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Old 12-04-2016, 08:21 PM   #11
Padgett
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Is it possible to add a transmission cooler to your HH ? That would be my main concern.
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Old 12-04-2016, 08:42 PM   #12
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I would look and see if you have the aux trans cooler. My 2012, I have a huge 2x stacked factory aux trans cooler. I'm thinking its about 30,000 BTU. It like 18" long and 5-6" high, by 2" deep. Looks a lot like a B&M cooler

Toyota recommends changing my TX fluid every 50K if towing, but lifetime if not towing. Toyota has has 3 different transmission fluids over the past 15 years. My understanding the older transmissions can use any of the newer ones. The latest one is very superior. For the 2010, I would check to see if you can use it when changing your fluid?? It might already be that fluid.

Is the 2017 a CV transmission??

For the 2017, I would think about getting the factory hitch. Compared to after market: It has more frame bolts, comes with new bumper trim and you end up with about 3" more hitch to ground clearance.
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Old 12-05-2016, 03:39 AM   #13
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Originally Posted by inghamm View Post
We’d been dreaming of owning a TM since 2003. At that time I saw the 2742 lb dry weight of the 2720 (QB) and figured we could tow it with our Caravan minivan. (#3500 tow rating) In February of 2015 we had enough money to order a new TM from the factory. For some reason my wife had at that time been interested in Highlanders. I hadn’t said anything to her, but the Highlander Hybrid intrigued me and I had been thinking of that for our tow vehicle, so I thought that was an interesting coincidence. So we started looking for a Highlander Hybrid to be our tow vehicle for when the trailer came in. We ended up buying a 2010 HH. Now we had the tow vehicle, just waiting for the trailer. During that time I discovered the TrailManor forum and started reading all the posts about tow vehicles. If I had done that before I bought the hybrid, I would have likely bought a regular Highlander rather than the hybrid. (We ended up having to buy a used 2720 because the factory couldn’t complete our order for the new one).

First few trips we towed without a WDH, but then I put the Eaz-Lift WDH on that came with the used trailer and things felt more stable, but the WDH itself was so heavy, I felt like I was adding 100 pounds onto the hitch to take off 200 pounds. So I went with the Anderson WDH. It’s much lighter.

All the while thinking (worrying) that I might have to trade the hybrid in for a regular Highlander. I kept asking at the dealership, “Am I going to be OK pulling at the #3500 limit?” they kept saying yes, just make sure you do the transmission service.

This fall we did a 31 day trip, starting in the Seattle area, going to Yellowstone, Bryce NP, Zion NP, LA California area, east of the Sierras and back. On the way out I stopped at a CAT scale. Fully loaded as we will ever be for the long trip, we were at #3520. Quite a bit of driving on grades in the Rockies and at high elevations. Absolutely no problems. We’d set the cruise at 60-65 and had no trouble keeping that going up grades. On another trip we had a freeway onramp that was up hill. After I finished merging I realized I was doing almost 80. I’ve never felt like I didn’t have enough power. In terms of braking it seems like it would not be different than a regular highlander. At any rate, one time on a mountain road going up hill I pulled over to let someone pass and realized the pullout was much shorter than I anticipated, so I had to do some emergency braking and I was fine.

We have the rear mounted hitch receiver, a fairly heavy duty bike rack, and 2 steel frame (heavy) bikes on the back. That adds to our total weight, but helps take some weight off the hitch. Padgett is right. It lists #392 for his model but actually it’s #430. So you would definitely need a WDH.

The SD dry weight is 2865 compared to my 2720 of 2742 - 123lbs heavier. You would have to be careful about packing. Bill, as usual, has great advice in his post.

The only thing now I worry about is transmission longevity. So far so good. I continue to get good reports from the dealership. If I have transmission problems I will trade in the hybrid for a regular Highlander, but I am optimistic I will be fine.
I, like you, had been reading up on the TrailManor for quite some time. I also wound up purchasing a Highlander Hybrid before finding out that I may be towing at or above the limit. I would have wished that the tow ratings for the vehicle would have given me more of a buffer but it is what it is. Your experience with the Highlander Hybrid is encouraging though since I already own that as my tow vehicle. Now I have to make a decision on whether or not I can/should tow something as heavy as the 2720. Maybe a 2619 would be a better option since it has a GVW of 3500#.

Toyota claims the Hybrid is equipped with these standard features for towing BTW: Heavy-duty radiator with engine oil cooler, 240-watt fan coupling and supplemental transmission oil cooler.
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Old 12-05-2016, 08:35 AM   #14
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Well just tried the Toyota chat line since every time I select the Highlander Hybrid on the web site and try to go to features and specs it compares the normal gasoline models Gave up when they started insisting on personal information.

Does look like the hybrid is close to 1,000 lbs heavier than the normal models but not what the combined gross is.
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Old 12-05-2016, 10:55 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Padgett View Post
Well just tried the Toyota chat line since every time I select the Highlander Hybrid on the web site and try to go to features and specs it compares the normal gasoline models Gave up when they started insisting on personal information.

