Towing a Mammoth Overland Tall Boy with LC Fe

Had some fun towing the Mammoth Overland Tall Boy. The perfect trailer if you want those post-apocalyptic vibes and don't mind spending $80k. Oh, also I had a good experience towing with the LC, though it does have a few eccentricities.

What are the odds Toyota does something about the towing software? I don’t have a lot of experience with this manufacturer and how they refine (if they refine) the tech.

Midwest Duo said:

What are the odds Toyota does something about the towing software? I don’t have a lot of experience with this manufacturer and how they refine (if they refine) the tech.

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Considering how slow Toyota is with updating their 'tech' features, the LC will probably be like a mammoth frozen in a glacier before Toyota does anything about it.

It certainly could be better software-wise (esp. re: turning off sensor warnings, remembering settings), but for those who only pull one trailer it's not that terrible. Certainly way better than the '16 4Runner I came from.

So do you have to go through all the setting again when stopping for fuel. I think I know the answer but… dang

Midwest Duo said:

So do you have to go through all the setting again when stopping for fuel. I think I know the answer but… dang

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No, just doing initial setup for the specific trailer. It will hold the settings but has no way to store the settings if you have multiple trailers.

I'm still a bit fuzzy on what hitting the "Tow/Haul" button actually does. I think I looked it up in the manual and it didn't have much detail.

b407driver said:

I'm still a bit fuzzy on what hitting the "Tow/Haul" button actually does. I think I looked it up in the manual and it didn't have much detail.

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Locks up the torque converter to prevent overheating. Interestingly, it also disables all forms of cruise control.

ricochet said:

Locks up the torque converter to prevent overheating. Interestingly, it also disables all forms of cruise control.

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In the video he says the the assisted cruise control is disabled. Regular cruise is still available. Is that not the case?

Midwest Duo said:

In the video he says the the assisted cruise control is disabled. Regular cruise is still available. Is that not the case?

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You can use regular Cruise Control if you do not use Tow Mode. If you turn Tow Mode on, then you cannot use any CC. Because our highway run was relatively flat, I wasn't using Tow Mode until we went into the mountains. I could/should have been clearer about this, but we were also figuring it out as we went.

Fun video, thanks for sharing

ricochet said:

You can use regular Cruise Control if you do not use Tow Mode. If you turn Tow Mode on, then you cannot use any CC. Because our highway run was relatively flat, I wasn't using Tow Mode until we went into the mountains. I could/should have been clearer about this, but we were also figuring it out as we went.

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Thanks! I’m so new to towing that I just assumed you MUST turn on tow mode when hooking up a trailer. I thought it was something special from other modes (eco, sport). After all, it has it’s very own button

What rpod do you have and are you happy with it?

I have a 2018 RPod 179. Generally pretty happy with it. i like the layout and haven’t had any issues with it.

I watched your vid a week ago. Great vid!!! Thanks for the awesome content vids

Thanks for sharing this info and the video. We had a sprinter van that was totaled in Hurricane Helen and had to quickly start a search for a new setup for towing and overlanding trips. I’m driving today to TX today to pick up a MDC XT12HR offroad trailer. During my YouTube PhD on how to work all the towing gadgets the first few LC towing videos had me pretty concerned about our LC purchase as a tow vehicle. But your video was great and really gave me some solid insights with a similar trailer setup. The LC is quirky for sure but seems like a pretty reasonable tow vehicle. I’ll share my experience when I return from Texas.

Maybe toyota will update sofware to improve the towing interface in the screen set up like the US automakers. Ive never owned such a complicated towing vehicle like this .... not intuitive at all

trek805 said:

Maybe toyota will update sofware to improve the towing interface in the screen set up like the US automakers. Ive never owned such a complicated towing vehicle like this .... not intuitive at all

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I just towed a new off-road trailer weighing in at 4,300 dry weight from from South TX to Mississippi and I was pleasantly surprised at how well it towed. Good acceleration, stable, and breaking was excellent with brake controller. I was a little concerned that the cruise control and tow/haul was not functional together for towing but…much of what I have read or videos I’ve seen was not 100% accurate on towing and all the settings/features.

Here's what I learned:
1) You can absolutely use cruise control while or towing with 7pin (just not adaptive cruise). Here’s what I did (I think) toggle the “mode” button “1” on steering wheel to go to standard cruise. The extra step is to then select the driving assist button “2” to turn off the driver assist then use accelerator to get your speed and set it. Worked fine.

2) I was able to use Tow/Haul mode while using cruise control just fine. Per above use this process for standard cruise control and then Tow/Haul. Quick reference quite on pg 47 says it helps optimize engine, transmission, and steering when towing. I thought it would be odd for Toyota to design all those features and then not have them available as some of the videos and other posts have said.
3) I toggled auxiliary gauges to show engine and transmission temperature and it never really tic’d above halfway but it was a nice peace of mind to know all was well.
4) I originally changed all the safety settings as most of the videos said but found most of that to be unnecessary. Some automatically disengage when the vehicle senses the trailer is plugged in. Blind spot monitoring is definitely not accurate but I just kept that in mind.
5) My fuel economy dropped in half but I’m sure it depends on trailer type/load.
6) Break controller works really well and is easy to set up. Once you set the brake type and then hit the gain button the the screen shows up to make your adjustments. I set at 5.0 to start and squeezed controller at 15 mph adjusted up until lockup and then backed off one (-) click. Towed through Houston, TX at rush hour, good learning test for the breaks and it helps for sure. Pro tip…don’t hit Houston TX at rush hour!