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Old 10-04-2016, 09:01 AM   #1
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Trailer Weight Distribution Demonstration

This shows the importance of balancing your load.

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Old 10-04-2016, 09:15 AM   #2
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Glenn - excellent post. I had seen that a similar demo on a British website that someone posted long ago. This one is shorter, but very effectively demonstrates a main cause of sway.
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Old 10-04-2016, 09:37 AM   #3
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Excellent video demonstrating proper and improper loads. I had seen this video as I researched reasons for fishtailing yesterday.

It was sobering and informative
Thanks for posting!
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Old 10-04-2016, 09:38 AM   #4
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Now this video should be shown at every registration office on the planet!!
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Old 10-04-2016, 10:27 AM   #5
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I did that for real when I was a young guy and loaded a VW station wagon on a car trailer with the back end and engine weight at the rear. I survived but it ranks as one of the most terrifying driving experiences ever.

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Old 10-04-2016, 10:42 AM   #6
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I was towing a single axel trailer with 4000 lb ofconstruction debris that had very light tongue
Weight....... All was fine until I hit 50 mph, Starts fishtailing can't stop it, braking makes it worse, off the gas and hope, the trailer was pushing me across both lanes, no control. It ended fine but as Ron said " the most terrifying experience".
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Old 10-04-2016, 10:49 AM   #7
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I'm so glad I have read so many threads here to really educate myself

We are about to get a 2017 21' (about 4,400 lbs loaded - even with the slightly higher 2017 Escape 21' weight) and our SUV is rated for 5000 lb, 500 tongue weight

and i now own a 1,000 lb Sherline tongue scale. (most accurate in the middle)

so I'll make sure i'm in the recommended 10% to 12% tongue weight, but without being over 500 lbs. (so probably about 11%)

we travel light, and only about 2 trips a year, so we'll be fine, and also very careful.

we'll also get the WDH, and sway, just to be extra careful.
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Old 10-04-2016, 10:51 AM   #8
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Great video!
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Old 10-04-2016, 11:27 AM   #9
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Losangeles, Leon has towed their 21' with a 5000# rated Highlander for many thousands of miles and reports that it tows easily, steadily, and without a hint of sway. We plan to do the same. As this video shows, safe tongue weight is the key. Based on my conversations with 2 Toyota service managers, they both said that given Toyotas conservative nature, that if Toyota rates a vehicle at 5000#, it will safely tow 5000#.

I don't know what vehicle you plan to use, but all car companies have reams of lawyers who are going to make that same insistence about ratings in the litegenous days.
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Old 10-04-2016, 11:32 AM   #10
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Quote:
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Losangeles, Leon has towed their 21' with a 5000# rated Highlander for many thousands of miles and reports that it tows easily, steadily, and without a hint of sway. We plan to do the same. As this video shows, safe tongue weight is the key. Based on my conversations with 2 Toyota service managers, they both said that given Toyotas conservative nature, that if Toyota rates a vehicle at 5000#, it will safely tow 5000#.

I don't know what vehicle you plan to use, but all car companies have reams of lawyers who are going to make that same insistence about ratings in the litegenous days.
Indeed - tongue weight is key (as is a good Brake Controller, and also smart driving!)



We have an Acura MDX. AWD.

We wont be racing up mountains at 75 MPH, but no problem there.

I know my tug well, and I'm confident that we'll have enough torque and horsepower to be just fine.

especially after reading what you said above about Leon's happiness with towing a 21' with a Highlander, and that our MDX supposedly has more torque (273 lbs torque) than the *bigger* engined Highlander. (according to the internets)

