Towing a 19' AS with Toyota Highlander??

[Pam777]

We recently purchased a 2012 Toyota Highlander 4WD with tow package, V6. We have corresponded via email with an Airstream dealer who has a nice used 19' 2008 International Bambi for sale for $37,995 (not sure if that's a good price since we have never purchased a trailer before and have never towed a thing!) The empty weight of this trailer is 3763#, gross weight, fully loaded, is 4500#. This dealer assures us that our new Highlander is well within safe limits to tow this trailer. Since we know very little about towing, we found a site online called changingears.com where there is a calculator with various inputs that eventually determines (within a 20% safety margin) if a tow vehicle is adequate for a given trailer. We've run this calculator twice now and it says we can only tow 3333 lbs. When I shared this information with the AS dealer, he insists something is wrong in the calculations and that our Highlander can easily (and safely) tow this particular trailer. Now we are VERY confused and would really appreciate any input that forum members could give us. I searched this forum with the search words (Toyota Highlander) to see if this subject had been talked about previously, and came up empty-handed. THANKS in advance.

[AWCHIEF]

2012 Toyota Highlander Base 4dr SUV 2.7L 4-cyl. 6-speed Automatic Features and Specs=

From Edmonds review page on the 2012 Highlander:
"Maximum towing capacity: 3500 lbs.**"
"** When adequately equipped, which may require engine and/or other drivetrain upgrades."


From the Toyota site:Toyota Highlander - 2012 Performance and Specifications
3500-lb. towing capacity, heavy-duty radiator, 160-watt fan coupling, supplemental transmission oil cooler and 150-amp alternator

and

"5000-lb. towing capacity , heavy-duty radiator with engine oil cooler, 200-watt fan coupling, supplemental transmission oil cooler and 150-amp alternator

[dkottum]

Probably not in stock form. Modifications may be needed such as heavier hitch receiver, hitch reinforced so it cannot vertically twist, stiffer tires, brake controller, Hensley or Propride style hitch would be good.

Also need to drive in safe manner, 55-60 mph level and shift down up and down on hills, no overdrive, you will feel headwinds and without the Hensley, passing trucks and crosswinds.

Consult an Airstream towing expert (in the business, not forum opinions) for best advice. Good idea not to trust dealer trying to sell an RV.

doug k

[dkottum]

Shop around, I bought a new (two year old stock) 2007 Airstream 20' in 2009 for $37,000 with full 2 year factory warranty, 25% off list.

Being your buying without trade-in, shop new old stock, lots around and without trade-in you can really deal.

doug k

[Pam777]

Could you tell me where we would find an Airstream towing expert (a professional person), as you mention in your response?

[MrUKToad]

Andy Thompson at Can Am RV - Can-Am RV Centre | New and Used Travel Trailers, Motorhomes and Fifth Wheels | Towing & Hitch Specialists | Top Airstream Dealer

He's the best in the business and will help you out whether or not you use his services.

[Friday]

Originally Posted by AWCHIEF

2012 Toyota Highlander Base 4dr SUV 2.7L 4-cyl. 6-speed Automatic Features and Specs=

From Edmonds review page on the 2012 Highlander:
"Maximum towing capacity: 3500 lbs.**"
"** When adequately equipped, which may require engine and/or other drivetrain upgrades."


From the Toyota site:Toyota Highlander - 2012 Performance and Specifications
3500-lb. towing capacity, heavy-duty radiator, 160-watt fan coupling, supplemental transmission oil cooler and 150-amp alternator

and

"5000-lb. towing capacity , heavy-duty radiator with engine oil cooler, 200-watt fan coupling, supplemental transmission oil cooler and 150-amp alternator

They said they have a V6, which the website states has a 5000lb capacity when equipped as they have it equipped.

You will be fine.

[Phoenix]

Here are a few links to posts that discuss the Toyota Highlander. Sorry, if you find any duplicates; I was just cutting and pasting.

Widen your search by just entering "Highlander" and you'll find more threads.

==========

Note: You may have to use "Find" to locate where "Highlander" is mentioned, as some of these links don't go to the exact post, just the thread.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...rid-46538.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...tml#post713111

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...rid-28016.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...mbi-30715.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...der-52769.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...ccd-39302.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...-v6-44239.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...der-40278.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...der-26610.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...cle-17122.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...ml#post1087553

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f67/...tml#post990806

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...tml#post989590

[Pam777]

THANKS so much for all your help. I appreciate your time.

