RAV 4 has 3500 tow capacity

[John Linck]

Add a couple of oil coolers and the Toyota RAV 4 Adventure's capacity goes up in 2018.

Good to have another choice. Click here for more info

[steve dunham]

The new Ford Escape when properly equipped has a towing capacity of 3500 lbs .
The new Chevy Traverse when properly equipped has a towing capacity of 5200 lbs

Nice to have a choice

[Jon in AZ]

...the Traverse being a much larger 3-row crossover.

Certainly it is good to have more options in the compact crossover class.

Some have V6's, some have turbo-4's, but the RAV4 is the only one with a non-turbo four and a 3500# rating. Looking forward to hearing how that actually works out.

[ibupnorth]

Wish they would offer the 6-cylinder in the RAV4 again.

[Raz]

Most would think a tow prep package would include a hitch, at least a light connection, and an easy way to connect a brake controller. Not the case when I owned Toyotas. In fact I was told adding a brake controller would void my warranty. Have things gotten better?

[corgicat]

Just remember that there is more to safe towing than weight rating. Wheelbase also is important.

[MurrayC]

I have a 2012 Hyundai Sante Fe.
Got this model with a 6 cyl. 276 hp. engine.
I just bought a 13' Ventura and towed it from Vernon to Vancouver Island.
Hardly knew it was there. Had trouble keeping it under 100km/h.Braking was not an issue.
Things to look for. Not bragging about a Hyundai but it has a couple of nice features.
When on gravel back roads I put on the "Hill assist". Under 40km/h this holds the vehicle at the speed it was set going downhills. Not always putting on the brake.
You can also rear down. I also click on the AWD. With this it never turns a tire going up loose gravel hills. All within reason. With these two features on I just crawl around these back roads forever. Make sure the tires have at least a 103 sidewall rating. Good Luck
Go and Enjoy

[Lee Senn]

Raz has a definite point . We bought a 2012 Rv4 v6 with the tow package ? it did not include a plug and play for the trailer electrics or the trailer hitch itselt . By the time we got it actually ready to tow we were out an additional $1,200.00. So much for a tow package. I also think the 3500 lb tow rating needs a little additional research . Toyota has indicated on their site 2400 lbs for the front wheel version and a max of 2900 lbs for the all wheel drive. Journalist often miss the mark and I think this will turn out to be the case here. Our Hyundai Santa Fe Sport is constantly rated by several journalist at 1500 lbs towing while the owners manual clearly states 2400 lbs for the front wheel drive and 2800 lbs for the all wheel. Even though it cost many bucks extra to get the Toyota ready to tow it was an excellent tow vehicle, even towed our 17 foot Bigfoot , approx weight of 2600 lbs, with no trouble. We live in Idaho and towed with the Rav in the Rockies and Cascades and were never holding up traffic. Lee and Norma

[steve dunham]

Wouldn't it be nice if the term " Tow Package " actually had meaning.
As it exists , it is not a defined term and is basically useless.

This discrepancy should have been cleared up when they created the ASE J2807 towing standard. IMHO !!

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Wouldn't it be nice if the term " Tow Package " actually had meaning.
As it exists , it is not a defined term and is basically useless.

This discrepancy should have been cleared up when they created the ASE J2807 towing standard. IMHO !!

It would be nice if forum comments were accurate themselves. It is not a "Tow Package". It is a "Tow-prep package" and if you look that term up, you will know what is included and what is not.
Doesn't include a weight distribution hitch, for instance.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

It would be nice if forum comments were accurate themselves. It is not a "Tow Package". It is a "Tow-prep package" and if you look that term up, you will know what is included and what is not.
Doesn't include a weight distribution hitch, for instance.

Since Ram calls it a tow package and I own a Ram , I will accurately refer to it as a tow package.
As a side note in some cases the tow package does not even include any hitch.
If you wish to argue over semantics then feel free but you will be arguing with yourself.

[stude]

Originally Posted by John Linck

Add a couple of oil coolers and the Toyota RAV 4 Adventure's capacity goes up in 2018.

Good to have another choice. Click here for more info

:so does the Suzuki Grand Vitara and it can be a Tow'd vehicle behind a MH, just put tranny in Park and set the 4wd for Neutral and hook up and away you go.
Stude

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Since Ram calls it a tow package and I own a Ram , I will accurately refer to it as a tow package.
As a side note in some cases the tow package does not even include any hitch.
If you wish to argue over semantics then feel free but you will be arguing with yourself.

A Toyota RAV4 is not a Ram, and Toyota does not call it a 'tow package'. To make an argument, you need facts.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by corgicat

Just remember that there is more to safe towing than weight rating. Wheelbase also is important.

