What can i actually tow?

[Keejac]

hello out there, I am trying to get into trailer camping and have a 2008 highlander base 4x4. can anyone tell me how to figure out what the max weight of a trailer (dry and or wet) i can tow without putting a strain on my vehicle. thanks.

i understand that i have 5000 lb capiticy but i am having trouble getting a straight answer regarding the weight of a trailer that i can tow......is there a formula to figure this out.

[TrailDust]

to Toyota Nation! I'll move your thread over to the 2nd Gen Highlander forum, where you'll want to use that forum's search feature to locate a number of threads that have discussed towing at length.

[sweeneyp]

Originally Posted by Keejac

hello out there, I am trying to get into trailer camping and have a 2008 highlander base 4x4. can anyone tell me how to figure out what the max weight of a trailer (dry and or wet) i can tow without putting a strain on my vehicle. thanks

Well the official rating from Toyota is 3500lbs without the towing package. If you have the towing package its 5000lb. To tell if you have the towing package, see if the front end has these openings (highlighted in red)
I'm pretty sure the tongue weight has to be less that 500lb. I personally don't have much towing experience with my highlander, but many other have on this forum so they might be able to give some more help.
Patrick

[Dman1]

Yes, there are a few threads on this forum, and the HL Lounge forum, regarding what people are towing.

I drive a 2009 HL Limited Canadian Version with the 3.5L V6 and the tow package. Based on this, my maximum towing capacity is 5,000lbs with a maximum 500lbs tongue weight. Up until late last summer, I was towing a 2000lb (approx. loaded) tent trailer and I barely noticed it was there. I could put on cruise control and there was no downshifting happening that wouldn't have happened if I wasn't towing anything.

Last August, I sold the tent trailer and bought a 2011 Rockwood Roo 19 Hybrid trailer (high sided). The dry weight (i.e with all options installed, but none of our stuff) is 3,682 lbs. The GVWR of the trailer (maximum weight fully loaded) is 4,639 lbs. We would likely weigh around 4,000 lbs for a weekend getaway and around 4,200 lbs or so for a week long venture. I would not go any heavier than that. Keep in mind that you need to subtract (apparently), from your towing capacity, the weight of your cargo inside your truck, plus the weight of the people (with the exception of a 150lb driver...or something like that).

I've only towed my new trailer about 2,300km over a 4 day span, driving it back from Elkhart, Indiana to Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, so I have limited experience with this (but there are alot of people on this forum with a similar setup to mine). I do use a weight distribution hitch (as do many others on this forum). When you are towing a high sided trailer, it doesn't matter if it is 2000lbs or 4000lbs, your mileage will suffer to the tune of 10 MPG-ish, as you are towing a parachute and your mileage varies exponentially with your speed.

My setup works well. The weight distribution hitch with 4-point sway control (Equalizer) kept it straight while driving between 55 and 70 MPH, even on two lane highways driving past transport trucks.

So, if you are looking for a 19' or smaller trailer that will weigh around 4200lbs with all of your stuff in it, you should be good to go. If you want something bigger, trade in your Highlander for a Tundra or F-150 or something similar that best matches up with the weight that you want to tow.

In addition, check out the RVNet and Hybrid Explorer forums (if you haven't already) and search each forum for towing

Hope this helps.

[katekebo]

Well, it's quite simple. Your Highlander is rated to tow 5000 lb, so this is the limit. The tongue weight should not exceed 10% of that number, so it's 500 lb.

Your HL is 4x4 so you won't have any problem with starting on a steep incline (this could be a an issue with a FWD - I used to tow a boat with a FWD Sienna and on steep, wet ramps I had to be very careful no to spin the wheels).

For long trips you probably want to keep the trailer under 3500 lb. Not because of any potential damage to HL, just because hauling a really heavy trailer will make the drive much less enjoyable and you will struggle overtaking other vehicles, accelerating or going up hill.

When towing a trailer keep the transmission on "4" instead of "5". This will avoid frequent down- and up-shifting and reduce the wear on the transmission. Probably not necessary with a really lightweight trailer (like 2000 lb or less), but recommended for anything substantial.

If your trailer weights over 2000 lb make sure that it has brakes (surge or electrical). If the trailer has electric brakes you will need to install appropriate wiring harness. Towing anything heavier than 2000 lb without brakes is simply unsafe.

You gas mileage will decrease VERY significantly.

And drive very carefully. Slow down on curves and keep extra distance with respect to other vehicles. Towing degrades handling and abrupt maneuvers can easily end up in a major accident. Before engaging in a long trip, practice a lot in a familiar area to get used to the way the vehicle behaves with the trailer, as well as how to maneuver in tight places, parking, etc.

[Dman1]

Update...last summer when we towed our trailer home from Indiana, it was basically empty and likely around 3800lbs, since we did not have most of our camping gear. Well, this weekend was my first towing experience with most of our camping gear (likely around 4200 lbs). Let me tell you, it was a very different experience. We travelled from Moncton to Halifax (maybe 240 km one way), and it took me about a tank and a half of gas. Doing the math, that is around 8mpg. And I was basically banging it, staying around 55 to 60 mph, and allowing it to slow down to 45 to 50 mph going up hills. Although the drive is a bit hilly, it's nothing too crazy. But the poor mileage is to be expected. My biggest concern is with the amount of downshifting, even when driving in 4th. Bottom line, I no longer recommend buying a highlander to tow anything larger than a 3500 lb tent trailer, or other low sided trailer. It is just not the best vehicle for the job, in my opinion. We will continue with this setup for now, as we are not in the financial position to purchase a new towing vehicle at the present time. All I can say is if you are looking to tow a high sided trailer of any size, do not buy a Highlander for this task. Buy a pickup truck or a full size SUV with a V8. That is what they are for. The right tool for the job.

[WilliamJ]

I would agree with the above posts. For short hauls you probably are OK up to the limit posted but I wouldn't want to even tow a 5000 pound load without brakes or an equalizing hitch for even just a few miles. I would say that 2500 pounds would be my limit for hauling without brakes and an equalizing hitch for any distance. As the other posted noted, you are flirting with disaster and on a windy day or driving with a lot of big rigs blowing by you will realy soil your pants after just a few miles. You can PULL 5000 pounds but I sure wouldn't do anything more than very low speed maneuvers with it: Like pulling a boat out of the water and moving it down the road to storage or stuff like that.

Years ago I saw a Mazda MPV roll over many times due to sway - he was pulling a trailer that probably only weighed about 3500 pounds. An 18 wheeler blew by him and the sway started and he lost it: Rolled off the interstate into the grass and I lost count of how many times the rolled - it was hard to watch. Luckily the 2 elderly folks were wearing their seat belts and somehow walked away with only minor injuries but the minivan and the trailer were history.