Goals.

"mazda616" (mazda616) 09/13/2019 at 15:47 • Filed to: Ideas

0

31

The Highlander can pull up to 5,000 pounds.

It’s a unibody crossover, so I find that number laughable. But...I have found several used pop-up campers that are in the 1,800 to 2,000 pound range. I could get the hitc h and wiring harness installed at the dealer through Toyota and boom. We can go camping!

How fun. I’ve always wanted a camper but I’ve never heard a vehicle capable of pulling one. They’re shockingly cheap on the used market, too.

ranwhenparked > mazda616 09/13/2019 at 15:58

5

. If Toyota says it can handle 5000lbs, it can handle 5000lbs. They wouldn't overstate the safe tow rating, if anything, they would under rate it for a safety margin.

HammerheadFistpunch > mazda616 09/13/2019 at 16:06

2

I love my popup, and they tow really well because of how they pop down.

I wouldn’t worry about towing 5000 lbs, it can do it under ideal circumstances thanks to j2807 standards...You should have no problem pulling 3-4 thousand regularly.  just get electric brakes on your trailer and a controller

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > mazda616 09/13/2019 at 16:14

1

I think we will be getting a popup in the next year or two. I love camping and have always tented or tagged along with my folks, but now that we have a kid of our own tenting isn’t appealing to my wife and I’d like to be able to take some family camping trips. They are perfect too for us, you can get one for very cheap, they are easy to tow and don’t affect MPG much, they are much cooler than hard sided campers since every side is basically a screen, and they are easy to store.

vicali > mazda616 09/13/2019 at 16:18

1

Yaay, camping for everyone!

5K lbs is a nice amount, tent trailers are a great way to get into it. Also check out Bolers and Ta b trailers ..

mazda616 > ranwhenparked 09/13/2019 at 16:23

0

I was thinking that, but I wasn’t sure.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > mazda616 09/13/2019 at 16:34

1

just a heads up, trailer hitches/wiring is REALLY easy to install I did it on our C ommander before it was totaled (and un-installed it after the accident lol).

it was 4 bolts to put on and a plug and play wiring harness. All I really had to do was pop out the left tail light, unplug from the socket, plug the car end into the harness, the harness into the light and run the wires down behind the bumper. Other than that you put 1 ground screw into the body under the tail light, they normally send a self tapp ing screw in the kit for you.

If you’re not confident in tightening down the bolts tight enough, if you find the right local mechanic they’ll hit 4 bolts with an impact gun real quick at no charge (or very, very minimal charge).

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > mazda616 09/13/2019 at 16:36

3

ranwhenparked is right. Just remember the test is done with one 150 pound driver. you need to subtract cargo and passenger weight from the 5000 pounds. so if you have 3 passengers at ~150 each thats 450, plus we’ll say 200 in luggage that’s 650 off of the 5,000, which means you’re tow rating becomes 4,350.

One of the reasons I always keep trailer weight a few thousand shy of the max tow if at all possible.

nermal > mazda616 09/13/2019 at 16:37

0

The problem with the tent models is two fold. First, you have all of the downsides of a fabric wall. Second, after a bit of use they start to smell like disappointment.

Look into one of the hard-side popups instead. Same great towing, but folding hard walls instead of tent material. Also, stay very much on the light side. Add the weight of people, stuff in car, and trailer, and it’s enough to make the driving experience really crappy. 

shop-teacher > nermal 09/13/2019 at 16:43

1

The hard sided pop-ups are also WAY more expensive though.

