Recommended WD System and Transmission Cooler for Towing with a 2017 Toyota Highlander XLE

Question

Question:

Im considering a Coachman Viking 17FQ towed by my new 2017 Toyota Highlander XLE with the following specs: Hitch weight 320 UVW 2886 GVRW 3635 CCC 749 Highlander specs: 5000 tow limit 500 lb hitch limit. I will be adding a weight distribution hitch. Just my wife and myself. We will travel as light as possible. Will this combination work ok without straining the engine? We plan to be mostly on flat roads and no big mountains.

asked by: Ed C

0

Expert Reply:

I am glad that you have decided to use a Weight Distribution (WD) system. We always recommend going with one when your trailer weighs at least half of the weight of the tow vehicle, in your case a 2017 Toyota Highlander XLE.

When looking at a WD system you will want to choose one with a Tongue Weight (TW) range that the Total Tongue Weight (TTW) of your towing setup falls in the middle of. To find the TTW of your towing setup you will need to add the TW of your fully loaded and ready-to-go trailer along with the weight of any cargo behind the rear axle of your tow vehicle. Keep in mind that a properly loaded trailer will have a TW that is 10-15% of the loaded weight of your trailer.

If you were to load your trailer to the GVWR that would put your TW range at 364 lbs - 545 lbs. Since you said you will be packing light you will likely have most of your gear in the trailer. In that case I recommend going with a Reese Strait-Line system.

These are my favorite to recommend because they have a built-in anti-sway system that works to prevent sway instead of fight it once it has started. The system that could potentially work for you is part # RP66082 which has a TW range of 200 lbs - 600 lbs. It doesn't come with a hitch ball but you could use one with a 1-1/4" diameter shank like part # A-6 if you need a 2-5/16" hitch ball or part # A-90 for a 2" hitch ball.

Let me know what your TTW is if it does not fall between 200 lbs - 600 lbs and I can recommend a different system for you.

Since your Highlander has a 5,000 lb trailer towing limit and the GVWR of your Coachmen Viking 17FQ is 3,635 lbs It shouldn't put too much strain on your Highlander. With that being said, you can always add a transmission cooler to help the performance of your Highlander and help prevent it from straining on a hot day. You can never "over-cool" your transmission fluid so this is always a viable option.

One of the most popular coolers that we have is the Derale Series 8000 # D13503 which has received great reviews from our customers. I have attached a helpful article you can check out for more information on transmission coolers.

Some additional articles have also been linked for you to check out.