Towing with '99 4Runner

I have a '99 4Runner V6 LTD 4WD and am towing a wakeboard boat that weighs about 5500 lbs. I know the rated limit is 5000 lbs, what risks do I have for damaging the 4Runner? The 4Runner struggles up hills, but it gets there.

I have a trans-cooler and I change the oil, trans fluid and differential fluid religeously. When I tow, I keep the trans out of OD.

Any comments would be helpful. I'm trying to decide whether I need to buy a tow vehicle with a larger engine.

Thanks,
Jeff

Your biggest problem is overheating the transmission. Since you have an additional cooler, you should be fine. Just keep an eye on the transmission overheat warning light. Engine and rear end are not stressed much by your load, so no worries there. Make sure you use 93 octane when you tow.

How often do you tow? daily? weekly? monthly?

If it's more than once a month consider a bigger tow vehicle. If it's every weekend, consider even more. 5000+ lbs is going to be way hard on a little 6 cyl truck.

Tow ratings are more than just how much power the vehicle has. Brakes is a major part of tow ratings.

So what if you can get a big load rolling. Can you safely stop it?

Absolutely. A 5500 lb load should have trailer brakes.