tow vehicle for 21' trailer

[Telescopist]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

Nope , not equal at all, but far superior in ride, looks, comfort and ease of operation. In my thoroughly tested opinion.
Iowa Dave

My problem is with the words 'equal' or 'equivalent'. John's comment that [the] "Tacoma is a RWD truck with leaf springs, full frame, and a live axle." And, [the] "Highlander is a FWD crossover based on a Camry platform" about sums it up. That being the case any comparison between the two vehicles with respect to ride, looks, comfort, and ease of operation becomes problematic if not outright subjective.

[nrthwds]

Would like to keep my 2016 Highlander and would like to get the 21' trailer and see how the Highlander does with the new trailer before just getting a truck with higher tow rating and then having only a truck to drive the rest the year. I like the highlander and it has towed my 17b with no problems. It is a little light in the rear... as are most Toyotas,
Drove a Tundra and I am a Toyota person so I liked it for towing but then the gas mileage is not good v8 for my only vehicle. Still need to test drive the F150. Tested the Expedition and really liked it but way too much money.

[dfandrews]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

.......... He got to hear how loud the horn on my F250 is from point blank. ......

It's times like that I have the recurring thought: got to get a bigger horn, like maybe a Nathan K3LA ():
http://realtrainhorns.net/shop/index...product_id=114

[Farther]

Originally Posted by Telescopist

The 4 Runner has a body-on-frame build just like the Tacoma. The argument goes something like this: body-on-frame vehicles are better at off-roading and hauling. The body on the frame makes them more resistant to twisting forces.

Although that may be the case with the two Toyotas, generally unibodies are stiffer than the in-class body on frame vehicles. And a unibody can be configured to tow and haul competitively with the body on frame crowd in the same class. Case in point, my second generation Ridgeline's payload is over 1550 pounds, the hitch weight limit is 600 pounds and the towing limit is 5000 pounds.

[Rossue]

Sheesh- just used a closed truck scale on hwy 126 east of Eugene:

Yukon unhitched: 6650
Tongue: 550
Trailer: 4300

Full propane/full water/1Up + 2 bikes
empty black/grey tanks. Storage under dinette full of stuff, including wine, canned goods spare parts. This is the heaviest we've ever travelled and can feel it.

[Ret.LEO]

Easy solution...........either get a Tundra.........which I love and has been the proud extremely pleased owner or join the herd and a Ford F150
I still drive a 2006 4X4 Tundra, gets 21 MPG, looks and drives like new yet. Previously I had a 96 Toy T100 which when we parted ways had 265K miles, got 22MPG, wouldn't use a 1/2 qt of oil between 3,000 miles. Sold it for what I paid for it 5 years earlier. I have had offers for $2,000 more than what I paid for my 2006.
Point being you can get a great ride, have plenty of cab room, get good fuel mileage, better safety, no worry towing. Tundra's can be had for not if any more than a decked out Highlander or 4Runner.
I like a larger truck.......always better to have more TV than needed than a TV that is just enough.

[Telescopist]

Originally Posted by Farther

Although that may be the case with the two Toyotas, generally unibodies are stiffer than the in-class body on frame vehicles. And a unibody can be configured to tow and haul competitively with the body on frame crowd in the same class. Case in point, my second generation Ridgeline's payload is over 1550 pounds, the hitch weight limit is 600 pounds and the towing limit is 5000 pounds.

Source that the Toyota unibody - specifically the Highlander is stiffer "than the in-class body" on the 4 Runner/Tacoma?

[Telescopist]

Originally Posted by Ret.LEO

Easy solution...........either get a Tundra.........which I love and has been the proud extremely pleased owner or join the herd and a Ford F150
I still drive a 2006 4X4 Tundra, gets 21 MPG, looks and drives like new yet. Previously I had a 96 Toy T100 which when we parted ways had 265K miles, got 22MPG, wouldn't use a 1/2 qt of oil between 3,000 miles. Sold it for what I paid for it 5 years earlier. I have had offers for $2,000 more than what I paid for my 2006.
Point being you can get a great ride, have plenty of cab room, get good fuel mileage, better safety, no worry towing. Tundra's can be had for not if any more than a decked out Highlander or 4Runner.
I like a larger truck.......always better to have more TV than needed than a TV that is just enough.

Not a solution for me. I don't want a truck.

[Rossue]

Me either, and this is an anomaly for us. We had a 2013 Highlander 17B and remember agonizing whether to keep it or go full size. And ours us Gen1 w/no AC. Would have been another 250 had that been the case.

[nrthwds]

Test drove the 2019 Tundra and I liked it but they are v8 with 13-17 miles per gallon now.
Ford 150 is 17-23 v6 for about the same price.
The difference in gas would add up when towing and using as only vehicle.
Big decision, keep the highlander hoping it will pull the 21 ok or get one of the above trucks.

