Towing with a minivan

[Mr. Adventure]

Originally Posted by ThePair

All Toyota Siennas of 2007 or earlier have all the towing engine parts needed. The tow package added the hitch, and maybe a 4-pin connector. The engines, etc. are all identical for those model years. 2008 is the first year that there were extra engine parts (oil cooler) included in the tow prep package.

Adding a 4 pin connector is simplicity, and adding a 2" hitch is an inexpensive task for a hitch shop. Converting the 4 pin to a 7 pin is a larger job, but there are instructions available if you wanted to try to tackle it yourself (I did, and I have no experience whatsoever, took me an afternoon to get the job done).

Thanks for this info. My Highlander had some extra cooling that came with the tow package, as I recall.

Hitch receivers are actually pretty easy, with several good bolt-on after market choices. The wiring is a little harder, but there are pigtail connectors available at e-trailer.com that can plug in to the vehicle wiring that make it somewhat easier. In my case, I wanted to do it myself so that I could start with a good handle on all of the hitch parts and potential issues. But this is the 5th RV trailer I've owned, so I already knew the general process and had some ideas about how I wanted it to go. These days, there are wonderful sources on the Internet that can show you how to do all kinds of things, but
I still recommend that people new to towing begin with professional setups.

So for the most part I should be ok to tow one as long as I don't pack too heavy? I'm really exciting about getting one but I really want to make sure I'm ok. I plan on installing a hitch, wiring and a brake control. Do all of them have brakes?

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by trailmanor123

So for the most part I should be ok to tow one as long as I don't pack too heavy? I'm really exciting about getting one but I really want to make sure I'm ok. I plan on installing a hitch, wiring and a brake control. Do all of them have brakes?

All TMs are built with brakes.

[Mr. Adventure]

Originally Posted by trailmanor123

So for the most part I should be ok to tow one as long as I don't pack too heavy? I'm really exciting about getting one but I really want to make sure I'm ok. I plan on installing a hitch, wiring and a brake control. Do all of them have brakes?

In most states, trailers that are allowed to weigh more than 2000# are required to have braking systems. Trailmanors come with electrically actuated brakes that are controlled by a small trailer brake controller that mounts within easy reach of the driver's seat. It is very important for your brake controller and your weight distributing hitch to be installed and adjusted correctly, and you'll probably want to have this work done by an experienced RV dealer who can set things up and explain it all to you.

If you haven't already, spend some time reading on the TrailManor web site (www.trailmanor.com), and go visit a dealer or two. Talk to friends who own camping trailers, and learn from their mistakes and suggestions. Study your owners' manual, and plan to live within the limits it proposes.

The Toyota Towing guide is also helpful:
http://www.toyota.com/pdfs/towguide_Part1.pdf
http://www.toyota.com/pdfs/towguide_Part2.pdf
http://www.toyota.com/pdfs/towguide_Part3.pdf

If you'd like, send me an Email and I'll help you work through the calculations for your vehicle.

Originally Posted by seandunn1020

I think the siennas can tow more weight than they say. It was easy towing even at 70-75, it was my first time towing the trailmanor and i never looked at the website so I was just being dumb. Now after reading all the tire stories i dont drive over 65. I guess somethings are better off if you dont know any better!

All I can say is, Wow!

[ThePair]

By the by, if you have a Sienna with the heated seats, I can show you where I installed my brake controller. There's a perfect fit for a Tekonsha P3 in the little compartment with the flip-up door under the seat heat controls. Removable when not in use, close the door and you wouldn't even know the wiring is in there. While in use, easy access to the emergency lever and very easy to see the readout as needed.

Just an FYI

No I don't have heated seats. Do I need a transmission cooler?

[ThePair]

Originally Posted by trailmanor123

No I don't have heated seats. Do I need a transmission cooler?

As long as your Sienna is 2007 or earlier, it already has one for towing.

Truth be told, all Siennas have the "towing" transmission cooler built into the engine. It's the oil cooler that's missing from 2008-2011 models sold in the US.

Yes, Canadian models always have all the towing parts, even in the recent model years.

[Nasafan]

The 2010 Toyota Sienna does have a transmission cooler. Go to Cars.com and check the complete specs. I also verified this with the Dealership. I tow my 2002 2619 with 2010 Sienna. I have a Curt Class 3 hitch with weight distribution, Tenkosha brake controller and Airlift 1000 bags installed. I recently completed a 500 mile round trip to the North Carolina coast. This is mostly flat terrain with some hills west of Raleigh. I had no problems and plenty of power. The Sienna has 266 hp. However, I have not taken it to the mountains yet. I am not a boondocker and plan on using campgrounds with hookups. I leave the water tank empty. I do add a few beach chairs and an umbrella. The fridge is empty till I get to my destination. I plan on camping only a few times per year. If I were to use the camper more frequently I would probably get a more robust TV. The only problem with the Sienna is that it is low in the back and the Curt hitch makes it even lower.

[Bill]

NASAFAN -

As The Pair mentioned, all automatic transmission cars have a transmission cooler. It is a necessary part of an automatic transmission. What is in question is whether the car has an extra, or auxiliary, transmission cooler - and whether it needs one. The web site that you mentioned is ambiguous, as it does mention towing as one of the reasons for a cooler.

What is not ambiguous is that on the same page, the specs list the max trailer weight (tow rating) as 3500 pounds, and the usual asterisk defines that spec as

The maximum weight of a loaded trailer that the vehicle, as equipped, is rated to tow. This assumes that only the driver (68 kg / 150 lbs) and no extra cargo is in the tow vehicle.

Summary: if you buy the vehicle, put nothing in it except the driver, and the driver weighs 150 pounds or less, then you can tow a 3500 pound trailer over some unspecified terrain. The flat terrain you mentioned is almost certainly OK. But if you want to add a passenger to the vehicle, or some cargo, all bets are off. Some Toyotas apparently define Tow Capacity a bit differently, but the statement quoted above seems pretty straightforward. I would be concerned about this.

This is a recurring problem with the way manufacturers state tow ratings. Wayne (HarveyRV) has a more elegant (and more correct) way of assessing the actual capability. A Search will turn it up, or Wayne may drop in and repeat it. But it is sometimes not wise to go to a page of specs, and pick and choose which ones to believe.

Bill