Sequoia owners--I need advice, please!

[Tom_T]

Hi Leslie,

If your AS is over the Sequoyah's towing rating, then you will need to look for a higher rated vehicle. Otherwise you may find your warranty on the truck negated. Before the Armada, I'd loo at perhaps a Tundra with a shell on & bed liner in the back to haul the gear, but the tow rating is still a factor.

My buddy has had an Expedition for several years & loves it, but I don't know it's tow rating. We've also been renting both gas & diesel Ford F250 crew cabs, which would be workable for you with the shell & bed liner. There is also that Nissan XD diesel 1/2 ton+ crew cab which may have a better tow rating - again with the shell & bed liner for gear.

However, the Nissans are not noted for as good reliability as the Toyotas, so read up in Consumer Reports & other sources on the relative reliability of your choices.

Good Luck!
Tom
///////

[Tom_T]

pteck,

We actually came up with that "Gland Bruiser" back in the 1960s-70s when it was the straight 6 off-road competitor to Jeep & Land Rover (a nickname there too, which I won't use on here ;-).

Since I tend to keep my vehicles long term, the Air Suspension on any of them will eventually need new air-bags, air pump, equalizers, sensors, etc. - & it being a low production option, those parts will go NLA sooner than anything else (NLA = the dreaded No Longer Available in classic car circles).

I agree with the soft springs on the GX/4Runner twins/cousins, since there was a post on here about a member whose GX + Bambi 19 flipped in windy & high speed/truck wake conditions in Idaho earlier this year - the week before we went to test dive a really nice 2013 GX460 (470?).

While it proved to be far too much sway when doing some low speed Esses simulating a cone course for obstacle avoidance on test drives - the real deal killers also included seats which were as hard as a wood park bench which we noticed as soon as we sat in the GX (not great on short or long trips for folks in our 60s), & the too short hitch receiver blocked by the spare tire forcing it's removal when towing.

One of the big reasons for us looking for a TV of our own - instead of renting F250s permanently - is that they're too tall to hoist our old bodies into, & then to have said old bodies thrashed around in a stiff 3/4 ton truck for 100s of miles towing trips!

So the GX - & presumably the 4Runner - flunked that test, & the safety of towing with a squishy off-road oriented suspension.

While the later & new Lexus won't get a 2nd thought from us due to the their ugly "gaping maw" front end design, the LC/LX & Sequoyah might if they can pass the comfort, ride height & roll controlled suspension tests - even if the Sequoyah is a bit longer than we want.

We shall see!
Tom
///////

[Martee]

I have a 2008 Sequoia and dearly love this vehicle; but I would not use it to tow any airstream larger than 23D.
I kept my Sequoia and purchased a 2014 Tundra as my dedicated tow vehicle for FC 25FB. The Tundra towing stability is great.

[Martee]

Originally Posted by nomadleslie

Hi everyone,

First, a big fat THANK YOU for all these great responses. Our main concern with the Sequoia has been the towing capacity + brakes because the GVW on our Classic is around 8400 and the towing capacity on the Sequoia is only 7400.

BUT! We have consistently heard from several people the following: "the Sequoia can tow it, they just rate it low because of the brakes. However if your Airstream brakes are set right, this won't be a problem." Um, what?!? That didn't pass the smell test for us AT ALL (especially traveling with our 4 kids). I kept thinking, "that just cannot be right!" and my husband kept doing research because we just didn't believe it, which is why I turned to AirForums. (Btw, we were not hearing this from Toyota dealers trying to sell us a vehicle.)

More than one of you mentioned not only weak, soft breaks but warping rotors (who wants that to happen on a cross country trip in the middle of nowhere?), and maybe if we were traveling with a smaller AS (under 7,400 GVW) and fewer people it would be a different situation, but that's not the reality for us.

A few of you mentioned the Expedition. We have shied away from it because it has a longer wheel base than the Armada. While my husband has no problem getting the Armada + Airstream in and out of places, there have been times that we've had a few tight squeezes (like backing into a campsite on a tiny road with trees everywhere), so it's given me pause. But the Expedition can tow 9,400 lbs! So it's back on our research list, as is the new Armada because it, too, can tow our AS.

I really appreciate everyones input. I have read all these comments to my husband and we are checking the Sequoia off our list. Clearly it is not the TV for us.

Y'all are awesome!

