Is my Toyota Highlander worthy?

I just purchased a 2000 2720sl. After reading the forums, especially about the awning and air conditioner not being included in the total weight. I figured I had better double check everything. I am towing the tm with a 2007 toyota highlander v6 with a transmission cooler. toyota said that my total combined weight with a trailer is 7985 lbs. From advisement from this forum I loaded the tm,my car,filled the gas tank and and had it weighed at the scales with me, jane and the dog. The total weight was 7210 lbs. That is without water in the tm.
On paper it sounds like I have 700 lbs leadway. I have read about mountains,that I know will create a problem but generally do you experts feel that I will be ok. Don't want to mention any names but would expecially like advise from someone who's name rhymes with freon. from saxet. thanks Ken

[grill-n-go]

Rock Mountain Ray is also very knowledgeable on the subject. You may to PM him. I'm sure neither RMR nor Freon would mind hearing from you.

There is someone here with a Lexus RX which I think has a comparable towing capacity. I dont know if they have a 2619 or a 2720. You do want to have a Weight Distribution Hitch regardless. The comments I've seen say the WDH makes ALL the difference.

[rickst29]

isn't the GWV, or even the 3.3L V6-based drivetrain. It's the fact that the Highlander (and Lexus 330) are unibody "car-like" crossover vehicles, (like Rav4, Murano, Ford Escape, Subaru Tribeca, etc.) rather than body-on-frame SUVs (like the Toyota 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Sequoia, and Land Cruiser models.) Wheelbase is awfully short too, but lack of a truck-like frame severely limits your ability to use a WDH. (And you should use one, I think.)

Because there's no frame, torque put into the vehicle from a WDH goes into mere body panels, which generally aren't strong enough to handle this stress. If you drive around without a WDH, all the extra weight on the rear of the Highlander (from the tongue weight on the hitch) lifts your front tires off the road-- and that SEVERELY compromises your steering and braking. You can try to drive gently and carefully to "make up" for this in normal conditions, but when an emergency occurs, your lack of control could be a problem which you won't have an opportunity to "make up for".

So I think that you should two with a WDH, even though Toyota explicitly says not to. You might pull your spring bars up a bit less than the "correct" value, to strike a balance between stressing the hitch and body of the Highlander (not wanted) versus distributing excess rear-axle weight back onto the FRONT axle (desperately needed).
- - - - -

When they say that it's good for 3500 lbs, they are coming up with a number based on about 10% tongue weight on a weight-carrying hitch (not a weight DISTRIBUTION hitch). Your wheelbase is short, TM's should be hauled with a much higher ratio of tongue weight (12-15%), and the TM axle is a long way back from the tow vehicle, that makes it more capable of overwhelming your short wheelbase when something bad happens and it wants to go off in another direction. So, you can tow "successfully" in normal conditions by driving carefully and defensively-- just as other TM owners of Minivans, Highlanders, Muranos, and etc. do. Some owners here say that their minivans are really great for towing their TrailManors-- even though they're NOT. Not really. It's too bad that you bought a new Highlander-- you shoulda spent the additional bucks for a 4R, or maybe stepped downwards in price to the FJ. (FJ is smaller and less comfortable, of course. But it has a truck frame, a bigger/stronger engine, and a better Tranny.) But a Highlander can work-- you just need to understand why your safety is badly compromised, and make the best of it.

Personally, I would never tow our 2619 with a Highlander, an LX-330, or our Tribeca (a comparable but somewhat heavier vehicle than yours). In fact, I don't feel really great hauling it around in the 4Runner-- a full-sized pickup, or a "monster" SUV (GMC Yukon, Toyota Land Cruiser, etc.) would be better in several ways. But life on the road is full of dangers and compromises, I can't afford one of those big ones, and you get to make your own choice too.

Feel free to follow up with questions if you didn't follow any of this.

[Denny_A]

Originally Posted by rickst29

...............snip.......When they say that it's good for 3500 lbs, they are coming up with a number based on about 10% tongue weight on a weight-carrying hitch (not a weight DISTRIBUTION hitch). Your wheelbase is short, TM's should be hauled with a much higher ratio of tongue weight (12-15%), and the TM axle is a long way back from the tow vehicle, that makes it more capable of overwhelming your short wheelbase when something bad happens and it wants to go off in another direction

The 3500 lb limit has already been shown to be an aerodynamic drag limit based on the surface area of a standard profile TT. The tongue weight "ratio" argument makes no sense (to me). It has NOTHING to do with 3500 lb towing limit. The TV knows not what "%" of the trailer weight is on the hitch. A WDH works just fine on a "unibody" type vehicle, since it effectively redistributes the load on the tongue, as long as the trailer weight does not exceed the 3500 lb limit by too much. Recall that the towing limit for boats is around 4500 lbs (for the Honda Pilot, a near clone of the Hilander), specifically because of lower aerodynamic drag.

