That’s not an inaccurate statement lol

 

This is a good thread for sure. The average motoring public does not consider the GVWR when purchasing or building a vehicle. For myself it's one of the first things I consider when hauling cargo. Unfortunately most of these "overland builds" far exceed the GVWR of the rig.

That is subjective. So long as you are staying within the parameters of the intended design and not exceeding the GVWR, OEM shocks are more than adequate for a lot of end users. Suspension is a very individual thing.

 

Great point. Build shops should educate their clients regarding GVWR as most consumers will get excited to throw whatever they see on YouTube.
Anyone knows the estimated total weight of a full roof rack and and that fancy Ikamper? 180-200lbs?

 

I have Falken Wildpeak tires in 275/70R17 on my 2022 GX460. When loaded up for camping I figure I'm hauling about 700-800lbs of stuff in my rig and it is constantly downshifting going up hills so I tend to put it in 4th gear and just leave it there until the grade flattens out. I wish it didn't do this as I'm sure it is hard on the transmission. Honestly, I think these trucks are under-powered for hauling or towing anything near the weight limit of the vehicle.

It is very capable off-road though and I love driving it otherwise. Just wish it didn't hunt for gears so much when loaded up. I'm thinking of going a bit smaller on the tires next time to see if that helps at all. I have a 2.5" lift installed on mine as well.

 

With two of the six gears being overdrive gears - and 6th is so tall at .59:1 that it can't be held on even a small grade with an empty vehicle - constant downshifting is going to be a fact of life when towing anything. Your strategy of holding it in the 1:1 4th gear is a good one.

Mark

 

While GVWR is obv a factor in the total equation, typically the rear axle capacity will be your most limiting factor in short wheelbase vehicles like the GX, where it's tough to get load in front of the rear axle.

I assume the GVWR test is similar to the SAE J2807 towing standards, but I am very curious how much of that rating is due to the tires spec'd by the manufacturer.

With that being said, regardless of the ratings here is my proven setup with our old GX470 w/ 220k miles hauling (2) adults (375lbs), (2) kids (200lbs), (2) yellow labs (150lbs), and a Thule cargo box mounted to a prinsu style rack with probably close to 150lbs of fire wood, while towing a 4,600lb (loaded) camper using an Anderson WDH (chosen because it saves a fair amount of tongue weight vs a traditional style steel wdh).

GX470 with stock suspension using Bilstein 4600 rear shocks (same as 5100 series but intended for stock ride heights) and stock rear air bags, running 265/70/17 BFG K02 C-Rated running 50psi (max cold pressure, and a very noticeable improvement vs the unloaded 36psi I typically ran them at), and a Hayden 678 transmission cooler. Always felt very stable in every condition I've driven in Wisconsin, from hot sunny days to very windy and rainy days, and has always performed well on my GX470, and I would imagine it's similar to the GX460. YMMV as I don't live in the mountains, so don't chew me out because I don't climb 10 billion feet just to get to work. You cannot beat factory air suspension for towing. I was having issues with the air system on my GX470 and swapped out for FJ springs and Firestone coilrite airbags, and the factory setup was much more composed and handled the camper load much better. Which is why I chose the Luxury package when looking for our new to us GX.

We bought our GX460 Luxury this spring and I have been slowly replicating the GX470 setup as time and money permits. The GX460 in stock form with factory spec Michelin LTX (inflated to 44psi in the rear while towing) thus far has handled towing well, but the transmission is running too hot for me to feel comfortable about the longevity of towing, and pushing hard on hilly country roads, so it will for sure need the Hayden external cooler. Otherwise I am happy with how it performs, and I've never had a pucker moment with this setup.

 

I agree that a GX460 handles a loaded camper quite well. Mine is 5500 lb GVWR and my GX is very stable with the camper in behind it. The issue is HP, or lack there of, especially at elevation. I dont like taking it out on the open freeways here and tend to use it for more local trips where I am sticking to slower 2 lane roads.

 

Agree 100% that 55-65mph is the limit for the GX with a taller travel trailer. I mean you can set the cruise at 70mph and let it do it's thing, but it really benefits from some driver input to anticipate hills and such. But honestly the power to weight ratio of the GX isn't terrible compared to the competition, it just has a 6spd tranny vs 10spd of many others.