Hi I am new to the forum, baught a 2009 S from my son and want to tow a small camper with it. I had a Pontiac Vibe which could tow up to 1200lbs (Toyota in disguise) For safety I had a transmission cooler installed. Is that OK for the Camry as the tow rating is only 1000lbs? I did have a Camry in South Africa with a 2.4 litre motor designed specifically for towing. A wonderful tow vehicle.

 

Not sure what you question is, towing 1200 lbs or oil cooler installation?

How much does the trailer weigh?

Tow rating appears to be linked to what country the car is sold in. Australia seems to have a 1200kg rating appears to require trailer brakes after 750 kg.

If you tow regularly change the trans fluid more often.

 

The trailer empty is 850lbs. My question was about increasing towability by fitting a transmission cooler, I do understand that I may have to fit a braking system to the camper if the weight goes too high. The car is heavier than the Vibe I had, so theoretically I should be able to tow an equal or heavier weight. I don't want to commit on the trailer without some practical advice.

 

Keep in mind older US Camry had a suggested tow limit of 2000 lbs so something happened to lower this. The 2009 Camry weighs some 3400 lbs and I would be reluctant to tow anywhere near this weight.

Having towed heavier loads with an older Camry I would not want to tow anything over say 2000 lbs total weight and this on a Camry model that was rated for 2000 lbs. At the heavier loads braking was a factor along with lack of power on steeper hills.

My Camry does not have a cooler as I only tow occasionally for less then 50 miles round trip. I looked into installing a cooler but thought it was more trouble then it was worth for my situation.

Check state and federal laws for when a trailer brake is required. Not sure lighter weight trailers may even offer brakes if its not the law.

If you sticking to an 850 lbs empty weight trailer and adding a few hundred lbs of cargo then you should be OK without a cooler.

Toyota states if towing one needs to alter the maintenance schedule as per the owners manual or supplement. You can get a pdf version of these from the Toyota below.

https://www.toyota.com/owners/resour...owners-manuals

The issue is as you know the transmission fluid gets hotter and heat breaks down the fluid faster. Don't know if Toyota has a specific miles for changing fluid as the manual states to "inspect the fluid". The trans appears to use a Dexron non synthetic type with has a more limited life then synthetic. Suggest you change the trans fluid at around 50K regardless of towing as its cheap insurance to prolong trans life.

Installing a trans cooler seems a good idea if you will be towing regularly. Here you are not the first to do so! Search the internet for your car model and you will find hits on this some having photos and detailed installation info. Suggest you use a cooler that mounts in front of the radiator/AC condenser.

 

Thank you for your reply and confirmation that I am not "nuts" for wanting to tow with my Camry, it has 140,000 on the clock only owned by my son. I work for Lexus and a Lexus trained tech will install the cooler. He fitted the cooler to my Vibe. I appreciate your advice concerning the trans oil. I will have it flushed and new oil replaced. I do not intend to load the camper with anything more than absolute basics. I will look up Texas regs concerning the brakes, again thank you for your reply and advice.

 

Yes, towing a small camper with your 2009 Camry is okay as long as the total trailer weight stays under the 1,000 lb tow rating. Installing a transmission cooler is a smart idea for added protection. If you're planning to travel around hilly areas or need emergency help, having access to a Tow truck Wollongong service could also give you peace of mind. Stick to level roads when possible, drive conservatively, and ensure the trailer has proper weight distribution and brakes if you're near the upper limit.