Tow vehicle ramble

[Fishstix]

Tow vehicle ramble

Ive got a 2001 21ft Arima sea ranger with Skip tower. Boat  loaded weighs about 4900lb .

Trailer has surge brakes with tandem axles.

I miss the good old days when you could weld the hitch on the back of your car and go.

I dont want a truck, I drive a truck , I want smooth quiet and something I can open the

doors up in these skinny little parking spaces they have now.

 Anyway my last tow vehicle was a 2013 4runner and it did a excellent job bought it new but

It was noisy on the road and rode stiff. Rated to pull 5000lbs.The wife hated it.

It was showing some rust so I figured I would trade it in while,it still had excellent trade in value.

.The search began. no newer cars have any towing capacity. I ended up buying another Toyota.

A 2015 highlander limited AWD V6. Rated to pull 5000lbs.  I was leery of it . smooth ,quiet, small 

enough to open the doors. drives like a car.  Ive towed my boat with it a couple times now with it

up and down the hills of Ithaca .probably have 200 miles or so towing with it. Highlander does a

excellent job towing, brakes stop you, tail does not wag the dog, plenty of power.

If you find one make sure it has Factory 5000lb towing package.

Im not a Toyota salesman . I just figured there are other fishermen out there with the same vehicle

requirements I have.

Yes I realize Im pushing the towing limits.

 

 

[ontherise]

Years ago I towed my 18 foot blue fin with my little 1996 toyota rav 4.. it did a fine job. I couldn't see squat behind me, but it towed decent enough.


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[Sk8man]

Good to know that it doesn't "tailwag the dog" which for me was a matter of the wheelbase width of vehicles with only a 3300 lbs load. I had to shift from an Explorer Eddie Bauer all wheel drive to a 4 wheel drive Expedition because of it. Tongue weight distribution is crucial to trailering properly too and can create its own set of problems if not adjusted correctly

Edited October 8, 2017 by Sk8man

[Xxx]

10-4 Les, you have to sacrifice size for a heavier boat, or you'll need the sway bar setup. Being a trucker himself I'm sure he knows the weight limits.

[Sk8man]

Yup ...I was just adding those couple of points to his for folks that might not think about those things as variables as I didn't think about them when I bought my Explorer and then had to go bigger

[tuffishooker]

Not sure of your post ?

#1 is a tranny cooler + a tranny cooler gauge ! At max towing cap your issue is the transmission !

#2 Engine temp ! May need a bigger rad !

#3 Opening doors ? I like to park easy and walk !

[suttontroller94]

I'm sure trailer brakes help I towed my friends 18ft Penn yan down the hill to tfalls and about burned my brake pads off of my 94 gmc sierra 1500

[jimski2]

States like Ohio banned surge brakes as unsafe. You must have as a minimum electric brakes, there is a trailer weight for mandatory brakes.


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[MCF]

Hope it works out well for you being right at the towing capacity of the Highlander.