Towing vehicle for 19' Escape

[Bill and Earline]

John,
I’d love to hear more about that bad-boy 7.3.
My son has one with a multi-level chip.
I used it to tow a 35 foot bumper pull to New Orleans for my in-laws to live in after Katrina.
It got 18 mpg towing it down, and 19 mpg not towing on the way home.
Bill

[Iowa Dave]

Hi Bill
We had an F250 with that engine when I sold landscape supplies. It had 356,000 miles on it when the truck frame rusted through and sagged so the box wedged against the cab. They had plowed snow and spread salt with it for many years and it took its toll. She would run and pulled a lot of trailer loads of fertilizer and calcined ball diamond clay. I’d take it to Rock Island from Cedar Rapids two times in an 8 hour day. 400 miles total. Didn’t stop for coffee.
Iowa Dave

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by Bill and Earline

John,
I’d love to hear more about that bad-boy 7.3.
My son has one with a multi-level chip.
I used it to tow a 35 foot bumper pull to New Orleans for my in-laws to live in after Katrina.
It got 18 mpg towing it down, and 19 mpg not towing on the way home.
Bill

well, mine is totally stock, its a 'supercab' (extended cab) longbed, so it has 158" wheelbase, which means trying to maneuver in tight quarters requires some real planning. 4x4, automatic transmission.

I'm not getting anywhere near that mileage, so indeed I'm tempted to 'chip' it as I have heard the same sort of MPG from others with good multi-mode chips like the Hydra....

I only got this truck a month ago. it has 230,000 miles... last weekend was our first trip with it and the Escape. it towed it like it wasn't there.

[Iowa Dave]

If she was mine I’d have to get a little decal
made for her. I’d name her “Long Tall Sally” . Then I’d get the Little Richard recording on my device and be rocking that mama pulling into the CG. Hope it’s making a great rig for you. Ought to be able to haul whatever you’ll need.
Iowa Dave

[renglish6]

I am about to pick up a new 19 and plan to tow with a 2014 Tacoma with tow package. Toyota says good to 6500# so that sounds good. It is the GVWR I am looking at. That is 5500#. I weighed truck alone with me and the wife, our two dogs, and a full tank of gas. Weighs 4940#. Put in a generator and I will be at about 4990# with nothing else loaded in truck. Then I need to add tongue wt which I understand for new 19 can be 400-500#. That pretty much maxes out truck. I will be using the Escape supplied WDH with antisway. Think that's the Fastway E2. Lot of numbers. Look like Tacoma is up to it but I shouldn't load much in the truck. Any thoughts? By the way I am a numbers geek but I guess you already knew that.

[CarlNH]

Some good info in this forum string... http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f1...deo-12280.html

Originally Posted by renglish6

I am about to pick up a new 19 and plan to tow with a 2014 Tacoma with tow package. Toyota says good to 6500# so that sounds good. It is the GVWR I am looking at. That is 5500#. I weighed truck alone with me and the wife, our two dogs, and a full tank of gas. Weighs 4940#. Put in a generator and I will be at about 4990# with nothing else loaded in truck. Then I need to add tongue wt which I understand for new 19 can be 400-500#. That pretty much maxes out truck. I will be using the Escape supplied WDH with antisway. Think that's the Fastway E2. Lot of numbers. Look like Tacoma is up to it but I shouldn't load much in the truck. Any thoughts? By the way I am a numbers geek but I guess you already knew that.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by renglish6

I am about to pick up a new 19 and plan to tow with a 2014 Tacoma with tow package. Toyota says good to 6500# so that sounds good. It is the GVWR I am looking at. That is 5500#. I weighed truck alone with me and the wife, our two dogs, and a full tank of gas. Weighs 4940#. Put in a generator and I will be at about 4990# with nothing else loaded in truck. Then I need to add tongue wt which I understand for new 19 can be 400-500#. That pretty much maxes out truck. I will be using the Escape supplied WDH with antisway. Think that's the Fastway E2. Lot of numbers. Look like Tacoma is up to it but I shouldn't load much in the truck. Any thoughts? By the way I am a numbers geek but I guess you already knew that.

