Towing the new slx 16xrb

[wbigelow]

I see that the 2014 SLX 16xrb is now available and many places are saying that it can be towed with a minivan.

The dry weight is listed at 2832 lbs

I drive a 2011 Toyota Sienna with a tow package that is rated at 3500 pounds. We also live in Minnesota, so there are no mountains to contend with.

Im sure this subject has been gone over before, but Im looking for any advice on towing it since I cant afford to upgrade to a truck and a new trailer.

[Jayco 228]

We towed a Palomino Stampede S17 (very similar weight, actually heavier and similar length)with two different Sienna mini vans. It was actually a great tow vehicle. I had a good prodigy brake control and WD hitch. It costs a little extra to get the Sienna setup for towing because you need to have an extra module from Toyota for the lights to work, plus running the wiring for the brake control to the back and having a hitch installed. We did it twice for the exact reasons you are looking at. We also live where we are not forced to drive mountain roads and we realized the limitations in the setup and respected that. I also had an additional Trany cooler installed to be on the safe side. Good luck.

Jeff.

[Wombat]

We've had a 16xrb for a little over a month now, using a 2011 Veracruz as the TV.

Based on our 2 expeditions in and around the Ottawa, ON area you should be fine on flat-ish ground. You don't have parasitic loss from 4 wheel drive like we do.

I do find that I've got to manually shift for hills and grades as well as keep it to about 90 Km.

[Rustic Eagle]

Originally Posted by wbigelow

snip..... but I'm looking for any advice on towing it since I cant afford to upgrade to a truck and a new trailer.

IMO there is a good probability that you will be at, or over at least one of your Sienna's specified weight limits (ie; Tow Rating, etc.) ....... if you go by the numbers.

Your Sienna's 3,500lb Tow Rating is based on its "Curb Weight", not the weight as it sits in your driveway...., so your actual Tow Rating will be less. The following JOF thread provides a little more detail on published Tow Ratings:

Actual Tow Ratings: http://www.jaycoowners.com/showthrea...uot-Tow-Rating

The actual "Ship Weight" of the 16XRB may be about 100lbs to 150lbs heavier than the Jayco published Dry Weight of 2,832lbs, which will reduce the already limited CCC. Based on the limited CCC, IMO the actual loaded weight (going camping) will be close to, or at the 16XRB's GVWR of 3,500lbs.

Keep in mind that the loaded tongue weight of any trailer comes off the TV's actual Payload Capacity. To confirm how much "remaining" Payload Capacity your Sienna has available for the loaded tongue weight.......; take your TV (full passengers, full fuel, cargo) to a CAT scale and weigh it (simple procedure). Subtract the CAT scale weight from the GVWR noted on your driver's door.... this is your TV's remaining (available) payload capacity for supporting the loaded tongue weight.

For reference, the loaded tongue weight for the 16XRB should be 10% to 15% of the trailer's actual loaded weight.

I hope the above information reduces some of the guess work.

Bob

[Threebutchers]

A key area I'm pretty confident you be over in will be the mfg published max tongue weight. While the manufacturer will publish a Tow Cap of 3,500# - they will often publish a max tongue weight which is much less than 10% of the tow capacity (i.e. < 300#)

There could be any number of reasons for the manufacturer to list a light tongue weight (unibody vs frame attachment, hitch design). But most likely, it's because a passenger vehicle suspension isn't designed to have a 400# gorilla jumping up and down on the back as you're driving. Any more than a few hundred pounds and your rear springs will begin dip and you will start to shift significant weight off your front steering.

The problem is, once you load a TT of that size, you are going to need well over 300# tongue weight.

Ask me how I know?.....check out my rig below....I have the same Tow Cap (3,500") but my TT has a SHIPPING WEIGHT (not dry weight) of 2,550# and my manufacturers listed max tongue weight is 300#. I know I have the full published Tow Cap at my disposal because my specific model is the ONLY model listed with towing capacity.

[ATTACH][/ATTACH]

[Bassdogs]

Guys, I have to respect your experience and knowledge concerning towing and Vehicle ratings. You are way out of my league. While you are no doubt correct with your technical data and evaluation of the OP's TV, I think way to many newbies have been scared into buying a new TV that they can't afford and don't need other than the occasional trip to a state park or a special one time vacation to where ever or worse become discouraged and don't buy the RV.

I am not a car guy, an auto engineer, but like they say on TV, I've played one most of my life. Seriously, I've been towing everything from pop-ups [like the OP] with a straight 6 Volare wagon to my current White Hawk with a 5.3 Silverado. In between there has been a 5,000 lb runabout skiboat, a bass boat, and a 28' TT I pulled with an F150 with the small V8. I pulled the runabout with my V6 chevy astrovan that I finally retired after logging 194,000 miles. My point is that experience is just as important in answering a question like this as all the technical gargon.

If the OP does his homework and gets the proper hitch and setup on the Sciena, they will be fine for Great family fun. Keeping in mind that the various tow and weight ratings have as much to do with dealers wanting to sell you a bigger vehicle as it does with driver safety. Should you tow a 30' TT with an S-10? No. Do you need a duramax either,?

[Rustic Eagle]

Originally Posted by Bassdogs

snip.......My point is that experience is just as important in answering a question like this as all the technical gargon......snip

.... and I don't disagree.

I tend to come from the technical vantage point in my Towing replies so that one (especially a newbie) has a little basic understanding on how weights (and/or weight limits) play into the evaluation of any given TV/TT combination..., especially since we all have different loading habits, TV towing expectations, and travel destinations.

Like the 'personal experience' based replies, I (as do others) with our 'technical based' replies offer the information for review & consideration ....., what one does with the information is one's choice.

