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Old 02-26-2015, 08:31 AM   #5
tentcamper
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Somerset, OH
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I would not be concern with a sienna with a few minor mods to it. The hitchs out there are Class III for the sienna. don't get the class II.

For years we tow with a 2001 sienna that had the 3.0L engine. First a 2,500 LB dry popup and than a 2720 TM with a dry weight around 2,900. The 2006 has the 3.3L with more HP than my sienna. Just this year we went to the highlander. It would have been the new sienna, but the DW could not stand the seat in the new ones.

For these size campers, I really like the sienna with the 60% weight up front and 40% on the rear. Very stable TV, handles well and you get around 18 mpg towing and around 25 mph not towing. It tow great in our area and is OK when we go to the mountains which is about 25% of our trips. It does slow down on 6% or greater grades. Your sienna has about 20% more HP so your slow down grade will be a greater percentage than my 2001. Greatest grad we went up was 14.5 Interstate highways are limited to 7% or maybe it's 7.5%. If I lived in the mountains and did all my camping in the mountains. I would have moved to a V8 with this last TV.

I would check to make sure you have the factory transmission cooler. With a flash light, on the driver side, look through the opening where the fog light would be,or next to the fog light. Straight back in front of the inter fender well, you should see a small radiator (transmission cooler). If you don't have it you will need to have an after market cooler added. No big deal, less than $250 to have someone install it or less than $100 DIY, using an after market cooler. If needed, I would get a B&M supper cooler with the highest BTU rating that you can fit.

Also, have your transmission fluid flushed twice as often as the schedule and change the fluid to syntactic if available. We follow these maintenance changes and have had no issues with the transmission and have over 200K on the sienna, with well over 40K of those miles pulling a camper.

You will need to add air bags or improve the rear springs. $250 to have someone do or less than $100 DIY.

I would also get a 600LB WDH, because the sienna capacity with out a WDH is 350 lbs on the tongue. If you need to add a hitch, get the factory one it has the greatest ground clearance. If you decided to go after market get a curt it has the highest ground clearance of the after market hitch.

PS: If you have no opening around where the fog light is or where it would be? It's a sure sign you do not have an external transmission cooler.
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Previous: 2009, 3023-QB and 2003 2720
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