tow capacity question

[plasticmaster]

I'm trying to figure out if my wife's Toyota Highlander (4 cylinder) can safely tow my boat. The car's owner's manual states that the towing capacity is 3000 pounds. The sticker on my boat trailer says GVWR 3000 pounds, GVAR 3000 pounds, and Max Load Capacity 2220 pounds. I hope this is enough information. Can I tow the boat with this car? Thanks.

[kellertx5er]

You'd better worry about trying to pull the boat OUT of the water and UP the ramp with a 4-banger.

[plasticmaster]

Is this 1000 pound limit on brakes typical for mid size SUVs?

[Francesca_Knowl]

According to the owner's manual for the 2004 Highlander available online at this link, trailer brakes are required for any trailer weighing more than a thousand pounds; and it applies to all model/engine sizes.

I s'pose they all have the same brakes, which in Toyota's estimation are not capable of safely stopping loads in excess of that.

[plasticmaster]

The total weight of my boat, motor and trailer is 2600#. The trailer does not have brakes. The reason I'm looking into this is because I pull my camper with my Silverado. This means the boat stays home on camping trips unless the wife's Highlander can pull it. It's a 2004 model, 4 cylinder, without tow package. We would love to be able to pull it 800 miles when we go to Florida Keys next summer if her car can do it. If not, I may need to look into trading up to something that can do it. Would a V6 Highlander with tow package suffice? Would it still require trailer brakes? We would like to stick with a mid size SUV. Thanks.

[Francesca_Knowl]

plasticmaster wrote:
It is a 2004 Highlander 4 cylinder. It does not have a tow package.

No boat for you!

Just kidding...sort of...

In my opinion, if this is just a matter of an occasional local day trip tow of twenty or thirty miles to a nearby lake you would likely do just fine with a hitch and light wiring. But if you're wanting to go on trips etc. you'll need to upgrade some.

It may be possible to add the required enhancements if you can find out what they are. If it's just a matter of a hitch, bit of wiring and an add-on transmission cooler, that's a few hundred bucks. But if suspension enters into it, could be dicier. Though since one can tow a boat with a lower tongue weight than a TT, you might squeak by, suspension-wise.

And we still don't know about brakes-on-the-trailer- does it have them? I'm betting not, given that 3,000 pound GWR. Common label stuck on units to stay below State must-add-brakes rules. That doesn't mean yours is going to weigh at or under that number, by the way. It could well be over that, real-world-wise, in which case all bets are off. Better info about the boat itself would help us help you!

[BenK]

Assume (always dangerous) that your Highlander is first generation.

Meaning it is derived from the Camry...so think of towing with that,
a Camry

Second gen Highlander is derived from the Odyssey

Stuff like the MTWR (Max Tow Weight Rating), etc are derived from the
'curb' vehicle. So if yours has an automatic, AC, etc...those ratings
do not apply and are lesser by the weight of the stuff over and above
the "curb" vehicle

Oh...no tow option...then even less rating until you add the main
component if you have an automatic...an external automatic tranny cooler

I never say sure or no, just provide you the OP with metrics to figure
it out yourself...as there is only one person responsible for the
setup...that is the driver

[plasticmaster]

It is a 2004 Highlander 4 cylinder. It does not have a tow package.

[Francesca_Knowl]

Adding a bit of a caveat to my earlier go-right-ahead:

I'm looking at manuals for mid-teens Highlanders. You don't give a model year, but since the Highlander's stated limit dropped like a rock when Toyota adopted the SAE standards and you say this one has 3,000 stated pound capacity, I'm assuming it's not a more recent unit.

Since owner's manuals cover vehicles equipped different ways:

Do be aware the Highlander's 3,000 pound upper limit applies only to those 4-cyls that have Toyota's tow package; those without are restricted to 1500 pounds. Tongue weight also enters into the equation: 300 pounds with tow package, 150 pounds without. Dunno what the "package" consists of in the Highlander's case, though it may include mods to the transmission/cooling system, trailer wiring, and sometimes a hitch or even suspension upgrades.

[RJCorazza]

plasticmaster wrote:
Based on the boat trailer sticker, does this mean that the boat trailer by itself (no boat) weighs 780 pounds?

That is correct.

[plasticmaster]

Based on the boat trailer sticker, does this mean that the boat trailer by itself (no boat) weighs 780 pounds?

[tonymull]

Yeah, you have to know the weight of the boat. Also you need to check what class hitch you have. Probably set up to handle the tow rating of 3000lbs...but HD trucks don't always have that. There are plenty of pickups with 12000+ tow capacity and class IV hitches rated for 10K....so check.

[Francesca_Knowl]

Doesn't sound impossible to me, depending. I've towed a 2,000 pound m/l standup TT a lot of miles with a 4-cyl.

In your case, it doesn't really matter what the trailer sticker says- without knowing the weight with the boat it's hard to answer the question. Can you look up the brand/model of the boat and get weight info? Sounds pretty small, though and since we do know that total weight cap of trailer is 3,000 pounds:

Unless as noted the tow vehicle's carrying a lot of payload too, I frankly wouldn't hesitate to tow a BOAT with this combination- not the same struggle at all as a stand up trailer. Wind resistance in the latter case might kill the deal- not such a problem with the boat.

One caveat:
The trailer must have its own brakes in this scenario; don't expect your tug to safely stop it. This not to mention that this requirement is likely also in your Toyota owner's manual for towing any trailer over about a thousand pounds.

[kaydeejay]

Assuming the boat is approaching that 2220# number, the only way you will stay within that Max tow rating number is if you (the driver) are the only weight in the vehicle.
All other passengers and "stuff" have to be subtracted from that 3000# number.
Fully loaded the car will struggle.
I used to pull a 3500# boat trailer and I sure wouldn't have liked to do it with a 4-cylinder!
The other detail you need to look at is whether the trailer has brakes. Many States require them on a 3000# trailer.