Right, but it ain't all that simple... Ideally it should be proportional to the trailer, too much can be worse than too little.
A 13Scamp is roughly 96" from axle to pin. a small crossover SUV is around 105" wheelbase commonly with about 36" from axle to pin.
An F150 regular cab ranges from 122" to 141" wheelbase.
To be proportional in relation to the combo above, a trailer behind an F150 would then have an axle to pin distance from 105" to 136".

If you consider the first combo marginal based on wheelbase, then you would have to consider that an F150 regular cab would be at least proportionally marginal towing a 16Scamp, However, in general a longer wheelbase on the TV means a smoother ride with less response, while a longer trailer generally means a less responsive trailer with less sway.

Of course, the pin to the rear axle distance is another factor which has a similar effect and must be considered when choosing wheelbase for a TV.

Generally I prefer the shortest practical wheelbase with the shortest practical rear overhang which will match the trailer. That means a long enough trailer to be stable and a short enough TV wheelbase/overhang to control it.

All in all, the right proportions result in the best combo, and generalities are always false!

[floyd]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Wouldn't it be nice if the term " Tow Package " actually had meaning.
As it exists , it is not a defined term and is basically useless.

This discrepancy should have been cleared up when they created the ASE J2807 towing standard. IMHO !!

Problem is J2807 is essentially only a performance standard with arbitrary parameters.

[Mike Magee]

Originally Posted by floyd

... generalities are always false!

But... but... isn't that statement a generality and therefore false?

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

But... but... isn't that statement a generality and therefore false?

That is exactly the point! There are too many variables to absolutely confirm generalities. (generally)

The perfect combination of TV/ Trailer is too subjective to quantify for any one individual.
The meme of "the longer the wheelbase the better" is primarily false for the same reason you cite.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Wouldn't it be nice if the term " Tow Package " actually had meaning.
As it exists , it is not a defined term and is basically useless.

This discrepancy should have been cleared up when they created the ASE J2807 towing standard. IMHO !!

The purpose of J2807 was to create consistency in how vehicles are tow tested, not how they are designed and equipped to meet those performance standards, and much less how manufacturers package and market that equipment. Given the somewhat arbitrary nature of many of their testing parameters, I'm not sure we really want SAE defining what a "tow package" is.

It would be nice if all manufacturers were upfront about what's included and what's left to the buyer, but that's really a separate issue. Toyota leaves a lot more to the buyer. Whether that's a deal-breaker or not is an individual call.

[caheath]

IMO, important factors to consider include:

For towing safety and handling...
- TWR when the tow package is *factory installed* - fulled loaded camper weight should be at least 10% under TWR max. For example, TWR is 5000# so loaded camper weight should be no more than 4500#. I prefer to stay 20% under TWR.
- Vehicle's max tongue weight - loaded camper's tongue weight should be at least 10% under the max
- Vehicle's GVW - the loaded tug, including a full tank of gas and all passengers should weigh less than GVW
- Vehicle's GCWR - the entire loaded set-up (tug + camper) should weigh less than GCWR

Other handling factors...
- Vehicle's weight in proportion to trailer weight - important for braking, even with a trailer braking system
- Vehicle's wheelbase - the longer the better
- Vehicle's width and height compared to trailer's width and height - you will have wind problems, etc., even with a light-weight trailer if it is much broader and taller than the tug

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

The purpose of J2807

It would be nice if all manufacturers were upfront about what's included and what's left to the buyer, but that's really a separate issue. Toyota leaves a lot more to the buyer. Whether that's a deal-breaker or not is an individual call.

That was the point of my statement , though maybe not stated very precisely. I own a Ram 1500 , try looking up what is included in the Ram "tow package" , you get 5000 different opinions / answers. .Even the dealer can't tell you. My Ram supposedly came with the "Tow Package" yet I had to pay an additional fee for my factory trailer hitch .

Toyota's " Tow Prep Package " appears at times to be nothing more than a 4 pin plug in . I've read where people have had to spend an additiinal $1200 to $2000 to get a Toyota with the factory "Tow Prep Package" so its' capable of pulling a 1500 lb utility trailer.

To my way of thinking if you buy a new vehicle and you pay for a " Tow Package" or a "Tow Prep Package" you should not have to add a transmission cooler , or an oil cooler, or a 7 pin wiring harness or rewire half the dash and pay an additional $500 to reprogram the vehicle's computer to add a brake controller or reconstruct the rear suspension or tie on a pair of cheap , crappy towing mirrors to the vehicle so you can see to tow , etc , etc ,etc ,etc , etc ,,,,,,,

The auto manufacturers do not make it easy to determine a vehicles capabilities to tow. A 3500 lb tow rated vehicle with the factory "Tow Prep Package " should be able to tow 3500 lbs the day it leaves the dealers showroom IMHO.