Since the Toyota Sienna has been mentioned a couple of times, here are a couple of links with some helpful info about towing with a Sienna.
Can you tow a camper with a Sienna?Toyota Sienna Towing CapacitySummarizing some of the points of these is that the 3,500 lb. tow limit is only for Sienna's equipped with the factory tow package. Apparently this package is standard for all models 2021 and later. But before that, it was an option. If your Sienna does not have the factory tow package, or has not been upgraded to it, then the towing capacity is limited to 2,000 lbs.
Apparently, per the Sienna Owner's Manual, if you tow anything over 1,000 lbs., the trailer must include it's own braking system & controller.
toedtoes wrote:
GCVWR = Vehicle's GVWR plus towing capacity.
This isn't exactly correct. It might be true in some cases, but not always. The GCWR is the maximum weight the vehicle and what it's towing can weigh. It is NOT necessarily the published tow rating. For example, my rig has a GVWR of 22,000 lbs. and a GCWR of 26,000 lbs. The hitch is good for up to 5,000 lbs. I CAN tow up to 5,000 lbs., but I have to keep the weight of the rig and everything inside under 21,000 lbs.)
toedtoes wrote:
The 3500lb towing capacity does NOT include what you put IN the vehicle.
Well, this is where it gets a bit complicated. The actual towing weight maximum is a bit tricky to figure out as it CAN depend upon how much the Sienna weighs and how much stuff is put into it. From the reading in the links above, the gross vehicle weight rating of a Sienna is about 6,000 lbs. and it looks like the payload of a Sienna is model dependent and can be anywhere between 1,125 lbs. and 1,380 lbs. (for 2020 models, base weights between 4,620 lbs. and 4,875 lbs.). Now for a bit of math: If your trailer weighs the 3,500 lbs spec'd by the limit, approximately 10%, or 350 lbs. will be tongue weight. Tongue weight counts as part of the payload. So now, depending upon your model, the weight of the passengers & contents inside the minivan have to be kept under 775 lbs. to 1,030 lbs., depending upon the model.
IF you can keep the weight of everything inside the Sienna within those limits, you
might be OK. If not, you'll have to remove tongue weight, which will mean a lighter trailer.
Unfortunately, there's another complicating factor. The gross combined weight (GCW) of the Sienna and trailer must be kept under the rated spec for the GCWR. Again, from the links above, that's approximately in the neighborhood of about 9,000 lbs. The true towing rating based on these weights will be the GCWR - GVW.
Based on this figure, IF the trailer weighs in at 3,500 lbs., that means the Sienna, contents and tongue weight have to be under 9,000 - 3,500 = 5,500 lbs. (Basically, you're trading off 500 lbs. of weight inside the minivan to carry that weight in the trailer.) If your Sienna weighs about 4,700 lbs., that means the weight of the contents and tongue weight have to be kept under (5,500 - 4,700) or 800 lbs. Subtract off the 350 tongue weight and passengers and cargo are limited to about 450 lbs. Wifey and I would push near that (I hope she doesn't ever read this! LOL)
That's a lot of math, but if you wish to operate the vehicle within the limits specified by Toyota, it's a bit more complicated than just assuming that the tow capacity is 3,500 lbs. It IS, but you may have to manage other weights to be able to tow that much.
On another note, I did read a few comments from people who tow with the Sienna that the hitch tends to drag easily pulling into and out of parking lots & driveways. A few reported success by installing air bags on the rear to help lift the back end a bit when towing.
Sorry, didn't mean to inundate with information, but if this is something you're going to pursue, you should know some of the details. And I definitely think it's a possible option for you. We have a Honda Odyssey, but a couple of years back, I rented a Toyota Sienna for a long weekend trip we had to take and I really liked it. Unfortunately, Sienna's can't be flat-tow behind our motorhome, so we're squeezing the life out of our 2001 Odyssey.
🙂For what it's worth, IF you look at a Sienna, I would recommend that the AWD model might have some advantages when backing into a spot on a low traction surface. I don't think the AWD hardware affects the towing numbers much.
Good Luck, and keep us updated on your decision.
~Rick
ON EDIT: Since you're also soliciting stories, I can tell you that when the kids were young (we had 4) and we took a long trip, I removed one of the mid-row seats in the minivan and replaced it with a Thetford Porta-Potty. (I also velcro mounted an LCD TV screen to it connected to a portable DVD player to keep them distracted while travelling.) When we'd stop at a rest area, wifey & I would use the facilities, but we would let the kids use the porta-potty so we didn't have to subject them to the "messy" restrooms. We just "rotated" them through being in the vehicle. But I think you could get this to work as adults too, just have the other one "step out" for privacy. Oh....and then open the windows a bit. LOL
😉 I still have that Thetford unit and have used it in the moho when we go out in the winter for a day/weekend trip and the rig has been winterized.
2005 Georgie Boy Cruise Master 3625 DS on a Workhorse W-22
Rick, Gail, 1 girl (27-Angel since 2008), 1 girl (22), 2 boys (23 & 20).
2001 Honda Odyssey, Demco Aluminator tow bar & tow plate, SMI Silent Partner brake controller.
