TOYOTA LAND CRUISER 2006 J100 Owners Manual
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1 Trailer ball load rating
2 Ball diameter
3 Shank length
4 Shank diameter
TRAILER BALL
Follow these easy steps to properly deter-
mine the correct trailer ball for your ap-
plication:1. Determine the correct trailer ball size for the trailer coupler. Most couplers
are stamped with the required trailer
ball size. The sizes you will most likely
find stamped on the coupler are: Trailer Class Typical Trailer Ball Size
III 2 in.
II 2 in.
I 1 7/8 in.
2. Select the appropriate trailer ball to match or exceed the gross trailer
weight rating of the trailer. The trailer
ball load rating should be printed on
the top of the ball.
3. When mounted in the ball mount, the threaded ball shank must protrude be-
yond the bottom of the lock washer
and nut at least 2 threads. The trailer
ball shank must be matched to the ball
mount hole diameter size.
1 Coupler
2 Trailer ball
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MATCHING TRAILER BALL HEIGHT TO
TRAILER COUPLER HEIGHT
No matter which class of tow hitch ap-
plies, for a safe trailer hookup, the trailer
ball setup on must be the proper height
for the coupler on the trailer.
BRAKES AND SAFETY CHAINS
Toyota recommends trailers with
brakes that conform to any applica-
ble federal and state/provincial regu-
lations.
A safety chain must always be used
between the towing vehicle and the
trailer. Leave sufficient slack in the
chain for turns. The chain should
cross under the trailer tongue to
prevent the tongue from dropping to
the ground in case it becomes dam-
aged or separated. For correct safety
chain procedures, follow the hitch or
trailer manufacturer ’s recommenda-
tions.
CAUTION
If the total trailer weight exceeds
453 kg (1000 lb.), trailer brakes are
required.
Never tap into your vehicle’s hy-
draulic system as it would lower its
braking effectiveness.
Never tow a trailer without using a
safety chain securely attached to
both the trailer and the vehicle. If
damage occurs to the coupling unit
or hitch ball, there is danger of the
trailer wandering over into another
lane.
TIRES
Ensure that your vehicle’s tires are
properly inflated. Adjust the tire infla-
tion pressure indicated below:
tire inflation pressure, kPa (psi)Front 220 (32)
Rear 240 (35)
See Section 7 −2 and Section 8 for in-
structions.
The trailer tires should be inflated to
the pressure recommended by the trail-
er manufacturer in respect to the total
trailer weight.
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TRAILER LIGHTS
Your vehicle is equipped with a wire
harness stored in the rear end under
body. Your vehicle is fitted with a sock-
et for trailer lights under the rear
bumper. Use either of them to connect
and operate the trailer lights. However,
the trailer lights must comply with fed-
eral, state/provincial and local regula-
tions. See your local recreational ve-
hicle dealer or rental agency for the
correct type of wiring and relays for
your trailer. Check for correct operation
of the turn signals and stop lights each
time you hitch up. Direct splicing may
damage your vehicle’s electrical system
and cause a malfunction of your lights.BREAK IN SCHEDULE
Toyota recommends that you do not
tow a trailer with a new vehicle or a
vehicle with any new power train com-
ponent (engine, transmission, differen-
tial, wheel bearing, etc.) for the first
800 km (500 miles) of driving.
MAINTENANCE
If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will
require more frequent maintenance due
to the additional load. For this
information, please refer to the
scheduled maintenance information in
the “Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or
“Owner ’s Manual Supplement”.
Retighten all fixing bolts of the towing
ball and bracket after approximately
1000 km (600 miles) of trailer driving.
CONNECTING A TRAILER (models with
active height control suspension only)
Stop your vehicle and a trailer in line and
perform the following: 1. Put the active height control suspen- sion in the “LO” (low) mode. Turn the
ignition switch off or push the height
control switch to turn off the active
height control suspension.
2. Connect a trailer. 3. Turn the ignition switch on or push the
height control switch to turn on the
active height control suspension. Select
the “N” (normal) mode with the height
select switch.
When a vehicle loaded with four occu-
pants tows a trailer of about 1800 kg
(4000 lb.) with more than about 180 kg
(400 lb.) tongue load, the normal mode
may not be selected with the height con-
trol indicator “LO”. However, there is no
problem to continue normal driving. Drive
with sufficient care because of large load.
DISCONNECTING A TRAILER (models
with active height control suspension
only)
Stop your vehicle and a trailer in line and
perform the following:
1. Put the active height control suspen- sion in the “LO” mode. (Make sure the
vehicle height is in the “LO” mode by
pushing the height select switch on the
“
”side.)
