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Towing with the Highlander Hybrid
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Comments
Does anyone know if the hitch available through Toyota has a tongue weight limit of 300 lbs or 350 lbs. I asked my local Toyota dealer and got no answer.
Are you all having your toyota dealer do the hitch/wiring installation or is there some other good place to go?
thanks in advance,
leo
130-amp alternator and trailer prewiring; 4-cylinder models add: 3000-lb. towing
capacity,5 engine oil cooler, power-steering oil cooler and 120-watt fan coupling;
V6 models add 3500-lb. towing capacity,5 and 160-watt fan coupling.
According to Toyota, the tongue weight limit is relates to the capacity, therefore 3000# = 300# tongue weight, 3500# = 350#.
Congratulations on the Airstream! We have very found memories of the one we had, and know you will have a blast with it.
Just a tad bit unfair, unless you also list the total towing capacity of the 1993 GMC? In terms of maximum towing capacity, I suspect the GMC was more powerful...
As others have mentioned, the 2006 HiHy has extraordinary power for its 3500lb tow rating. The 2008 is another story - same engine, 500 extra pounds, and a 5000lb tow rating.
Does the '08 really have a 5,000lb tow rating??? I can't verify that anywhere - Toyota's website,etc. I am anxious to find out -- It will make a difference in whether or not we purchase the HiHy.
Thanks!
Please see the following link:
http://www.toyota.com/highlander/specs.html
If the link takes you to general specifications, click on the "CAPACITIES" tab and it will show the towing limits.
So the car still does not have enough continuous torque to tow. This is the only time I wish they do not detune the V6 in the hybrid model. Make this a 350-hp monster with electronic speed limit at 112-MPH but let the V6 have the full gas-powered 270-hp torque to tow 5000-lbs.
Ah well, I am dreaming.....
I bought a 16' Airstream Bambi Quicksilver Edition last year and have been towing it with a monster 15 person Dodge Van! Our other car is a Prius (to even out the carbon footprint playing field!) and I would love to get a 2006 or later Highlander Hybrid to tow it just like you. Now that you have been at it for a while do you have any further insights and does the HH still do the job with the Airstream. I would love to prove the doubters wrong and buy a Highlander Hybrid for the Bambi. Do you still feel the same as your previous posting and what exactly should I do to modify the HH for towing the Bambi. Thanks so much for any input you have and I commend you on making the hybrid work with the Bambi. I await your reply
We bought a Toyota hitch and necessary gear for the '06 HH and had a local shop install the whole thing. It seemed simple enough to do it myself but too busy.
We have not towed something as large as an Airstream but we have tow trailers totaling about 2000 lbs for ranch work and no problem so far. This is in Northern CA, Mt. Shasta, Mt. Lassen area so the roads are windy and mountainous. Our '06 has no problem taking this load and maintaining posted speed. We do slow to 55-MPH when towing on freeways. Absolutely no problem. THis is using an old low-tech tow bar.
Starting from a dead stop is not a problem especially when the hybrid pack is fully charged. There is more than enough torque to get things rolling. I am used to an old V8 and this HH easily beats our V8.
Mileage will come down though, especially in mountainous terrain. We average 25-26 MPG a tank but when we tow, mileage can drop as low as 20-MPG on a heavier long haul or 22-MPG on a lighter load.
The '07-'08 HH are heavier than the '06 HH so in terms of stability, the car provides excellent damping.
As ijimii wrote, be sure to get good tow bars. Newer models now work to control swaying and so on. They are worth every penny when towing something like a camper. We will be getting one of these to replace our old bar after some more research.
Hope this helps a bit.
I got lucky and forced the sales person at Toyota to toss in a toyota hitch to make the deal. They were 12 cars off their number for the month.
We have now towed up to 2500-lb without problems. If this old trailer of ours were bigger and heavier duty, I will have no qualm pushing the weight to 3000-lbs. We have towed on mountain freeways (Northern CA - Redding, Shasta area) and no detectable problems at all. Our '06 HH performs normally and we are confident it can tow up to rated load.
Except for the need to slow down and be safe when towing, we have detected nothing of concern from the engine and the battery pack. The engine runs fine as usual, oil change is 7500 miles (Synthetic) and I did not see any early darkening or thinning. Brakes work fine and no excessive wear as of last service about 1 month ago. Our tires do wear out faster though but we also drive a lot of dirt and nasty ranch roads.
We normally have only two adults in the car when towing and few gear in the trunk. If you load up the car with people, gear and such, please do estimate the weight and see if it impacts the tow-rating.
Hope that helps a bit.
I have viewed the hitch installation video on YouTube. This answered many questions on the exact steps for installation, including resolving some common problems.
Also, at that weight, will the car be strong enough to get the thing up the ramp and out of the water?
Can anyone give me some advice on what differences exist between installing the factory hitch and the aftermarket one? I'm fairly handy and have most tools I think I'll need but if you think I'd be foolish to attempt it myself, that advice would be welcomed, too.
Thanks!
Bob
BTW, the hitch was $450 less 15% for my Costco Executive Member discount.
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-221818.html
Bob
I ordered a 1 1/2" receiver hitch for my 2007 Highlander Hybrid (1/ 1/4" is not available) and found it much more difficult to install mainly because it weighs so much more.
I ended up resting it on an increasing pile of bricks until it was close enough for me to get the bolts in. I didn't bother with an electrical harness since I only use it for a bike rack.
Good luck.
Bob
But there's nothing like the smell of freshly busted knuckles in the morning :P
Many thanks,
David
Chuck
If anyone out there has suggestion/experience please pass it on!
To use or not to use the electronic braking system.
Chuck
Thanks
I'm about to buy a HH 06. I will want to tow my small camping trailer, about
1500 lbs. 2000 lbs loaded. I'm really confused if this is a good idea or not.
Some people seem to not have any problems and others have major problems.
The car i am looking at doesn't have a per prep towing package. It it nessary?
Can it be added?
I would also like to add electric brakes at some point.
Thank you for any comments or advice.
Casita
Dave
And remember that without self-braking of the tow during braking the torque "weight" will increase and lighten the front even moreso.
The only known correction for that situation is to quickly slow the vehicle and thereby reduce the momentum that wants to take the weight of the vehicle in the direction it was just previously traveling. In the olden days a light touch on the e-brake would help to do that. Nowadays VSC, if you have it, automatically takes over the task of braking both rear wheels or braking only the rear wheel that "swings" the pendulum in the direction you wish to go.
Load up the rear of a FWD and you have effectively reduced front tire traction. That situation gets even worse during braking when the "weight" on the trailer hitch increases. That's why I would ALWAYS advise have some sort of braking on the vehicle/trailer you are towing, RWD or FWD.