IMHO. add air bags to the Tacoma, and after loading it with whatever gear pump the airbags til the truck is the same height (I measure from top of tires to center of wheel well rim) it was before you started loading it. NOW hitch up, and adjust the WDH per specs so the trailer is level, and the truck is nearly the same height it was before you hitched.

now, don't sweat it if the truck is a bit overweight, it should handle just fine, take it easy, and stay 1 gear lower than you would w/o the trailer. for extra safety margins, get LT tires in load range "D" or "E" when you replace the tires, and run about 10 PSI above the Toyota recommendations (which should NOT be anywhere near the "D" or "E" tire max pressure... I run about 45 psi rear, 40 psi front when I was towing with the Taco). also make sure your trailer brake controller is adjusted so those brakes have some bite and the trailer isn't 'pushing' the truck when you're braking hard.

btw, sounds like Toyota upped the GVWR a bit, my 2008 access cab 4x4 TRD Off Road 6-speed has a 5350 lb GVWR, which allowed a 1200 lb payload with the truck as delivered. I've got a Snug top thats probably 150 lbs on there.

here's my 2008 sticker:

[wetzk]

Originally Posted by renglish6

I am about to pick up a new 19 and plan to tow with a 2014 Tacoma with tow package. Toyota says good to 6500# so that sounds good. It is the GVWR I am looking at. That is 5500#. I weighed truck alone with me and the wife, our two dogs, and a full tank of gas. Weighs 4940#. Put in a generator and I will be at about 4990# with nothing else loaded in truck. Then I need to add tongue wt which I understand for new 19 can be 400-500#. That pretty much maxes out truck. I will be using the Escape supplied WDH with antisway. Think that's the Fastway E2. Lot of numbers. Look like Tacoma is up to it but I shouldn't load much in the truck. Any thoughts? By the way I am a numbers geek but I guess you already knew that.

Something I am very familiar with.
the 6500 Lb is with the access cab, the double cab is down rated to 6400 Lbs tow weight with 640 Lbs tongue weight.
The thing you need to pay real close attention to is the carry capacity. Look in the drivers side door frame. There will be a sticker with a statement about how much combined weight the truck can carry. This is what is loaded in the truck and the driver and passengers. For mine it is 1150 Lbs.
This is what the truck came from the factory with. If the dealer added anything there will be a sticker with the revised weight carrying capacity.

1150 Lbs is not much, figure you, your wife, and the hitch and hitch weight and a cap and a few accessories and you are getting close to capacity. We load everything but us and a small cooler in the trailer when we travel.
For our trucks you will run out of carry capacity long before you will exceed the towing capacity. And before some of the other folks get too smug there are lots of both domestic and foreign trucks that have the same issue. We bought ours a few years before the trailer and will eventually replace it with something more capable, But it is doing fine for now. Tows well, gets decent MPG and hauls plywood and such just fine. Just can't load the truck bed with anything when we tow.


Also do not exceed the carry capacity or tow capacity , If you ever have an accident they will be looking for any way they can get out of paying. Why help them?

[h2owmn]

Dave, I also got an '18 highlander back 6 weeks ago. Trademasters did the wiring when I was in Chilliwack and with the wdh it tows like a dream. It's a solid pairing, much more so than the Chalet Aframe I used before even though it was lighter.

But like you, I'm in a fog when it comes to all the bells and whistles. My daughter has a '17 so she's been a little help, which I can't say for the book. It's so thick I thought for a minute the Gideons had expanded from hotels to cars.

[John in Santa Cruz]

indeed, these weight issues are why I upgraded from my Tacoma to a 2002 F250 diesel to pull our E21... the F250 diesel is reedonk... 2000 lb payload, 8800 lb GVWR, 6800 lb curb weight, 12500 lb hitch tow (WDH recommended above 6500 lbs), and 20,000 lb GCWR. even if I *was* pulling a 12500 lb trailer, thats 1250 lbs on the hitch (assuming 10%), that leaves 750 lbs for us plus gear while staying under GVWR and GCWR. as it is, pulling the < 5000 lb E21, I'll never ever go anywheres near capacity.

oh, and here's the back of my Tacoma with my telescope and minimum gear. ladder was on the roof rack and not visible.


here's the back of the F250 longbed with the same gear /including/ 7' ladder, admittedly without that aqua folding chair...


