2022 Wolfpup 18to towing question!

[Calicampergirl]

Hi everyone!
I’m brand new to the group, and brand new to my travel trailer. I’m set to pick up my Wolf Pup 18TO in just a couple days. I was originally looking at the 16 because I thought that’s all my vehicle could tow.
I have 2021 Toyota Highlander XLe. Towing capacity 5000 pounds.
After visiting the dealership I fell in love with the 18TO and the salesman assured me after running all of the numbers in the computer and inspecting my vehicle that I would be able to tow it with no issue.
I’ve been doing a lot of research, and now I am very nervous that I’m going to be maxing out my towing capacity. I don’t want to struggle on Windee roads, wind, or if I have to slam on my brakes for any reason.
I need some advice please! I am due to pick it up on Friday, but will gladly change it to a smaller one if this is too much.
Hopefully it’s more!
Thanks in advance everyone!

[jdshockman]

Hello, we also have a 2019 wolf pup 18TO that weighs 5,100lbs fully loaded with gear and full fresh water tank. I tow with a 2009 crew cab Toyota Tacoma 4L engine and 6speed manual transmission with a tuner chip. Tow rating on truck is 6,500 lbs. My setup is adequate for the truck, sometimes do wish there was more power. I can easily maintain 65-70mph on the 15 freeway. With strong winds in the high desert I am in 4th gear 55-60mph. Hope it helps.

[jdshockman]

Tow set up

[Calicampergirl]

Originally Posted by jdshockman

Hello, we also have a 2019 wolf pup 18TO that weighs 5,100lbs fully loaded with gear and full fresh water tank. I tow with a 2009 crew cab Toyota Tacoma 4L engine and 6speed manual transmission with a tuner chip. Tow rating on truck is 6,500 lbs. My setup is adequate for the truck, sometimes do wish there was more power. I can easily maintain 65-70mph on the 15 freeway. With strong winds in the high desert I am in 4th gear 55-60mph. Hope it helps.

Thank you so much for the quick reply! The 18 TO that I am looking at has a fully loaded weight of 4999. With my vehicles maximum tell him wait at 5000 pounds, I feel like that doesn’t leave me a whole lot of room for error. I would have to tow the trailer and it’s dry weight of 4300 pounds, and I would have to be careful about having extra passengers ride in my vehicle. (if I’m understanding correctly)
If I wanted to fill up the water tanks in the trailer, and be able to take two adults two kids and a couple dogs with me, I think I would be way over the towing capacity.
The math certainly has me confused!

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by Calicampergirl

Hi everyone!

I’m brand new to the group, and brand new to my travel trailer. I’m set to pick up my Wolf Pup 18TO in just a couple days. I was originally looking at the 16 because I thought that’s all my vehicle could tow.

I have 2021 Toyota Highlander XLe. Towing capacity 5000 pounds.

After visiting the dealership I fell in love with the 18TO and the salesman assured me after running all of the numbers in the computer and inspecting my vehicle that I would be able to tow it with no issue.

I’ve been doing a lot of research, and now I am very nervous that I’m going to be maxing out my towing capacity. I don’t want to struggle on Windee roads, wind, or if I have to slam on my brakes for any reason.

I need some advice please! I am due to pick it up on Friday, but will gladly change it to a smaller one if this is too much.

Hopefully it’s more!

Thanks in advance everyone!

Your bigger problem will be the loaded tongue weight. Loaded for camping, it will easily exceed your Highlander's max hitch weight of 500lbs, especially it's a single axle trailer.
Using 13% of GVWR for a ballpark loaded tongue weight, means around 650lbs. 150lbs over the Highlander's max.
Don't feel bad, you're just another victim of deceptive RV Marketing.
Many are attracted to these larger single axle trailers, only to find their smaller SUVs don't have the hitch capacity for the higher tongue weights.

[Calicampergirl]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Your bigger problem will be the loaded tongue weight. Loaded for camping, it will easily exceed your Highlander's max hitch weight of 500lbs, especially it's a single axle trailer.
Using 13% of GVWR for a ballpark loaded tongue weight, means around 650lbs. 150lbs over the Highlander's max.
Don't feel bad, you're just another victim of deceptive RV Marketing.

Uggg. That’s what I was afraid of. I started reading in some different forums, and I find this to be fairly common. Certainly glad I did a little bit of research before actually picking it up on Friday! I still have the opportunity to downsize to the 16.
Thanks for responding!
I very much appreciate your input!

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by Calicampergirl

Uggg. That’s what I was afraid of. I started reading in some different forums, and I find this to be fairly common. Certainly glad I did a little bit of research before actually picking it up on Friday! I still have the opportunity to downsize to the 16.
Thanks for responding!
I very much appreciate your input!

If you had a Tacoma or Frontier truck, you most likely would be fine with the 18TO.
Which "16" model are you talking about? There are 5 of them. Only the 16BHS will work for your car.

[Calicampergirl]

I just bought my Highlander, so definitely not looking to switch vehicles anytime soon. Sure glad I didn’t get stuck with something I couldn’t tow!

[NavyLCDR]

I agree, you will be over weight limits with the 18TO.

[Calicampergirl]

Originally Posted by bikendan

If you had a Tacoma or Frontier truck, you most likely would be fine with the 18TO.
Which "16" model are you talking about? There are 5 of them. Only the 16BHS will work for your car.

