[Mr. Adventure]

Most people don't know that a 3500# tow rating on a Toyota is in addition to the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (most manufacturers make you subtract everything you put in the tow vehicle from the weight you are supposed to be towing. So, a Toyota 3500# is better than others by the amount of weight for drivers, dogs, kids, wives, kayaks, etc. that you put in the tow vehicle up to the limits of your GVWR (see you owners' manual for details).

Having said that, a Western camping trip weighs substantially more than an Eastern camping trip. In the West, people on this board talk about schlepping gear for generating electricity, fresh water in/gray & black water out, off road gasoline powered toys, mountain climbing, etc. totaling thousands of pounds for some who post here. In the East, we're typically staying in campgrounds with electrical and water hookups, with a grocery store nearby, where there is no need to haul much water around and where there are rules against a lot of the things those Western guys are planning to do when they get to the campsite. This is because most of our Eastern states are owned by taxpayers instead of the Western states which offer wonderful recreational opportunities which are substantially owned by the federal government. Further, you lose lots of engine power at altitude and there's a lot of vehicle wear and tear for towing trailers climbing and descending passes and going off road (visiting once every five years is a different vehicle wear and tear challenge from doing something every weekend).

So there are some excellent reasons why you get different answers from different people. I believe your combo can be on the road safely and legally. You need to decide if travelling light, packing carefully, loading your vehicle cautiously, driving slowly, and living within the limits of your tow vehicle meets your needs.

We have people from the plains who made wonderful trips to Alaska in Toyota Highlanders. But if you lived there, you'd be well advised to listen to what the locals tell you about what to drive.

For us, the great thing about TrailManors is that you can tow them with the vehicles you're otherwise happy to drive to work in the city and suburbs. If I lived in Seattle, I think I'd figure out how to make it work for a combo like the one you suggest. But, if I camped like lots of the Westerners on this board, I can see needing more tow vehicle than I currently own.