New 2016 Toyota Highlander

Nerdy1

Like Michigan_Mike, we went out and got a new TV today for our Outback.  A 6-cylinder Toyota Highlander!  Our Subaru Forester always seemed to be struggling with the mountains near us, so we decided to bite the bullet.  Unfortunately, the Highlander was not towing ready.  The dealer is going to retrofit it, but I was wondering if there is anything special we might need or should request?  

Nomad

i'd ask the dealer (and do some research on your own) about what specifically is included or standard on the vehicle with a "factory" tow package.
When I was dealing on my Jeep way back, the dealers that didn't have any factory tows on the lot tried to tell me there was no difference between it and what they would add. Turned out there was differences. One was a bigger alternator. Jenn and I both had Jeep Wranglers - mine with factory, hers with add on. Her's wouldn't keep up with the demands of running the fridge while mine would. What we figured out was my factory install included that bigger alternator.

DurangoTaB

Ditto to PXL...we have a 2012 Tacoma TRD with the factory tow package and it made life easy when we bought the T@B...the wiring harness up front, 7-pin connector, hitch, cooling system, and may even be a difference in the differential (pun intended)...

Photomom

Which trim line did you get? If you have the 6 cylinder LE Plus, I believe the towing capacity is 5000 pounds. You may want to check your window sticker and owners manual, but this link has the specs. http://www.toyota.com/highlander/features/weights/6942/6947/6951/6954

We have the 6 cyl 4WD 2013 Plus, which we bought with the intent to tow a trailer "someday." We've added a hitch, wiring, and brake controller, but the alternator and other car stuff was ready to go. 

Photomom

I think you'll like the Highlander, but the gas mileage may be a shock. We get 24 highway on our mostly flat terrain, and around 17 just running errands around town. We haven't towed a camper yet, and I shudder to think what we'll get. You may do a bit better if you have the 2WD version. 

Photomom

The hybrid was 47K in 2013. It was basically a high end trim line that happened to have a hybrid engine, and priced accordingly. We are on our 7th Toyota, and every one has been the much more moderately priced LE gas model. 

We did an analysis, and gas would have to be $5 a gallon for us to break even over 10 years with a hybrid. 

Nerdy1

Tell me about the sticker shock for the hybrid!  I traded in my Toyota Prius (47 mpg), and for a moment considered the hybrid version.  I know I am going to have gasoline pump shock now as well, but the Subaru just wasn't cutting it. I too came to the conclusion that there was no way I could justify the price differential between the hybrid version and gasoline model, especially since we went with 6cyl/AWD version of the LE (still has the 5000lb towing capacity).  Thanks for the suggestions!  The dealership is calling back today before they place the order for the parts.  At the dealership, all the 4 Runners had towing packages installed, but not a single Highlander.  Seemed odd, but I knew from this blog that people were using Highlanders as TVs.  I have to say, this is my 3rd SUV, and the ride is wonderful (and quiet).  We have to climb about 3500' to get to our place, and our Subaru always (even without T@boo attached) sounds like it is working hard to make it to the top.  This vehicle just went up the hill with out overworking!  Can hardly wait to get T@boo out!

Photomom

You might get a quote from a trailer place too if you just need a hitch, wiring, and brake controller. Our salesman recommended we do that to save money over getting the Toyota brand towing accessories. 

John_and_Kris

We got the tow package ( larger radiator ,larger alternator ,transmission cooler,trailer sway control, hitch and 7pin harness) plus a bunck of stuff in the Luxury  Pck on our 2015 Lexus GX 460. It is a pleasure to drive but as all say MPG is not the best

Nerdy1

New twist as of this morning.  Toyota refused to put a 7pin harness on it.  Says any trailer below 5000 lbs doesn't need it, so they are not allowed to put it on the Highlander.  There initial suggestion was that we should rewire the trailer.  After I stopped laughing hysterically, they agreed to put the trailer hitch on, and we will get it wired someplace else.  About the brake controller.. do you have to have it?  I have a Voyager on my Subaru, and I have to say it is a bit of a pain- very grabby.  Every time we stop, it needs to be readjusted all over again.
I am not expecting miracles when it comes to gas mileage- when we brought our trailer home for the first time, I think we were getting around 9 mpg on the Subaru.  I just hope it is better than that.  

