Seeking th perfect Couples Trailer - just me and my wife ...

Hi all

Yes, my first post here (but not new to forums). Anyway, I usually refrain from interjecting when I have little to no knowledge on the subject but seeing as how I have worked on the technical side for Lexus Corporate for 27+ years and tow my Freedom Express 192RBS (absolutely terrific trailer by the way) with an LX570 quite frequently, I think I should probably add my thoughts: First, the LX470 model towing capacity is 6500 lbs., and the LX570 version has a 7000lbs. towing capacity. The travel trailer specified is only 4000 lbs dry (plus fluids and belongings). Second, the LX470/570 is most definitely NOT a uni-body. It is a full ladder type chassis-on-frame vehicle designed to tackle the most difficult terrain around the world. It also has a hydraulic suspension system which is both adjustable for firmness and automatically adjusts the ride height (trailer or no trailer). So take it from someone that who has actually done it (many times) and is not just speculating...I love towing my Freedom Express with the LX570, and am totally confused as to why anyone would say it's not enough tow vehicle for the FE 192RBS. In fact it is my wife's favorite vehicle to tow with as well. So, it is with a completely clear conscious I say: Go for it and Enjoy!

cwmoser wrote:

SoundGuy wrote:

totaldla wrote:
My wife and I decided on the keystone passport 234qbwe as our couples trailer. But we have a larger SUV.

Your 234QBWE is a western model, the OP is in the east where this model isn't available so a larger SUV wouldn't solve this for them anyway. ;) Interesting floorplan though, really like it. :B

Floor plan of the 2340BWE looks good.
Thats 3880 lbs dry and over 6000 lbs max.

What SUV are you using to tow this trailer?

4.6 V8 powered 4x4 Ford Explorer.

SoundGuy wrote:

totaldla wrote:
My wife and I decided on the keystone passport 234qbwe as our couples trailer. But we have a larger SUV.

Your 234QBWE is a western model, the OP is in the east where this model isn't available so a larger SUV wouldn't solve this for them anyway. ;) Interesting floorplan though, really like it. :B

Floor plan of the 2340BWE looks good.
Thats 3880 lbs dry and over 6000 lbs max.

What SUV are you using to tow this trailer?

WildPlumYonder wrote:
I am always surprised by the differences between east and west coast models. If you have a factory, in, say, Michigan, what is the difference between shipping models to Florida or Colorado? I doubt - very much - that they have sales data that says "of, well, this is what people in the west want."

Don't have any answer for this other than to say only some RV manufacturers do this. The vast majority of RVs manufacturing facilities east of the Mississippi are located in Indiana, west of it I don't know much about ... why some find it necessary to have "West only" and "East only" models is a mystery. :h It would be interesting to also know if an "Eastern" dealer could order a "Western" model if the customer was willing to pay the cost of dragging it all the way east. :@

SoundGuy wrote:

totaldla wrote:
My wife and I decided on the keystone passport 234qbwe as our couples trailer. But we have a larger SUV.

Your 234QBWE is a western model, the OP is in the east where this model isn't available so a larger SUV wouldn't solve this for them anyway

I am always surprised by the differences between east and west coast models. If you have a factory, in, say, Michigan, what is the difference between shipping models to Florida or Colorado? I doubt - very much - that they have sales data that says "of, well, this is what people in the west want."

totaldla wrote:
My wife and I decided on the keystone passport 234qbwe as our couples trailer. But we have a larger SUV.

Your 234QBWE is a western model, the OP is in the east where this model isn't available so a larger SUV wouldn't solve this for them anyway. ;) Interesting floorplan though, really like it. :B

My wife and I decided on the keystone passport 234qbwe as our couples trailer. But we have a larger SUV. Good luck with your search!

cwmoser wrote:
Last Train, You made me go back and re-ponder about the Coachmen 192RBS.
I do like that trailer.

Looks to me like my LX470 compares very similar to your Ridgeline.
Where my LX470 falters is the 4-speed Auto, a little over a foot in length, and 10" in wheelbase.
From these specs, what is your opinion?

Well, I'm not an automotive engineer so I'm flattered that you might think that I could adequately answer your question. ??