Bob

[Jagiven]

I recommend contacting Toyota with your vin number. Ask questions about how they calculate the tow capacity. Often the manufactures publish the tow capacity with a full fuel tank and an average size driver only as the only load on the vehicle. One of my brother’s minivans has multiple tow ratings listed for it based on the number of passengers.

[Bassdogs]

Originally Posted by Rustic Eagle

.... and I don't disagree.

I tend to come from the technical vantage point in my Towing replies so that one (especially a newbie) has a little basic understanding on how weights (and/or weight limits) play into the evaluation of any given TV/TT combination..., especially since we all have different loading habits, TV towing expectations, and travel destinations.

Like the 'personal experience' based replies, I (as do others) with our 'technical based' replies offer the information for review & consideration ....., what one does with the information is one's choice.

Bob

Understand the perspective that you give. I just think tempering things with practical world info is important to helping a newbie figure out their question. There is a huge difference between wanting to pull a 36' fifth wheel and a pop-up. Popups can be pulled by most midsized vehicles with reasonable HP and structure for typical family outings to state parks and that occasional vacation to a special place. I pulled my Coleman popup [valley Forge] with the straight six Volare wagon with 3 adults, 3 kids, and a dog. We could walk beside the car as it climbed into the Rocky Mtn National Park, but we made it. The vehicle held up for a normal lifespan and we were never out of control or placing others at risk. There is no doubt that we were over the manuf. weight and tow capacities and we paid for it when we hit the mountains.

I think the OP should drive out to a nearby State Park in their area on a Sat and drive around the campground. They will see families with pop - ups being pulled by small SUV's, minivans, and small pickups. My daughter pulls a large Jayco PU with a Honda Odessy [4 kids, 2 adults, and dog]. If the vehicle will pull it and vehicle doesn't sag in the rear, they will be fine. Guess I'm a little touchy since my RVing started with a popup and the wagon and I know how much fun we had.

To be clear, it is good [pretty much necessary] to know your limits. But if we lived our lives by the disclaimers on the first 15 pages of just about anything we buy, we'd be seatbelted in the recliner at least 12 feet from the tv that is screwed to the table [so it won't tip], eating a carrot and drinking filtered water. In this case, the OP isn't going to be doing anything out of the ordinary.

[Threebutchers]

Originally Posted by Bassdogs

Understand the perspective that you give. I just think tempering things with practical world info is important to helping a newbie figure out their question.

Tempering can be someone else's job....

The OP gave limited information. I would feel especially negligent "tempering" the facts with limited information. There is no indication of how many occupants will be travelling, do they plan to dry camp, how many miles on the vehicle, what's the TVs CGVWR, what is the TV rated tongue weight? These are important facts the potential owner needs to evaluate to make a decision he can live with. That is why the person is asking the question in open forum in the first place.

I may be wrong....but I don't think the OP benefits from hearing "sure, you'll be fine...I see other people do similar things all the time"

[Bassdogs]

Originally Posted by Threebutchers

Tempering can be someone else's job....



I may be wrong....but I don't think the OP benefits from hearing "sure, you'll be fine...I see other people do similar things all the time"

Your opinion but I disagree. What a lot of other people are doing and what I have a lot of experience with is what "my opinion is based on. If it were just me or if it was just a few crazy folks, it wouldn't hold much merit, but maybe you ought to go to that State park and then report back what you find. Do it in the spring, do it in the summer, do it in the fall. You'll see the same. I think the OP ask the question and will find merit in hearing some real world feedback. That is what I gave but then that is my opinion.

[NHcamper]

Originally Posted by Bassdogs

Guys, I have to respect your experience and knowledge concerning towing and Vehicle ratings. You are way out of my league. While you are no doubt correct with your technical data and evaluation of the OP's TV, I think way to many newbies have been scared into buying a new TV that they can't afford and don't need other than the occasional trip to a state park or a special one time vacation to where ever or worse become discouraged and don't buy the RV.

I am not a car guy, an auto engineer, but like they say on TV, I've played one most of my life. Seriously, I've been towing everything from pop-ups [like the OP] with a straight 6 Volare wagon to my current White Hawk with a 5.3 Silverado. In between there has been a 5,000 lb runabout skiboat, a bass boat, and a 28' TT I pulled with an F150 with the small V8. I pulled the runabout with my V6 chevy astrovan that I finally retired after logging 194,000 miles. My point is that experience is just as important in answering a question like this as all the technical gargon.

If the OP does his homework and gets the proper hitch and setup on the Sciena, they will be fine for Great family fun. Keeping in mind that the various tow and weight ratings have as much to do with dealers wanting to sell you a bigger vehicle as it does with driver safety. Should you tow a 30' TT with an S-10? No. Do you need a duramax either,?

Bassdogs,
I get what your saying. I have read many posts about 1/2 ton truck limits, and I know I approach my trucks cargo capacity but I have NEVER have felt out of control or unsafe with my TV/TT combo. I have used the knowledge from the people on this site to learn proper loading, WDH setup, proper driving habits, etc.

[Crabman]

OK guys let`s get back on topic and help the OP.

[bucko]

Old thread, but useful to the newbies that come along. I own a 2000 Ford Ranger. I just bought a 2015 Jayco Jay Feather SLX16XRB. While I don't break any speed records with or without the camper hitched up, the ranger does fine. One thing I noticed right away is that after hitching up the camper to the hitch the first time, the rear of the truck dropped an inch or so. I went out an purchased a set of monroe air shocks, and that quickly resolved that issue. About 60 pounds of air in the shocks (can go to 120), and the back end and camper are nice and level. No bounce or "jounce" as I drive along.

Perhaps the difference here is that a truck frame will be better suited for towing over a van frame?