Real life Hybrid towing experiences

[Mike_E_]

Hi folks,

Looking for some insight from those who have towed with a mid-size SUV hybrid.
DW and I are a single-vehicle household and are hoping to get into a slightly bigger vehicle than our current '13 Honda CRV.

With a son living/working in Europe with no intentions of returning, we are going to have to afford trips to see him....especially after his upcoming wedding and potential grand-babies shortly after. She's already made such noises.....yay!!

That said, I've told DW that I am not willing to completely give up on camping as I simply miss all the fresh air etc.
With that, I'm thinking we'll end up with a pop-up or very small TT.
We're looking into a Toyota Highlander Hybrid with 3500lbs towing capacity as well as the Ford Explorer Hybrid with 5000lbs towing.

Trust me, I'd love to have a truck/5th wheel again, but that simply isn't in the cards.

So, anybody out there using their Hybrid in such a fashion?

[Mike_E_]

This is what we ended up with. 🙂



Volvo XC60 Recharge.
Tow rating of 3500lbs. Pup ups will be what we'll tow. Trust me, I know ALL about the numbers, so don't worry. 😉

[GordonWell]

The hybrid model has a 3.3 liter gasoline engine combined with 3 electric motors. With that combination, the car can muster 268 HP and the electric motors have massive torque which is very nice when accelerating from a stop or merging into expressway traffic.

[Cristian123]

Toyota RAV4. It can haul 1,650kg in all-wheel-drive hybrid form. My brother bought it as an off-lease car at DM Auto Leasing (you can find out more here https://www.dm-auto-leasing.reviews/review.html if interested). The condition was great and the price was reasonable. I don't see any reason why hybrid could be a problem. Such cars are economic and are currently the best choice for those looking for an alternative-fuel vehicle for towing.

[carringb]

lane hog wrote:
Yes, but there's no pedestal when boondocking, so.......

So then you just drive. Even plug-in hybrids don’t require plugging in. It simply provides all electric range and also increases overall fuel economy.

[lane_hog]

Yes, but there's no pedestal when boondocking, so.......

[carringb]

Some hybrids can be charged.

The Lincoln Aviator Hybrid is a plug-in hybrid. It makes 494 hp and 630 ft-lbs of torque. Plugging it in give you 21 miles all-electric range. It can simply be plugged in to a campground pedestal. And it still tows 5,600 pounds.

[Sjm9911]

I never towed with one, but i will say i would not get anything that limits me to 3500 lbs towing. I have had pop ups and some can be heavy, especially after adding in all the aftermarket stuff. Do hybrids come with tow packages? If so, I would get the best small hybrid that has the best ratings. Have fun, if the rear sags, you can add air bags or bump stops. Some of the smaller campers ( mostly pups) cant use wdh.

[Grit_dog]

philh wrote:

alexleblanc wrote:
i would shy away from any hybrid with a CVT for towing purposes.

If its rated for towing and you stay within that rating, towing with it is fine.

I’m sure you’re right that they will actually pull the rated weight if they’re rated for it. And they may even do it for a while.
But the very nature of a cvt compared to modern automatics is like old autos that didn’t lock the converter compared to manual transmissions. More heat = no bueno.

[bikendan]

jonaz wrote:
I towed a 3000 lb hybrid Kiwi trailer with a 2003 Honda Pilot 4wd. It was a great towing experience, even though I was extremely hard on the Pilot. It did everything I asked of it, and more.

the OP is asking about a hybrid TOW VEHICLE, not a hybrid TT.

[FWC]

We towed a 13' Scamp (~2000lb) across the US with Hybrid Highlander and it was fine, no issues with either handling or power. I am not sure how the fuel economy was towing relative to a non-hybrid, but that is not really that important as the Highlander is a daily driver and was only used to tow < 10% of the time.

With a small trailer you will be fine with a hybrid. Also it sounds like this will primarily be a daily driver, and an occasional tow vehicle. Get what works best for you as a daily driver (ie not a pickup truck).

[jonaz]

I towed a 3000 lb hybrid Kiwi trailer with a 2003 Honda Pilot 4wd. It was a great towing experience, even though I was extremely hard on the Pilot. It did everything I asked of it, and more.

[carringb]

philh wrote:

alexleblanc wrote:
i would shy away from any hybrid with a CVT for towing purposes.

If its rated for towing and you stay within that rating, towing with it is fine.

But also consider the ratings aren’t apples to apples. The Highlander Hybrid is not SAE J2807 certified and the owners manual states that towing in weather above 85F may cause overheating.

[philh]

alexleblanc wrote:
i would shy away from any hybrid with a CVT for towing purposes.

If its rated for towing and you stay within that rating, towing with it is fine.

[carringb]

lane hog wrote:


Powerboost is a thing?... I assumed you'd renamed Ecoboost.

PowerBoost is the name of Ford's EcoBoost Hybrid powertrain. FTL truck has been doing some good reviews on it.

https://youtu.be/37uKi1JRMaA