Buying a tow vehicle

[JenPB]

Hi Cathy!
I towed my 1,370-pound (loaded) '1971 Compact Jr. 9,611 miles this summer behind my 2000 Toyota Sienna, factory-equipped with the tow package (which, oddly enough did NOT include a tow hitch!). The van performed wonderfully, and we were able to lock in our valuables, keep the cooler in the air-conditioned vehicle with us, and still keep up with traffic. We drove on all sorts of terrain - I'm kinda nuts that way anyway. We didn't have any emergency stops, so I'm not sure what would happen there, but we had no problem with sway or power.

I'm sure there's a better combo out there, but I'm pleased as punch with our setup.

Jen
(To see pictures of our trip, maps, etc. - jenpb.blogspot.com)

[Pete Dumbleton]

I towed my 1,370-pound (loaded) '1971 Compact Jr. 9,611 miles this summer behind my 2000 Toyota Sienna, factory-equipped with the tow package (which, oddly enough did NOT include a tow hitch!).

Many factory tow packages don't include the hitch because there are several choices -- The real parts of the tow package are usually not obvious, like electrical, cooling, suspension and drive train.