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| 2011 Toyota Sienna 3.5 Liter and 28 ' Airstream International |
I was asked to write in a little more detail about how we tow, our set up and our experiences. It's a big topic so I'll break it up into a number of entries here on the blog. To start though, here's a photograph of the Toadmobile hitched to Towed Haul.
It's sat on the Can Am RV lot in London, Ontario and it's the brothers Thompson, Andy and Kirk, who've set this combination up. They've run their RV dealership and towing business for over 40 years and really are the leading authority on towing in North America.
At the outset I need to say that this will not be an exercise in proving the numbers. The trailer weighs over 7,000 lbs loaded and the car has a nominal tow rating of 3,500 lbs, so my trying to prove things with numbers isn't going to work. You need to look further than the numbers (they're flawed and not complete anyway), to what makes a good tow vehicle and what can be done to make that tow vehicle work. Ultimately, our combination works, in spite of the numbers so put those calculators down and read on.
The Trailer
Any Airstream trailer is going to tow reasonably well, despite its weight. Notwithstanding all the junk on the outside like the awning and the air conditioning unit, it's quite aerodynamic, with it's curved front and sides. It sits low on its independently sprung wheels and, as a result, presents as small a frontal surface to the oncoming air as possible, which is probably the most significant factor on whether or not we can tow this beast successfully. The length and weight are not as important as its stability and drag.
The Sienna
OMG! It's a front wheel drive, Unibody minivan! Well, that's the usual reaction, but you need to look further than that. The engine is a V6 gasser and puts out a fairly healthy 260 horse power. It's low, or rather its weight is, it's wide and long and it's reasonably aerodynamic. It's suspension is a mix of independent and semi-independent and it has a six-speed automatic gearbox. It also has a surprisingly high payload, although being an eight-seater maybe that's not such a surprise. That Unibody actually provides a wider stance than traditional, framed tow vehicles and, when we move on to the hitch, you'll see another advantage of that width. The brakes are quite robust, too, with discs all round and double piston callipers on the fronts. All of these things are positive for any tow vehicle and are, actually, far superior than many pick-up trucks and vans from the not so distant past.
The Sienna's Modifications
You can't just hang a large trailer on the back of this car; the trailer's tongue weight, magnified by the lever effect of a hitch mounted behind the rear axle, would be too much for the rear springs to cope with. So, the first thing is a decent weight distribution system, of which I'll provide more detail later.
Then you need a hitch that's going to stand up to the rigours not only of the tongue weight but of the countering forces of the weight distribution system. These things are not available off the shelf, so a big modification is a beefed up hitch - again, more of which later.
The transmission is going to take a battering so an additional oil cooler has been fitted to supplement the factory item.
The trailer has electric brakes so, along with the wiring required for the lights, an electronic brake controller has been installed.
Finally, to allow a reasonable rear view, a set of additional mirrors has been supplied.
So, Does It Work?
I'll just refer you back to the picture at the top. The car is level, the trailer is level and we've driven a fair few kilometres with Towed Haul behind us, so yes it does.
In the next instalment, I'll detail the weight distribution system, as it's the most significant aid to towing; I hope that you'll call back to read the rest...
