Picking up our 2011 LE this week - Class 2 or Class 3 hitch?

[stubborn1]

We are picking up our new 2011 Sienna LE this week. It's a definate upgrade over our Town & Country that it's replacing. Anyway, I'm looking to put a hitch on the vehicle although I won't use this van much for towing. I did some online shopping and found both Class 2 and Class 3 hitches available for this van. Since the van is only rated to tow 3,500lbs, is there any benefit to putting a Class 3 hitch on the vehicle? The Class 2 setup is rated for 3500lbs so it seems to fit the bill. I already have a Class 2 ball mount that should work, so unless there is a good reason not to, I'll probably put on the Class 2.

Thoughts?

[Biggoldfish]

Glad you made the decision on the LE. Congrats! I did research too on the types of hitches for the Sienna. I chose the Class 3 cause of the "Just in case" motto. Just in case you need it but don't have it. Know what I mean? Anyway, I got the class 3 hitch from ebay for $127.00 free shipping. Put it on myself in an hour or so and I'm very happy with it. Doesn't affect the ground clearance of the rear of the van so it was good to go. But that's my $0.02 on this matter. HTH.

[bojans]

I also went with the class III. My feeling is why push the limits of a hitch's capacity (class II rated to 3,500 lbs and 350lbs tongue weight) when for only slightly more $ you can have a larger margin of error. While I understand that the Sienna is only rated for 3,500lbs my point comes more from an experience of being in an accident with a trailer.

I was towing a trailer with ~2,000 lbs when a 16 year old girl backed out of her driveway into the side of my car. She hit in the rear passenger door, pushed the vehicle a bit sideways and then hit the trailer. When she hit the trailer she had gotten between the trailer and the vehicle so the trailer actually hit her, that collision sent the trailer swinging to the drivers side of the vehicle. The force was enough to allow the trailer to pass me and cave in the whole drivers side of my car. My vehicle had a class IV hitch that was bent like a pretzel after that collision. I was within the weight range of a class II hitch at that time but I am all but certain that accident would have allowed a lesser hitch to shear and set the trailer free making the accident that much more dangerous.

Moral of the story, go with the stronger hitch...

[Biggoldfish]

Originally Posted by bojans

I also went with the class III. My feeling is why push the limits of a hitch's capacity (class II rated to 3,500 lbs and 350lbs tongue weight) when for only slightly more $ you can have a larger margin of error. While I understand that the Sienna is only rated for 3,500lbs my point comes more from an experience of being in an accident with a trailer.

I was towing a trailer with ~2,000 lbs when a 16 year old girl backed out of her driveway into the side of my car. She hit in the rear passenger door, pushed the vehicle a bit sideways and then hit the trailer. When she hit the trailer she had gotten between the trailer and the vehicle so the trailer actually hit her, that collision sent the trailer swinging to the drivers side of the vehicle. The force was enough to allow the trailer to pass me and cave in the whole drivers side of my car. My vehicle had a class IV hitch that was bent like a pretzel after that collision. I was within the weight range of a class II hitch at that time but I am all but certain that accident would have allowed a lesser hitch to shear and set the trailer free making the accident that much more dangerous.

Moral of the story, go with the stronger hitch...

Wow! Very good lesson in "just in case". Glad to hear everyone got out okay.

[stubborn1]

Thanks for the information. I'll probably go with the Class 3. Where have people found the best deal for the setup?

[POPP]

At our Toyota dealership, we sell 10 to 1 class 3 over class 2, and out of the 10 or so class 2 hitches we've sold, 8 have come back and asked to upgrade to the class 3.......