What Tow Vehicle for Escape 19?

[Wunfiddy]

A lot of people need to have a tow vehicle that isn't dedicated to only towing. It also needs to be decent at other things, like daily driving, highway driving, off roading, etc.
Escape and other fiberglass trailer makers are tapping into a market under served by main stream stick builders (yes there are some light models, but poorly built) Thats some of the allure to this style trailer, not having to have a full sized v8 truck or suv, or an HD.

I'd love to be in a Tacoma, or wait and see what the new Ranger is like when it comes out, and have minimal desire to get a heavier duty half ton. Currently my light half is also my work truck, where it does not excel, and will be replaced by an HD van or truck.

Modern quad cam VVT v6 engines rev, as mentioned here, and peak torque is generally in the 4k range, as mentioned here. Plus most vehicles have 6 plus gears, also as mentioned.

I'd like to hear more of people with Highlanders, small pick ups, and other mid size SUVs towing escapes, and there where and how well.

[Dave Rosebaugh]

Yes, Wunfiddy, that's how we roll. We have a 2014 Jeep Cherokee with 3.2 Pentastar for great year-round usability. Towing our 1st Gen 19, peak torque is 4,400 RPM, but we rarely go over low to mid 3K with the 9-speed transmission. Took a 10-week trip to the east coast a year ago, over the Rockies and Appalacians and back, and we did fine up and down all grades. Average about 17 mpg towing, 30 mpg not towing. A great combination for us.

[CarlNH]

I plan to get a 19 and my tow vehicle is a 2017 Highlander XLE. So, I've been following this post which has some good info... http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f1...xle-11172.html

Thinking the new 19 is heavier than I'd like so am looking for a "classic" used version but seems others are doing OK with the new one as well.

Originally Posted by Wunfiddy

A lot of people need to have a tow vehicle that isn't dedicated to only towing.

I'd like to hear more of people with Highlanders, small pick ups, and other mid size SUVs towing escapes, and there where and how well.

[Wunfiddy]

Dave and Carl:
Dave that fuel economy is damn fine.
Carl, since all the posts about Highlanders since I joined this site earlier this year, I looked into them. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than the early 2000s models, which are the last time I looked into them. If they can comfortably tow a 19 that's a nice well rounded vehicle.

[J&B Mitt]

We didn’t think our V6 SUV would be adequate, but turns out that it is.

We tow with a 2009 Ford Explorer, super low miles, it’s a technological dinosaur. We suspected that it was marginal to tow out new 19, but we were pleasantly surprised. We just got home from seven weeks on the road. Seventy-five hundred miles, fourteen states and four provinces, that included Siskiyou Summit, Altamont Pass, Tehachapi Pass, Tijeras Pass, and the ½ mile, 16% grade at the entrance to Laguna Seca Raceway.

Our 4x4 ‘Exploder’ is the 4.0 V6, 254 ft lb torque at 3700 rpm. It has the ‘lesser’ 5R55 transmission with locking fifth gear overdrive. Ours has 3.55 axle ratio (didn’t have the factory tow package that included 3.73 gearing, a 5% increase in torque multiplication.)

We learned that best strategy was to keep the overdrive ‘off’ always when pulling the trailer. This eliminated most of the hunting. We cruised 55-60 mph, with the cruise control ‘on’ most of the time. On the very-steep grades, with cruise off, we’d climb grades at around 3000 rpm in third or second gear. We happily queued up behind slower trucks. Hey, we’re retired, we’ve got plenty of time. We never felt that we were a hazard to navigation.

Overall highway mileage was 21.5 mpg not pulling the trailer, 14.5 pulling the trailer.

When we ordered our 19 in April ’16, the (classic) dry weight was published at 2950 lbs. We were a little worried at first when our new Gen 2 came thru at 3370# dry. We don’t carry much extra weight in the trailer, and the tanks are mostly empty.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by J&B Mitt

We didn’t think our V6 SUV would be adequate, but turns out that it is.

Glad to hear you are happy with your tow, though a bit older now, those are still great vehicles. There are many similarly equipped SUVs that will work just fine. I think some folks that are new to towing are worried by the fear mongering of the few who insist you need a bigger vehicle. As long as you have adequate capacities with the tow vehicle, and properly adjusted trailer brakes, all is good and safe.

This is the one thing we miss with the 5.0TA, is the ability to go with a smaller vehicle, preferably and SUV.

[rjbny]

Originally Posted by CarlNH

Thinking the new 19 is heavier than I'd like so am looking for a "classic" used version but seems others are doing OK with the new one as well.

Our experience towing the new 19 with a 2012 Highlander (w tow package) has been absolutely fine. You need to look at the overall weight with your expected payload and perhaps you won't need to exclude the new model.

[CarlNH]

Thanks for that info! Each time I hear about Highlanders towing new 19s with no problems, I feel less anxious about it :-)

Originally Posted by rjbny

Our experience towing the new 19 with a 2012 Highlander (w tow package) has been absolutely fine. You need to look at the overall weight with your expected payload and perhaps you won't need to exclude the new model.