2. Turn the ignition switch off or push the height control switch to turn off the
active height control suspension.
3. Set the supporting leg of a trailer on the ground and raise the hitch by 100
mm (4 in.).
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4. Turn the ignition switch on or push theheight control switch to turn on the
active height control suspension.
5. Wait for about 20 seconds until the rear vehicle height is lowered by the
automatic leveling function.
6. Make sure the hitch is disconnected. If not, raise the hitch higher and repeat
steps 2 through 5.
7. Move the vehicle forward in the “LO” mode where the hitch does not touch
anything in the “N” mode.
8. Put the active height control suspen- sion in the “N” mode.
PRE TOWING SAFETY CHECK
Check that your vehicle remains level
when a loaded or unloaded trailer is
hitched. Do not drive if the vehicle has
an abnormal nose −up or nose −down
condition, and check for improper
tongue load, overload, worn suspension
or other possible causes.
Make sure the trailer cargo is securely
loaded so that it cannot shift.
Check that your rear view mirrors con-
form to any applicable federal, state/
provincial or local regulations. If not,
install the rear view mirrors required
for towing purpose.
TRAILER TOWING TIPS
When towing a trailer, your vehicle will
handle differently than when not tow-
ing. The three main causes of vehicle
trailer accidents are driver error, exces-
sive speed and improper trailer loading.
Keep these in mind when towing:
Before starting out, check operation of
the lights and all vehicle −trailer connec-
tions. After driving a short distance,
stop and recheck the lights and con-
nections. Before actually towing a trail-
er, practice turning, stopping and back-
ing with a trailer in an area away from
traffic until you learn the feel.
Because stopping distance may be in-
creased, vehicle −to −vehicle distance
should be increased when towing a
trailer. For each 16 km/h (10 mph) of
speed, allow at least one vehicle and
trailer length between you and the ve-
hicle ahead. Avoid sudden braking as
you may skid, resulting in jackknifing
and loss of control. This is especially
true on wet or slippery surfaces.
Avoid jerky starts or sudden accelera-
tion.
Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns.
The trailer could hit your vehicle in a
tight turn. Slow down before making a
turn to avoid the necessity of sudden
braking.
Remember that when making a turn,
the trailer wheels will be closer than
the vehicle wheels to the inside of the
turn. Therefore, compensate for this by
making a larger than normal turning
radius with your vehicle.
Backing with a trailer is difficult and
requires practice. Grip the bottom of
the steering wheel and move your hand
to the left to move the trailer to the
left. Move your hand to the right to
move the trailer to the right. (This pro-
cedure is generally opposite to that
when backing without a trailer). Also,
just turn the steering wheel a little at
a time, avoiding sharp or prolonged
turning. Have someone guide you when
backing to reduce the risk of an acci-
dent.
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Crosswinds and rough roads will ad-
versely affect handling of your vehicle
and trailer, causing sway. Pay attention
to the rear from time to time to pre-
pare yourself for being passed by large
trucks or buses, which may cause your
vehicle and trailer to sway. If swaying
happens, firmly grip the steering wheel
and reduce speed immediately but
gradually. Never increase speed. Steer
straight ahead. If you make no extreme
correction with the steering or brakes,
the vehicle and trailer will stabilize it-
self.
Be careful when passing other ve-
hicles. Passing requires considerable
distance. After passing a vehicle, do
not forget the length of your trailer and
be sure you have plenty of room be-
fore changing lanes.
In order to maintain engine braking and
electrical charging performance, do not
use the overdrive. Transmission must
be in the “4” position.
Because of the added load of the trail-
er, your vehicle’s engine may overheat
on hot days (at temperatures over
30
°C [85 °F]) when going up a long or
steep grade with a trailer. If the engine
coolant temperature gauge indicates
overheating, immediately turn off the air
conditioning (if in use), pull off the road
and stop in a safe spot. Refer to “If
your vehicle overheats” on page 274.
Always place wheel blocks under both
the vehicle and trailer wheels when
parking. Apply the parking brake firmly.
Put the transmission in “P”. Avoid park-
ing on a slope with a trailer, but if it
cannot be avoided, do so only after
performing the following:
1. Apply the brakes and keep them applied.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks under both the vehicle and trailer
wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release your brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the parking brake firmly.
5. Shift into “P” and turn off the en- gine. When restarting out after parking on a
slope:
1. With the transmission in “P” posi- tion, start the engine. Be sure to
keep the brake pedal depressed.
2. Shift into the “3”, “2”, “L” or “R” position.
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal and slowly pull or back
away from the wheel blo cks. Stop
and apply your brakes.
4. Have someone retrieve the blo cks.