Tow Vehicles

[Joe Li]

I have experience with 3 newer ¨midsize¨ V6 tow vehicles. I have personally towed a 2200 LB boat and a 21´ hybrid travel trailer with all 3. The first is a 2006 RAV4 with the 3.5L V6 and AWD. It handled the boat just fine even though the boat does not have brakes. But the Rav4 is a little short on wheelbase and weight and was pushed around a lot by the travel trailer. I have a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe with the 3.3 and AWD. It towed everything better than the Rav4 but I did not like towing the boat without brakes with this vehicle however itś wheelbase is longer and the vehicle is heavier and it was almost bearable to tow the hybrid with. The hybridś empty weight is almost the max for these 2 vehicles at around 3200 lbs. Both had more than enough power but the rav4 was a little light and was pushed around a bit more. The 3rd vehicle was a 2007 Honda Ridgeline. That thing was a beauty. It towed like a much bigger truck while riding like an excelent suv. All of these vehicles come stock in Canada with what the American dealers call a tow package. I think the auto makers do that because of our ¨severe climate¨ even though i live south of most of the northern midwest and all of them had at least a class 3 hitch. Hope this helps some. I am partial to the Santa Fe (2007 and newer) for anything over 2500 lbs but a much more expensive Toyota Highlander should perform similar (same weight and size prior to 2008 model year) or even a Honda Pilot. In most of the US these vehicles all need the tow package option wich usually has a bigger rad, tranny cooler and sometime an oil cooler and steering pump cooler (Honda Ridgeline has these)

[Pete Dumbleton]

I was just looking today at a Rav4 in a parking lot and the short wheelbase jumped right out at me as a potential sway and control problem. Not that it couldn't be adapted with extra suspension stuf, WDH, etc., but I wouldn't expect one to be a good TV right off the lot.

BTW, other things that come in tow packages are separate relays for trailer lights, sometimes brake controllers and trailer battery charging. Also, my Ranger truck with the high rating not only has the larger engine, but it has a beefier transmission and the differential housings are physically larger. Some tow packages include sway bars (not anti-sway friction bars) fore and aft, as well as lower differential ratios. The Ranger tow package also has a trans and power steering cooler.

I really wish the manufacturers did a better job of ID'ing what's in a tow package or even if the vehicle has one.

[Joe Li]

I was just looking today at a Rav4 in a parking lot and the short wheelbase jumped right out at me as a potential sway and control problem. Not that it couldn't be adapted with extra suspension stuf, WDH, etc., but I wouldn't expect one to be a good TV right off the lot.

BTW, other things that come in tow packages are separate relays for trailer lights, sometimes brake controllers and trailer battery charging. Also, my Ranger truck with the high rating not only has the larger engine, but it has a beefier transmission and the differential housings are physically larger. Some tow packages include sway bars (not anti-sway friction bars) fore and aft, as well as lower differential ratios. The Ranger tow package also has a trans and power steering cooler.

I really wish the manufacturers did a better job of ID'ing what's in a tow package or even if the vehicle has one.

The different ratios and transmissions etc seems to be more of a truck option and especially more prevelant in North American made vehicles., however I do agree that most manufacturers should do more. Oddly enough all three of us that have canadian models of the midsize vehicles i mentioned above phoned multiple dealers and some US dealers and eventually the companies themselves all in different years and without talking to one another just to verify that all canadian toyotas, hondas and hyundai vehicles include what is sold in the states as a trailer package as a standard feature. The only exceptions is the toyota tacoma but even then, they all have the larger rated cooling systems and just get better suspension and a hitch with the ¨towing package¨. I really don know why this is but c´est la vie.

[Pete Dumbleton]

I know that with Chrysler cars, trucks and vans in the '60s-'70s, about the only thing that appeared to be in a tow package was an upsized radiator and a heavy-duty flasher for the turn signals.

Things have changed for the better in that regard, due in large part I presume to the growing list of things that current RVs require, like lights, battery recharge, brakes, adequate hitch strength, etc.

[Paul Kaplan]

Does anyone tow with a Nissan Mini-van?