Towing with Sienna/Rav4/Highlander?

[Ms. Gayle]

I pull a 17 ft EggCamper with my 2008 Toyota Highlander V6 (with 5000 lb tow package). I use normal unleaded gas and get between 15 and 18 mpg at mostly 60 mph. The Highlander pulls the trailer very well and will consider repurchasing a newer Highlander (with tow package) in the future when needed. The only issue I don't like is the fact that you cannot lock out overdrive.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Ms. Gayle

I pull a 17 ft EggCamper with my 2008 Toyota Highlander V6...
The only issue I don't like is the fact that you cannot lock out overdrive.

With the 2008 Highlander non-hybrid gear selector, can you place it in the first position below "D"? This would be "4" for a five-speed like mine; "5" for a six-speed. That locks out the top gear ("overdrive"), but shifters with the "+/-" pattern (instead of a notch for each gear) don't have an obvious equivalent.

What does the 2008 Highlander manual say to do with the transmission selector when towing with the non-hybrid V6?

[Laura & Rick]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

When I looked at the Highlander I saw that the v-6 required premium fuel. Might want to check on that.

Nope. The Highlander uses regular gas.

[Mike Magee]

Originally Posted by Ms. Gayle

I pull a 17 ft EggCamper with my 2008 Toyota Highlander V6 (with 5000 lb tow package). I use normal unleaded gas and get between 15 and 18 mpg at mostly 60 mph. The Highlander pulls the trailer very well and will consider repurchasing a newer Highlander (with tow package) in the future when needed. The only issue I don't like is the fact that you cannot lock out overdrive.

I have a 08 Highlander also, with over 100k towing miles. Locking out OD is easy. Just move the shift lever to the left, from D into S (selectshift). This puts it into 4th and prevents it from going into 5th...OD. From this position, the shifter can be bumped to the back to drop into 3, or 2 , or 1... with all higher gears locked out.

[Laura & Rick]

Mike Magee,

I gotta ask, what does E14RB mean?? It's driving me nuts!

[Ms. Gayle]

Mike,

In your scenario....are you saying I would have to manually shift the gears up and down??

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Laura & Rick

Mike Magee,

I gotta ask, what does E14RB mean?? It's driving me nuts!

I'll take a stab at that one...but only 'cause it mystified me, too!

I think it means "Escape 14 foot trailer with a rear bed".

Although if this proves to be correct, it opens up the Unsolved Mystery of where the bed must be in other models- I guess one could say that this "Escapes" me!

Francesca

[Laura & Rick]

Francesca, me thinks that Escape come only in 13, 15, 17, 19 and the 5.0 versions. I don't recall any Escape 14 footer.

[cpaharley2008]

His Escape is not a molded "Escape Industries Ltd" trailer but a SOB type.

[Laura & Rick]

You guys are killing me, now it SOB. Do I dare ask what SOB stands for?

[cpaharley2008]

Some other brand- SOB
http://kz-rv.com/spree-escape/E14RB

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Laura & Rick

Francesca, me thinks that Escape come only in 13, 15, 17, 19 and the 5.0 versions. I don't recall any Escape 14 footer.

Turns out we're both wrong "Escape" comes in a 16 foot version, too!

Here's the Escape E14RB:



But I still think "RB" means rear bed....

Francesca

P.S. per your semantics question:

"SOB" is a scornful way to refer to trailers that aren't cast in a fiberglass mold.

F.

[Ice-breaker]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

Turns out we're both wrong "Escape" comes in a 16 foot version, too!

Here's the Escape E14RB:



But I still think "RB" means rear bed....

Francesca

P.S. per your semantics question:

"SOB" is a scornful way to refer to trailers that aren't cast in a fiberglass mold.

F.

From another forum:

RB= rear bath, s= slide, ss= super side, BH = bunk house, RK= rear kitchen, RE= rear entertainment, RL= rear living, FK= front kitchen, QB or QBUD = quad bunk, TB or TBUD= triple bunk, FL= front living, OK= outside kitchen (have seen this one on occasion) you may see a mix ie RKOK= rear kitchen and outside kitchen, ignore the # on the unit for length, it has become kind of meaningless. ie my 26BL is a 30' bunkhose.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

Turns out we're both wrong "Escape" comes in a 16 foot version, too!

Here's the Escape E14RB:



But I still think "RB" means rear bed....

Francesca

P.S. per your semantics question:

"SOB" is a scornful way to refer to trailers that aren't cast in a fiberglass mold.

F.

looking at the layout... I'm guessing RB means Rear Bath!

