what model can I tow with our 2009 V6 VENZA with tow prep?

We used to camp with a VW westie, got tired of the old. Plus we had to put it all away to go any where. So now I'm looking for a self contained, camp in the rain if we have to pop up trailmanor. Just the two of us moving towards retirement. Our Toyota has the same engine as the Highlander with the 3500 lb. tow package (oil cooler, larger radiator fan, larger alternator) Ordered AWD for winter driving for skiing, 109" wheelbase and a length of 189". So how big can I go? Want to drive pretty much anywhere (on roads) and not during the winter. Any comments and a dealer near Seattle would help. After some site research I think can tow at least a 2720SL, maybe a 3124KB?

There are many posts on towing with a 3500 lbs tow rating. Most opinions are that a 2720 is pushing the limit. I have a 3124 and mine weight in at 4240 lbs so it would be way over your limit. Remember, the tow rating of the TM trailer is DRY weight - meaning no propane, no water, no options (A/C, Awning, etc) and maybe without batteries. do some searching on towing and you should find some info.

There are many who tow a 2720 with a Highlander, Pilot, or Ridgeline - which I think all have the same engine.

And there will be others who will chime in I'm sure.

My 2720, fully loaded with water, propane, two batteries and personal gear weighs 3380 on the single axle. Add in the tongue weight and it liklely weighs close to 4,100 total.

I was really loaded up, so you could probably save about 500 pounds from that figure. that gets you down to 3,600 pounds.

If you eat out at restaurants all the time you could save another 100 pounds by eliminating all the dishes.

Leave off the air conditioner and awning will save some more.

[Wavery]

The weight on our 2720 is almost identical to PopBeavers'. In fact, I've added stuff since I last had weighed. 65# worth of solar panels and a 27#, 3" memory foam mattress topper.

My point is.....stuff just keeps adding up.

IMHO
Times are tough for all manufacturers and they are all pushing their specs to the legal limit in order to make sales. This true for towing capacity, mpg seating capacity on TVs and RV weight, sleeping capacity for TTs. This means to me it can be done, but there is absolutely no margin for error or emergency. In other words you can probably go for years with no issues, but might regret the decision someday.

Thanks; like everyone I enjoy adding the options. Watching the total weight gain is going to be a carefull study. After reading the posts I may keep the kayaks on the car instead of mounting them on the trailer. Of course now I'm looking at adding solar panels. So I'll be looking at either a fully loaded mini. Or maybe a stripped down 2720SL. I'm planning a trip to the Campmore dealership in Oregon in the next month to get some hands on looking at the models. This will be a long term purchase, so I'm taking some time in the research.
And yes the tow rating is 3500 with the tow package. Engine is 268HP double overhead cam. I'll ask about useing a WDH with the hitch (had to look it up).

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by 4seasons

Thanks; like everyone I enjoy adding the options. Watching the total weight gain is going to be a carefull study. After reading the posts I may keep the kayaks on the car instead of mounting them on the trailer. Of course now I'm looking at adding solar panels. So I'll be looking at either a fully loaded mini. Or maybe a stripped down 2720SL. I'm planning a trip to the Campmore dealership in Oregon in the next month to get some hands on looking at the models. This will be a long term purchase, so I'm taking some time in the research.
And yes the tow rating is 3500 with the tow package. Engine is 268HP double overhead cam. I'll ask about useing a WDH with the hitch (had to look it up).

Putting the kayaks on the car or the trailer doesn't change much, unless your trailer is at max capacity to start with.

It's important to ascertain the GCWR (Gross COMBINED Weight Rating) for that vehicle. That is the total weight that the vehicle is capable of handling, including passengers, cargo and fuel..

Different manufacturers have different ways of displaying this info. Often, they will give you a "Tow Rating" then make a statement like, "Any cargo or passenger weight in the vehicle must be subtracted from the "tow rating". In other words, if you have 150# of kayaks, 400# of passengers and 200# of other cargo in the TV, that weight must be subtracted from the 3500# towing capacity. This would leave you with a max tow rating of 2750#.

