experience with 21 tow vehicle - Page 3 - Escape Trailer Owners Community
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Escape Trailer Owners Community > Escape Tech > Towing and Hitching
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 09-21-2014, 10:07 PM   #41
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Felton, California
Trailer: 2018 21' ; 2014 19' (Sold)
Posts: 1,301
We concur with Patandlinda. We're pulling with a 2004 Tundra and we're glad for all that we have ... especially when stupidly pulling a 19' trailer over a 10%, 5 mile grade in the Tetons (sigh!).
CADreamin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-21-2014, 10:47 PM   #42
Senior Member
 
float5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Denison, Texas
Trailer: 2015 21'; 2011 19' sold; 4Runner; ph ninezero3 327-27ninefour
Posts: 5,136
Quote:
Originally Posted by Devil Dog View Post
I think if you pulling a 19' or a 21' with a V6 you might consider upping to a 3/4 ton P/U . I drag a 17' around with a 4L V6 and it's no party .
By the time you load up for two weeks your pushing it or should I say pulling it and then trying to stop it .... If you want to white knuckle it where ever you go ..That's your trip man. Just don't kill anyone doing it ...
I take it you are talking about mountains. Nevertheless, when you load up for a two-week trip, have you been to truck scales to get your loaded vehicle and loaded trailer weights and tongue weight? What is your GVWR and GCWR and are you within them? What is your speed going down and are you trying to drive the speed that you would without towing?

Without these numbers, we have no idea if you are overloaded or loaded incorrectly, not to mention the situation with your tires and more. I would not assume that a PU would fix the situation until you have looked at those numbers and other factors. Perhaps your tow set-up is not sufficient but with others reporting that similar worked, your numbers may not be good.
__________________
Cathy. Floating Cloud
"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.... "
Emerson
float5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-21-2014, 11:21 PM   #43
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Boise, Idaho
Trailer: 2014 17B
Posts: 49
We tow a 17B with a 2012 4runner and have had some challenging moments on high passes of 7k to 8k feet. Since the original poster is basically at sea level they should have no problem towing with a 4runner. If the original poster lived in the intermountain west then a fullsize pickup would be a lot more suitable. Having owned a highlander the 4runner is a superior tow rig.
smilycook is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-22-2014, 12:49 AM   #44
Senior Member
 
float5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Denison, Texas
Trailer: 2015 21'; 2011 19' sold; 4Runner; ph ninezero3 327-27ninefour
Posts: 5,136
I know the difference on paper between the Highlander and the 4Runner but what have you seen with regard to better tow capability of the 4Runner?

Again, on challenging moments, anyone reading this cannot know if you have met your numbers, or know your speed on high passes, tire condition, weather, or some circumstance there that is unknown to us. Did other traffic figure in? Could you not stop the trailer and at what speed? Do you use a WDH? Specifics might or might not tell us the situation because there are simply so many variables.
__________________
Cathy. Floating Cloud
"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.... "
Emerson
float5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-22-2014, 06:32 AM   #45
Site Team
 
rbryan4's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
You're right, there are many variables besides the published towing capacity numbers. But, there's no doubt that the 4-runner tows better than the highlander. Body on frame construction is a major part of that.
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
rbryan4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-22-2014, 07:04 AM   #46
Senior Member
 
Bill and Earline's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Signal Mountain (Chattanooga), Tennessee
Trailer: Escape 21 November 2014; 2022 GMC 1500 3.0L
Posts: 681
Hello all.
In this thread and the others, I find myself wanting to know each person's tow vehicle. Some have it listed, some don't. Please go in and add this info to your User CP. Not only will tell us all what you experience has been, but we could also send PMs if we're considering buying what you have.
Thanks, Bill
Bill and Earline is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-22-2014, 09:04 AM   #47
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
Quote:
Originally Posted by Devil Dog View Post
I think if you pulling a 19' or a 21' with a V6 you might consider upping to a 3/4 ton P/U . I drag a 17' around with a 4L V6 and it's no party.
As others have described, here are a lot of capable choices between a midsize pickup and the extreme of a "3/4 ton". I have dragged our current 17' trailer (which is wider and thus harder to tow than an Escape 17') with our 3.5L V6 van, and while not blindingly fast it has no problems... certainly no "white knuckles". I would want more tug for a 21', but see no need to jump to a heavy-duty pickup.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Devil Dog View Post
By the time you load up for two weeks your pushing it or should I say pulling it and then trying to stop it ....
That's what trailer brakes are for. If stoping your rig is difficult or dramatic, I suggest fixing the trailer's brakes and adjusting the controller appropriately.
Brian B-P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-22-2014, 09:49 AM   #48
Senior Member
 