Does look like the hybrid is close to 1,000 lbs heavier than the normal models but not what the combined gross is.
These are the specs according to my manual and the information on the
label in my vehicle:

GCWR = 9760#
GVWR = 6260#
GAWR FRT = 2955#
GAWR RR = 3505#
Curb Weight = 4825#
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Old 12-05-2016, 11:39 AM   #16
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Sounds like you will be inside the margin. Good deal! As a quick summary, I would say that if the curb weight is 4825, and you add 500 pounds of passengers and cargo in the vehicle, your vehicle will weigh 5325. If the trailer, packed and ready to go, weighs 4000, then the combined weight is 9325. Since the GCWR is 9760, you have about 400 pounds to spare.

You will need to pay close attention to the GAWR-Rear. Again, a CAT scale is your friend. I would bet that the 3505-pound limit will be exceeded with a simple weight-bearing hitch, so my guess is that you will need a weight-distributing hitch. Yes, a WDH weighs around 50 pounds, and so it increases the total weight that the tow vehicle has to contend with. But it takes weight off the rear axle, which is important in itself, and puts it back on the front axle, where all of the steering and most of the braking happen. Do not succumb to the siren song of airbags, since they do not move weight back to the front wheels.

Some of our members feels that the benefits of a WDH are overstated, and they do not use one. They will chime in, and again, you need to do your due diligence. You can view a couple of articles on why you would use a WDH, and choosing and setting one up, in the Trailmanor Technical Library.

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...splay.php?f=42

Bill
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Old 12-05-2016, 12:03 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by Bill View Post
Sounds like you will be inside the margin. Good deal! As a quick summary, I would say that if the curb weight is 4825, and you add 500 pounds of passengers and cargo in the vehicle, your vehicle will weigh 5325. If the trailer, packed and ready to go, weighs 4000, then the combined weight is 9325. Since the GCWR is 9760, you have about 400 pounds to spare.

You will need to pay close attention to the GAWR-Rear. Again, a CAT scale is your friend. I would bet that the 3505-pound limit will be exceeded with a simple weight-bearing hitch, so my guess is that you will need a weight-distributing hitch. Yes, a WDH weighs around 50 pounds, and so it increases the total weight that the tow vehicle has to contend with. But it takes weight off the rear axle, which is important in itself, and puts it back on the front axle, where all of the steering and most of the braking happen. Do not succumb to the siren song of airbags, since they do not move weight back to the front wheels.

Some of our members feels that the benefits of a WDH are overstated, and they do not use one. They will chime in, and again, you need to do your due diligence. You can view a couple of articles on why you would use a WDH, and choosing and setting one up, in the Trailmanor Technical Library.

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...splay.php?f=42

Bill
I will double what Bill is saying -- especially considering I'm towing in a vaguely similar set-up (Sienna, gas) but with similar ratings. You need a WDH. In fact, I think you will exceed the hitch weight limit without it, I know I did. But, with it, and with a trip to the CAT scale, I was able to adjust the WDH to the point that all my numbers were within the ratings, including (and most especially, according to the Toyota towing guide) the GAWR for both axles (and the TM axle, while you're at it).

Please let us know how it works out for you.
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Old 12-05-2016, 02:54 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill View Post
Sounds like you will be inside the margin. Good deal! As a quick summary, I would say that if the curb weight is 4825, and you add 500 pounds of passengers and cargo in the vehicle, your vehicle will weigh 5325. If the trailer, packed and ready to go, weighs 4000, then the combined weight is 9325. Since the GCWR is 9760, you have about 400 pounds to spare.

You will need to pay close attention to the GAWR-Rear. Again, a CAT scale is your friend. I would bet that the 3505-pound limit will be exceeded with a simple weight-bearing hitch, so my guess is that you will need a weight-distributing hitch. Yes, a WDH weighs around 50 pounds, and so it increases the total weight that the tow vehicle has to contend with. But it takes weight off the rear axle, which is important in itself, and puts it back on the front axle, where all of the steering and most of the braking happen. Do not succumb to the siren song of airbags, since they do not move weight back to the front wheels.

Some of our members feels that the benefits of a WDH are overstated, and they do not use one. They will chime in, and again, you need to do your due diligence. You can view a couple of articles on why you would use a WDH, and choosing and setting one up, in the Trailmanor Technical Library.

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...splay.php?f=42

Bill
If the trailer all packed up is at 4000# then I'll be exceeding the 3500# tow rating for the HH though. I'm wondering if I'll be too close to the edge of the rating to tow safely or not. Honestly, the HH seems much more powerful and stable than the 4500# towing capacity of my old Acura MDX although I've never towed anything with it...
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Old 12-05-2016, 07:55 PM   #19
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"Some of our members feels that the benefits of a WDH are overstated" am not one.

What I have said is that you can think of a WDH as a strung bow that adds force vectors both fore and aft. I have always felt the 3500 lb axle on my 2720SL to be the limiting factor and prefer not to add any more load to it even though I have never heard of one failing

Besides unlike many TV, the geometry of my Jeep makes it very stable in tow. Few vehicles are as fortunate. It is not advertised much.

Further, the purpose of air lifts (have, never installed since do not need) has nothing to do with weight but rather serve to raise the rear end (air shocks can do the same) so you do not light up the treetops.

None of this is simple and if you really want to know, there is some math involved but is a good idea to stay with ones that are known to work. Or not.
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