LOTS of room for additional camping gear.


edit: oh, and the 7.3 Ford turbodiesel gets just about exactly the same gas mileage as the 4.0L V6 Tacoma... around 18 cruising on the highway w/o towing, about 13 towing, and about 13 zipping around the town/county.

[wetzk]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

indeed, these weight issues are why I upgraded from my Tacoma to a 2002 F250 diesel to pull our E21... the F250 diesel is reedonk... 2000 lb payload, 8800 lb GVWR, 6800 lb curb weight, 12500 lb hitch tow (WDH recommended above 6500 lbs), and 20,000 lb GCWR. even if I *was* pulling a 12500 lb trailer, thats 1250 lbs on the hitch (assuming 10%), that leaves 750 lbs for us plus gear while staying under GVWR and GCWR. as it is, pulling the < 5000 lb E21, I'll never ever go anywheres near capacity.

Mine fits in any parking spot except those for compact cars or cycles . When I had the F250 4X4 Work truck that was not always possible. Mine also fits in my garage. No way an F250 DBL cab long bed will fit in a normal garage. I do plan on upgrading to a more capable platform in the future but since I do not plan on getting a vastly larger trailer do not plan on overkill.

Most I would need is enough for the 19 style 21 or 23 that maybe Reace will introduce one day ......

[Devil Dog]

https://www.bing.com/search?q=song+g...&setlang=en-US

Give me 40 achers ...

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by wetzk

Mine fits in any parking spot except those for compact cars or cycles . When I had the F250 4X4 Work truck that was not always possible. Mine also fits in my garage. No way an F250 DBL cab long bed will fit in a normal garage. I do plan on upgrading to a more capable platform in the future but since I do not plan on getting a vastly larger trailer do not plan on overkill.

Most I would need is enough for the 19 style 21 or 23 that maybe Reace will introduce one day ......

I got a extended cab longbed, so 21' bumper to bumper. yeah, parking in parallel parking is no fun, but it fits in most parking lots. I find myself carrying quite a lot of gear in thet ruck bed for either music festivals or multiday star parties (said big telescope, etc). I *know* I was way over payload last summer where we did a trip to the eclipse, toured the PNW, then ended up a the strawberry music festival... music festival requires several extra chairs, and they need to be all day comfortable chairs for listening.

[Bark]

Previously towed our 19 with a 2010 Tacoma V6 Double Cab, and have recently moved up to a 2018 V6 Tacoma (6 speed manual). Handles the trailer with ease, and seems to be about 10% to 15% more fuel efficient.

[sharonm3394]

Oh boy! After reading everyone's posts on tow vehicles I'm now more undecided than ever. Right now I tow my 17B with a 2005 Highlander which has a 3500b towing capacity. I'm looking at getting a new Highlander or a 4Runner. What to do, what to do!!

[gbaglo]

The 4Runner sells for about ten grand more than a Highlander, for more serious off road capability and a testosterone boost.

For me, I figure I'd rather spend the money on beer than bravado.
Meantime, I'm just hanging on to my RAV4.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

The 4Runner sells for about ten grand more than a Highlander, for more serious off road capability and a testosterone boost.

also rear wheel drive, proper frame, and higher tow capacity, depending on options etc. the 4runner is based on a land cruiser prado and the tacoma, while the highlander is built on a modifed camry chassis. while the highlander is available as 'AWD', it is in fact primarily a FWD vehicle, with rear wheel assist, while the 4Runner is a native RWD vehicle with optional 4x4 that engages the front wheels on command.

[gbaglo]

Don't forget all the lumpy bits...

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

also rear wheel drive, proper frame, and higher tow capacity, depending on options etc.

All true, but a "proper frame" (body on frame vs unibody) does not necessarily translate to a better tow. Just perusing the anecdotal evidence on many forums, some people prefer the Highlander to the 4Runner for light to medium towing.

[disneydoc]

I am quite happy with my 2017 V6 highlander XLE towing my 17B, but I am surprised to hear about the failed transmission needing replacements on the Internet in the 2017 V6 Highlanders.

I believe they said the introduction of the 8 gears in the 2017 Model which caused the problems, some were saved by software updates but many still needed the replacement.

We have been driving Toyotas for a long time, and was a little disappointed coming from Toyota.