The 16bhs is what I’m looking at, but they also have the 16FQ.
Lea big towards the BHS since the 18TO isn’t an option anymore. ����

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by Calicampergirl

The 16bhs is what I’m looking at, but they also have the 16FQ.
Lea big towards the BHS since the 18TO isn’t an option anymore. ����

The 16FQ has an even heavier fictional dry tongue weight than the 18TO.
So it will exceed your Highlander's max hitch weight of 500lbs. As I said, the 16BHS is the only one of the five 16 models that will possibly be under the 500lbs tongue weight when loaded for camping.
Again, you need to not use fictional dry weights. And you need to focus on the hitch weights, since that will be your car's Achilles heel.
These newer larger single axle trailers have the axle set back farther, therefore increasing the tongue weight, than a comparable tandem axle trailer.

[Calicampergirl]

Originally Posted by bikendan

The 16FQ has an even heavier fictional dry tongue weight than the 18TO.
So it will exceed your Highlander's max hitch weight of 500lbs. As I said, the 16BHS is the only one of the five 16 models that will possibly be under the 500lbs tongue weight when loaded for camping.
Again, you need to not use fictional dry weights. And you need to focus on the hitch weights, since that will be your car's Achilles heel.
These newer larger single axle trailers have the axle set back farther, therefore increasing the tongue weight, than a comparable tandem axle trailer.

Oh I see! That was never explained to me at the dealership. I really appreciate you taking the time to explain. Thank you!

[AlaskaErik]

That 437 lb hitch weight is for the lightest trailer that the factory puts out before anything else is added in. Once you add in factory options, propane, a battery or two, all the gear you'll be stowing in that front storage compartment and some water in the fresh water tank you'll be way over 500 lbs on the hitch. Probably closer to 600 lbs. And after one night on that factory mattress you'll be getting a thicker mattress or a topper, which adds even more weight up front. RV salesmen always seem to skip over all that.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by Calicampergirl

Oh I see! That was never explained to me at the dealership. I really appreciate you taking the time to explain. Thank you!

That's because they just want to sell you something and get you off the lot. They can always blame the customer for not doing the research.
The LAST place you should get RV advice from is a dealership.
That's why I advise newbies, over and over again, research BEFORE you buy a RV. There's a lot to learn. The Internet has plenty of information to become an informed customer, instead of being taken advantage of.

[CYAH OUT THERE!]

I just will not ever get over the fact that there are no repercussions to RV dealers!! They will say anything to make a sale!!! Shameful!!!!
Don’t let your excitement get the best of you. This’s a big purchase. Towing too heavy is unpleasant and unpredictable!! Don’t risk injury to you and friends and family. Walk away.

[NeilM108]

Wait a sec... with a weight distributing hitch, some of the tongue weight gets distributed across the wheels of the trailer AND the tow vehicle.

I agree that it's tight, but the 16BHS doesn't seem impossible to me. Am I missing something?

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by NeilM108

Wait a sec... with a weight distributing hitch, some of the tongue weight gets distributed across the wheels of the trailer AND the tow vehicle.



I agree that it's tight, but the 16BHS doesn't seem impossible to me. Am I missing something?

A WDH doesn't lower the loaded tongue weight.
Here's an explanation from etrailer.com
https://www.etrailer.com/question-180152.html
And I did say that the 16BHS was probably doable.

[NavyLCDR]

Originally Posted by NeilM108

Wait a sec... with a weight distributing hitch, some of the tongue weight gets distributed across the wheels of the trailer AND the tow vehicle.

I agree that it's tight, but the 16BHS doesn't seem impossible to me. Am I missing something?

Some vehicles do have different tongue weight limits based upon whether a weight distribution hitch is used vs. not use. Since Calicampergirl has a unibody Toyota Highlander, I am betting that it does not have separate weight limits.

[Tblt44]

The w.d.h. is 1/5 of your tongue weight

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by Calicampergirl

Hi everyone!
I’m brand new to the group, and brand new to my travel trailer. I’m set to pick up my Wolf Pup 18TO in just a couple days. I was originally looking at the 16 because I thought that’s all my vehicle could tow.
I have 2021 Toyota Highlander XLe. Towing capacity 5000 pounds.
After visiting the dealership I fell in love with the 18TO and the salesman assured me after running all of the numbers in the computer and inspecting my vehicle that I would be able to tow it with no issue.

The most unpopular opinion is to get an accurate picture of your tow vehicle is to take it to a truck stop loaded up like you would for camping (driver, passengers, pets, and cargo in/on the vehicle) and weigh it. The truck stop will give you separate weights for: front axle, rear axle, and total weight.

You can then take those actual weights and start comparing a few things:
- GVWR - actual weight = payload left over for carrying tongue weight
- Rear GAWR - actual weight = axle weight left over for carrying tongue weight
- Sum of Rear Tire Load Capacity - actual weight = tire carrying capacity left over for carrying tongue weight
- GCWR - actual weight = actual tow rating

You then need to check your hitch/owner's manual for what your hitch weight rating for how much tongue weight you can carry.

Basically the lowest of the above tongue weight reference is how much tongue weight you can carry.

And then that combined with the tow rating will tell you how big of a trailer you can pull.

I explain all of that much better (with actual definitions of terms and walk you through the process) at:

https://learntorv.com/can-i-tow-this/