[Bill]

Sad to say, I think Mr. A is right. Your Volvo is not particularly close, in any category, to being able to tow a TM.

First, it sounds like you are working from TM's published dry weight for a 2720SL. But dry weight is not the weight of the trailer you will be towing. Your TM will undoubtedly have several factory-installed accessories which add to the towed weight - think air conditioner, awning, and battery, for example, and possibly a swing tongue. Then you will put all your stuff inside the trailer - think clothes, food, dishes, tools, books, TV, and so forth. With some effort, you can keep the towed weight under 4000 pounds, but not very far under.

As for hitch weight, the Volvo is not even in the right ball park. To prevent uncontrolled trailer sway, the recommendation of all trailer professionals, whether RV/camping trailers or not, is that 10-15% of the gross weight should be on the tongue. I've never seen a number as low as 7%, but Mr. A knows his stuff, so he probably has. The specific number for a TM is about 14% - this is the result of mounting the axle farther back under the frame than usual, to eliminate sway. As a result, no sway control devices are needed. But you can do the math, and 14% of 3800 pounds (if you can get that low) is still over 500 pounds.

Finally, when most auto manufacturers specifiy a tow rating for their vehicle, there is usually a clever little asterisk. The asterisk says that the tow rating applies to a vehicle with no cargo, and only a driver. If you plan on adding passengers and/or cargo of any type, you must subtract their weight from the tow rating. In other words, if you add a 175-pound adult and 300 pounds of cargo, you must subtract 475 pounds from the published tow rating. The Volvo web site does not show such an asterisk, but I would be awfully careful about assuming it is not there, and do some homework first.

As for the RAV4, the 1500/150 pound tow rating applies to the base model with a tiny 4-cylinder engine and no towing package. I don't think anyone would try to tow with this. When you add a V-6 engine to make it comparable to your Volvo, and an optional towing package, the rating rises to 3500 pounds. I still think this is very marginal, and I think the short wheelbase (comparable to the Volvo) is a problem. Not everyone agrees with me - but we are discussing Volvos here, not Toyotas, so for this discussion, perhaps it doesn't matter.

Sorry to be a wet blanket, but safety is important.

Bill