Does anyone use a Toyota Highlander to tow a Hi Lo?
 

We are considering purchasing a Hi Lo and debating on which model to go with. We have a 2019 Toyota Highlander XLE AWD, 3.5L V6, rated for 5000 lb. towing. What might be the largest HiLo we could safely be looking at?

We have looked at a 2005 17' Tow Lite through a dealer WITH A GVWR OF 3840 LBS. Does anyone have this model that they have actually weighed and know the actual unladen weight on this? Most of the cabinets on this one are loosing the "wood look Contact paper" and the wallpaper on the ceiling is peeling. It also has an unrepaired split in the fiberglass on the back of it near the edge of the roof which continues to the top of the roof. There is a huge gap on the front of the roof that needs to be filled as it appears it will leak. It is for sale at a dealer and they want $7600 plus we will have some tax and license fees on it. If we purchase from a private party there is no tax as we live in NV. We do have to pay sales tax if we purchase from a dealer per NV law but not through a private party.

Hubby is 6'4" but amazingly fit in this trailer, though his head majorly hits the ceiling in the bathroom. Didn't really like the small opening to get out of the bed though it is nice that the sofa and dinette make a King Size bed due to hubby's needing a longer bed. Also there is no fan in the bath. Has anyone had an issue with that?

Would love to find out if anyone here is using a Highlander to tow and what their experience has been, what Hi Lo they have and what they might recommend. What mileage have you experienced? How does it do towing up hills and mountains? We live at 6800 feet.

If anyone has a light weight Hi Lo they are looking to sell, we are in the market and would love to purchase from a private party.

You could probably tow the 17 ft HiLo with your Highlander, but it would struggle to pull the trailer up mountain grades. I towed my 17 ft HiLo with a Nissan Frontier when I first got it and it was in first gear anytime I went uphill. It DID get the trailer over Monarch Pass and Red Mountain Pass in Colorado though. I decided I needed something bigger to tow with when I saw it beginning to overheat in Arizona towing up a 6-7% 12-mile grade out of Camp Verde.

You'd also find your tow vehicle's axles at or over their limits due to the tongue weight of the trailer.

My trailer weighs 3500# with an empty fresh water tank. If I fill the tank, it hits its weight limit of 3800#. It is supposed to weigh just under 3000# with an empty tank.

I think the RV place is asking too much for that trailer in the condition you describe. I would pass on it unless they come down. If there's no water damage visible, the cracks and gaps you cite are fairly easy to repair and the interior issues are cosmetic and can be repaired too.

- Jack

What is the tow rating for the Nissan Frontier? I see they range from 3500 to 6500 depending on trim package, etc.

It was an old one - 2002, 6-cyl with 4WD as I recall. I have no idea what the tow rating was.

I replaced it with a 2005 F-150 that had a 5.4L V8 engine in it and, the tow package. It had a bit of trouble pulling my trailer up grades too. It would always drop into 2nd gear to do so. On the steep climb up to Cedar Breaks NM in Utah, it was in first gear all the way.

Now I have an Ecoboost, and it never drops below 4th gear on uphill grades.

- Jack

With the damage to the trailer you described I would pass on that trailer keep looking it took me 3 months to find the my hi lo in Northern California
Search rvtrader, rvt.com and every city of Craigslist you may have to travel a bit to find one that is in better shape
I think the highlander would pull it but you'll be at your max
Add a extra large transmission cooler
30amp charge line to the trailer( so you can run your refrigerator on 12 volts and charge your batteries while towing)
Brake controller
WDH hitch
Towing mirrors

We pull a 22’ classic with a Toyota 4 runner with no problems. My husband is also tall and a bigger guy and he maneuvers around with no problems in our HiLo.

We love it !

I see you are in Daytona Beach. Not many mountains around there. Have you done much high altitude driving and mountains with the 4 runner/22' Classic combo? I would have never imagined being able to pull a 22' with ours. Do you know what the GVWR of your classic is and what the 4 runner is rated to tow?

We bought our used 2007 22" HiLo in 2010, intending to pull it with our Toyota Highlander. We did one trip with it, less than 2 hours from home, then came to the conclusion that the trailer weighed too much for the Highlander to tow. Our HiLo has a very high tongue weight because the bed is in the front, as well as other heavy items, like the refrigerator. Also, even though the Highlander was rated to tow 5,000 pounds, it was a max towing capacity, and I think the gear/axle ration was not the best. So, we bought a Toyota Tacoma truck to tow the HiLo.