I encountered snow 4 times last week.....once in Ohio and 3 times on western mountain passes. Thats done in June. Im not one to shy away from a big load but do you have other alternatives?

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

Hey, someone's got an 85 Toyota One Ton for sale in Grassie... could that truck handle a haul like that? It's got a manual trans, but I think it's V6 powered, and surely you can put a class III on a truck with a one ton payload cap'y---even if it's a minitruck...

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

You might just consider shipping one or more of the cars. Should be about $6-900 each, maybe less for two?

I have used a tow dolly once behind my 1-ton van and it was fine, but I think you're asking for trouble with a 4runner. Flat trailer is much better since it is possible to BACK UP, which you cannot do on a tow dolly.

Lancer should weigh about 2600-2700 empty.

When I moved from CA to NC, I just made 3 trips and drove the cars across!

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

ddd

Depends on the condition. It is a 4 cyl, not a six. I have a 86 Toyota 1 ton, it has a class III hitch, and I tow a 5,000 trailer. Like everyone else has said, BRAKES. Mine tows well, but I don't think I would want to tackel the mountains. That 4 banger needs a turbo, but the turbo was only available with the 4 wheel drive.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

It is advertised as an EFI 5 spd. needing an engine. Mint cab. $1000CDN.

I suppose I could find a ballsier engine for it.. i guess it would be a 22R now? Turbo sounds like fun...

I think Ill go see it.

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

Yeah I did some math the other night and figured the weight of the trailer is just about equal to the truck, and braking is going to be unbearable.

Sandy, glad you made it back. You caught our april snow here in ohio last saturday I'd most likely be taking I-70 until Denver, then heading up 25 to I-80, and take that over to SF. We'll see. No grapevine for me since that goes too far south (unless I stop off to see the parentals in LA first).

My new plan is to rent a moving truck, tow the lancer with that (thoughts on dolly vs trailer?), and deal with the cross winds. When we moved to Ohio 6 years ago, I had a 15" moving van with my 4runner on a dolly behind it. It was a bear going through Kansas with the winds. Not fun.

So then I'll have someone else drive the 4runner, and tow a 5x8 trailer behind it to carry the extra engine and parts that I have. THEN another friend is driving our passat out in July to a conference they have and using it as a vacation. How's that for a complicated moving plan?

Step, regarding the Toyota, what you'd really like to find (but are scarce) is the 22RE-T setup from an 86 or 87 truck. In 88 Toyota introduced the V6, and the turbo 22RE was the bridge to give them more power before the V6 arrived. Awesome motor--mine has 289k miles on it without any rebuild. You cant go wrong. They aren't powerful, but they are great. Otherwise, the 22REC is the EFI setup you want.

MJ

Right on... Ill dig around for one. What do you think about a 5R or 4Y industrial? They have a chain drive for a pump right on the timing cover.

Ive towed cars on Ryder trucks with a pintle hook and a car hauler and they were much more manageable. This Toyota also has all wheel discs so I dont think braking will be all that hard... the 4Y came in the flat nose pre-Previa minivans and the 5R was also an early Corolla engine... bulletproof and very simple. Are you doing all your moving by yourself, or are you hiring Allied or United? They could stuff a car in their trailer along with your contents, if youre going that route. They did it for my family when we moved years ago...

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.