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Ice-breaker

From another forum:

Originally Posted by floyd

looking at the layout... I'm guessing RB means Rear Bath!

OH! Yeah- that door would make getting past a "rear bed" pretty awkward, right? Once again, my idjit switch kicked on...

And thanks for the " abbreviations key", Dave!

Francesca

[Mike Magee]

Originally Posted by Ms. Gayle

Mike,

In your scenario....are you saying I would have to manually shift the gears up and down??

Not at all. When you move the shifter to S, it's able to shift anywhere between 1, 2, 3, and 4 all on its own. It won't go into 5th... unless you tap the lever UP, or back to the right for Drive.

Now, if you tap the lever DOWN once while in S, that will also lock out 4th. Now it will shift by itself, as needed, between 1, 2, and 3.... but not 4 or 5.

Tap it down again, and it'll lock out 3rd. Now it can only shift on its own between 1 and 2. I've used this while towing my trailer up Wolf Creek Pass in Colorado, and similar steep, long, winding passes.

Yes, I have a SOB trailer. What can I say? It's a stickie with FG gelcoat, and I paid less than $10K for it brand new. Hopefully it will last for half a decade or so. It's 16' long, but minus the tongue I guess it's 14', so it's E (for Escape) 14 (box length) RB (rear bath).

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

Yes, I have a SOB trailer. What can I say? It's a stickie with FG gelcoat, and I paid less than $10K for it brand new. Hopefully it will last for half a decade or so. It's 16' long, but minus the tongue I guess it's 14', so it's E (for Escape) 14 (box length) RB (rear bath).

Good grief- it's not like you have to confess or anything, Mike. That's a great little trailer and a lot lighter than some of the big boys in this so-called "lightweight trailers" forum!

Sheesh...it's like folks think there's been an "outing" or something...

Stick with us, Mike!

Francesca

P.S. to all:

And can everybody please stop saying "SOB"???

In the first place it's rude, and in the second place it was coined at the Airstream Forums and it's their derogatory term for anyone that "can't" own an AIRSTREAM.

Yes....that's right...fiberglass trailer are "SOB's" by definition, so let's just knock it off with using that term against our own members' rigs.

End of speechifying. For now.

Have a nice day!

F.

[MC1]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

P.S. to all:

And can everybody please stop saying "SOB"???

In the first place it's rude, and in the second place it was coined at the Airstream Forums and it's their derogatory term for anyone that "can't" own an AIRSTREAM.

Yes....that's right...fiberglass trailer are "SOB's" by definition, so let's just knock it off with using that term against our own members' rigs.

End of speechifying. For now.

Have a nice day!

F.

I just luv your wild imagination FK

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

When you move the shifter to S, it's able to shift anywhere between 1, 2, 3, and 4 all on its own. It won't go into 5th... unless you tap the lever UP, or back to the right for Drive.

Now, if you tap the lever DOWN once while in S, that will also lock out 4th. Now it will shift by itself, as needed, between 1, 2, and 3.... but not 4 or 5.

Tap it down again, and it'll lock out 3rd. Now it can only shift on its own between 1 and 2. I've used this while towing my trailer up Wolf Creek Pass in Colorado, and similar steep, long, winding passes.

In other words, "+" and "-" just move the selection one step at a time along the traditional P-R-N-D-5-4-3-2-L sequence... without needing all of those notches on shift lever mechanism (just P-R-N-D-+/-). At each step, the chosen "gear" is the highest gear the transmission will use (other than a likely protective upshift if you go too fast for the selected gear and try to drive the engine over 6000 or 7000 rpm).

This is the same behaviour described for the 2011+ Sienna (in a thread in another forum), which seems likely to be the same transmission.

In many other vehicles, the "+/-" mode is a manual selection; in this case it's still automatic, which is why its operation was not obvious... unless, of course, you read the manual.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

Now, if you tap the lever DOWN once while in S, that will also lock out 4th. Now it will shift by itself, as needed, between 1, 2, and 3.... but not 4 or 5.
.

Can't recall your tow vehicle Mike, but the manual for my RAV4 says to tow in 4, not in Drive and not to tow uphill for any extended time in 3. Toyota wants you to leave in in 4 and let the vehicle do the downshift as required.

Showing off, I dropped down to 3 and headed for the top of the Coquihalla at 60+ mph once ( with the trailer ). Almost got to the top when the transmission overheat light came on. Moved it back to 4 and eased off. All OK in the end, but I won't do it again. ( had a scheduled full service including transmission fluid shortly after ).