RAV4 people: why is my hitch only 4 inches off the ground?

[Glenn Baglo]

I don't think the Escape ( rear bath ) that they are trying to sell you is the Escape you want to buy. There is Escape, a fibreglass trailer made in Chilliwack, and there is another that is some sort of sandwich sticky type construction. The Escape trailers that people on this forum talk so favourably about are the ones made in Chilliwack. They sell a 15', 17', 19' and fifth wheel, with a 21 to come.
This is my 17'

[lpk49]

oh-its so good i found you guys. this one is made in sturgis MI www.cikiarv.com

[Glenn Baglo]

Yup, account suspended and other URLs lead nowhere. Appears to be out of business.

[gmw photos]

Originally Posted by lpk49

ok. the hitch arrived in 5 days from MO - free shipping -the box is shredded. parts are sticking out. i have no idea if all parts are there or if it is broken.

tomorrow i will take it to the shop and find out i guess. i have read about the hitches being delivered bent up and with parts missing. hope that doesnt happen to me.

denny-so you are not worried about going over the TW? the rav is new to me and i owe a lot on it and i dont want to damage it. i'm not sure if i could feel if something was wrong. i only lost one trailer in my life-no one was hurt-but i dont want to do that again. and i really dont want to damage the car. when i finally get hooked up i need to make sure i understand from you rav ppl what gears to use...the truck had a special button for towing. the rav doesnt. but first i need to be hooked up i guess.

on the way home i stopped to look at a 16' rear bath escape. i think its a 2007 but that isnt written on the paperwork. it has had a lot of use. and smells. not like my casita. but the TW is only 220 and the dry weight is 1860 and gross 3690. it has an awning and outside shower-not sure how much weight that adds. my hitch and car cant go over 3500. it has a little tiny propane tank. they want $9999. for it plus $250. for paperwork.

that was before he knew i had a casita . he says he can sell the casita outright this weekend...but wouldnt rel me for how much. and he said he has 4 other buyers for the escape.

i really want to make the casita work. i love all the windows and screens and how easy it is to heat and keep cool.

and i just want to get on the road already! i hate the wheelin and dealin...

thx for all the help along the way...i hope this will come to a good conclusion soon.

K,
....don't panic just yet !! Take this all slowly, and one step at a time. You have a car. You have a trailer, and now you have a hitch that is most likely just fine and dandy even though the box is torn up. Just work thru it all methodically, and in the end you will come to a workable solution....but I would suggest for sure working with you have first, and only rule things "out" if it becomes clear that some part of the whole picture is not going to be a good fit. Remember, this all about camping and having fun ! It's supposed to "relieve" stress, not "create " it !

[lpk49]

"Remember, this all about camping and having fun ! It's supposed to "relieve" stress, not "create " it !"

Amen!

[MCDenny]

Originally Posted by lpk49

denny-so you are not worried about going over the TW? the rav is new to me and i owe a lot on it and i dont want to damage it. i'm not sure if i could feel if something was wrong. i only lost one trailer in my life-no one was hurt-but i dont want to do that again. and i really dont want to damage the car. when i finally get hooked up i need to make sure i understand from you rav ppl what gears to use...the truck had a special button for towing. the rav doesnt.

I'm not worried. Axle weights are within spec and there is no sign or bending or deformation at hitch attach points. This is an aftermarket hitch, not the way expensive Toyota one. I looked a few days ago when car was on lift for muffler replacement.

When I hook up to move tomorrow I'll measure hitch height with no trailer, then with trailer and post tomorrow evening.

The first thing I'd do before spending a lot of money is measure your tongue weight. That WD hitch is going to add a lot more tongue weight than you will ever make up by removing propane tanks.

Regarding what gear to tow in: I've tried leaving it in drive and leaving it in 4 and get the same mileage either way. On the freeway I usually leave it in drive and I think the wind load at 65 mph is so great the the trans computer picks 4 anyway. Driving from S Alabama to N Florida Monday on gently rolling country roads at 55 the trans constantly shifted to 5 on downhills and 4 on uphills is l put it in 4 manually.

A picture of your trailer hitched up would help us help you.

[Glenn Baglo]

The 2008 RAV4 manual says to tow in 4, not Drive. It also says to tow up hills in 4, not to shift to 3 for any extended period ( doesn't say what that means ).
As for towing over the specified tongue weight, are you going to change your mind when you detect damage?

baglo

[lpk49]

i mostly drive on the flat on highway or a little back road. so it sounds like if i leave it in drive it will change on its own when it needs to?

i need to deal with the wdh today and tomorrow. they want me leave the car and camper and wdh with them. i want to hang out long enough to see if all the parts are there and if they are damaged. the box was such a mess when it arrived.

i'm trying to make a list of all the specs and tow height , tire pressure etc. george helped me with a list and i will do the best i can with that today.

my biggest concern is these guys keep saying TW doesnt matter and the wdh will solve the problem.

i wish i could just trust them to do it right...again...it was so much easier with the truck...i dont like all this fussin around. i just want to get on the road!

well-i'm going to prepare as best i can and go to the shop early tomorrow.

i am so greatful ro all of you for sharing what you know.