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Old 10-04-2016, 01:02 PM   #11
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I'm still a little worried that my highlander might not be enough to tow the new 21? I will be interested in how it goes with others with this combination - with the new 21.
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Old 10-04-2016, 01:32 PM   #12
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Fox hunt - the last I heard from Tammy she said that the new 21' was only going to be approximately 100 lbs heavier than the previous model. The 21 has the least amount of weight gaining changes of any of the new trailers.
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Old 10-04-2016, 01:34 PM   #13
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that's great news!
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Old 10-04-2016, 02:02 PM   #14
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The heaviest Escape 21 shown on the Trailer Weights in the Real World chart is 3881 lbs to that is added 450 lbs tongue weight. To me this would indicate that given even side to side loading ( scale checked) the Toyota Highlander or any other accurately rated and properly set up tow vehicle of that class would have no problem safely towing and safely stopping a properly prepared and loaded 21 or similarly weighted travel trailer.
As in many area of life proper preparation, attention to the task at hand and experience go a long way. Eric and Leon, I'll ride with you any day.
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Old 10-04-2016, 03:34 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thoer View Post
Losangeles, Leon has towed their 21' with a 5000# rated Highlander for many thousands of miles and reports that it tows easily, steadily, and without a hint of sway. We plan to do the same. As this video shows, safe tongue weight is the key. Based on my conversations with 2 Toyota service managers, they both said that given Toyotas conservative nature, that if Toyota rates a vehicle at 5000#, it will safely tow 5000#.

I don't know what vehicle you plan to use, but all car companies have reams of lawyers who are going to make that same insistence about ratings in the litegenous days.
Eric speaks the truth. We just got back from 5 weeks on the road with our Highlander and the Skylark. We now have about 36000 miles on our 2014 Highlander, Probably 30,000 of that is with a trailer in tow. I don't remember how many passes we have climbed, but we have gone across North Dakota and Montana in a big head and side wind. I think the winds make more difference than the passes do. We have also climbed some steep back roads in the east that make most of the roads over the rockies seem easy. Apparently when some of the roads in the Allegheny mountains were made the accepted practice was to lay the asphalt on top of the earth as the Creator left it, and winding your way up a big hill or grading the terrain was for sissies.

So far we have been happy with our towing experience. I am not afraid to let the engine rev to where the horse power & torque max out -- 4000+ rpm. Lindy thinks the engine is screaming; I think it is singing. We use an Anderson WDH and that definitely has an anti-sway effect. It is rare for us to exceed 65 mph. My biggest single complaint about the highlander is that I wish it could carry more bikes easily. I was jealous of the way Paul could slip those bikes in his Sequoia.

All that said, I think the most important thing for you to consider is what sort of vehicle you want, and will make you happy. If you are going to worry that your vehicle isn't going to make it up the next hill, or that you won't be stable and safe, then by all means get the vehicle that will make you feel relaxed. There is towing capacity and then there is peace of mind capacity. I wouldn't short change my self on either.

I choose to get a highlander after talking to a couple of other folks who were towing 21s with a Highlander -- I think they have both moved on since I exchanged messages with them. But I do that that when evaluating tow vehicle discussions it is good to pay attention to those folks who have experience with the particular trailer and tow vehicle combination you are thinking of.
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Old 10-04-2016, 04:47 PM   #16
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Quote:
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I'm still a little worried that my highlander might not be enough to tow the new 21? I will be interested in how it goes with others with this combination - with the new 21.
So do you have a new trailer on order? Will the Lark be looking for a new owner?
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Old 10-04-2016, 05:47 PM   #17
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........
So far we have been happy with our towing experience. I am not afraid to let the engine rev to where the horse power & torque max out -- 4000+ rpm. Lindy thinks the engine is screaming; I think it is singing. ......
Leon, That's a very important point. Both the Highlander, and the Honda Pilot that we have, have similar performance. To tow and expect the advertised performance, i.e. to get the rated torque, and horsepower, you have to get the engine up to somewhere near the rated RPM.

Highlander: 248 ft.lbs @4700 RPM
Honda: 253 ft.lbs. @4800 RPM

And I agree, the engine makes a "good" sound. It's not hurting anything; you're a long way from the redline.
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Old 10-05-2016, 01:25 AM   #18
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Not on order yet still having trouble deciding I will get a chance to see a lot of trailers at the nog this week. If I am still unsure will take a trip back up to Chilliwack with a friend to look over the trailers. I know I want a little more space to sit around a table and play games etc. a bigger kitchen would be nice ...
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