Question Highlander Tow Experiences when Close to Tow Rating

[GWB]

Hi All, I recently bought a 2009 Highlander V6 Base FWD with a 5000 lb tow rating. I'd like to buy a small travel trailer next spring that weighs 4350 (actual weight from sticker with all options & full propane tanks). By the time we add the passenger weight and a small amount of cargo, we'll be at 4800-5000 lbs.

1) Is it safe to tow this closely to the max tow rating, assuming I don't exceed it and drive carefully?

2) The owners manual states I should not exceed 45 mph when towing. That seems very slow for an interstate highway - is that really necessary or is it just "lawyer talk"?

3) Do max tow ratings assume a single 150 lb passenger (as my Ford F350 did), or no passengers at all? Also, are they designed under "worst case" (i.e. long uphill stretch) or under "best case" (totally level road)?

Thanks!
Gary

[bepperb]

The max weight and speed are both functions of your vehicle's ability to brake safely. So, the primary decision maker might be the type of terrain you're driving on. Would I take that rig across Nebraska? No problem. Would I take it across Colorado? At 45mph, maybe.

The tongue weight, plus everything inside the HL will need to be under the GVW on your door placard. Obviously having both near their maximum isn't going to be a very fast or enjoyable drive.

[shall36]

Originally Posted by GWB

Hi All, I recently bought a 2009 Highlander V6 Base FWD with a 5000 lb tow rating. I'd like to buy a small travel trailer next spring that weighs 4350 (actual weight from sticker with all options & full propane tanks). By the time we add the passenger weight and a small amount of cargo, we'll be at 4800-5000 lbs.

1) Is it safe to tow this closely to the max tow rating, assuming I don't exceed it and drive carefully?

2) The owners manual states I should not exceed 45 mph when towing. That seems very slow for an interstate highway - is that really necessary or is it just "lawyer talk"?

3) Do max tow ratings assume a single 150 lb passenger (as my Ford F350 did), or no passengers at all? Also, are they designed under "worst case" (i.e. long uphill stretch) or under "best case" (totally level road)?

Thanks!
Gary

A. Do not trust sticker weight. Go get the trailer, loaded as you would tow it, and put it on scales.

1. Good rule of thumb is 80% of max. That gives plenty of margin. 90% if you're more adventurous.

2. Don't know. I did hear of a beach towel with a warning label that said, "Not to be used as shelter during a hurricane." Now that's lawyer talk.

3. Published max tow weights are estimates at best and actual tow capacity is vehicle and situation specific. Do not use published max tow weights. Instead, use GCVW and compute max tow weight; weigh the tow vehicle with full gas and gear and subtract that from GCVW. That's max tow weight, assuming tongue weight does not exceed max.

Check out the Tundra towing forum. LOTS of good advice related to all things towing.

[shall36]

Originally Posted by GWB

Hi All, I recently bought a 2009 Highlander V6 Base FWD with a 5000 lb tow rating. I'd like to buy a small travel trailer next spring that weighs 4350 (actual weight from sticker with all options & full propane tanks). By the time we add the passenger weight and a small amount of cargo, we'll be at 4800-5000 lbs.

1) Is it safe to tow this closely to the max tow rating, assuming I don't exceed it and drive carefully?

2) The owners manual states I should not exceed 45 mph when towing. That seems very slow for an interstate highway - is that really necessary or is it just "lawyer talk"?

3) Do max tow ratings assume a single 150 lb passenger (as my Ford F350 did), or no passengers at all? Also, are they designed under "worst case" (i.e. long uphill stretch) or under "best case" (totally level road)?

Thanks!
Gary

Not sure if Gary is still needing information, but thought I would post what might be some helpful insight for his situation. A friend of mine and I just got back from a 200 mile round trip here in Florida and it really put trailer towing into perspective for me. His truck is a late model Chevy Avalanche w/ the 5.3L engine and the trailer is a 21' "super lite" tow hauler with a sticker weight of 4,500 lbs. The trailer was loaded with model airplanes, so not a whole lot of cargo weight in there! We were full of water going out and dumped that at the end of our stay before coming back.

The Avalanche weighs a LOT more than the Highlander and even with a very nice sway control setup, we were getting pushed around by the 15 - 20 mph winds. The truck has more than enough power to pull the trailer, but you can definately feel it behind you, especially when going up those "steep" Florida hills.

There's lots of trailers out there and there are real differences in how well each tows. My friend and I discussed if we would even think about towing this particular trailer a Highlander and the answer was not just "no", but "hell no".

Not sure if that helps anyone out there. Perhaps the best advice I can give is that before you buy a trailer, find someone with something similar and go for a ride with them to get a sense for how trailer towing really feels.

Hope this helps someone.