[Glenn Baglo]

Don't tow in Drive. Tow in 4 as it says to do in the RAV4 manual.

[lpk49]

ok-i did plan to reread the manual...mine is a 2009.

thx. for everything. all of you.

glenn: As for towing over the specified tongue weight, are you going to change your mind when you detect damage?"

my whole point here is to get the tow weight down. it is 365 from the factory. my car can take 350. there isnt that much difference. i am taking off both propane tanks. i took out captains chairs and table. i travel very light and will carry most of what i have in the front and back seat of the car...not the way back near the tongue.



i know i might be able to lighten the TW by putting water in the fresh water tank in the back of camper or putting some weight in the back of camper inside.

but i am really trying to lighten the TW of the camper so i am not pulling more than i should.

as far as "detecting" damage i probably wont know how to do that. i read about one story of these cars with hiches attached to the "uni" instead of the frame just ripping off ...thats probably how i will find out i am in trouble...and i dont what that-obviously.

i'm gonna work on the list...i can take pics now...but like i said...they don't want me hanging around at the shop.

ps-i found a cat scale 15 miles away...but i have to be hooked up to go there...so all this will be done before i go to the scale...i plan to bring a batroom scale to the shop and try to get a weight after the propane is off...but i'm pretty sure the guys there will think i am crazy...i dont know if i can lift it on the scale once the propane is off. i cant budge it now.

[Jon Vermilye]

The factory "tongue weight", just like "dry weight" is meaningless. Actual tongue weight is what you must use to determine whether you are within the tow vehicle's specifications. Your actual tongue weight could be less; is likely to be more.

[lpk49]

but jon there is no way to know without towing to a scale...correct?

i'll try to do the bathroom scale thing..but dont know if i will be able to

that spead sheet with TWs has it in the 400s, 500s, 600s - if thats the case im pretty sure i will have to sell the casita

[lpk49]

from joons earlier post:

TW of up to 300 lbs. can be measured on a household scale by resting the trailer coupler on the scale and placing the scale on a box so that the coupler is at its normal towing height. The trailer must be fully loaded and level.


so i dont have to lift it then...right?

i crank it up all the way...set a box under with scale on top...use lumber to make it the right height -as if i was towing..then crank it down til weight is on scale...if its over 300 i guess the scale will break...then i'll at least know that

[deryk]

Depends too what your bathroom scale is rated to. My parents bathroom scale from their engagement party 56 years ago was only good for 250lbs. When I was at my heaviest I bought a scale that went to 330lbs (the 300 mark was at zero, 310 ligned up with the 10lb mark, 320 with the 20lb mark, 330 with the 30lb mark) Ive seen at walmart scales going to 400lbs (go figure lol) So check what your bathroom scale goes up to and if not high enough go grab one from walmart that would be high enough.

[Martha Effinger]

Here is another way to measure approximate TW with a bathroom scale.
Weigh, tongue at home 101 - a set on Flickr
There is also a video on youtube but I don't have that bookmarked.

[MCDenny]

Originally Posted by lpk49

from joons earlier post:

TW of up to 300 lbs. can be measured on a household scale by resting the trailer coupler on the scale and placing the scale on a box so that the coupler is at its normal towing height. The trailer must be fully loaded and level.

so i dont have to lift it then...right?

i crank it up all the way...set a box under with scale on top...use lumber to make it the right height -as if i was towing..then crank it down til weight is on scale...if its over 300 i guess the scale will break...then i'll at least know that

Your bathroom scale probably wont go high enough. Heres a way to do it. http://m.wikihow.com/Measure-Tongue-Weight. The method for a large trailer is what you want. Measurements need to be precise, I'd say within 1/4 inch anyway.

Your RV shop might have a TW scale.

A even easier way is to use two scales supporting the ends of of a beefy beam, like a piece of 4x4 3 or 4 feet long. Put the scales under the ends and the trailer tongue approximately in the middle. Add the two scale reading. No measuring with a ruler involved.

[deryk]

Very cool martha!

thanks

[MCDenny]

Originally Posted by Martha Effinger

Here is another way to measure approximate TW with a bathroom scale.
Weigh, tongue at home 101 - a set on Flickr
There is also a video on youtube but I don't have that bookmarked.

These flicker pictures say it all. Same method as wiki article but much clearer description.

[gmw photos]

Originally Posted by lpk49

from joons earlier post:

TW of up to 300 lbs. can be measured on a household scale by resting the trailer coupler on the scale and placing the scale on a box so that the coupler is at its normal towing height. The trailer must be fully loaded and level.


so i dont have to lift it then...right?

i crank it up all the way...set a box under with scale on top...use lumber to make it the right height -as if i was towing..then crank it down til weight is on scale...if its over 300 i guess the scale will break...then i'll at least know that

Using a bathroom scale is certainly possible, but you are likely going to have to jump thru the hoops of doing the balance beam/lever thing, etc.
Forget being able to "pick up" the tongue by hand....that's not gonna happen.
Going to a scale....CAT or otherwise is the simplest, safest way of doing all this.

[lpk49]

oh george...you havent seen my biceps...