[hughharden]

I tow my 19 with a 2007 FJ Cruiser with 250,000 km on it. I believe it is a 4.0 litre V6. It tows the 19 just fine up and down the Coquihalla and Rogers Pass without any issues.

If my FJ died I don't know what I would replace it with since they are out of production. Maybe I could get a low mileage used one. Also would look at a Lexus V6 SUV. Don't want a pickup (I know, hard to believe for someone from Calgary) and don't need a V8. Whatever I get it will be another Toyota.

[Dave Walter]

Originally Posted by hughharden

I tow my 19 with a 2007 FJ Cruiser with 250,000 km on it. I believe it is a 4.0 litre V6. It tows the 19 just fine up and down the Coquihalla and Rogers Pass without any issues.

If my FJ died I don't know what I would replace it with since they are out of production. Maybe I could get a low mileage used one. Also would look at a Lexus V6 SUV. Don't want a pickup (I know, hard to believe for someone from Calgary) and don't need a V8. Whatever I get it will be another Toyota.

With only 250k, your FJ is just getting broken in. You should be good for another 150k to 250k before you need to consider another.

[CarlNH]

I know nothing about FJs and and brand new to Toyota myself. That said, my girlfriend's 1998 Camry has 250K on it and runs as smoothly and quietly as the day she bought it. No catastrophic issues, only the usual routine and wear stuff like brakes, suspension parts, exhaust parts, etc. Her experience with that car is the reason I decided on a new Highlander :-)

Originally Posted by Dave Walter

With only 250k, your FJ is just getting broken in. You should be good for another 150k to 250k before you need to consider another.

[hughharden]

Originally Posted by Dave Walter

With only 250k, your FJ is just getting broken in. You should be good for another 150k to 250k before you need to consider another.

That's what I'm hoping for!

[First Promise]

My wife Jean and I picked up our 19 on the 10/23 and drove about 4000 miles home to Minnesota. We have a 2017 Tundra with the 5.7V8. Amazing trailer, hardly knew it was behind us. After many mountain passes I really came to appreciate the extra power the Tundra provided.

[Jsg55337]

Originally Posted by First Promise

My wife Jean and I picked up our 19 on the 10/23 and drove about 4000 miles home to Minnesota. We have a 2017 Tundra with the 5.7V8. Amazing trailer, hardly knew it was behind us. After many mountain passes I really came to appreciate the extra power the Tundra provided.

Sequoia owner, the Toyota full size platform seems popular among Escape owners.

I’m still a lurker here, looking at Escape as an option when we become empty nesters. Practically next door neighbors to you, Burnsville, MN


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[thiggins]

After finally moving to an F-150 after going thru 3 mid-sized SUV's, I'm all in favor of full-sized tow vehicles. It's also pretty much a religious discussion...

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by thiggins

It's also pretty much a religious discussion...

Amen, and I have seen the light....[emoji23]

[Iowa Dave]

My 2012 Highlander is going to Hell after only 171,000 miles of service. Last night on the way home from an election celebration party at a local watering hole I was stopped by the police. A headlight had burned out on my Highlander. I promised to get it fixed today and he sent me on my way but not before I had to tell him a story about the lower units on Mercury outboard motors built in the 60s and 70s. Cedar Rapids Police are the best. I only had two, the first one and the last one.
Iowa Dave

[CarlNH]

Good to see that you finally have that Highlander broken in :-) Hoping my 2017 HL will serve me as well as yours has!

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

My 2012 Highlander is going to Hell after only 171,000 miles of service. Last night on the way home from an election celebration party at a local watering hole I was stopped by the police. A headlight had burned out on my Highlander. I promised to get it fixed today and he sent me on my way but not before I had to tell him a story about the lower units on Mercury outboard motors built in the 60s and 70s. Cedar Rapids Police are the best. I only had two, the first one and the last one.
Iowa Dave

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

My 2012 Highlander is going to Hell after only 171,000 miles of service. Last night on the way home from an election celebration party at a local watering hole I was stopped by the police. A headlight had burned out on my Highlander. I promised to get it fixed today and he sent me on my way but not before I had to tell him a story about the lower units on Mercury outboard motors built in the 60s and 70s. Cedar Rapids Police are the best. I only had two, the first one and the last one.
Iowa Dave

Hi: Iowa Dave... Why on earth would a rational human being buy a repair plagued Toyo Highlander to tow a dysfunctional Escape trailer... of any length. You're just courting disaster!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[thoer]

Originally Posted by escape artist

Hi: Iowa Dave... Why on earth would a rational human being buy a repair plagued Toyo Highlander to tow a dysfunctional Escape trailer... of any length. You're just courting disaster!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

Yes, according to some here, you have picked the worst possible brand of trailer, Dave... And heck, I bet that Mall Crawler can't even pull a 21'.