dave macrae's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: St.Albert, Alberta
Trailer: 21 ft November 17th
Posts: 847
I wonder if some of the debate is about expectations. There are some who may want to hook up to their trailers and have little to no difference in performance and feel while others are more comfortable with the feel that yes there is a trailer and I am using most of this vehicles capacity.
Please don't jump on me for this,specs and numbers matter alot but there is also more to the puzzle than simply that. There are lots of vehicles that on paper would make a good tow vehicle but in practice maybee not. Things like lenghth of tow vehicle gear ratios in the differentials and transmission , torque curves of the engine are examples of what I am getting at. A engine that has to be reved to 5000 rpm to make any power isn't going to be alot of fun to tow with.
__________________
MacRae, 21ft
2016 GMC Yukon SLT
St.Albert Alberta
dave macrae is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-22-2014, 11:16 AM   #49
Senior Member
 
TAfraser's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Auburn, Washington
Trailer: 2013 Escape 21 #3
Posts: 385
We towed our 17’ Casita (loaded to near 3,500 lbs) for many years with our Honda Ridgeline. The Ridgeline’s owners manual gives many towing specifications, like GVWR, GAWR, GCWR, etc, which I’ll touch on here. It also gives more specific specs I haven’t seen in other brands manuals or on-site data source.
The Ridgeline is rated for a max of 5,000 lbs towing and 600 lb tongue weight. This max is with two occupants, sitting in the front, each passenger weighing 150lbs, and each having 15 lbs of personal effects. The 15 lbs can be carried in the cabin, in the bed, or in the trunk. Any additional passengers and/or equipment will reduce the towing capacity by an equivalent amount. It also states that the GCWR is to be reduced by 2% for every 1,000 feet of elevation gain.
We traveled from Washington State to Yosemite California through the Siskiyou and Shasta area. That area delays and defeats many vehicles with its long steep grades. The Ridgeline did great with its bed, trunk, and back seat fully loaded (generator, fuel, ice chests, etc, all packed to the rim) towing the fully loaded Casita. We maintained 60mph without a problem. Even after being slowed down by the big trucks we were able to attain that 60mph after passing. We did, on steep slopes, need to keep the Ridgeline between 4,000 and 5,000 rpm to maintain that speed. A side note; I warped my brakes going down those same mountains too fast relying solely on the brakes. Lesson learned, and I hope remembered!
Last year we traveled from Washington State to Yellowstone and Mt. Rushmore towing the Casita. We traveled over some 11,000 foot passes which, according to Honda, would reduce the towing capacity to 3900 lbs. We were loaded as before and again did fine. We kept the rpm below 3,500 which is still in the torque range for the Honda engine. Because of the self imposed rpm limit, we did slow to 40mph in many places, but it really didn’t bother me. My fuel consumption for the trip averaged 16mpg. The NEW and improved brakes did fine because I started each downhill slower and used the engine to help with the speed.
Now we own an Escape 21’. We just finished our 2014 adventure. We drove from Seattle to San Simeon State Park (4 hours south of Frisco) then up the coast to the redwoods, over to Crater Lake and up to Sisters. We then went back to the coast at Tillamook, over to Mt. Rainier, over to Sequim, and back home to Auburn Washington. In all we traveled 3838.9 miles, used 265.16 gallons of gas at an average of $4.27per gal (the highest being in California) for a total cost of $1,138.04 and 14.5 mpg. We towed at sea level on up to 7,000 feet. The Ridgline did fine climbing the hills and controlling our descents. If the grade was 6% or less, the engine took care of speed control, while 7% and above required assistance from the brakes. We maintained 55 to 60 most all the way (flat or climbing, if it wasn’t too curvy). The engine had to rev up to 5,000 rpm at times on the steeper slopes, but engine temp didn’t budge and red line is around 6,500. I didn’t feel bad about that at all. I stopped at multiple weigh stations along the way because of my weight concerns and came up with some interesting numbers. The Ridgeline was almost maxed out in the following categories; rear axle (GAWR-R), truck (GVWR), combined (GCWR), and tongue weight. The Escape 21 was also near its max (GVWR) at 4250 lbs. The trailer GVWR/Tongue weight was 9.39%. I know it’s a little lower than suggested. I don’t know if the Anderson had anything to do with it, but the towing experience was smooth and controlled.
I felt in control at all times. We were not pushed around by large trucks or side winds. Climbing took higher rpms, but that’s to be expected from any vehicle, and the descents were mostly controlled by the Ridgeline engine (D3). For comparison, we were traveling with my cousin who was towing a 23’ Arctic Fox 5er with a Chevy ½ ton and a V8. His rpms were the same during the climbs and braking on down hills was comparable. His mileage was lower, 10mpg, but he was dragging around more weight. We found that hooking up a 5er was quicker then hooking up a trailer with an Anderson WDH, and even though he had a larger truck and a larger trailer, our overall length was within an inch of each other.
Do I wish the Ridgeline had more capability, of course I do, I’m a guy. I’m running near max of its advertised capabilities and that concerns me about longevity. I’ve spoken to Honda, both the maintenance guys at the dealer and direct to Honda through their hot line, and they had nothing but confidence that the Ridgeline would do the job. Am I tempted to purchase a larger tow vehicle, yes. But for now, seeing that 90+% of the miles are daily driving, I’m keeping the Ridgeline. Besides, the Ridgeline fits in my garage, and that’s a real plus in the winter!!
TAfraser is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-22-2014, 05:25 PM   #50
Senior Member
 
