TT selection for Highlander SUV

I tow a #5000 GVWR 22' TT with an F150 and you know it's back there... I did it with a 97 F150 with the 5.4 V8 in it and now a 13 F150 with the Ecoboost and Max Tow package..

You are on the road of shopping for TT's based on "dry weights" and looking at your vehicles "tow rating"... Usually not a good recipe for success... ;) Also, "tow ratings" for vehicles does not necessary mean "travel trailers" either..

My trailer had a "dry weight" of #3500... I've got it loaded to it's GVWR of #5000 easily.. I know, because I've weighed it..

So, that whole "I pack lite" and "I don't carry any water" might work to get you there on paper, but then own the thing for a bit, take it on a few trips and it's amazing how things end up packed in the trailer! :)

Anyway, no one here can tell you for sure that you'll be "just fine"... Only you can determine that.

Would I tow my TT with your Highlander? Not likely.. But, that's just me.

Good luck!

Mitch

We enjoy our Highlander but wouldn't tow very much with it. Have fun.

my 2011 highlander with tow package is rated for 5,000 lbs. without tow package it would be rated at 2,000 lbs. I tow an Ascend A171RD with dry wt. of 3500 lbs. I would not want to tow anything heavier than that.
bumpy

I have a 2008 Highlander with 5000 lb tow capacity (500 lb hitch weight capacity) with 170K miles on the odometer. About 140K of those miles have been put on with a trailer in tow. The Highlander is a good tow vehicle. I tow a cargo trailer for work, about 16' overall length and 3500 lb. My TT until recently was 2700 lb loaded, 7' wide and 99" high (KZ Escape 14RB).

One thing you really need to watch is the hitch weight. My KZ dry tongue weight was spec'd at 260 lb IIRC, but it was over 350 when loaded for camping, and nearly 400 with a full tank of water. The TT's you are considering are lighter on the hitch, in fact the Kodiak is way too light for safe towing. Rule of thumb is, you need to have at least 10% of the trailer's weight on the tongue but preferably a little more. 10% to 15% is considered to be the proper range. By the time you are loaded for camping, you will be very close to the 5000 lb limit. And you will have to try to hit 10% hitch weight right on the nose... too little and the rig is unstable, too much and you exceed your hitch rating (you don't want to have that receiver tear off at 60 mph, right?). So you would need a special scale to use while you load up, to get it just right every time... and don't change anything at the campground! On top of that, being right at the limit and having such a large frontal area means your HL will perform sluggishly. Wind resistance is huge, and you are looking at about 35% more frontal area than what I was towing. You'll really hate it on long climbs, especially at elevation. Mine had the trans temp light come on several times during my trip from OK to Yosemite and back in 2013.

I would recommend a lighter trailer with a smaller profile (20' length should be fine). Or get a Durango or Grand Cherokee with the V8 or diesel. These can handle the greater hitch weight and you won't be close on the overall weight, either.

I see Highlanders with a towing capacity of 3500 lbs. Is there a towing package that raises that capacity?

Look at a Lance Travel Trailer, you can pull easily with your Highlander!

Towing near or above any (payload, GVWR, hitch) of the tow vehicle ratings, is a recipe for white knuckles, neck aches, back aches, and leg cramps. In some cases, it can be dangerous. That said, you need to look closely at all of the ratings, considering all your passengers and cargo, and match up the TT and TV accordingly. You will run out of payload, long before reaching that mythical payload number.

Tow capacity numbers are set, considering the vehicle has NO passengers, NO cargo, little tongue weight, and a driver that weighs only 150 lbs. Every pound added to the vehicle, since it left the factory (aftermarket accessories or dealer options), every pound of passengers, every pound of cargo, and every pound (over 150) of driver, deducts from payload and tow capacity. If the vehicle has 5200 lbs tow capacity and 1200 lbs payload, and you add 600 pounds of occupants and cargo, the vehicle now has 4600 lbs tow capacity and 600 lbs payload available for a trailer, and it would be at max capacity.

If you stick with the Highlander, a trailer with loaded weight under 4200 lbs, might be in the ballpark.

You ask about TT's under 4700 pounds, and immediately post your desire to buy one 800 pounds over that! I'd add that your determination to "not haul that much" will likely prove futile- most trailers run at or very near gross weight once even the simplest of add-ons are accounted for

In my opinion, only the Durango's capacity is likely to be up to pulling the unit you name, assuming the capacity numbers you give are correct. This due to the fact that tow capacities given are upper limits, and must be reduced to allow for actual payload of the tow vehicle. For this reason, many folks think it prudent to look for trailers with gross weights no more than 80% of stated capacity of the tow vehicle.

In order to venture an opinion as to what weight trailer would be appropriate for any of the vehicles you name, we'd need more info such as year/model of the tow vehicle(s). Capacities/specs vary a LOT.