2018 Toyota Highlander Limited to tow 18' FIberglass bow rider

[Ristin]

My boat is an 18' Seaswirl Bow rider with 3.8L OMC. I haven't weighed the boat & trailer but I'm assuming the weight is under 3000lbs since the trailer does not have brakes. I currently tow with a 2000 Ford Expedition however the Expy is getting to the age where little things are constantly going wrong and I'm getting to the age where I don't want to deal with it anymore.

My wife loves the new Highlanders and Toyota rates the towing capacity of the Limited at 5000lbs.
My Expedition has the factory tow package and is rated to tow 6800lbs however I can really feel the boat when I tow it and I'm running load range E tires at 80psi. Since the Highlander is shorter and narrower than the Expedition I'm concerned towing the boat could be a white knuckle experience.

I've done a bit of research on RV sites regarding towing with a Highlander and typical of the internet some folks say its the best thing ever and some people say its the worst thing ever. What's your experience? Wonder if I could talk to the dealer into a test drive towing the boat?

 

[Maclin]

A Highlander should do well. Been in a couple, never towed though. On the RV site ratings and others, usually happy people do not report as much as others that may have an agenda or just be disgruntled about an issue. For an exercise, look up towing with an Expedition, you may find the same ratio of good/bad reports.

 

[Sprig]

Although not the same I tow my 3500 lb. boat and trailer with my Tacoma 4x4 with tow package. Tow rating 6500 lbs. I hardly know the boats behind it. Guessing the weight in this case is not a good approach. You need to weigh the boat and trailer with full gas tank and equipment and gear you haul in the boat. Then make a determination on the tow vehicle. I think though if your boat/trailer maxes out at 3000 lbs you will be fine with the Highlander.

 

[Ristin]

A Highlander should do well. Been in a couple, never towed though. On the RV site ratings and others, usually happy people do not report as much as others that may have an agenda or just be disgruntled about an issue. For an exercise, look up towing with an Expedition, you may find the same ratio of good/bad reports.

Lol yup you're right.

 

[Ristin]

Although not the same I tow my 3500 lb. boat and trailer with my Tacoma 4x4 with tow package. Tow rating 6500 lbs. I hardly know the boats behind it. Guessing the weight in this case is not a good approach. You need to weigh the boat and trailer with full gas tank and equipment and gear you haul in the boat. Then make a determination on the tow vehicle. I think though if your boat/trailer maxes out at 3000 lbs you will be fine with the Highlander.

My wife is torn between the Highlander & the 4 Runner. She likes the trucky-ness of the 4 Runner but not thrilled with the 3rd row seat option and she loves the interior of the Highlander but worried about towing. In my very limited research I'm being lead to believe the 4 Runner is built on the Tacoma platform? I feel like the 4 Runner would tow better being body on frame vs Unibody on the Highlander but I have no evidence to support that feeling.
I prefer the 4 Runner all the way round but this is her vehicle so her choice and I'll work around it.
I also have an F-350 crew cab diesel pickup but it's a 2wd dually and I worry that'll I'll become a boating fail video on the steeper boat ramps especially if they are wet.

 

[Ristin]

Tried to talk her into a late model used Sequoia but she doesn't want that big of a daily driver. She never drives the Expy either.

 

[Sprig]

If you get a 4Runner you’ll love it. Yes they are on a Tacoma frame (as far as I know). I had a 4x4 4Runner previously and use to pull a heavier boat with it than I now have. It did it all. Pulled my boat no problem, went off road and in the snow, was comfortable and great looking. Put 150,000 miles on it with zero problems. Great resale value too. We are also looking at getting one for my wife. Toyota vehicles are some of the most dependable on the road. If you get one be sure you get it with the tow package. The tow package almost doubles the tow weight capacity. You will be a lot more satisfied with a 4Runner compared to the Highlander.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Boat should be about 2200# dry, trailer is about 1000#, add fuel and gear you are about 3800#

http://boatspecs.iboats.com/Seaswirl_Boats__Sierra_Sport__1985/bp/66b78480

shorter wheel base on the highlander will sway a bit more than the expedition.

 

[Horigan]

I tow a 4500 lb boat and trailer with my 2013 Highlander with tow package and have no issues. It's my only towing experience since buying our boat, but I haven't noticed any swaying or other issues. It tows fine at 65 mph.

I looked at a 4runner and liked the interior layout and space better on the Highlander. Plus it was a nicer ride. Note I was coming from a Sienna and didn't like the stiff suspension of the 4runner compared to the Highlander.

