Crossover SUV trailers
Hi all, I have a 2020 Chevy Traverse with Tow Pkg. It has a towing capacity of 5000lbs. Max Tongue Weight 500lbs. Payload of 1584lbs. My vehicle is about 78" wide and 70" tall with a 120" wheelba...
Forum Discussion
One can draw come conclusions about stress on the drive train from the fuel economy data; a lower mpg indicates that the train is working harder. How much harder and what is too much for your comfort level is more difficult to quantify, though.
I put 140,000 towing miles on a 2008 Toyota Highlander with 5000/500 rating (it had the tow prep package). Towing a 17' Burro, which was very low height and 88" wide and very rounded (egg shaped), I got 14.3 mpg on a 2500+ mile trip. Towing a KZ Escape box-shaped trailer, 100" high and 7' wide, I only managed 12.3 mpg on a 3500 mile trip. The Burro was probably 300-400 lbs lighter, but the big factor was the Burro's rounded corners and edges of the molded fiberglass body versus the squared-off design of the KZ (which did have a bit of slope to the front). From what I've been able to glean from the R-Pod forum, those owners also appeared to get mostly 14-15 mpg even though the roofline is rounded, so I think the rounded edges is what reduces frontal area and drag more than just rounding the roof but joining the roof squarely to the sides.
That said, the HL did tolerably well with the KZ. It just had an easier time with the Burro. BTW, I only towed at about 60 mph, maybe 62 mph tops, unless I had a really good tailwind. Wind resistance increases exponentially as speed increases.
The molded fiberglass trailers are pretty much all sold from the factories (no dealerships): Scamp in MN, Casita in TX, Snoozy II in SC.
I do think you're on the right track overall. Keep it under 3500 lbs loaded (probably 2800 dry or thereabout). If you can have a loaded tongue weight under 400 lbs, that leaves you room to add a weight distribution hitch if you want one; one with built-in sway control might be a nice safety addition, and the Andersen No-Sway is one of the lightest at (IIRC) about 70 lbs. 7' wide would be better than 7.5', and under 110" high (excluding A/C) would be best. At highway speed, wind resistance is the primary factor rather than weight; when climbing or descending grades, weight becomes a bigger issue.
I put 140,000 towing miles on a 2008 Toyota Highlander with 5000/500 rating (it had the tow prep package). Towing a 17' Burro, which was very low height and 88" wide and very rounded (egg shaped), I got 14.3 mpg on a 2500+ mile trip. Towing a KZ Escape box-shaped trailer, 100" high and 7' wide, I only managed 12.3 mpg on a 3500 mile trip. The Burro was probably 300-400 lbs lighter, but the big factor was the Burro's rounded corners and edges of the molded fiberglass body versus the squared-off design of the KZ (which did have a bit of slope to the front). From what I've been able to glean from the R-Pod forum, those owners also appeared to get mostly 14-15 mpg even though the roofline is rounded, so I think the rounded edges is what reduces frontal area and drag more than just rounding the roof but joining the roof squarely to the sides.
That said, the HL did tolerably well with the KZ. It just had an easier time with the Burro. BTW, I only towed at about 60 mph, maybe 62 mph tops, unless I had a really good tailwind. Wind resistance increases exponentially as speed increases.
The molded fiberglass trailers are pretty much all sold from the factories (no dealerships): Scamp in MN, Casita in TX, Snoozy II in SC.
I do think you're on the right track overall. Keep it under 3500 lbs loaded (probably 2800 dry or thereabout). If you can have a loaded tongue weight under 400 lbs, that leaves you room to add a weight distribution hitch if you want one; one with built-in sway control might be a nice safety addition, and the Andersen No-Sway is one of the lightest at (IIRC) about 70 lbs. 7' wide would be better than 7.5', and under 110" high (excluding A/C) would be best. At highway speed, wind resistance is the primary factor rather than weight; when climbing or descending grades, weight becomes a bigger issue.
