Quote:
Originally Posted by rickst29
Then the Minivan might be OK.
Minivan towing during an emergency maneuver? Not with MY family on board.  |
While I have no experience with a Toyota Sienna tow rig, I have successfully braked to avoid 3 deer on the roadway, as I came around a down-hill curve in the foothills above Marysville, California. The trailering speedlimit in California is 55, but I had slowed to 45 based on the curve sign's recommendation. I tow a TM 2720SL with a small SUV Saturn Vue V6 3.5L with Prodigy Brake controller and a single-bar WDH without sway bar. I was able to slow enough that the first 2 deer got across in front of me. By the time the 3rd deer darted out, I was even with it, and it hit my driver side door, but without any damage to door or deer. No airbags deployed. Of course, I was lucky, but I was also driving defensively. There was no sway from the trailer, nor any fishtailing, even though I was really pushing in the brake pedal and swerving coming out of the curve. With the Prodigy brake controller, I have never felt the trailer 'pushing' as I was braking, even in emergency mode. Would I have been safer in a Suburban or Ford F350? Sure. Do I feel confident towing with a small SUV? Yes, I do. My gas mileage drops from 22 mpg freeway to 16 mpg when I tow, but the rest of the time I can afford to drive the Saturn Vue as a family car. Our gas prices are about the highest in the nation, by the way.
Walter
If you merely want towing in NORMAL traffic conditions,
Linear Mode