HammerheadFistpunch > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 09/13/2019 at 16:44

3

You subtract 150 from the payload, but not the tow rating.  j2807 accounts for the weight of the driver.

shop-teacher > mazda616 09/13/2019 at 16:44

1

Be careful buying these used.  They can go soft and turn to garbage really quickly.  You need to find one that’s been very well taken care of.  I’m looking on the used market myself right now, as my truck’s tow rating is a lowly 5700 pounds.

mazda616 > shop-teacher 09/13/2019 at 16:45

1

I’m looking at a teardrop trailer now. It seems really cool.

https://www.gertonautosales.com/vehicle-details/2020-braxton-creek-bushwhacker-15cfc1b152257743940753bd7600c696

Only downside is no toilet.

shop-teacher > mazda616 09/13/2019 at 16:48

1

The ONLY downside?  Teardrops are just one covered bed.  Pop-ups have WWAAAAYYYYYYY more room inside them than a tear drop.  You just have to be a careful buyer.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > HammerheadFistpunch 09/13/2019 at 16:53

2

right, right. the rest holds true though and my math was actually correct despite not thinking about it right, I guess my mind took care of it subconsciously . I said 3 passengers (which wouldn’t include the driver) and 200 of luggage takes 650 away from towing.

nermal > shop-teacher 09/13/2019 at 17:01

2

As a general rule yes, but by how much d epends on lots of factors, new vs used & how many options. Also, your tolerance for smells in used ones. 

RV sales are still an even bigger racket than auto sales. The starting price for negotiations on new units should be ~30% off MSRP. 

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > mazda616 09/13/2019 at 17:18

0

Quite a bit of functional difference between a popup and a teardrop, but agreed that teardrops are awesome. We’re looking to buy one over the next few years as well as our 1 year old gets older and we start getting outdoors more again. 

duurtlang > mazda616 09/13/2019 at 17:21

0

Meanwhile, in Europe

(car on the left; winner for caravan with a weight under 1100 kg (2400 lbs): Volkswagen Polo 1.0L TSI 115 hp)

4kc > mazda616 09/13/2019 at 17:26

2

I recommend looking at Scamps and hard side popups! Everyone I’ve personally known with a tent pop-up was constantly trying to “air it out”

mazda616 > 4kc 09/13/2019 at 17:29

1

I found the Scamp earlier today. It’s fascinating!

ShrimpHappens, née WJalopy > shop-teacher 09/13/2019 at 17:51

2

Yeah those teardrops are cool as hell and I lusted after them for a while, too, until I realized like you said that the only climate-controlled area is the bed. With my Alabama heat , that wouldn’t increase the time of year I could camp very much at all.

Plus, once things like a/c are added, the price ain’t very far away from a small bumper-pull.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > mazda616 09/13/2019 at 18:03

1

We own a Coleman Sedona and it tows very nicely, behind my GMC Safari (Chevy Astro). But be sure and fit radial  tires onto the tent trailer for a 2000% better experience. Carlisle makes some...

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > 4kc 09/13/2019 at 18:04

1

You’ve got to be intentional about making sure it’s nice and dried out before you store it.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > nermal 09/13/2019 at 18:05

0

I’ve owned a Coleman Sedona since buying it new in 2007, the only thing on wheels I’ve ever bought new. I differ with you in that the better buy is either a tent trailer, or a hard-sided trailer, one or the other.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > mazda616 09/13/2019 at 18:06

0

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > shop-teacher 09/13/2019 at 18:07

1

My comment above was tent trailer or hard sides, not in between. That’s my opinion...

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 09/13/2019 at 21:02

0

Still cleaner than the tailgate area at a bills game...

shop-teacher > ShrimpHappens, née WJalopy 09/13/2019 at 21:27

0

Exactly.

4kc > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 09/13/2019 at 23:21

0

Nigh  impossible here in the PNW most of the year though

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > shop-teacher 09/14/2019 at 01:01

1

Yes, all of that.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > 4kc 09/14/2019 at 01:02

0

Mold must be a thing all the time up there. But yes, that would be an issue.

ranwhenparked > 4kc 09/14/2019 at 16:56

0

Scamps are really cool For a long time, their 13 footer was the lightest camper you could get with a bathroom, might still be the case. They pack a lot of features into less than 2,000 lbs.