Patandlinda's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Ventura County, California
Trailer: 2013 19 Escape
Posts: 7,204
We use our truck for hauling and towing trailer .when we drive truck towing we stay at 55. We can get 14-15 not towing and between 9-12 when we tow . We have a cover over bed . Your mileage really changes if you go over 55 . Our engine is a V8 351 . It used to carry a camper so it is what we have . It either is truck payments or gas . We have another vehicle for daily use . At first we thought it would be overkill with this big truck but we can haul extra water etc no worries .
Patandlinda is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-22-2014, 05:49 PM   #51
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: N/A, Indiana
Trailer: Escape
Posts: 976
We use our truck for hauling and towing. We also tow at 55 mph. The tow vehicle is a 2012 Tundra work truck, regular cab, 8' bed, 6spd trans, 5.8L, 4.3 rear differential. We tow using the tow/haul mode and do not shift out of overdrive except on extreme grades. On the flats with moderate elevation gains the engine does not tach over 3K when the trans downs shifts to 4 gear (1:1ratio). The truck had more than adequate power driving I80 west of Denver. Our overall mileage has been 15-16 mpg towing the Escape 19 with 3650lbs loaded weight.
__________________
"Never argue with an idiot. They only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience." George Carlin
Jubal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-22-2014, 06:46 PM   #52
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
Sometimes it is better to err on the side of too much than too little.
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-22-2014, 06:51 PM   #53
Site Team
 
rbryan4's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
I think we're just rehashing the same points again and again. There are pros and cons for each choice.

SUVs: smaller, easier to tool around in once youre unhitched, everything in one enclosure, good mileage while not towing, maybe a better daily driver if your TV and daily driver are the same.

Pickups: better towing capacity, less engine lug or lack of control on steep grades, better mileage than most SUVs when towing.

What's important to you? Go that way. If it were MY 21, it'd be a Ford F150 Ecoboost or a Chevy Silverado Eco3. Maybe a Ram Eco diesel if I could justify the expense and overcome my diesel prejudice.
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
rbryan4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2014, 12:15 AM   #54
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
Trailer: 2016 21
Posts: 84
Quote:
Originally Posted by moments View Post
We're newbies...received our 21 in mid August. we need to upgrade our tow vehicle and are thinking seriously of the Highlander. Anyone using one to tow and if so are you happy with it. THanks so much.
Hi Moments,

No "real experience" here, sorry. But do appreciate the real world experience, truly, of those that have, and have posted here.

But being a, on the fence 21 owner, I asked the owner of the "Toyota only" shop where my Wife have taken our Toyotas for service the last 20 years, a couple of weeks ago, what he thought of towing a 5000 lb trailer with the Highlander.

His 1st question was, "What's it Drag Coefficient ?" - I had no idea, but maybe a new thread on how to reduce the "sail"?

Next he recommended beefing up the rear suspension, so I groped around and found this :

I think I'm finally done with suspension mods (Coil SumoSprings Install) - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Which might be helpful, and at least was for the Highlander owner who took the time to post their towing results.

Beyond that, he just recommended keeping on top of, and doing frequently, the fluid changes, differential & transmission, and didn't think it would be a problem towing.

I was also concerned about taking the Highlander to its limits, given its current towing stats :

2014 Highlander GCWR - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

But wanted a TV that could provide reasonable gas mileage, reliability and comfort for the other 95% of the time its not towing

Please let us know if/when you can add to our Lewis & Clark information on this.

Appreciate it.
Bill_75 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off




» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Escape Trailer Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:00 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2023 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.