Towing 2720SD with 2006 Highlander Hybrid

Three weeks ago we bought a 2005 2720SD. We had been thinking of upgrading our TV from a 2006 Toyota Highander Hybrid to a 2009 non-hybrid Hghlander because the former has a 3500 pound towin capacity and the latter 5000 pounds. We stuck with the hybrid and have been very happy with the combination.

We just made a 1,700 mile round trip from Massachusett to Raleigh, NC with side trips to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Our MPG went down from 24 not towing to 17 when towing, except in the mountains wegot 13 mpg on one tank. On the interstates traveling at the speed limit was not problem, of course in the steep mountain grades we had be patient.

[Steppy]

I have a 2006 Highlander to tow my 2720SL. I had the Highlander before I got my TM. I Towed it from So. Md where I live to NH last July. It towed well, but as you said, steep hills require patience. I'm looking for a small V8 replacement vehicle, maybe a Toyota 4Runner

[Mr. Adventure]

Originally Posted by dougmarlow

...We stuck with the hybrid and have been very happy with the combination...

I've always wondered about durability of the CV transmission that's part of the Hybrid package, and figured that the transmission could be the reason the late model Highlander Hybrids are rated 3500 instead of 5000. Thanks for posting your experience, because I doubt much has been written about towing with a hybrid.

Moving on to Steppy's subject, the 4-Runner is probably a better tow vehicle than a Highlander just because it's a little bigger and built a little heavier. But you pay a little for that in annual gas mileage as well as on the sticker, too.

I just did a quick look and did not see a V8 on the Toyota site, but the v6 in the 4-Runner has 270hp. This is pretty good considering, for example, that Ford puts a 310hp v8 in the Expedition which has a curb weight more than 1000# more.

Ms. Adventure has suggested once or twice that I'm driving a couple mph's too fast relative to what it might say on a sign, but this doesn't happen when we're towing. Since horsepower need increases with the square of your speed, and given that speed correlates with all the bad things about towing (reaction distance, stopping distance, transmission durability, gas mileage, etc.), I keep a careful lid on towing speed compared to my solo self. My trailer tires and the owners' manual assume my speed stays under 65 when towing, and so do I.

My favorite 17% grade is too curvy to want to go any faster, but the Adventuremobile can tow the TM and still hold 40. Together, the TV and TM have 1.5 times the torque per pound than the Ford v-10 motorhome I had a decade ago. So I'm not seeing a need for more engine in my Highlander.

My numbers from the truck scale are here:
http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ad.php?t=10652

I looked closely at getting a Highlander (both types) and a Lexus before I decided to go with a Venza. I also looked at a Murano, which led me to talk to some mechanics about towing with a CV transmission.
What I learned was there are two types of cv's: one like the Murano which is a band type, the other hydraulic, like the Lexus (I might have these types reversed as it has been awhile since I researched this). Anyway the type Lexus uses you can tow with out having little if any negative impact on the CV.
The other type, used by the Murano, is considerably stressed by prolonged towing and they advised against using it as a tow vehicle with any regularity.
I just returned from a trip to the beach at the VA-NC border, and am pleased with the Venza's towing ability. Not quite as stable as my older Honda Ody which had a lower center of gravity, but more torque and control overall.
I got 18 mpg on flat-hilly terrain and my Venza is 4 wd. Someday we'll see how it does in the mountains....

[T and C]

Mr. Adventure,

Ms. Adventure has suggested once or twice that I'm driving a couple mph's too fast relative to what it might say on a sign, but this doesn't happen when we're towing. Since horsepower need increases with the square of your speed, and given that speed correlates with all the bad things about towing (reaction distance, stopping distance, transmission durability, gas mileage, etc.), I keep a careful lid on towing speed compared to my solo self. My trailer tires and the owners' manual assume my speed stays under 65 when towing, and so do I.

Your comment on horsepower and speed is very interesting. Could you give a couple of illustrations/examples?

Thanks,

Tom

[Brittany Dogs]

Just my 2 cents...

The Highlander is not a truck frame from what I understand. It is a typical unibody plate like many passenger cars. The 4Runner is a truck frame SUV and in my opinion, makes quite a difference in towing capabilities.

I understand that in the near future, Nissan will be putting a CV transmission into their Pathfinder and thus, the tow rating will go from 6000 pounds to 4500 pounds. Oh great, looks like I'll have to search for another kind of TV in 2015.

[Mr. Adventure]

We tend to think of engine power in terms of snappy starts. But that's really about power to weight ratio. So the heavier the vehicle, the more horses it takes to achieve the same acceleration.

The juice it takes to maintain highway speed is spent to overcome friction (tires, engine, bearings, etc) plus wind resistance. Friction tends to be linear, (eg twice as much at twice the speed), but wind resistance is non-linear, and at 30 the wind on the windshield is a factor, but at 60 it's the significant majority of the fuel you're consuming. Wind resistance, or more precisely, drag, increases with the square of the speed (twice as fast uses 4 times the gas to fight the wind resistance). An interesting aside is that going twice as fast also requires eight times the power... here's a single link with more than most will want to know about all this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drag_(physics)

[Mr. Adventure]

Originally Posted by Brittany Dogs

Just my 2 cents...

The Highlander is not a truck frame from what I understand. It is a typical unibody plate like many passenger cars. The 4Runner is a truck frame SUV and in my opinion, makes quite a difference in towing capabilities.

I understand that in the near future, Nissan will be putting a CV transmission into their Pathfinder and thus, the tow rating will go from 6000 pounds to 4500 pounds. Oh great, looks like I'll have to search for another kind of TV in 2015.

I guess I'm thinking I can't face 2015 until awhile after I've successfully got 2012 out of the way. There's a chance the new towing standards (beginning in 2013 models) will help us learn more about the difference between engineering towing standards and marketing towing standards, but I'm doubtful they'll understand much about the towing advantages of a TM.

I like the 4Runner as a tow vehicle, but I don't know why I'd care about a truck frame versus a unibody these days. We're not doing any welding or drilling holes to mount our hitches any more. Instead we're all just using the reinforced bolt holes our manufacturers gave us for the hitch receiver, no matter what kind of frames they're mounted in.

I do check my hitch receiver attach points every season, and I'll let you know if I ever see any cracks or other signs of stress.