Matching a TM to a 2014 Highlander

[MarkoPolo]

I measured my tongue weight at 510 pounds and this was probably a little low. It would not surprise me if fully loaded we are between 4500 and 5000 pounds. Again, having done it myself, I think you are asking for trouble getting too close to the allowed limits. If you are at low altitudes or are only going to be on secondary roads at low speeds, then you may be fine. But if you are at highway speeds on freeways and in the mountains, this could come back to haunt you. Just my two cents worth, I know many on the forum won't agree.

[tentcamper]

Originally Posted by wtxnitz

WDH required 5000 lbs and above, BUT that's weird, since max tow wt. is 5000 lbs.

I have seen this on the Toyota SIENNA with the wdh. With the Sienna they had a higher WDH number until the year tow capacity was a SAE number and then it's what you described. The same style sienna from previous model year the WDH number had additional WDH weight, and the WDH number changed the year they went to the SAE specifications.

The only place the WDH helps in the testing is reducing the tongue weight. Otherwise whatever weight you'r are towing is the weight that is being tested. Maybe they never tested with the WDH number? Or maybe they had an issue meeting the SEA in one or more of the test areas with the higher WDH numbers? Such as the Dam test, which seem to be an area that many people are have problems with their numbers. Towing up and never falling below that magic speed number?

[Mr. Adventure]

Golly. You wander off for a couple months and folks say all kinds of interesting stuff.

I never said the calculations don't apply to Toyotas. What I said was that the Toyota manuals at that time did not rob you of rated trailer capacity for all the pounds you carry in TV payload. My owners manual and drivers side labels say my gross combined weight capacity is equal to a 3500# trailer completely in addition to the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of my tow vehicle. And I appreciate being referred to as "stalwart" because that's a lot better than some other possibilities.

I have posted in this forum pictures of the drivers' side labels, the relevant owners manual pages, and my scale weights showing that I am on the road at less than rated capacity on each of 3 axles and the gross vehicle weight ratings of both trailer and tow vehicle.

But that's old news because current Toyota owners should be reading their own owners manuals and following those instructions. A few years ago, Toyota published a really good towing guide (I once posted that, and it's probably still here somewhere, too). But it is no longer available on the Toyota website. On this subject, that guide netted to something like 1) Use a WDH, 2) keep your tongue weight 10-12% of the total traiiler (or so), and 3) do not ever exceed your GVWRs and axle weight ratings. Toyota has done a laudable job of actually stepping up to the 2013 standards for defining towing capacities, as has been discussed elsewhere in this forum.

And maximum tongue weights are potentially a concern. Typically, you would need to find a Class IV hitch for a rated tongue weight capacity above 500#. Class IV hitches are not made for many of the vehicles we tow with (we tend to have Class III hitches), including many light trucks. Therefore, many of us are operating at the edge of this rating. The WDH substantially reduces the loads on the hitch receiver mounting bolts and the frame mountings they screw into. Lots of vehicles are rated higher by their manufacturers for use with a WDH. Therefore, those concerned about maximum tongue weights should tow with a WDH. (NOTE: I have revised this paragraph from my original post after reading Padgett's comments in the post following this one)

And, probably the most important point: You can't really know what you are towing until you put it on the truck scale and get your actual axle weights.

[Padgett]

My Jeep has a factory code XFHP Class IV Receiver Hitch. It has folded the front of a F*rd F150 into a V.

[oldstick]

Originally Posted by Padgett

My Jeep has a factory code XFHP Class IV Receiver Hitch. It has folded the front of a F*rd F150 into a V.

True. Even the current Tacoma factory package comes with a class IV hitch. I would guess most pickups, at least in the half ton category, would as well.

[funpilot]

My manual says that my 2005 Avalanche 1500 comes with a class III/IV hitch. To turn it into a IV, I need a WDH. Then I go from 500 pounds to 1000 pounds the manual says.