But I will offer a couple of general observations - partly from my own research and also from experience.
(1) Lexus builds incredible vehicles, including like your SUV. Though a given vehicle might be able to accomplish a range of tasks, usually there is a "sweet spot" for which they are engineered and marketed. And generally an excellent SUV like your Lexus offers an outstanding ride and typical SUV utility wrapped up in luxury. (I know, because one of my best friends has one, and we tow his center console boat to the bay, and it does a great job with that task. Towing a 3000 boat is not at all like towing a travel trailer, however.)
But that SUV gets that great, comfortable ride largely due to its suspension which is engineered primarily for comfort. Also a standard unibody construction just tends to be a less than robust platform for the physical forces of torsion, twisting, bending, etc. that are induced when towing large loads. So though the Lexus might satisfy the calculations that must be applied to be safe and stay legal, it's possible that larger loads "may" place undue strain on your vehicle. But I'm at the absolute very end of my technical knowledge envelope here, so I will defer to other folks who really know what they are talking about re. your Lexus.
(2) A comparison between your Lexus and my Ridgeline, though seemingly close, is actually a bit of an apples to oranges issue. The reason lies in the nature of the Ridgeline's engineering. I do not want to get into a "it's not a truck vs. it IS a truck pi&&#ng contest," since there are lots of uninformed opinions expressed about the Ridgeline. But fundamentally, Honda designed the original Ridgeline as a variant of the Acura MDX platform with substantially beefed up suspension and drive line components to provide an excellent ride with an extremely stiff and strong unibody construction. Honda describes the Ridgeline frame this way: "The integrated closed-box frame with unit-body construction is quieter than the conventional body-on-frame design. Not only does this greatly minimize the noise associated with other body-on-frame trucks, but it also enhances the Ridgeline's ride and handling. Plus, the two integrated, fully boxed and reinforced frame rails and seven fully boxed crossmembers give it added strength and class-leading torsional rigidity."
So the Ridgeline's unibody frame is a very strong towing platform with tremendous rigidity. It is well known and established in informed automotive circles that the Ridgeline is over engineered and underrated for taking on towing and hauling tasks. We have over 123,000 miles on our 2011 RTL, and there is literally not one squeak or rattle in the thing. And we tow a lot between our 3800 lb. ski/fish boat and our 192 RBS. Further, it comes equipped standard with a heavy duty transmission cooler, power steering cooler and dual radiator fans. It's air intake is designed for maximum efficiency. The five speed transmission is adequate and has served us well, but I wish I had the six speed tranny offered in the new, 2017 Ridgeline version. Also regarding drive train, the Ridgeline is All Wheel Drive. It is front wheel drive biased for maximum fuel efficiency, but it dynamically responds to driving conditions to assign power to the rear wheels as needed. Honda also augments this with what they call Vehicle Stability Assist. VSA also dynamically responds to adverse traction conditions to maintain control.
In towing our 192 RBS, we have been in heavy rains, crosswinds, headwinds and on interstates with the expected passing semis, and I promise you that the entire rig has only offered very minor buffeting. I've not endured the dreaded "white knuckle" experience at all. Do I pay close attention to what's going on around me? Absolutely, yes. I also tow at 60-63 mph and have no desire to go faster - except when safely passing a slower vehicle on an interstate.
(3) Wheelbase is important, and I would not want to tow our Freedom Express with anything less than what we have. People a lot smarter than me seem to recommend a longer wheelbase for stability in towing. I think the Ridgeline's extremely stiff construction aids in towing stability.

I wonder if you might be lucky enough to discover any other owners of a Lexus like yours who also happen to tow a 192 RBS - or a similar travel trailer? Sure would be good to nail down their experiences.

Sorry for the very long and maybe boring response, but since you had asked about comparing our two vehicles, I wanted to give you some key comparison points that really differentiate the Lexus from the Ridgeline. Each are designed and manufactured exquisitely to be very good at what they do - though very different in nature.

And if you're interested, you might be interested in checking out the new version of Honda's Ridgeline (2017 model released this past June). The Ridgeline Owner's Forum is full of very favorable towing experiences with the truck towing loads like the 192 RBS and larger. Just in case you might want to trade in that Lexus!! ??

Best wishes in your continued search and decision process.

Last Train, You made me go back and re-ponder about the Coachmen 192RBS.
I do like that trailer.

Your tow vehicle - 2011 Honda Ridgeline RTL versus my 2002 Lexus LX470:
Towing Capacity: 5,000 vs 6,500
Horsepower: 250 v6 vs 230 v8
Torque: 247 lb-ft vs 320 lb-ft
Transmission: 5-speed Auto vs 4-speed Auto
4-th gear ratio: 0.766 vs 0.753
Curb Weight: 4,553 vs 5,401
Length: 207" vs 192.5
Width: 78" vs 72.8"
Wheelbase: 122" vs 112.2"
Track: 67" vs 63.5"

Looks to me like my LX470 compares very similar to your Ridgeline.
Where my LX470 falters is the 4-speed Auto, a little over a foot in length, and 10" in wheelbase.
From these specs, what is your opinion?

cwmoser wrote:
From some of the comments on the Lexus/Land Cruiser forum, looks
like I best focus on a 3,000 lb trailer. Folks who have a Lexus SUV
say that the Engine labors with heavy trailers. One user stated
he was "very pleased with the towing experience" of his R-Pod 182G,
and towing the 2016 Livin Lite 16TBS "pulls very nice". When I purchased
my large SUV I thought I was purchasing a great towing vehicle. Shows
how little I knew. Also from observation I note that the vast majority
of tow vehicles I see on the road are pickup trucks.

Good to hear that you have discovered some solid feedback on real world towing experience with other Lexus owners. So now, just like us almost two years ago, you are faced with a decision of either sticking with the Lexus and staying safely within its engineered limits . . . or buying the "perfect couple's camper" that will actually meet your RV lifestyle expectations and then buying a tow vehicle suited for the task. For us, we were committed to towing with our 2011 Ridgeline RTL. So I spent a huge amount of time researching the Ridge's engineering, structure and real world feedback with other owners who had towed full profile travel trailers - for extended periods of time (and that is key, BTW). That research supported the couple's camper that seemed best to suit our RV lifestyle expectations. For you guys, it's a matter of your personal priorities, economics, etc.

None of us on an Internet forum have the right to do anything other than offer opinions, and it seems like you've received some really good feedback in this thread. But let us know how this turns out. The bottom line is that you want to be able to safely enjoy your camping experience with the gear that supports the lifestyle. Lots of used campers for sale out there from people who did not take the time that you have to properly research their initial choice. Good luck and let us hear from you.