[Road Ruler]

Please give us an update on your progress. We are interested. thnxs.

[Airstream76]

Hi! We tow our 19 foot globetrotter with a 2003 highlander. Tows great!

[Pam777]

Hi Autumn,
Thanks for the very helpful info, I appreciate you writing. Do you use your rig to travel long distance (up over mountains, etc.) or just level easy driving? If you go long distance, does the Highlander really bog down on the hills? Do you ever tow in overdrive on a flat area without headwinds? What type of hitch do you have on the Highlander? Do you think the Globetrotter weighs about the same as the Bambi International I mentioned? Questions, questions, questions...hope I'm not overwhelming your generosity here! Thanks in advance, Pam

[dkottum]

A '63 Airstream and a '08 Airstream are quite different in weight and overall size, the length being the only similarity.

doug k

[Friday]

I would suggest there aren't many 5 or 6 speed transmissions that belong in top gear (overdrive if that is how it is labelled) when towing any kind of RV... You'll find the engines tend to lug and may even get worse mileage than dropping a gear.

[dkottum]

Good point Friday. We tried our Tundra in overdrive but it shifted down so often, we got better mileage not using it. Diesels and large gas engines would be different.

doug k

[Airstream76]

Our highlander is NOT 4 wheel drive. We pull our airstream to Colorado from Texas. It's a steady incline. Haven't pulled it over mountains though.

We have a weight distributing hitch. We bought it at an rv store. They keep the Trailer from swaying and they also level out the car and the trailer.

We tow with the overdrive off.

I don't know about the weight difference of our globetrotter and the newer bambi.

If you have any more questions let me know, I'll be happy to answer them if I can.

[hhendrix]

My 2 cents. With any TV, the manufactures set towing capacities and limits. While the manufacturer says their vehicle can safely tow (and stop) 3500 lbs., they don't say it will be fun at maximum weight. Struggling to maintain speed or pass slow trucks on long grades can be frustrating and stressful. Keeping your foot to the floor for hours in a strong headwind just wears you down. I would never combine a TV and trailer combination that will constantly be challenged at full capacity.

[Road Ruler]

Originally Posted by hhendrix

My 2 cents. With any TV, the manufactures set towing capacities and limits. While the manufacturer says their vehicle can safely tow (and stop) 3500 lbs., they don't say it will be fun at maximum weight. Struggling to maintain speed or pass slow trucks on long grades can be frustrating and stressful. Keeping your foot to the floor for hours in a strong headwind just wears you down. I would never combine a TV and trailer combination that will constantly be challenged at full capacity.

I agree but know that we don't have that scenerio here with the proposed combination.

For a perspective we towed our 23' with a Nissan Van which had 40% less power than the Highlander. We cruised all day at highway speeds. Handled great with no drama.

[mefly2]

Originally Posted by Friday

I would suggest there aren't many 5 or 6 speed transmissions that belong in top gear (overdrive if that is how it is labelled) when towing any kind of RV... You'll find the engines tend to lug and may even get worse mileage than dropping a gear.

Our diesel pickup truck transmission has only shifted out of high gear on relatively steep inclines twice in 3k miles towing the AS ... torque is the factor here... it just never seems to lug. We find that incredible (AMAZING and have discussed it at length) when compared to our previous gas powered truck never seeming to be in the right gear - always hunting up or down / shifting on an incline.

We are no longer capacity, horsepower, torque, braking, or safety challenged with impatient drivers behind us on the Rocky Mountain passes / hills and wear huge smiles all the towing long day! The diffenence in pleasure and comfort (spell that F-U-N )for us is off the scale... but there is a cost. Now that we have experienced the difference we can personally justify the additional cost of diesel... just like we can easily justify the cost of the AS over SOB. YMMV

[purman]

The Lesson is "NEVER TRUST A DEALER" I once had a rv dealer tell me my 01' 4-runner could tow a 22' Outback with no trouble. Well and new it couldn't. We had slowed way down going up the mountains with just our 1500# popup.

It depends on the Vehicle, We have a 08 Sequoia and I have towed past it's capacity on 10 mile trips going up and down 2000 ft in elevation and it was fine. I don't recommend this. Our AS is 4000# less than it's max tow rating and I don't even notice it after 50 miles. When you push that limit up you become more and more aware that you are towing. That doesn't make it unsafe, you just have to be a little more aware, and realize your not out for a Sunday drive. But remember dry weight and packed weight are two different things.