......snip.......It's too bad that you bought a new Highlander-- you shoulda spent the additional bucks for a 4R, or maybe stepped downwards in price to the FJ. (FJ is smaller and less comfortable, of course. But it has a truck frame, a bigger/stronger engine, and a better Tranny.)

There goes your wheelbase case! FJ has a wheelbase of 105.9, whereas the Hilander's is 106.9 in. You know what they say about assumption.

Comment for sagsbags1; the Hilander (IMHO) will work just fine, with a WDH, as long as you don't expect to use it in mountainous terrain. Then it would be severely challenged.

AND its wheelbase is fine for a 2720sl. I towed a 2720SL with a Honda Odyssey , and later a 3.4L 4Runner V-6. The 4Runner had an anemic 187 HP and 218 lb-ft torque. I didn't challenge any big mountains. No problem

Denny_A (jus' hangin' aroun')

Hi Ken.. After 15 trips in the past 16 months, traveling over 6,000 miles, I can safely say that my Lexus RX300 has performed without a single problem. I have been up and down the eastern seaboard and around the hills in north georgia. As long as you stay away from the mountain terrain, your Toyota along with a WDH will pull either a 2619 or the 2720. Just remember that you have 3,000 lbs behind you and keep a safe distance from traffic. I have made two emergency maneuvers during my travels and the TM behaved just beautifully. So load up that 2720SL and happy TMing...

Originally Posted by sagbags1

. I am towing the tm with a 2007 toyota highlander v6 with a transmission cooler. toyota said that my total combined weight with a trailer is 7985 lbs.

This is important in calculating the amount of stuff you can bring, but what is the tow capacity? In my calculations we could only go with the 2619 because of the 3500 tow capacity - even though our Theoretical Tow Rating (GCVWR - Dry Weight) is 4220. And just for good measure considering the GVCWR we pack light, remove the extra van seats, and I would consider borrowing a larger vehicle for mountainous driving.

Have you used the calculation spreadsheet floating around?

Originally Posted by grill-n-go

There is someone here with a Lexus RX which I think has a comparable towing capacity. I dont know if they have a 2619 or a 2720.

WOW. That's interesting. A quick search on the internet and I learned that the towing capacity for a Lexus RX is 2000# !

edit... oh wait. The towing capacity for the Lexus RX300 is 3500. Whew.

[rickst29]

Originally Posted by Denny_A

A WDH works just fine on a "unibody" type vehicle, since it effectively redistributes the load on the tongue, as long as the trailer weight....

Hey Denny, Toyota recommends against using a WDH with the Highlander. (Read the owner's manual.) And the reason is: the unibody structure is designed only for forces which result from load inside the vehicle, it's NOT good at handling the sigificantly different "bending" torque which a WDH creates to unload the rear axle. You can reduce the stresses by using a Hitch Receiver with longer mounting bars and attaching at multiple points, but the unibody isn't designed for these loads.

I'd take the frame, superior engine, superior tranny, superior hitch receiver, and superior brakes of the FJ over the V6 Highlander-- the once inch wheelbase differential is less significant than all of these other things. Your assumption that I don't know the dimensions (and a heckuva lot more) about these vehicles is kinda.... unwarranted.

Still, there's lotsa TM minivan drivers and crossover drivers who feel that they're safe enough. And, with half-decent luck, we're never gonna get into a situation where our TVs are "tested" near the limits of their capabilities anyway. I live in the mountains, too.

Thanks everybody for the advise. I will buy a wdh if it will help,but I'm getting conflicting stories from toyota and tm experts. If I don't put anything in the back seat or back end of my car,would that maybe help instead of a wdh. It appears to tow beautifully and doesn't feel like the back end is weighted down. I certainly do not want to be contained to flat lands. We are going to travel 11+ months of the year now. 50%tm (ME) and 50% best western (FOR JANE).I would hate to give my 50% up and and go 100% best western. Guys,I need your help. I'm willing to pay you if you post that everything is safe and fine with my towing situation.Ken.

[grill-n-go]

You have a front wheel drive vehicle. Besides having a short wheelbase you are also at the ragged end of what you can tow, payload, etc. You want to do everything possible to get all four wheel down. Price out a WDH before you get into the "why bother mode". PM grlewis1 see what they say.