Recommendations for a Complete Setup for Towing a Travel Trailer with a 2010 Lexus GX460  

Question:

Helpful Expert Reply:

I can help you get set up with all the right equipment for towing a travel trailer with your 2010 Lexus GX460.

Let's start with what you will need for the vehicle itself. The hitch I recommend for your 2010 Lexus is the 2 Inch Draw-Tite # 75685, this custom fit hitch has a tongue weight capacity of 500lbs and a towing capacity of 5,000lbs. which will work great for your trailer.

Next for the vehicle you will need wiring to power the taillights on the trailer. Your Lexus should already be prewired. If you have two rectangular plugs you will need # HM11141920 if you have a round connector then you will need # 118384, you may also already have a connector. The connector is located beneath the vehicle, near the frame rail on the driver's side behind the rear bumper. I have linked an image to this page of where to find the wiring on your Lexus. The # 118262 will need a mounting bracket like # PK12711U to mount to your vehicle.

Last item for the vehicle is a brake controller, then we will move on to items that are needed for your travel trailer. When pulling a trailer with brakes you will need to have a brake controller to actuate the brakes. I like the Tekonsha Prodigy P3 # 90195 because it is a proportional brake controller which means it senses how the tow vehicle is slowing or stopping and applies the trailer's brakes with the same intensity. It also has a full display screen instead of codes that need deciphering. The vehicle specific wiring harness # 3040-P is a custom fit for your 2010 Lexus GX460. This harness is a plug and play adapter which will mate with the brake controller port underneath the dash of your GX460. The harness will be located underneath and left of
the steering column, taped to another harness near the emergency brake pedal.

It's important to note that your vehicle has a very particular way of hooking up and disconnecting, I attached an image from your owners manual to this page for your convenience.

A weight distribution system is recommended if the gross vehicle weight (GVW) of the trailer is more than 50 percent of the GVW of your vehicle. I looked up your 2010 Lexus GX460's GVW and the weight of your trailer is more than 50 percent of the total vehicle weight. A weight distribution system will distribute some of the tongue weight to the front axle of the tow vehicle. This will help with sag and allow your setup to brake and handle better. When picking out a weight distribution you want to do it based on the loaded tongue weight, which also includes the weight of the cargo behind the rear axle. Typically it is 10-15 percent of your Gross Trailer Weight (GTW). For your 3,000-4,500lbs. camper that would be anywhere from 300-675 lbs. of tongue weight.

My best recommendation for a weight distribution would be the Reese Stait-Line # RP66082 because of its 200-600 lbs. tongue weight capacity and 10,000 lbs. gross towing weight. This system also includes a dual-cam sway control and an adjustable shank. I've linked our FAQ help article on Weight Distributions as well as one on finding Tongue Weight for you to reference.
Please note that this shank has a maximum rise of 6-1/2 inches and a maximum drop of 1-1/4 inches if you would need more rise or drop you will need to consider purchasing a different shank. You will be able to determine if this is necessary with the FAQ article that I've attached.

The Reese Strait-Line prevents sway before it starts. It uses a dual cam sway control which is the most effective on the market, because it applies constant pressure to realign your trailer behind your tow vehicle. It is lighter than many of the other systems and has a more effective sway control than other systems like the Equal-I-zer. Equal-I-zer uses a friction sway control system that inhibits sway with the use of friction from the bars that will activate only when the bar rubs the interior of the bracket when the unit moves.

The final pieces you will need to start towing your trailer is a ball for the weight distribution your coupler size will determine what ball you need but for this weight distribution the shank of the ball is required to have a diameter of 1-1/4 inches like the 2 inch ball # A-90 or the 2-5/16 inches ball # BWHB94050.

As I've mentioned before I've linked several Help Articles along with some install videos for you to check out. If you have anymore questions, I'd be more than happy to help you further.

expert reply by: Jackie C

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James

1/8/2016

I have heard of add ons for "tranny" ? Cooling. Would you know if this is something I may need?

Jackie C.

1/8/2016

A transmission cooler will definitely help assist in protecting and provide you with peace of mind for your transmission. Our most popular cooler is the Derale's # D13503, this is a plate and fin style cooler. Depending on the amount of spacing you will have with your engine you could mount this in three places, I like to think of them good (C), better (B), and best (A). I've attached a diagram for you to look at. The position that is the best is closest to the grill in front of the A/C condenser, better is just behind the condenser between the radiator, and good is behind the radiator between the engine. I would make sure you measure the spaces you will have to make sure my recommendation of # D13503 measuring at 11" Wide x 8-3/4" tall x 7/8" deep will fit. If you wanted to monitor the temperature, an economical option for monitoring your transmission temperature is Derale's Remote Transmission Filter Kit with Temperature Gauge # D13091. It will fit inline with your transmission cooler and provide you with a bonus filter to cut down on the time between fluid changes. It is not possible to over cool a transmission, if you happen to be towing in a cold climate area. I would recommend you to let your engine warm up for about 10 minutes before using. This will allow for the fluid to warm up and lubricate the transmission better. I've linked you to all the Transmission Coolers, in case you need a different size, as well as a few Help Articles on Transmission Coolers.