2005 toyota highlander yes or no?

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by MC1

Yes Bob, and we see them all the time. You were perhaps one of the lucky chaps who got a good one. Even used within spec, many are less than marginal.

Hmmmm, I Forgot to ask

Exactly who is "WE"?

BUSTED?

[Glenn Baglo]

I was about to ask myself. Who is "We"?

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by MC1

My dad's 1964 Dodge Polara was a unibody with a huge long overhang and that is how the hitch builder installed the receiver/platform 50 years ago. Worked great with a WDH.

So true- it's certainly nothing new.

There's a 1978 Ford P.U. in the bushes here with a similar setup. As Andy Thompson of CanAmRV says, "It's not rocket science....any competent welding shop can do it."
link to source. (See page six)

That's an interesting read on the subject, BTW...from his very candid description of where he learned what he knows, it's sort of a mystery how some have come to believe/promote the idea that there's some sort of originality about what it is that CanAm does. He himself sure doesn't represent it that way.

Go figure!

[rabbit]

All the j120 Yotes were and are fine vehicles for towing small and medium length trailers below 5k lbs with the proviso that they all have a short wheelbase. I was very happy with my 05 4runner with 4 Litre 6 cyl towing Burro 17 and even happier with 09 gx470 4.7 L v8 towing same. Body on frame beats unibody every time for simple attachment of the "bionic arm." Highlander and Rav4 are nice vehicles. Either would satisfy my requirements for daily driving. I have doubts that either can put Goldilocks in the tv that's "just right."

jack

[rabbit]

Probably the Royal Canadian WE, Bob.

jack

[Marshallpianotech]

hi Jack Bob and everyone else. I read the trailer weights in the real world. Are these actual loaded down trailer weights.? If so there are plenty of fgrvs out there my highlander can tow c

[War Eagle]

Just a suggestion - load the camper down the way you want to pull it. Take it to a certified commercial drive-on truck scale to get the "real" weight (the kind used to weigh commercial truck loads of hay, etc.). There is one 5 miles from my house operated by a farmers coop, and they didn't charge me a cent (nice people) for a total of four weights (TV by itself, TT by itself, TT hitched to TV but only the TV wheels on the scale then with only the TT wheels on the scale (to get tongue weight by difference two different ways - which checked out perfectly). Then there's no guess work on what your TV is pulling.

[Carl V]

I own a 2006 Highlander AWD V6.
A few points:

-There is absolutely no mention in my owners manual about weight distribution or equilizing hitches. Here's a copy & paste of what my manual says, you can look it up on Toyota's website in the manuals section:

HITCHES
If you wish to install a trailer hitch, you
should consult with your Toyota dealer.
Use only a hitch recommended by the
hitch manufacturer and the one which
conforms to the total trailer weight
requirement.
The hitch must be bolted securely to
the vehicle frame and installed according
to the hitch manufacturer’s instructions.
The hitch ball and king pin should have
a light coat of grease.
Toyota recommends removing the trailer
hitch whenever you are not towing
a trailer to reduce the possibility of
additional damage caused by the hitch
if your vehicle is struck from behind.
After removing the hitch, seal any
mounting holes in the vehicle body to
prevent entry of pollutants such as exhaust
fumes, dirt, water, etc.

That's all there is.

-I don't own a FG trailer (yet). But I've been towing a 2500 lbs Coleman popup (about 300-325 lbs tongue weight) with the HL for some time, and I use a WDH, Reese's now-discontinued 350 Mini. Absolutely no issues, and honestly I wouldn't tow without it. The rear suspension of the HL is quite soft, and the WDH levels the HL and improves the ride and handling drastically.

-All Cequent-made Class III hitches made for the HL are not rated for WD. This means Reese, Draw-Tite and Hidden-Hitch. When I bought my HL (used) it came with a Cequent hitch. I replaced it with a Curt, which is WD-rated. Also the Curt doesn't extend as far back as the Cequent, which is good, it looks better and the finish and welds seem of higher quality. And yes, the Curt also has the loop that goes under the exhaust pipe.
So Cequent prohibits WDH on the HL, not Toyota.

-The OEM and aftermarket hitches all bolts with the exact same 6 bolts under the vehicle. No difference. Most Class III hitches bolt the same way, most are WD-rated. No issue here. Undibody flexing is nonsense if you stay within the vehicle's limits. The OEM hitch shown on page 4 of this thread is for a '08 HL, which is the 2nd generation of HL and an entirely different vehicle (with a 5000lbs towing capacity) from the 1st generation ('01 to '07) so no wonder why this hitch is different from the Curt just below it, it's made for a different vehicle...

If it's rated for it, it's rated for it. Doesn't matter if it's unibody, if there's a loop under or over the tailpipe, it's Camry-based, this or that, I've heard them all. And if there's no mention against something, it's not prohibited, then stay within the limits and go for it.