Photomom

Yeah, a trailer shop did ours. We already had a hitch they'd put on for our kayak trailer. They recently installed a 7 pin connector, wiring, and a P3 brake controller. The work this time took 5 hours. Somewhere on the youtube there is a video of how to wire a Highlander for towing. It doesn't look easy. 

Nerdy1

Yep, I think they are just too busy to bother.  I guess I have to call tomorrow about a brake controller.  

DurangoTaB

ditto to STBob...we have the TRD Off-Road pkg with tow pkg 6500# towing capy, gets 22mpg on the road, lots less with 4wd, about 15 with the T@B...P3 controller, which I really like.

Photomom

The tricky bit was finding a location to install the P3. There was exactly one spot just wide enough that it wouldn't interfere with the driver knee airbag. 

DurangoTaB

Photomom...above the left knee?  My Toyota dealer installed it near the ignition...at a slant... A real no no.  I moved it below the change tray.

Photomom

Yeah it is on the left. As I recall it is between the change tray and the knee level air bag. They did get it nice and level but I do have to be careful to not bang my knee when getting in and out. 

jcfaber1

Just my 2 cents.  Have them find a dealer which has the factory tow package, if not move on.  We have a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the trailer tow package.  In addition to the larger alternator, we have much better cooling capacity, wiring for the break controller, seven pin, the charging wire and rear suspension leveling.  It is not the same level of quality, fit and finish with the aftermarket stuff.  The engineers at the manufacturer put a lot of thought into a factory tow package.  Do not let them bully you into some thing you may later regret.
John

Nerdy1

I will especially be careful on the controller - I don't want them to do something like on my Subaru where I keep hitting it with my knee.  I learned my lesson there!  I am going to stand over the the guys.  On the Subaru, I used the guys that we bought the T@boo from, and it wasn't the best.  I am leaning toward the Prodigy RF model - then it is not there all the time.

USWildflowers

2012 Highlander Limited - V6 AWD with tow package here. The lack of good place to put the controller is one reason I went with time delay rather than proportional. I have it mounted vertically side-to-side on the side of the console. The Highlander tow package included a 4-pin connector, so our local trailer specialist (Trucks N Trailers USA) upgraded to 7-pin and installed the controller. I had them install a connector under the dash, and the controller is sticky-back velcro'd onto the console so I can remove it when not towing.

MPG varies notably as your speed gets up there. I get about 23-24mpg on highway without towing. I can usually count on 14-16 towing the T@b. Most recent 135-mile trip home was 16.7 MPG, but that included a 31MPG stretch of 12 miles coming down the Little River Road in the Smokies from Elkmont to Townsend, which helped the average a bit.  First 75 miles - running 50-55mph before I got on the interstate and mostly maintained 65mph - was 17.7 mpg.

Ratkity

One thing you asked is if you needed a brake controller at all. Anytime you tow anything over 1500#, it is needed as a rule of thumb (some even say 1000#). That said, there are laws in different states (http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/tag/trailer-brakes/). When the law says the driver needs to be driving a vehicle adequate to stop a 5000# trailer, that's a lot of weight.

UHaul's biggest pull trailer used to be a 6x12 ft flat 4-connect, double axel without brakes (max tow weight 2500#), but they are now equipped with surge brakes for safety. Sis went to rent a trailer for some light furniture moving, and they refused to allow her to rent one because of the make and model of her vehicle (in VA)! I was surprised. They are even more liable-shy these days than I expected (I'm sure each franchise's biz rules could be different).

