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Old 07-29-2017, 07:11 PM   #1
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Tow Vehicle Question

Currently have 17' Casita and 2015 4Runner TV.
Considering 21' Escape purchase and see Escape says the 21' is targeted for mid sized V6 SUV's.

2015 4Runner has towing package as a standard feature and 4700 pound towing capacity.

Wondering if there is anyone towing the 21' Escape with a 2015 4Runner or like vehicle, and if you would share your experience and opinion.

Thanks,
Ken
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Old 07-29-2017, 07:18 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kennull View Post
Currently have 17' Casita and 2015 4Runner TV.
Considering 21' Escape purchase and see Escape says the 21' is targeted for mid sized V6 SUV's.

2015 4Runner has towing package as a standard feature and 4700 pound towing capacity.

Wondering if there is anyone towing the 21' Escape with a 2015 4Runner or like vehicle, and if you would share your experience and opinion.

Thanks,
Ken
LeonW, IowaDave and I all tow 21's with Highlanders with 5000' tow capacity and have had very good experiences.Leon has the most miles of us 3 with this tow/trailer combination.
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Old 07-29-2017, 07:48 PM   #3
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LeonW, IowaDave and I all tow 21's with Highlanders with 5000' tow capacity and have had very good experiences.Leon has the most miles of us 3 with this tow/trailer combination.
We tow a 19 with a Highlander and 5K # capacity and it has worked very well. The 21 is only 260# total dry weight more than the 19 as listed on the ETI website. You might not be able to load quite as much gear in the 21, but I can well imagine that a Highlander would be a perfectly fine tug. It all depends on how you load it.
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Old 07-29-2017, 08:04 PM   #4
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All day long, mile after mile. 2012 Highlander with a 19 weighing 3680. 425 tongue weight. Standard Escape Pro Tow hitch. Four years. Tower up. Last week 2013 Escape, 1600 miles 3 days running 62 miles An hour Arizona, New Mexico, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa. As hot as 102 degreesF heat needle on coolant never made dead level on the Highlander stayed a needle width below on the cool side. Running 62 miles an hour average, got between 12 and 16,2 mpg depended on terrain and wind. Ave 14.2. Smile when you call it a mall crawler ________.
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Old 07-29-2017, 08:28 PM   #5
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Smile when you call it a mall crawler ________.
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I knew you would show up shortly
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Old 07-29-2017, 08:36 PM   #6
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10-10 on the side

Hi Eric
Took the silver bullet in for an oil change the other day. Mobil One Synthetic. I will admit I sauntered out into the showroom and picked up a Highlander brochure. My salesman was off that day probably a good thing but at 158 thousand in 63 months I gotta be thinking ahead.
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Old 07-29-2017, 08:46 PM   #7
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Dave, that new higher GCWR, 25 more HP and better MPG all sound like a winning combination. Now I just need to convince Mary it's a good idea to trade in so soon.
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Old 07-29-2017, 09:22 PM   #8
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New one

Hi Eric
I liked the thought of the 8 speed transmission too. All the safety surro d stuff would probably be good too. Can't have too many warnings with all the lane drifting, texting idiots out there.
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Old 07-30-2017, 06:07 AM   #9
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We also had great success towing the first 20,000 miles with our 2003 4Runner V6, which has some towing similarities to the newer Highlanders. It was only a 4-speed and could have used more gear choices. Only worry was the transmission temp's, but an added cooler and a ScanGuage took care of that concern. We towed all the highest and steepest grades from 11,000 foot Monarch pass in Colorado to that high campground at Big Bend NP.

That 4Runner at 102,000 is still doing fine as a non-towing vehicle, by the way, and every Toyota fan would enjoy the write-up in this month's Truck Trend about the 999,999 mile 4.7 L Tundra. The 2007 was torn down by Toyota and nearly every measurement was still within factory spec.

Do like the 8 speed tranny in our newer tow vehicle. Always a perfect gear.
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Old 07-30-2017, 07:39 AM   #10
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The only differences I noticed in towing the 19 and 21 with the same tow vehicle was tongue weight and mpg. The tongue weight in the 21 was 500# or about 75# more than the 19. With the additional width of the 21, my mpg increase with the 19 was about 10%. Also no longer needed towing mirrors with the narrower 19. Judicious loading, fresh water in the rear tank can impact tongue weight and sway.
Dave- check your signature for spelling- right vs tight?
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Old 07-30-2017, 08:04 AM   #11
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Hi Jim
I'm an old man, too vain to wear glasses with fat fingers who doesn't like to proof read.
We went to a visitation Friday afternoon for a good guy who replaced me as Scoutmaster when I put in my 10 years and took another troop job. He was 50....... brain aneurysm. You never know.
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Old 07-30-2017, 08:17 AM   #12
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Hi Jim
I'm an old man, too vain to wear glasses with fat fingers who doesn't like to proof read.
We went to a visitation Friday afternoon for a good guy who replaced me as Scoutmaster when I put in my 10 years and took another troop job. He was 50....... brain aneurysm. You never know.
Dave
Hi: Iowa Dave... I've never been that "Tight" to be right... but I did work at Holiday Inn. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie
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Old 07-30-2017, 07:18 PM   #13
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Thank you thoer. I appreciate your response.
Ken
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Old 07-30-2017, 07:21 PM   #14
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Thank you rjbnr. I appreciate your response.
Ken
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Old 07-30-2017, 07:24 PM   #15
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Thank you Iowa Dave. I appreciate your reply.
Ken
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Old 07-30-2017, 07:37 PM   #16
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Thank you Bill and Earline. I appreciate your response. I presume the 4Runner aged out of the towing duty in stead of failing at it. My 2015 4Runner also has a 4 speed tranny. Did you beef up the 4Runner rear suspension to tow the 21' Escape or was it stock?
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Old 07-30-2017, 07:41 PM   #17
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Thank you Jim. I appreciate your response.
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Old 07-30-2017, 07:45 PM   #18
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Ken - I imagine you already know you will want a good WDH for this setup.
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Old 07-30-2017, 08:27 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kennull View Post
Currently have 17' Casita and 2015 4Runner TV.
Considering 21' Escape purchase and see Escape says the 21' is targeted for mid sized V6 SUV's.

2015 4Runner has towing package as a standard feature and 4700 pound towing capacity.

Wondering if there is anyone towing the 21' Escape with a 2015 4Runner or like vehicle, and if you would share your experience and opinion.

Thanks,
Ken
I can't advise on the 4Runner at all...

but...

FWIIW

we used to tow a 17' Casita.

We now tow a 2017 21' Escape (dual solar, HVAC, thermal windows, underbelly insulation, but we travel lightly packed.... meaning 4 days food, not a month of food on board.... for example)

with a 2011 Acura MDX - 300 HP, (273 lbs torque)

and i wish i had a bit more power for merging onto a freeway, or scampering up mountains.

if i was to buy a new tug tomorrow, if i was feeling quite flush i'd get an Audi Q7 (with the bigger engine) probably.

if not feeling quite so flush i'd get maybe a Dodge Durango with the bigger engine.

(in the mid size SUV selection.... tons of other tugs available, of course)

FWIIW.

John
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Old 07-30-2017, 08:59 PM   #20
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Thoer, I just recently started thinking about this combination, so I have not done much beyond this query on the Escape forum. Would you suggest a quality WDH manufacturer?
Thanks,
Ken
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