Carl

[Ice-breaker]

Originally Posted by Carl V

I own a 2006 Highlander AWD V6.
... Here's a copy & paste of what my manual says, you can look it up on Toyota's website in the manuals section:

HITCHES
... Toyota recommends removing the trailer
hitch whenever you are not towing
a trailer to reduce the possibility of
additional damage caused by the hitch
if your vehicle is struck from behind.
After removing the hitch, seal any
mounting holes in the vehicle body to
prevent entry of pollutants such as exhaust
fumes, dirt, water, etc...

Wow! Remove the entire hitch when not in use? Seems a bit excessive to me. Maybe Toyota intended to say "remove the draw bar" rather than "remove the hitch". I guess I should go out and unbolt the hitch on my Toyota.

[MC1]

Originally Posted by Ice-breaker

Wow! Remove the entire hitch when not in use? Seems a bit excessive to me. Maybe Toyota intended to say "remove the draw bar" rather than "remove the hitch". I guess I should go out and unbolt the hitch on my Toyota.

So typical. The engineers, marketeers, corporate lawyers, and the guy who writes the manuals were having discussions but not at the same table.. LOL
Happens all the time.

[Bob Miller]

Yes, those are actual "As Loaded" weights, and there are lot of them that you can tow. But very few of those sleep 4-5 peeps, have a full bath/shower or the hot tub you specified..... LOL

Originally Posted by Marshallpianotech

hi Jack Bob and everyone else. I read the trailer weights in the real world. Are these actual loaded down trailer weights.? If so there are plenty of fgrvs out there my highlander can tow c

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by rabbit

Probably the Royal Canadian WE, Bob.

jack

WHAT???? You mean that Dudley Doright has retired from the RCMP and is now installing trailer hitches???

What a fall from grace that must have been
Hoodathunkit????? .

[Carl V]

Originally Posted by Ice-breaker

Wow! Remove the entire hitch when not in use? Seems a bit excessive to me.

This is probably lawyer talk because the vehicle has not been certified and tested for rear-end collision with a hitch bolted on.

But that's not the worst, the same manual also states:

CAUTION
Do not exceed 72 km/h (45 mph) or
the posted towing speed limit,
whichever is lower. Because instability
(swaying) of a towing vehicle−
trailer combination usually increases
as the speed increases, exceeding
72 km/h (45 mph) may
cause loss of control.

And this is in a highlighted "caution" yellow rectangle !
Many Tacomas, Tundras, Sequoias, 4Runners have the same towing "speed limit" in their owners manual.

Now lets get real. If Toyota is cautious enough to warn us about towing above 45 mph (which is simply ridiculous), there would also be a warning about using a WDH in my manual if there was any concern about it, and there is no such warning.

I've also looked up the manual for the 2005 MY, and I can't find anything on WD either. So they either removed the WHD limitation on later versions of the manual, or the manual I'm accessing online is a canadian version that's different (I can't figure why it would be different though) or I'm not looking at the right place in the manual and please point me in the right direction.
Toyota's online owners manuals are here:
Toyota Online Owners Manuals and Warranty

Towing recommandations and weight limits are in section 3 "Starting and Driving".

Carl

[Glenn Baglo]

I think Toyota is recommending you remove the hitch, not the hitch receiver ( which is the part bolted to the vehicle.

I have wondered if we could get Toyota to back up the tow-speed warning by placing the warning in their advertising. If nothing else, you can have fun with the sales guy next time you're buying a vehicle.

[MC1]

I'm the 1st to advocate safe towing

but the auto maker's lawyers are so raped up with protecting the companies they write these unrealistic warnings. Nothing but a pain in the .......LOL

[Mary F]

NOTE: a question about Compact Jr. latches was moved from this thread and forum to the Problem Solving section. Find it listed as Compact Jr Roof Latches.

[War Eagle]

Glenn, This isn't the best thread for this, but I know you were on it recently. So I have a question for you. When looking at a RAV-4 from the outside, like just casually walking past one in a parking lot, is there a way to tell if it has a 6 cylinder engine under the hood vs. a 4 cylinder? Some unique emblem somewhere, different front grill or tail pipe, quick glance through the windshield for a specific digit in the VIN, etc.? Just curious....

[Glenn Baglo]

There is a V6 emblem on the grill. Mine is Sport model. Not sure but I think that means V6.

[War Eagle]

Wow! That would be too simple! I'll start looking for that V6 emblem on the grill. Thanks!

[War Eagle]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

There is a V6 emblem on the grill. Mine is Sport model. Not sure but I think that means V6.

Glenn, Now that I know what to look for, I'm seeing a fair number of RAV-4 V6's around, but none yet with the Sport option. From what I've been able to find on the web, the "Sport" option appears to do more with trim and comfort/convenience accessories. Do you know if the Sport option actually has anything to do with improving performance (horsepower, suspension, etc.), or does the added performance all come as a result of the V6 engine option?