Suspension Enhancements for a 2014 Dodge Durango and 2014 Toyota Highlander

Question:

I will be towing a 19foot pull-behind camper which will weigh 4400 lbs fully loaded. The camper trailer is equipped with electric brakes. I will be towing the camper over a variety of terrain - flat lands, rolling hills, and mountains. The payload pax+cargo in the vehicle will be no more than 550 lbs. I need to get a tow vehicle which will also be my every day driver and so I do not want a truck or a full-size V8 SUV. Ive narrowed my vehicle preferences to a 2014 Toyota Highlander V6 with the factory tow package 5000# TWR and a 2014 Dodge Durango V6 with the factory tow package 6200# TWR. Based on the above, do you recommend one of these vehicles over the other? What items do you recommend to improve safety handling - such as a weight distribution hitch and or a sway control hitch? Would rear air bags be of any benefit? Also, what brake controller do you recommend for the Highlander and for the Durango? I appreciate your help!

asked by: Consuelo

Expert Reply:

The best tow vehicle for your camper will be the one with the highest towing capacity that has the features you are looking for. The more room you have between the weight of your trailer and towing capacity of your vehicle, the safer and more efficiently you will be able to tow.

The use of a weight distribution system is recommended if your gross trailer weight (GTW) is more than 50% of your vehicle's gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). In order to determine the correct system for you, you will need to find the total tongue weight (TTW) of your towing setup by adding the tongue weight (TW) of both your loaded ready to tow trailer and any cargo stored behind the rear axle of the tow vehicle.

An easy way to find this would involve using a tongue weight scale like the Trailer Tongue Weight Scale part # e99044. When choosing a weight distribution system, you will want your TTW to fall in the middle of the weight distributions weight capacity. For example, the ideal weight distribution system for a total tongue weight of 600 lbs is one that is rated for 400-800 lbs of tongue weight.

If you decide to go with the 2014 Dodge Durango, I recommend the Air Lift AirLift 1000 Air Helper Springs for Coil Springs part # AL60824 which will improve ride quality, increase the life of your existing suspension components, and reduce vehicle sag. They are also very easy to install as shown in the attached install video. For a brake controller, the best option we have for you is the Tekonsha Prodigy P3 Trailer Brake Controller part # 90195. You can then use the Tekonsha Plug-In Wiring Adapter for Electric Brake Controllers part # TK93VR to install it.

If you decide to go with the 2014 Toyota Highlander, I recommend the Coil SumoSprings Custom Helper Springs part # CSS-1168R for two wheel drive (2WD) models or part # CSS-1145R for all wheel drive (AWD) models. They do not make airbags for this vehicle. In order to install the Tekonsha Prodigy P3 Trailer Brake Controller on this vehicle you will need to use both the Hopkins Plug-In Simple Wiring Harness part # HM11141825 and the Universal Installation Kit for Trailer Brake Controller part # ETBC7.