A friend of mine who trains horses drives a 3500 Diesel Hemi Dodge dually and she uses a brake controller pulling a small horse trailer full of hay (less than 5000#) and also uses it to pull a large camper/horse trailer combo (she has multiple connector types on her hitch because of the variety of horse trailers still on the road (6 round, 7 blade and 4 flat on her hitch). If you have a big heavy vehicle, you also have a big heavy vehicle to stop. Side note I changed the fuel filter on that big engine and I needed a ladder to climb halfway inside the engine to reach the filter from the driver's side - (sorry PXL... all that was hanging out after I crawled inside the engine to reach the filter was my tailend towards the street - I think 6 drivers now need therapy after driving by).

Photomom

USWildflowers said:

... that included a 31MPG stretch of 12 miles coming down the Little River Road in the Smokies from Elkmont to Townsend...

We were coming back from someplace and encountered a gradual downhill that went on for miles. We must have been tired of driving at that point and made a game of seeing how high we could get the instantaneous mpg. I think we got 32. Yes, we are nerds. 

Ratkity

Nerd and Geek fun! Does it count that I have a book for every tank of gas, mileage, date of fueling and mpg since my first new vehicle in 1994 (with notes if I was towing)? The new GMC truck does the mpg automatically and I am still compelled to put the information in its little book and double check the program's numbers. It is fun to know the oil temp and transmission temp and alternator output in the engine information (Bryan and Mike, does the big brother/cousins of yours have the same "info" programming you can page through?).

Verna

I keep my mileage, date, cost and gallons not only in a small notebook, I keep it in an app, too!  It figures mpg for me.  I've done this since 1970 when I got my
first vehicle -- a '61 Corvair (fill up the oil and check the gas!).

Ratkity

Luv it! Geek out dudes and dudettes!

Photomom

My DH used to keep a notebook in his glovebox and record every fill up. I finally asked him why, since he never did anything with the data. Really, what is the point? MPG is what it is. 

Nomad

Logs, records, spreadsheets, paperwork? - You kids kill me :-)

Nomad

There's little gizmos that plug into your diag port and record all that to an app automatically. Looked at them, thought for a few seconds, naw :-)

Verna

I followed my father's lead, and maybe a bit of OCD inherited. Indiana used to have a tax law that if you had documentation, as in every fill up, you could take a tax deduction for driving more miles than they alloted for a standard deduction (obviously we no longer have that dduction!). When I got my Corvair, I just continued what I had been doing with every fillup on my parents' cars. 

My iPhone had to be taken back to factory settings last spring and then to a backup from the previous Christmas Eve. Yes, I input every fillup from Christmas Eve until the reset into my app, from my small notebook.  And that included the 8200 mile trip for wintering in AZ a year ago!

Photomom

Actually that reminds me of a question I've been meaning to ask, back on a T@B related topic. My understanding is there is periodic maintenance you need to do to the wheel bearings and maybe the brakes. How do you track mileage on the trailer separate from mileage on the tow vehicle?

Verna

Photomom said:

Actually that reminds me of a question I've been meaning to ask, back on a T@B related topic. My understanding is there is periodic maintenance you need to do to the wheel bearings and maybe the brakes. How do you track mileage on the trailer separate from mileage on the tow vehicle?

I save one of my two trip tics on the truck for the trip. Sure it will be off some for the site seeing without the T@B, but I just go ahead and use the mileage of the trip tic. I get the wheel bearings greased abd the brakes checked at the same time at a utility trailer business. Checking the brakes is part of the package.  Wheel bearing serviced at least once a year, checked around 6,000 miles, full service once a year. 

Nerdy1

I feel like talking to the guy in the shop again and telling him to get with the times!  He made it sound like I was crazy for this request.  Perhaps I should mention that in many states (okay, probably not NM), it is the law.  I will investigate what brake controllers that they have.  I like the idea of the RF module, or USWildflowers idea of velcro with a more traditional module.  
Oh god, I am OCD too!  I keep track of mileage as well.  Got to get my book for the Highlander.  
I love the idea of taking a picture on my cell phone of the mileage - I just was going to look at my book, but that is a great backup. I just found in my small town in NM a repair shop who actually works on T@Bs!  Saw one in his yard last week, and he said yes he does brake and other work on them.  Now I don't have to drive 140 mi each way to the dealer!
Again, thanks for all the great suggestions!