Towing with a Minivan
I have a 2006 Kia Sedona minivan. The towing limit is 3500lbs. I have already installed a hitch, electric brake controller and electrical hookups on the van. I still need to add the transmission and p...
Forum Discussion
overbrook wrote:SusanDallas wrote:
So, if any of you tow a small travel trailer with a minivan, I would really like some feedback on this travel trailer before I purchase it. Thank you !
I towed a lightweight 17' Scamp travel trailer with a 2006 Toyota Siena six cyl Mini-van.
The Scamp weighed in less than 2,000 pounds and the Sienna had a 3,500 tow rating.
Here's what I learned.
The Sienna could easily tow the Scamp but gas mileage dropped from 22mpg to around 14mpg (on the interstate). Going through the mountains, the engine RPMs stayed high going up, and the brakes got soft going down (electric brakes on the Scamp).
The big problem was with front wheel drive. With the trailer on the rear hitch, it puts the weight is on the rear tires and takes it off the front tires, which means less traction on the front drive wheels.
Pulling out of a steep wet driveway, the front tires would spin - meaning I had to be very careful going up hills.
Also, even with the trailer brakes you could feel the trailer pushing the minivan when stopping.
So yes, while it is possible to pull a travel trailer with a minivan, it won't be fun, it won't be safe, and it will put a lot of stress on the minivan brakes, transmission and engine.
If in doubt, go to your local U-haul and rent a storage trailer. Put a thousand pounds of stuff in it, and take for a two hundred mile drive.
This will give you a good idea of how well your minivan will do with a travel trailer.
Bill
I also had a 2006 Sienna and currently have a 2014 Sienna. That is an excellent assessment and mirror my experience nearly exactly. The 2006 towed a little better than the 2014, though, for reasons I can't quite explain.
The heaviest trailer I have towed with either has been 3200 pounds. But, even with something much lighter (I have a 1500 pound boat/trailer and a 7' x 12' aluminum utility trailer that only weighs 450 pounds empty), the same issues exist.
Even with the utility trailer empty , I experience a drop in mpg to 15 at 60-65 MPG, largely due (I suspect) to the large tailgate ramp catching the wind.....Slower speeds (45-50) offer some improvement.
The boat on a wet launch ramp is a barrel of laughs too for the same reason you mention above with the front wheel drive!