 

[briangcc]

4Runner I can comment on. 2017 SR5 Premium 4x4 w/3rd row. You can save about 1k if you don't need the 3rd row option. The 3rd row is optional and folds flat if you do not need it. Same goes for the 2nd row - folds flat. I pull my current boat with it without issue. Body on Frame and true 4x4 - has 4x4 Hi and 4x4 lo. Mileage wise...nothing to write home about as the Highlander will beat it hands down. Only item I ding it on in regards to towing is that the 7 and 4 pin connector is behind the driver's side rear wheel, under the vehicle. I had to make an extension harness to connect up my trailer.

Little top heavy in strong winds compared to the Highlander - my wife had a 2013 Highlander V6 AWD and loved that. And I had to pry the keys away from her this morning so I could drive my 4Runner.

When my wife's Honda Accord lease is up she wants a Highlander (or VW Atlas).


**I'm coming from Toyota Tundras and GMC Sierras and they're more stable platforms than SUV's in regards to towing.

 

[jkust]

That's not a lot of weight. I think you will be just fine. It's the emergency maneuvers whether it be stopping or swerving that cause the problems but I wouldn't hesitate based on the capacity you mentioned. I've towed heavier boats with a unibody minivan back in the day and while the drivetrain was overmatched the length of the minivan made for an ok highway tow vehicle. That Toyota is a massive improvement for sure.

 

[roscoe]

Yes, you need to weigh that rig of yours.
I'd bet that your trailer is severely overloaded, and brakes are needed at the least.
But I bet the entire trailer, tires, springs, etc, are undersized for the load.

Brakes will keep the boat behind the tow vehicle, and the tow vehicle pointed in the right direction.

The 4runner owners manual says :
If the gross trailer weight exceeds 3000 lb., it is recommended to use a trailer with 2 or more axles.

But more importantly, it says (page 181):

an unbraked trailer (trailer not equipped with brakes), limits the tow rating to 1655 lb. (750 kg)




For the highlander, the unbraked trailer rating is ■ Unbraked TWR*11000 lb. (450 kg) (page 206)

 

[bigdee]

How often and how far will you be towing? What type of roads? Heavy traffic or rural? Oh wait a minute. Idaho law:Trailers with an UNLADEN weight of 1,500 lbs. must have an independent braking system, and a breakaway system capable of applying the brakes in the event of a separation from the towing vehicle is required. At least your legal not to have brakes.

---

 

[roscoe]

Idaho - you don't need no stinkin safety chains either.
Don't mind those hills either, you stop at the bottom.

 

[Ristin]

Thanks Roscoe
The Toyota salesman didn’t know or didn’t mention unbraked trailer weight capacities. That’s a deal breaker right there at least as far as trying to downsize the fleet.

As far as the boat being to heavy for the trailer I’m skeptical. The trailer came with the boat and was purchased from a dealership in Spokane WA. I wouldn’t think the dealer could legally sell a combination that doesn’t work but then again.....lol

Once I get it weighed I’ll report back.

 

[briangcc]

You're more than likely going to find more manufacturers limiting the tow rating based on whether the trailer has brakes or not so it's not a Toyota thing. For your own piece of mind and safety you may want to look into adding brakes to your trailer as they do make a world of difference in a panic stop situation.

 

[Lightwin 3]

Go weigh the boat. Most moving companies have scales. So do scrap yards.

The brakes/no brakes thing is usually 3K pounds. State laws vary on the requirement of brakes.

 

[bigdee]

According to your profile you live in Idaho......your state REQUIRES brakes on that trailer. So that should answer your question. Install brakes and no worries.

 

[Ristin]

According to your profile you live in Idaho......your state REQUIRES brakes on that trailer. So that should answer your question. Install brakes and no worries.

Idaho requires brakes on a trailer that weighs more the 1500 lbs UNLADEN (empty) There's no way my boat trailer weighs anywhere near 1500lbs. I have a 7'x18' double axle car trailer with wood deck that only weighs 1690lbs empty and its way more robust than my EZ-Loader boat trailer. So while my car trailer is required and does have brakes, my boat trailer is not required to have brakes. [h=4]Am I required to have brakes on my utility or travel trailer?[/h] Idaho code is very specific about brakes on trailers.

Every trailer or semi-trailer of an unladen weight of 1500 pounds or more when operated upon a highway shall be equipped with brakes adequate to control the movement of and to stop and hold the vehicle and be designed to be applied by the driver of the towing motor vehicle from its cab.

 

[Ristin]

After looking at newer heavier towing vehicles, I have decided to keep the Expedition a little longer. The Expedition is mechanically solid and while the minor electrical breakdowns are annoying, they are typically less expensive per month than a new vehicle payment.

Glad I asked on this forum though. If I had just listened to the salesman and signed on the dotted line I would now own a vehicle insufficient for my needs.

maybe I can find a new car smell air freshener to hang in the expy