Towing MPG's

[kd7skx]

Hi all,

I know there is a lot of threads on towing with a Highlander. Not looking for advice but just wanted to start a thread for specifically for what MPG you get with what you tow.

Basic stuff like, how long is the trailer, how heavy, and what mileage you get with it.

Looking at getting a highlander with a trailer in the 3500# range. Just want to see what MPG you guys get before diving in. Will be towing from NC to OR. Thanks

Brian

[Zembonez]

Weight is important... and 3500 pounds behind a Highlander is large.

Another HUGE factor when wondering what mileage you will get is the size and shape of the trailer. A travel trailer from NC to OR would be sheer insanity behind a highlander. Your mileage would probably be in the sub 10 mpg range. That lightweight vehicle is not made for such excursions.

[newsrv]

I tow a 19' travel trailer weighting about 3,800 pounds. Average about 16 mpg on freeways, about 14 mpg on secondary hilly roads.

[kd7skx]

Hmm,

So it seems like there is good and bad experiences. I see with the tow package it gets 5000lbs towing capacity. So I would assume that the motor would be decent at 3000lbs towing for mileage. I will wait and see what others say.

It would be sweet if I could do it, moving and don't want to buy a truck just to move and then sell it on the other end since I wont need it. The Highlander would be perfect after I moved and would keep it.

Thanks again.

Brian

[Zembonez]

Brian,

For a one time cross country pull, I'd go for it. You might not get very good mileage, but it's not like you are traveling the country pulling your house weekly. My buddy pulls a pretty heavy boat with his TRD Tacoma and gets about 10 mpg, but it's not something he does every day. As long as you are within the limits of the vehicle, it should do fine.

[dennydp]

Make sure the Highlander is broken in before you tow

[rupert08]

I tow a 2,500 pound snowmobile trailer and get about 11mpg. Weight isn't the restriction, rather the wind resistance. This is at 70-75mph and I suspect mpg could improve at slower speeds but I never tried.

[Dman1]

Yup. Wind resistance is a bigger factor than weight when you are towing. I am just going by memory, but I can typically get around 22-25 MPG on the highway in the summer without the trailer. When I towed my 10' 1800-2000 lb tent trailer, I typically got around 20 MPG. Last summer, I towed a 19' hybrid high sided trailer 2400 km (halfway across country) and got 9-11 MPG (it was likely around 3800-4000lbs with the stuff we had in it), depending on how fast I went...at 75 MPH I was at around 9 MPG, and at 60 MPH I was at around 11 MPG. There were just the two of us in the car hauling the hybrid.

You should be fine towing a 3500 lb trailer, but keep in mind, is that dry weight, GVWR, or the published weight? Mine had published data of 3389 lbs, sticker weight of around 3600 lb (i.e. with all options), and a GVWR of 4662 lb. Be careful and do your research (RVNET and Hybrid Explorer Forums would be a great start). If you are looking at something larger than 19', I would suggest looking at another vehicle, honestly.

Good luck.