Umm. ..with 238,000 miles on my 2008 Sequoia; have never noticed weak brake issues or warped rotor issues. Cancel the Sequoia as Tow Vehicle to to the towing weight limits....but not based on the "brake issues" .

[blndgenie]

We had a 2003 Sequoia that we towed our AS with for 9 years -
we recently replaced it with an Infiniti QX80 after considering a newer Sequoia. We 'test-towed' our trailer with both, and there was no comparison, in our opinions.

The QX80 has a tow capacity of 8500 vs. 7000 for the Sequoia---important for us because we're looking for a bigger AS.

The tow mode of the QX80 makes it impossible to tell you're towing anything at all---it tows like a dream. It easily would accommodate your family (and a friend) The suspension, ride, options and fuel economy were better also---highly recommend.

If you're considering a used Sequoia, I'd recommend nothing older than a 2013, UNLESS it had a new frame. Toyota settled a huge lawsuit for rusting frames, however the window for that remedy is closing. We looked at a 2008 Sequoia which looked brand new (with only 41K miles), but when our mechanic put it up on the rack, it had horrific frame and sub-frame rust - and it did not qualify for frame replacement. BE AWARE-

[.QUOTE=nomadleslie;2011881]Hi,

We have a 30' 2002 Classic (with S/O) and we tow it with a Nissan Armada. After years of hard work, the Armada needs to be an around-town vehicle only, and we are considering a Toyota Sequoia. Does anyone have any experience towing an AS with a Sequoia? Is there a better/different vehicle you would recommend and if so, why?

(Please note: we have 4 children, so the vehicle we choose has to both tow the Airstream AND have seating capacity to tow our kids.)

Thanks in advance![/QUOTE]

[JYD]

I tow a 2016 Classic 30 with an Infinity QX56 with a Pro Pride hitch. Have towed over 5000 miles witch included a trip to Colorado. Car has more power than I need. Biggest problem is keeping it under 65. Cannot use cruise. I have no sway with Pro Pride. I would not pull the trailer with out the Pro Pride hitch.

bill

[franklyfrank]

Originally Posted by JYD

I tow a 2016 Classic 30 with an Infinity QX56 with a Pro Pride hitch. Have towed over 5000 miles witch included a trip to Colorado. Car has more power than I need. Biggest problem is keeping it under 65. Cannot use cruise. I have no sway with Pro Pride. I would not pull the trailer with out the Pro Pride hitch.

bill

I thought the thread was about comparing Tow Vehicles. Specifically Toyota Sequoia. But since you went there I highly recommend the Blue Ox hitch . It works every bit as good as the Pro Pride, costs 2/3 less installs in 30 minutes and doesn't come with 23 pages of instruction. You are hitched up in 5 minutes and rolling. The Pro Pride is cumbersome, looks cumbersome and makes an AS look ugly.

[GettinAway]

Does the Blue Ox weigh as much as the others? (I know this isn't a hitch thread, but I had to ask..) I've got a Equal-I-zer. And have found it just fine, but if I ever went to a bigger trailer, I was thinking of looking at hitches.

[Chatthayer]

I have a 2002 Sequoia towing a '72, 25 foot tradewind. Perfect balance of weight and length. 4000 miles. 4x4 also.

[pt.reyesfan]

Originally Posted by nomadleslie

Hi,



We have a 30' 2002 Classic (with S/O) and we tow it with a Nissan Armada. After years of hard work, the Armada needs to be an around-town vehicle only, and we are considering a Toyota Sequoia. Does anyone have any experience towing an AS with a Sequoia? Is there a better/different vehicle you would recommend and if so, why?



(Please note: we have 4 children, so the vehicle we choose has to both tow the Airstream AND have seating capacity to tow our kids.)



Thanks in advance!

I posted on my Airstream and Sequoia experiences a few months ago. Do a search for my posts .

[franklyfrank]

Originally Posted by GettinAway

Does the Blue Ox weigh as much as the others? (I know this isn't a hitch thread, but I had to ask..) I've got a Equal-I-zer. And have found it just fine, but if I ever went to a bigger trailer, I was thinking of looking at hitches.

The Blue Ox is comparable in weight to the Equalizer. However it is quiter, and a lot easier to set up.

[GettinAway]

Thanks Frank. I haven't had any issues with the Equalizer, but we may look at a bigger AS some day.