Can a 2008 Toyota Highlander Safely Tow a Dutchmen Kodiak 235

Question:

I have a 2008 Highlander and would like to purchase a Dutchmen Kodiak 235. My tv has the factory tow package 5000lbs. The Kodiak has an UVW of 3886lbs. We travel fairly light, food and clothes,paper products, and do not load water tanks for travel. We do have a weight distribution hitch. We would like to stay around 80 of tow capacity. Do you think it would be safe to tow the Kodiak without any trouble? Or what is the maximum dry weight we should be looking at for a travel trailer.?

asked by: Renee D

Expert Reply:

Since your 2008 Toyota Highlander has a 5,000 lb trailer towing weight capacity you should be okay towing your Dutchmen Kodiak 235. If you were going to have the water tanks filled then that would be a problem.

Using a Weight Distribution (WD) system and making sure you stay at least 80 lbs away from the weight capacity of your Highlander is a great idea as well. I do recommend making sure that you get the correct WD system for your towing application though.

You want to make sure your WD system has 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 your WD system isn't properly rated just let me know what your TTW is and I can make a recommendation for you.

expert reply by: Jon G