Tow Limits

[J. Morgan]

Originally Posted by RandyNH

As an example, I posted the above 2 days ago, today someone posted (snippet of) in response to "does my vehicle have enough power and braking" their recommendation



The important factor is that the tow vehicle have the power, brakes, systems to PULL the load.



Ya, who cares about stopping or controlling the load...

So you claim to know that my half ton combinations performance doesn’t exceed your combination at both stopping and “controlling the load”?

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by J. Morgan

I saw a big van towing what I think was an 80s Airstream west on I 10 in southern New Mexico yesterday... it seemed to be doing just fine.

It's pretty common. Any of the Big Four from long ago. Even the occasional Boles.

[CV-8]

Originally Posted by CV-8

New member, researching market for my dream machine - an Airstream travel trailer. Have Toyota Highlander, 5000 lb tow. Best seems to be 22FB Sport. Anything heavier may meet empty weight, but GVWR goes over. How strict is tow limit - can it be safely exceeded by several hundred pounds? By 10 percent? Or, stick rigidly under the limit? I know the rules - stay under - but just asking: can small excess be safely managed by careful operation? Thanks.

UPDATE: When I posted this inquiry last October, responses were mostly respectful, some were a bit snarky (especially even my mentioning exceeding weight limit - whoa, knives drawn) all were informative, and the end result was a successful buy several months ago of a new 20FB Flying Cloud, to be towed by our 2017 Highlander.

So far, we've traveled between Denver and Salt Lake City, took steep byways through Flaming Gorge in UT/WY, and kept strict record of our weights and configuration specific to each component. Toyota warranties the Highlanders' 5,000 lb. tow limit on the basis that their rating is very conservative with built-in margin of safety. I take them at their word both spoken and in print. The 20 FB gross weight limit is also 5,000 lb.

I have strong confidence in the safety and handling of the system, and the climbing performance in the Rockies was adequate to keep up with traffic over the major passes. The AS tracked like a dream. I had a few skeptics who thought I was mentally deficient for considering this system - especially in the Rockies - and although I'm not out to prove I'm not, all appears to be well, and I look forward to many happy miles with our little rig. By now, I've made just about all the mistakes expected of the newbie, and we now travel with a safe and unhurried mentality. Nothing is ever perfect, but it comes close.

Mine was a situation where we could not accommodate a powerhouse pickup truck or an Expedition-sized SUV - it just isn't us. So we cut close to the limit of the specs, and drive conservatively accordingly. It's not for everyone, but it is as safe as one makes it so.

Those are my comments, thanks for listening. Safe travels, everyone.

[J. Morgan]

Originally Posted by CV-8

UPDATE: When I posted this inquiry last October, responses were mostly respectful, some were a bit snarky (especially even my mentioning exceeding weight limit - whoa, knives drawn) all were informative, and the end result was a successful buy several months ago of a new 20FB Flying Cloud, to be towed by our 2017 Highlander.



So far, we've traveled between Denver and Salt Lake City, took steep byways through Flaming Gorge in UT/WY, and kept strict record of our weights and configuration specific to each component. Toyota warranties the Highlanders' 5,000 lb. tow limit on the basis that their rating is very conservative with built-in margin of safety. I take them at their word both spoken and in print. The 20 FB gross weight limit is also 5,000 lb.



I have strong confidence in the safety and handling of the system, and the climbing performance in the Rockies was adequate to keep up with traffic over the major passes. The AS tracked like a dream. I had a few skeptics who thought I was mentally deficient for considering this system - especially in the Rockies - and although I'm not out to prove I'm not, all appears to be well, and I look forward to many happy miles with our little rig. By now, I've made just about all the mistakes expected of the newbie, and we now travel with a safe and unhurried mentality. Nothing is ever perfect, but it comes close.



Mine was a situation where we could not accommodate a powerhouse pickup truck or an Expedition-sized SUV - it just isn't us. So we cut close to the limit of the specs, and drive conservatively accordingly. It's not for everyone, but it is as safe as one makes it so.



Those are my comments, thanks for listening. Safe travels, everyone.

But you’re doing it wrong.








<jk>

[KK4YZ]

Originally Posted by CV-8

UPDATE: When I posted this inquiry last October, responses were mostly respectful, some were a bit snarky (especially even my mentioning exceeding weight limit - whoa, knives drawn) all were informative, and the end result was a successful buy several months ago of a new 20FB Flying Cloud, to be towed by our 2017 Highlander.

So far, we've traveled between Denver and Salt Lake City, took steep byways through Flaming Gorge in UT/WY, and kept strict record of our weights and configuration specific to each component. Toyota warranties the Highlanders' 5,000 lb. tow limit on the basis that their rating is very conservative with built-in margin of safety. I take them at their word both spoken and in print. The 20 FB gross weight limit is also 5,000 lb.

I have strong confidence in the safety and handling of the system, and the climbing performance in the Rockies was adequate to keep up with traffic over the major passes. The AS tracked like a dream. I had a few skeptics who thought I was mentally deficient for considering this system - especially in the Rockies - and although I'm not out to prove I'm not, all appears to be well, and I look forward to many happy miles with our little rig. By now, I've made just about all the mistakes expected of the newbie, and we now travel with a safe and unhurried mentality. Nothing is ever perfect, but it comes close.

Mine was a situation where we could not accommodate a powerhouse pickup truck or an Expedition-sized SUV - it just isn't us. So we cut close to the limit of the specs, and drive conservatively accordingly. It's not for everyone, but it is as safe as one makes it so.

Those are my comments, thanks for listening. Safe travels, everyone.

Congrats on your new setup and keep on truckin’, er, I mean “Airstreaming”. Sometimes it’s hard to sift through all the opinions and occasional snarkyness here.

[kendrick.l.j]

Very happy to hear that you adjusted your original plan and that everything is working well. Don’t forget to get a tire pressure monitoring system if you haven’t already done so.