Towing With A Toyota Highlander 4 Cylinder?

[Bob and Linda]

I have a 16ft. Casita and am thinking of getting a Toyota Highlander 4 cylinder has anyone here have any experience with that vehicle?

[MC1]

I have spent 10 years over at my home base, Airforums.com

For reference: There are many folks there towing single and dual axle Airstreams with Highlanders. But, I'm thinking most would be the V6 version. Be sure to get the set up right.

[Carol H]

Bob there are a number of folks pulling 16' with the Highlander that I have noticed at meets (been noticing as its high on my list of possible next vehicles) the ones I have talked to about towing with them have been V6s though..... but hopefully someone with a 4 cyl will speak up. I pull a 16' with a 4 cyl now (although not a Highlander) and over all it does fine with it - but I dont expect to win to many races up a long climb but having said that I have won a couple ;-)

[Brian B-P]

I don't have that experience, but there are some active discussion forums for Toyotas. You might find some directly applicable experience by searching the Toyota Nation Highlander Forum, for instance.

[Brian B-P]

I will also note that cylinder count isn't everything... or even an important thing. The question is specifically about the 4-cylinder Highlander; experience with other vehicles with different engines of different sizes might not be of any value, despite having the same cylinder count... any more than towing experience with a Dodge truck with the 6-cylinder 6.7 L Cummins turbodiesel applies to a car with a 6-cylinder 3.0 L non-tubo gas engine.

[Bob and Linda]

Originally Posted by Bob and Linda

I have a 16ft. Casita and am thinking of getting a Toyota Highlander 4 cylinder has anyone here have any experience with that vehicle?

I was just checking to see if anyone on this forum actually has that combination and how well it works. I would still use the V6 Tacoma I have but its nice if I have two vehicles that they both could be used to tow our Casita.

[Rene]

I checked out my 2012 Trailer Life towing guide and the highlander with 4 cylinder is rated to tow 3500 lbs.

[Brian B-P]

Yes, the 2012 Highlander owners manual (available online from the Toyota Owners site) says the towing capacity is 3500 pounds... with the towing prep package, and with trailer brakes. The GCWR would limit the Highlander to carrying little else while towing a trailer that heavy, but with a16' Casita it sounds promising. Of course, Bob and Linda are looking for actual experience, perhaps interested in performance, rather than specs.

[MC1]

B and L... Here is a comparison that may be useful.

The Highlander has almost the same specs as our 1993 Nissan Mini van (weights and size).

Our V6 Van had 150HP / 180Tq with a 4 speed tranny.

The 4cyl Highlander has 185HP / 186Tq with a 6 speed tranny. (better)

Our van was a great TV for our Coleman Rio Grande pop up and then the 23' Airstream. On paper the Highlander should be fine for a single axle egg. Actual experience works even better.

[Bob and Linda]

Originally Posted by MC1

B and L... Here is a comparison that may be useful.

The Highlander has almost the same specs as our 1993 Nissan Mini van (weights and size).

Our V6 Van had 150HP / 180Tq with a 4 speed tranny.

The 4cyl Highlander has 185HP / 186Tq with a 6 speed tranny. (better)

Our van was a great TV for our Coleman Rio Grande pop up and then the 23' Airstream. On paper the Highlander should be fine for a single axle egg. Actual experience works even better.

The Toyota we are looking at is a mint 2007 Toyota Highlander, it has a 155hp 4 cylinder, 4 speed transmission, and it is rated to tow 3,000 lbs.
I had these figures and more in the original post and somehow lost them in posting. I was looking for someone who might have a similar Toyota Highlander to relate their experiences in towing.
2012 and new specs. are totally different from the 2007 model we are looking at.
I have towed trailers for years, and right now tow our Casita 16ft. with a V6 Toyota Tacoma. We are thinking of replacing our car and are wondering how well the Highlander would do double duty for us.
Things sure have changed, I remember towing small trailers for 12 years with my little Datsun pickup with no trouble in the late 1960's. The Datsun truck had 67 HP and was $1600.00 new in 1969.

[Francesca Knowles]

I think the 2007 Highlander was the last year of a generation that began in 2001 or so...since there's not much difference between models in that time span, you might expand your search to that vehicle time frame.

You might be interested in reading this thread over in the Toyota forums- it's from a same-gen Highlander owner looking to tow an Escape 19. Even though his is the 6 cyl, in other ways his experience is likely comparable to what you'd experience with the Casita.

You needn't be a member there to look at the discussion.


Francesca