New RAV4 coming / tow vehicle

[Glenn Baglo]

Just arrived in my email:

[Jon in AZ]

Wonder what's under the hood... turbo 4 or old-school V6? Pity you will have to pay for all the tough-looking but useless plastic crap to get the towing capability.

[stefman]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Wonder what's under the hood... turbo 4 or old-school V6? Pity you will have to pay for all the tough-looking but useless plastic crap to get the towing capability.

Taken from a Car and Driver site

"Although powered by the same 176-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder found in today’s non-hybrid RAV4 models, the RAV4 Adventure’s Tow Prep package brings an upgraded radiator, an engine oil cooler, and a transmission cooler. So equipped, the RAV4 Adventure is rated to tow up to 3500 pounds when equipped with all-wheel drive, or more than double the standard RAV4’s 1500-pound figure. The front-wheel-drive RAV4 Adventure is rated to tow 2900 pounds."

[steve dunham]

Sounds like it would be suitable for towing a Scamp 13.

[Penney H. & Mike E.]

Wonder if it would tow a Escape 17'B? Rav4 has certainly 'grown up' from the tiny car my tiny elderly mom drove that I could hardly get into!

To answer my own question - I found this:
"When properly equipped, the 2018 RAV4 can tow up to 1,500 pounds while the RAV4 Hybrid can haul 1,750 pounds."

[honda03842]

It can easily tow a Scamp 13. We towed a Scamp 16 for many years with a similar vehicle.

[Glenn Baglo]

I wouldn't replace my RAV4 V6 with a 4 cylinder.
I like getting up to highway speed on short on-ramps, towing or not.
Mine has 269 HP.

[DevS]

The press release says: " 381-horsepower 5.7-liter i-Force V8 engine. "

[DevS]

OOPs - My Bad - that engine is for the Tundra --

[rbryan]

Originally Posted by Penney H. & Mike E.

Wonder if it would tow a Escape 17'B?

The RAV4 Adventure model (called the RAV4 Trail in Canada) probably will, provided you have AWD. With the AWD and the Adventure/Trail trim, it's towing capacity will be 3500 lbs - comfortably within the typical weights of a 17B.

Having said that, I think Toyota would have a much more capable tow vehicle there if they went back to the superb 269hp V6 they used to offer on the RAV4.

[Mike Magee]

A v8 in a Rav4 would be da bomb!

[Glenn Baglo]

According to a friend who was a Toyota manager, the V6 scared many customers on a test drive when they hit the gas. They'd often opt for the four.

[stefman]

I currently tow my Trillium with my 2010 Rav4 4cyl Automatic. The trailer weighs in at about 1750 lbs when I'm loaded for camping. The TV carries the wife, the dog and me and maybe 100 lbs of additional cargo. I added brakes to the trailer and it tows wonderfully and is well behaved behind the Rav and I can still pass when absolutely required. I do not think I would want to double the weight and pull anything approaching the 3500 lb weight that Toyota says the new Rav4 will handle. I would only feel comfortable at any thing less than about 2200 lbs. I know my limit is supposed to only be 1500 lbs according to Toyota, but it's amazing how when I add a MASSIVE tranny cooler and MASSIVE oil cooler it doesn't get me up steep hills any quicker with only about 180hp. I don't want to start yet another debate about tow limits and ratings but the new RAV4 is basically the same as my 2010 with a few enhancements (I have done those too) and they now claim a 3500 lb tow capacity whereas mine is 1500 lbs. What a steaming pile of ...........!!!

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by stefman

I don't want to start yet another debate about tow limits and ratings but the new RAV4 is basically the same as my 2010 with a few enhancements (I have done those too) and they now claim a 3500 lb tow capacity whereas mine is 1500 lbs. What a steaming pile of ...........!!!

So, what's your theory on why Toyota reduced the tow limit on the RAV4 for 2013. Or, why the V6 with tow prep was rated at 3,500 lbs tow in 2008, 2010, 2012?
Did they do that just to lose customers?

[stefman]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

So, what's your theory on why Toyota reduced the tow limit on the RAV4 for 2013. Or, why the V6 with tow prep was rated at 3,500 lbs tow in 2008, 2010, 2012?
Did they do that just to lose customers?

I really don't know! It would be interesting to learn from the manufacturers how they determine tow capacity in the first place and then see if the number changes once legal teams get their say. I once looked in a published magazine, at a trailer sales place, that listed all makes and models of vehicles (No, I don't know what it was called but it was for trailer dealers only) and it had towing specifications on all vehicles made in the last 30 years. It had Rav4's listed as being able to tow 4000 lbs. It did not matter if it was 2wd or 4wd or I4 or V6. I believe they were just listing the strength of the frame (chassis) with a properly installed hitch. I believe I would have to get out and push my Rav if I had 3500lbs on the back of it on any steep hill, like the ones on the east coast.
These numbers do seem somewhat arbitrary as we have many examples of how the EXACT same vehicle, when sold in Europe for example, have much higher rated tow capacities.

http://media.toyota.co.uk/wp-content...IFICATIONS.pdf

The 2.0L gas engine in that chart shows 1500 KG tow capacity (when braked). The 2.0 L gas engine is similar in spec to my 2.5 L

Like I said, I don't want to reopen the debate over towing max. specs, I just did not want to be the one towing a 3000 + lb trailer with an inline 4 cyl. I also don't want to be the person behind them when you can't pass for the next 40 kms.

[Mike Magee]

Part of it may be which transmission they are putting in. Did the 4 cyl have a smaller tranny than the v6, and maybe they now will put the beefier tranny with the 4? Just guessing.