Your TV has to be able to pull and (more importantly) stop the total package under various conditions and weather. Where you place the weight matters only in the balancing of the load, not in the capability of the TV tow the entire package combined.

As you can tell some of us subscribe to the less is more school of thought and some of us would pull our TM's with a tank if we could get away with it.... ( That would be me, the wife is a Marine and would understand.... ) Someone who used to be on this forum said once that choice was what America was all about. I suppose one of the best comments made in this whole post is the one Mr Adventure has at the bottom of his signature.

" It's not how fast you can go, its how fast you can stop an RV that counts "

Remember, whatever the weight of the TM, and what ever the limits of your TV, that TM is going to be behind you every step of the way. Do your research. Be safe.

All I can tell you is that my 2005 TM 2720 weighs 3380 at the axle. I did not weigh the tongue. Assuming 15 percent (conservative) then the tongue weight would be 507, for a total weight of 3887.

The dry weight is 2742.

That means that I carry 1145 of options and my personal stuff.

I carry 46 gallons of water. That is 384 pounds.

The fridge is very full. That is probable around 50 pounds.

We have clothes in the drawers and closet. That is probably 40 pounds.

Pans and dishes (service for 5) are probably around 25 pounds.

Stuff in the bathroom cabinet (shampoo, tooth paste etc.) I probably 10 pounds.

That is 509 pounds. If you don't take that stuff then that gets the weight down to 3378 with a tongue weight of 506 pounds.

That is still 536 pounds of options and stuff.

Eliminate the air conditioner will also save weight. I would not do that anywhere that gets hot and humid.

Taking only one battery instead of two (assuming you always stay in RV parks with shore power) will save about 80 pounds.

Take one propane tank instead of two. That will save about 30 pounds.

If you always have shore power and cook in an electric pan so that you never use the stove or oven and if you do not use the furnace then you can eliminate the the other propane cylinder, saving an additional 30 pounds.

The awning probably weighs about 30 pounds.

That is another 170 pounds. You are now down to 3208 with a tongue weight of 481.

Now if you can estimate what else I take that you will not take then that will give you some idea of total weight.

Dry and canned food is about 30 pounds for 5 adults for 4 days. Always eat in restaurants and you can save that.

This is for a 2720. If you get the 2619 that will save another 69 pounds.

If I had to strip it down that much I would see no point in going.

Hope that helps.

Originally Posted by Joseph

As you can tell some of subscribe to the less is more school of thought and some of us would pull our TM's with a tank if we could get away with it.... ( That would be me, the wife is a Marine and would understand.... ) Someone who used to be on this forum said once said that choice was what America was all about. I suppose one of the best comments made in this whole post is the one Mr Adventure has at the bottom of his signature.

" It's not how fast you can go, its how fast you can stop an RV that counts "

Remember, whatever the weight of the TM, and what ever the limits of your TV, that TM is going to be behind you every step of the way. Do your research. Be safe.

Joseph, I agree 100%.

As with most levels of any type of engineering, there should always be some type of "safety factor", "service factor", "margin of safety", "margin for error", etc, etc. This basically means that if you need 100HP to do a job, then put a 125HP motor to do it. Unfortunately, these days the train of thought is if you need 100HP, use a 75HP to save money. This is pretty much the reasoning that usually kills people and pollutes thousands of miles of water and land.

I wonder if people would get it if they were asked to put themselves and their entire families in a basket and hang this basket off of a 1000ft cliff.
Now, the family and basket weigh in at 4000 lbs... so we'll use a rope with a 3500 lb capacity. You could leave belts, shoes, clothes, behind to save a little weight.... Any takers?
Let's leave Jimmy and Johnny on land and reduce the basket weight to 3500 lbs.... and still use 3500 lb capacity rope. Still, any takers?

People, this is not a video game where when you crash you get to restart and all is well.
Anyone considering running down the highway with their vehicle maxed out and with their entire family inside should seriously reconsider and reevaluate their priorities.

BP didn't want to spend the extra money on the correct BOP for 5000ft of water. Where are their savings now?