Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks: Towing RPod 179 with 2019 Toyota Highlander 4cly

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Towing RPod 179 with 2019 Toyota Highlander 4cly

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Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
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Topic: Towing RPod 179 with 2019 Toyota Highlander 4cly

Posted By: RPODBee
Subject: Towing RPod 179 with 2019 Toyota Highlander 4cly
Date Posted: 25 May 2021 at 7:04am

Hi from North Texas,

I am a potential Rpodder with a 2019 Toyota Highlander 2.7 4cly. I just learned that my Highlander can tow up to 1500lbs.

Here is spec for my HL.

http://www.edmunds.com/toyota/highlander/2019/features-specs/ - http://www.edmunds.com/toyota/highlander/2019/features-specs/

This summer I am planning to rent a r-pod-179 to just to try out camping with an RV. I will be driving a few days in North Texas, which is usually flat terrain.

R-pod-179 weights around 2800 lbs. How crazy would it be towing an r-pod with my Highlander?

Happy camping!

Replies:

Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 25 May 2021 at 7:51am

Very crazy.

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2010 176
FJ Cruiser

Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 25 May 2021 at 8:29am

Yep. Not a good idea. Also it's illegal to tow above your vehicle's ratings.

I tow my 179 with a 5000 lb rated Highlander. It has additional cooling capacity, trans cooling, an oil cooler, alternator capacity, and there might be other differences. Who knows, but Toyota doesn't sell more vehicles if the underrate their specs, so they have good reasons.

Don't do it. BTW, the real world weight of my 179 is about 3700 lbs. You can ignore that "empty" weight spec, it's useless.

If you're renting an rpod for a few days why not just rent a proper tow vehicle too and save your Highlander s drivetrain (and maybe avoid a wreck)?

-------------
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold

Posted By: campman
Date Posted: 25 May 2021 at 8:35am

+1 TT

Hello RPODBee.

I am glad you posed your query here as I am hoping we can provide you with solid info to help you realize that you are close to making what I consider to be a very dangerous decision.

Your Highlander was not designed or prepared to tow anything other than a small utility trailer...there is more that goes into towing than horsepower alone which you have at 295 hp. You could have too light of a suspension to carry the hitch weight, I imagine your hitch is too light (this is a good indicator it isn't ready to tow such a heavy trailer). You also probably don't have the following list that vehicles that are ready to tow have...a brake controller, extra cooling for your engine coolant, additional coolers for your engine oil and transmission oil. Now think about this, Texas can get a bit warm in the summer so now you want to tow an oversized trailer with a vehicle with seriously inadequate cooling. I can't see this ending well. At best you are at the side of a highway with steam billowing out from under your hood. Or you could have blown your engine or transmission. It will definitely damage hour Toyota in the long run and shorten its life due to the abuse.

Okay, now to possible legal ramifications, you are knowingly towing a seriously oversized trailer! If you get in an accident and are at fault it could go badly for you in court. If someone is killed because of this I shudder to think of the consequences for both sides.

So please look at your tow capacity (1500 lbs), the weight of the RPOD 179 (approx. 3800 lbs gvwr), hitch weight of over 315 lbs and realize that this is not math working in your favour. Your tow vehicle has a Gross Combined Weight Rating...this is the MAX weight of your filled trailer as well as your filled TV, you, any family and don't forget your fuel and cargo as it doesn't take long to max out what you can put on the trailer (water is heavy, at 8.34 lbs to an American gallon so if boon docking adds up quickly).

I hope this helps clarify how dangerous this could be for you and those around you and maybe get a larger more capable TV.

I would recommend at the very least to tow that trailer that you need a tow vehicle with a MINIMUM tow rating of 5000 lbs! I know, crazy thinking on my part but it is necessary.

Good luck, and I hope this has helped. If you have further questions or concerns this forum is a great way to learn things the easy way!

Andy

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Andy and Laurie
'16 F150 5.0 4X4 w/factory tow pkg
'21 RP192
"If the women don't find you handsome...at least let them find you handy!"
Red-Green

Posted By: RPODBee
Date Posted: 25 May 2021 at 9:31am

Thank you all! Glad to be member of r-pod community.