[Greggo]

To be so close to the weight limit everytime out, that seems to put an awful lot on the transaxle. And a few hills or mountain roads and you could wake up some morning to a puddle of engine fluid.

Greg

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by Rossue

Sheesh- just used a closed truck scale on hwy 126 east of Eugene:

Yukon unhitched: 6650
Tongue: 550
Trailer: 4300

Full propane/full water/1Up + 2 bikes
empty black/grey tanks. Storage under dinette full of stuff, including wine, canned goods spare parts. This is the heaviest we've ever travelled and can feel it.

Interesting, my 1stG 2014 E21 with a/c was 500/tongue and 3800 on axles, loaded with fluids, propane, and "stuff" for 2 weeks.

[arniesea]

Originally Posted by nrthwds

Would like to keep my 2016 Highlander and would like to get the 21' trailer and see how the Highlander does with the new trailer before just getting a truck with higher tow rating and then having only a truck to drive the rest the year. I like the highlander and it has towed my 17b with no problems. It is a little light in the rear... as are most Toyotas,
Drove a Tundra and I am a Toyota person so I liked it for towing but then the gas mileage is not good v8 for my only vehicle. Still need to test drive the F150. Tested the Expedition and really liked it but way too much money.

I too am a Toyota person. The way I justified the change from my 18+MPG for daily driving Tacoma to the 15+MPG Tundra was to get and electric bicycle to run my urban errands. I now drive my Tundra much less and I’m more fit!

(It helps that my wife’s car is a Camry hybrid at 40+ MPG for other errands.)

As far as towing, the greater capacity in payload and power with the Tundra means that I’m getting almost the same milage under tow as the Tacoma because I’m using higher gears and lower RPMs for the same conditions.

[LeonW]

As Rossue mentioned, we use our 2014 Highlander to pull our 2014 Escape 21. We have about 70,000 miles on the Highlander. About 35,000 miles on the trailer. I keep meaning to weigh it, but never quite get there. One of these days! But so far have been happy with the towing experience. I have posted a few times about our towing experience so if you search the forum you can find those. We use an Anderson Weight Distribution Hitch.

Last year I put a set of sumo springs on the back of the Highlander because I thought the back end was squatting a bit. I don’t know ithat it made any difference. We got the front wheel drive XLE model. There have been a couple of times when I wished I had the AWD model. Mostly when getting the trailer out of storage in January when we have had to shovel it out and the storage yard is a bit icy. If the upgrade the 4Runner, I might switch to that so I could have a taller rear entry door for bicycle transportation. But other than that I have been pleased with the towing experience.

[Ret.LEO]

Originally Posted by nrthwds

Test drove the 2019 Tundra and I liked it but they are v8 with 13-17 miles per gallon now.
Ford 150 is 17-23 v6 for about the same price.
The difference in gas would add up when towing and using as only vehicle.
Big decision, keep the highlander hoping it will pull the 21 ok or get one of the above trucks.

Not bashing F150's at all because they are the most advanced P/U on the road (I'm still a Tundra person though)
Ford's notoriously over rated on EPA mileage. The best in Ford right now is the ten speed trans. It will deliver close to the EPA rating.
Youngest son bought a new F150 XLT Super Crew Cab..........it is quite the truck! Been great for him. If $'s are not a huge issue they also offer a small diesel in one of the higher trim levels. That would be sweet but very expensive.
You are looking at the two best trucks on the market. Love my Tundra's but could possibly convert to a F150

[EdColorado]

Originally Posted by Greggo

To be so close to the weight limit everytime out, that seems to put an awful lot on the transaxle. And a few hills or mountain roads and you could wake up some morning to a puddle of engine fluid.

Greg

“Getting away with it, isn’t the same as a sound practice “

BaBa Fats the guru.

[marktracie]

Just get a Ram 3500 Cummins deisel dually like I have..you will never worry about towing any escape..

[Oldtimer]

Our truck is used for towing and hauling things from Lowe’s as needed rest out the time we’re using our Outback

[marktracie]

Originally Posted by nrthwds

Currently have a 17b and am thinking of getting a 21. Pull with a 2016 Highlander Limited awd with tow package 5000/500.
Will this be okay for the 21 trailer?
Anybody pulling the 21 with a highlander? I know there are lots using it with a 19'.

Ram 3500 dually diesel .. solves all towing problems..

[Farther]

Originally Posted by marktracie

Ram 3500 dually diesel .. solves all towing problems..

I'm reminded of the bumper sticker that says a large pickup is an overcompensation for small genitals.