Unlike Burdon, though, I'm not singing about boy loves girl stuff, but rather why some in the RV community refuse to see (or read and digest) simple stuff relating to the dynamics of towing. OK, I can hear you all groaning about yet another foray into the world of towing, but hear me out one more time; you never know, you may learn something. Alternatively, you may not learn something but read on anyway as I'll try to keep it light.
This started when I wandered into the online community of RV.NET, a general RV site rather than a specific Airstream, or even travel trailer, site. I should have known better as I perused the galleries of huge pick-up trucks, ever bigger, ever uglier (in my opinion, it's very subjective you know!) than usual, and wondered how a photo of my little minivan might go down. Provocative to the last, I thought "publish and be damned" and put up a picture of the Toad Mobile, conveniently hitched to Towed Haul of course. The first enquiry was as expected, asking how a vehicle with a Tow rating of only 3,500lb could pull such an Airstream? Diligently I wrote back and explained the modifications, the specifications and the general towing ability of the Toyota, expecting perhaps a polite "Oh" or "That's interesting". Only that didn't happen; what I did get was a couple of "you're all going to die if you tow that with that" messages, laced "keep away from me" and "you really need to understand that a truck is the ONLY tow vehicle you simpleton". There was even a "I came across some of these people last summer" line in one message (that was later edited by a moderator, which was interesting).
I wouldn't have minded so much had I not taken the effort to explain how the Sienna worked, but I had. Mention of horse power, centre of gravity, wheelbase, suspension geometry, weight distribution and oil coolers was lost entirely on the respondents, consumed as they were by the holy grail that is the manufacturer's tow rating.
But there is the misunderstanding.
The Sienna works. With its modified hitch set up, it tows well above the tow rating but without exceeding the axle ratings or the gross vehicle weight rating. It starts well, it stops well and it tows straight. Pound for pound the Sienna's brakes are no less effective than those on a pick up truck, it corners better than a truck, it's more aerodynamic than a truck, the suspension is better than a truck's and the gas mileage is streets ahead of a truck's. But with all this laid out, the good folk of RV.NET still have trouble getting past the tow rating figure. It's a shame that I can't persuade them that this is a figure derived not from exhaustive testing or matching exacting vehicle specifications but decided by customer demand, from marketing requirements and from what the other manufacturers are doing. Fellas, you misunderstand me, and my minivan, but I wish you didn't. Hey ho.
Anyway, I'm getting all geared up for the forthcoming camping season and am looking forward to discussing how the Sienna works as a tow vehicle with anyone unwise enough to ask me about it. If you want to avoid me, though, send me $10 in cash and I'll send you a list of where I'm camping this summer.
