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Old 06-18-2017, 09:35 PM   #1
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Towing 17B with Highlander Hybrid?

We're shopping for a fiberglass trailer with bathroom and room for 3. Our tow vehicle is only qualified for 3500. Anyone have experience with using a 'lighter' Toyota to tow a 17 ft trailer?
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Old 06-18-2017, 09:37 PM   #2
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Several owners tow 17's with V6 Rav4's that are rated at 3500# towing capacity.
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Old 06-18-2017, 09:39 PM   #3
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I'm towing a 17B with a 2008 RAV4 V6 with tow package.
It has a 3,500 / 350 lb. rating.
Been towing it for 8 years.
Know nothing about Highlander Hybrid.
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Old 06-18-2017, 09:52 PM   #4
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Kris, check in your owners manual to see what it lists for GCWR or GCVR. That is the total weight allowed for the Highlander itself , all passengers and cargo inside it, and the total loaded weight of the trailer. You will most likely be under the 3500# rating for the trailer itself, but you might exceed that total capacity.

A lot depends on how much stuff you plan to take along and how fast you want to go up mountain passes. . I'd also read everything in the manual regarding references to towing with it.

Since the hybrid is relying on batteries to provide the electricity for the electric motor, long climbs up mountain passes might prove to be problematic. It would be good to search the web for discussions by folks towing with one.
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Old 06-18-2017, 10:48 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thoer View Post
Kris, check in your owners manual to see what it lists for GCWR or GCVR. That is the total weight allowed for the Highlander itself , all passengers and cargo inside it, and the total loaded weight of the trailer. You will most likely be under the 3500# rating for the trailer itself, but you might exceed that total capacity.

A lot depends on how much stuff you plan to take along and how fast you want to go up mountain passes. . I'd also read everything in the manual regarding references to towing with it.

Since the hybrid is relying on batteries to provide the electricity for the electric motor, long climbs up mountain passes might prove to be problematic. It would be good to search the web for discussions by folks towing with one.
To clarify - different hybrids work in slightly different ways -

But they are all designed that it is impossible to "run out of battery power"

As long as you have gas in it - you can drive it. (Or tow with it)

John.
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Old 06-19-2017, 01:16 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by thoer View Post
...
Since the hybrid is relying on batteries to provide the electricity for the electric motor, long climbs up mountain passes might prove to be problematic. It would be good to search the web for discussions by folks towing with one.
The Highlander Hybrid only uses the rear drive motor when there is a loss of front traction. On a normal road, that means the rear motor isn't used at all. The motor-generators in the transaxle which drives the front wheels are provided with cooling to allow them to run continuously, so the length of a grade is not a concern, within the vehicle's rated load limits.

On slippery surfaces and in mud or snow, heating of the rear drive motor can be an issue with system after extended use - it limits power or shuts down to avoid overheating. That won't happen on a normal road, and only affects the rear drive even if it does occur.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Losangeles View Post
To clarify - different hybrids work in slightly different ways -

But they are all designed that it is impossible to "run out of battery power"

As long as you have gas in it - you can drive it. (Or tow with it)

John.
True - the battery only smooths out power demand and captures energy during regenerative braking. In the Highlander Hybrid, the continuous power output is limited by engine power... likely to 278 horsepower.
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Old 06-19-2017, 01:39 AM   #7
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My 17' trailer is not an Escape (yet), but is similar in shape, the width of an Escape 19', and about 3000 pounds as I have towed it. Our 2004 Toyota Sienna handles it fine, including on mountain roads and while carrying half a ton of passengers and cargo; it has the same drivetrain the same vintage Highlander, which was substantially less powerful than the current version.

The Highlander (regular or hybrid) is substantially larger - including longer wheelbase - than the RAV4 used by some members to tow the Escape 17', so the Highlander is a more stable tow vehicle.
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Old 06-19-2017, 02:03 AM   #8
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The Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) of the current (2017) Highlander Hybrid is listed in the owner's manual as 9760 lb. (4430 kg). If the vehicle is weighed (empty) and the passengers and cargo are added to find the Gross Vehicle Weight, then the trailer is limited to the difference between that and the GCWR.

One source lists the curb weight (for a Limited) as 4965 pounds, which would leave 4795 pounds for trailer, passengers, and cargo. With a 3500 pound trailer, that still leaves 1295 pounds for passengers and cargo. Although GCWR is often an issue, it seems unlikely that it will be with this vehicle.

There are also the Gross Vehicle Weight rating and (rear) Gross Axle Weight Rating to consider, as with any other vehicle.

The tongue weight of an Escape 17' may exceed the 350 pound rating of the Highlander Hybrid. Since Toyota simply sets this limits as 10% of the trailer weight, it may not be a real concern... but it would be up to the owner/operator to make an informed decision about this.
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Old 06-19-2017, 06:07 AM   #9
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We also have towed the 17b with our RAV4 6 cyl without incident. However you should heed the advice given above regarding total vehicle capacity. What is the torque of the hybrid?
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Old 06-19-2017, 07:46 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
The Highlander Hybrid only uses the rear drive motor when there is a loss of front traction. On a normal road, that means the rear motor isn't used at all. The motor-generators in the transaxle which drives the front wheels are provided with cooling to allow them to run continuously, so the length of a grade is not a concern, within the vehicle's rated load limits.

True - the battery only smooths out power demand and captures energy during regenerative braking. In the Highlander Hybrid, the continuous power output is limited by engine power... likely to 278 horsepower.
Makes sense. I was assuming that Toyota was using a smaller engine in the Hybrid version and using the electric motors as a more significant HP addition. When I looked it up I was surprised to see that the newest version lists the same V6 engine as the other V6 powered models and the hybrid system adds about 20 HP. Seems like it could be rated at the same 5000# capacity as those models.
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Old 06-20-2017, 02:25 AM   #11
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... the newest version lists the same V6 engine as the other V6 powered models and the hybrid system adds about 20 HP. Seems like it could be rated at the same 5000# capacity as those models.
As far as the engine is concerned, it probably could be. The limitation will likely be cooling of the components of the hybrid transmission system (motors and electronics), just as the limitation for many vehicles without towing packages is cooling of the conventional automatic transmission.
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