Upgrade the Tow Vehicle to 5000 lbs now or keep our present SUV??

[MK Evenson]

Vintageracer, that " FAT" description is hitting ABOVE THE BELT

Mark

[Darwin Maring]

And, I have seen Freightliners and other extremely huge Semi type Tractors pulling them.

You should also consider the brake capacity of the tow vehicle. Try slowing down while coming down a long steep mountain road pulling a load with a tow vehicle that is at or over the maximum gross total weight and you have a bad situation on your hands.

This is where experience comes in. When you see a sign at the top of one of these hills that notify the Truckers to pull over, test their brakes, and keep it in a certain gear going down that steep grade and you have a new to the pulling a camper person that ignores that notice because he Aint a Trucker, well that can be a really hair raising ride to the bottom. This is also where trailer brakes come in Really handy.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by vintageracer

Those 8K lb Dually's you speak of are NOW designed by the OEM's to pull, stop and control trailers with OEM RATED towing capacities of over 25K lbs in many instances.

So now you are saying it is not the size or weight of a vehicle that matters, but the OEM tow rating.

The OEM tow rating of the Lexus RX350 in question is 3500 pounds (braked). The trailer will weigh around 2600 pounds (braked). Q.E.D.

[slowpat]

When towing over our passes--Warshington, you do not have to go the speed limit. Get in the slow lane and putt along where you don't have to keep punching the gas. You will notice the semis are slowing down and if you happen to go over my pass, and you probably won't, it is two lane with a few passing lanes so chances are you will be stuck behind a semi all the way to the summit. You'll save a bit of gas also.

I am fond of the DrinkAMugOfMilkADay trucks. They make a trip over and back every day cuz the cows won't wait.

[Bobbie Mayer]

I don't quite see why so many people worry about it if they are UNDER the manufacturers max weight. They don't say the limit is 3500 because they think 3000 is enough. They say 3500 because over that- not under that- could start to be a problem. I do get why you worry about it if the trailer is supposedly 3000 lbs dry weight as it likely would be well over in actual use. But a car rated to pull 3500 should be able to safely pull 3500.

[ShelbyM]

You have a long and exciting trip/ adventure planned. You know/are worried that your tow vehicle is marginal. You may soon need a new vehicle of some sort since your Avalon is busted. Make it easy on yourself, get that new tow vehicle and enjoy the trip! JMO, of course.

[disneydoc]

Thank you friends for your valuable input.

I have decided to initially tow the 17B with my Lexus RX350 & upgrade it if does not tow right.

Thanks again

[Victor Benz]

Agree with your decision. A couple of additional thoughts. Plan your trip through the mountains carefully to avoid towing challenges. Highway 3 in southern BC (Manning Provincial Park) looks inviting, but has many, many switchbacks and steep sections. The Coquihalla, Highway 5 has long steady climbs and descents so the key is not to let the speed build up. These can be important issues if you have not towed before.


Vic


Vic

[Victor Benz]

Stay with your plan. But plan your return route carefully. In southern BC, Highway 3 through Manning Provincial Park has many switchbacks right at the bottom of steep descents followed by steep climbs. It is only a two lane undivided highway. Highway 5 (Coquihalla) is a much better highway, but the climbs and descents are often long sections of several miles. The key there is not to allow the trailer-TV unit to build too much speed on the descents, and watch the cooling temp on the climbs. This will be especially important if you are towing for the first time.


Vic

[thrifty bill]

Originally Posted by Bobbie Mayer

I don't quite see why so many people worry about it if they are UNDER the manufacturers max weight. They don't say the limit is 3500 because they think 3000 is enough. They say 3500 because over that- not under that- could start to be a problem. I do get why you worry about it if the trailer is supposedly 3000 lbs dry weight as it likely would be well over in actual use. But a car rated to pull 3500 should be able to safely pull 3500.

Because there are other factors beyond tow rating. For example, my F150 has a 9800 pound tow rating, which is awesome! However, it only has a 1450 pound payload capacity. I run out of payload capacity way before I get anywhere near towing capacity.

So yes, I can pull a 9800 pound trailer with my truck, but I can't hook up to it without exceeding payload.

What is included in payload? Driver, passengers, pets, truck topper, stuff in the bed of the truck, hitch weight, tongue weight. This stuff adds up fast! I have a four door truck, so go figure, someone might have four or five occupants inside the truck alone.

In the case of my Ford, one reason my payload rating is so low is my truck is loaded with options. Bare stock and it would have a payload close to 2,000 pounds. But the air conditioned/heated seats, full leather, yadda, yadda, all add weight which lowers the payload accordingly.

Looks like the payload capacity of the Rx350 is pretty generous, so I don't see a problem there.

Having lived in WA State for a number of years and towing a trailer then as well, there are some serious mountain passes, that will test braking for sure.

[disneydoc]

Hi Folks,

Driving my dented Avalon was getting unbearable, so went in and traded it in for a new Highlander XLE V6 AWD & the 5000 lb Tow prep package comes standard.

Now to transfer the Tow Hitch, 7 pin Harness & the Brake Controller from the Lexus to the new vehicle.

[Mike Magee]

Congrats on the new ride. The hitch receiver may or may not be interchangeable. It would not be a bad idea to leave the Lexus as is, and add new components to the HL. Although, the brake controller could probably be wired with a plug in the harness such that it could be moved from vehicle to vehicle.

One never knows exactly what the future holds. What if something happened to one vehicle right before a planned trip? I like having 2 vehicles that can tow. Flexibility, options.

[Jon in AZ]

No arguments with your choice! It will make a very nice tow vehicle with your new Escape. I'll be surprised if the hitch will interchange, though. Usually they're model-specific.

[slowpat]

I'm not sure if our mountain passes will test braking. It depends how you drive. I tow over White Pass, which has some steep grades but I don't push to keep going, so I'm not riding the brake. The speed limit on the mountainy part is down to 50 mph anyway and the road is pretty rough in spots where it is trying to drop off the mountain that you need to stay at a lower speed. If you don't accelerate between curves very much, you should be fine with the brakes. I'm having a hard time explaining. Oh well. You can entertain your passengers by making jake brake sounds.

We do have curves with interesting names--Haytruck curve (self explanatory) dead man's curve and Rocky Point. Those are the infamous ones.

I would think that Snoqualmie would be quite easy to go on, except for all the traffic, during the summer months.

[Mike Magee]

For anyone who's unfamiliar with mountain driving: the proper way to approach a notably steep downhill grade (like 5% or more) is to slow down right away before it gets steep, shift to whichever lower gear (often 2nd or 3rd, but occasionally 1st) will keep the speed from running away, and apply the brakes sparingly. Never ride the brake pedal for a long period as you descend, because the brake pads can overheat and stop working.