Highlander as a tow vehicle?

Right now we have an 8 cyl 4Runner, which tows over 7K lbs.

We want to replace it with a 6 cyl vehicle. We were thinking of maybe a 6cyl 4 Runner (5K lbs), but now I find out that the 6 cyl Highlander also has a tow capacity of 5K lbs.

We have the lightest of TMs - a 2417 Sport, and usually it is just my husband and me. I have no doubt that a vehicle that can tow 5K lbs has sufficent capacity, but how does it feel to drive it?

Also - when TM lists the approximate tongue weight what does that include? battery? full or empty propane tank? I have one tank and one battery. Right now we do not need a WDH, and it would be great if that would continue, but we realize that might have to change.

Thanks!

[ELM-JLM]

We have towed our 2619 for the past 2 years and 24,000 miles with a 2012 4Runner V6 and have been very pleased! I went with it since it has the solid rear axle versus the Highlander with independent suspension! We have 2 batteries and a tool box on the tongue and have never used a WDH! Average MPG is 18.5! I also have a basket on the rear of the TM with 1 Propane Tank and Grill and accessories approximately 100 lbs.

I bet you do need a WDH. MOST (but not all) class III hitches have a 500 pound tongue weight limit without a WDH. MOST trailmanors get close to or exceed this limit.
Most of the factory tongue weights are dry weights. No battery, no cylinders of LP, no awning, no water in tanks, no pots and pans, etc. etc. The only way to tell is to weigh the unit. Most accurate way is at the scales on your way out to go camping at a truck scale. Second best is in your drive, fully loaded and ready to go using a bathroom type scale. Here is one of several links on how to do this http://www.ehow.com/how_5846230_figu...er-tongue.html
If you are like most people you will be amazed how heavy your tongue really is!

On another note I think the 4Runner is built on a frame like a truck where the Highlander is unibody. Unibody can flex and sometimes will be harder to control at higher speeds due to its construction and lighter construction. I am sure there are highlanders out there that will say I am all wet. I do worry bout exceeding the spec limit of tongue weight but could not find what it is on the net. ASK the dealer specifics before you buy!
Dave
Folks can tow without the WDH with no noticeable problems but are damaging suspension, bearings etc. of the rear end and stressing the connection of the hitch to car beyond its weight limits--it is a problem (read disaster) waiting to happen. Is it worth the $200???? Only you can answer that question.

[Brittany Dogs]

Dave,

I never owned the Toyota products but I have researched them when making a truck purchase. My brother owns a Highlander. I have the understanding that the Highlander is a unibody (stamped plate) and the 4Runner and its larger brother the Sequoia are truck frame SUVs.

So you are dry, not all wet. You're right on.

I also have my opinion to leave the unibody vehicles to lighter towing. Who knows, maybe unibody vehicles have improved to tow better but when I need the sneakers to stay in contact with the road, I only trust a truck frame to do the job with my 2720.

My next Pathfinder (2015) won't be a Pathfinder because they lowered the tow rating of that vehicle in 2013 due to a CVT transmission. So I will have to look at the bigger Nissan brothers or the 4Runner in a few years.

Bottom line, one has to know what their weights are on both the TV and the TrailManor, and then allow margin.

Are you sure the newer 4 Runners are body on frame?
I thought they changed them to unibodies a few years ago?
Even Jeeps are unibodies now...

Yep you are correct 5th generation 4 runner remains body on frame construction.

Thanks, all. I guess we will replace our 4Runner with another 4Runner.

[Mr. Adventure]

I have no doubt that a 4-Runner is a great tow vehicle for a TrailManor. But so is the Highlander, though I might prefer the 4-Runner if I lived in Colorado or if I was an off-road camper.

Frames on light trucks used to be built with steel channel stock like larger trucks. These days they are built with stamped and welded parts which are manufactured into welded frame units in processes very similar to unibodies. In any case, unibody vs "truck frame" arguments are irrelevant, except possibly for people who are planning to drill holes or weld something on a frame. Nobody should be doing that for trailer hitches anymore (trailer hitches are bolted onto manufacturer-supplied hitch mounting points).

Bigger vehicles need bigger engines. When you're not towing, it's nice to not be hauling around more vehicle than you need. A big V6 has surprisingly similar performance to a small V8, and I would suggest that combined vehicle weight, horsepower, and torque are much more important than counting cylinders.

Heavy tongue weights tend to overload rear axles and unload front ones. The Weight Distributing Hitch is mandatory for most of us: Reality is on the truck scale.

My numbers from the truck scale are here:
http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ad.php?t=10652

Thanks, Mr Adventure.

I suspect the published weight of your rig is about 1000 lbs less than mine, so that is encouraging. The 2417 is the smallest model, and we got a pretty stripped down version (no toilet/awning). We also travel light, and usually it is just my husband and me, since our kids are in college.

The link does not work :-(

[Mr. Adventure]

Sorry about the link, thanks for letting me know. Let's try this one:
http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ad.php?t=10652