Should we get a pop-up?

[lovemygrowingfamily]

We had insurance on our pup and now we are required to have both comprehensive and collision on our hybrid.

 

[SCCamper]

Here is another link to check the tow ratings of your vehicle. http://www.trailmanor.com/WebDocs/Camping-Towing/tow-vehicles.html As a previous poster stated, always try to verify what a dealer tells you.

 

[CarolinaBlue]

A Sienna will not pull 5500 lbs. We have one, a 2006 that has the towing package and it will only pull 3500 lbs. You need to check your owner's manual for all the specs. If it doesn't have the towing package, I *think* it will only pull 1000 or 1500 lbs.

 

[verlee]

I was thinking the 5500 as the gross wt including the van which is round 3000?
We did check the owners manual but it is kind of confusing. I think from all the info we got we could just barely do it since the pop up is small. We did not think about insurance though? Hummm?
Maybe we should wait until we get a new van in a year or two and then get a tow pkg and a larger pop-up. Just thinking out loud . Thanks for all the advice.

 

[FlaFortCampster]

Hello fellow Toyota owner. This topic sounds all to familiar as I did extensive research before purchasing my RAV4. I knew I was getting a PUP, so the tow package was a must. I was dismayed by the lack of knowledge at the dealership on this topic. I had picked out a RAV that I liked and asked about towing. Without hesitation, I was told any RAV could tow 3500lbs. WRONG, it HAS to have the tow package.
I ended up with the perfect RAV and tow a Fleetwood Yuma which is rated fully loaded at about 2,400 lbs. Seriously, it's hard to tell it's even there. The biggest thing I notice is the gas mileage. It goes from a great 27 MPG to about 15. UGH, but the Fort is worth it. Lastly, I only tow in Florida and the only ice, slush, cold stuff I encounter is if someone dumps a snow cone or slushy out the window of their car.
I believe the weight the dealership quoted you is for EVERYTHING, PUP, people, equipment, food, water, air, gas, paper clips, maps, etc, etc. It sounds like the total max weight the van can handle. Don't get close to this number, it's not a good idea.
So, I did some researching on the Sienna and this is what I found.

MAX TOWING IS 3500 LB WITH TOW PACKAGE
Standard is 2000 LB

The good news is, depending on your year Sienna, the tow package was standard equipment up until 2008. The tow package includes engine cooler, transmission cooler and wiring harness. Have you looked for your wire harness at the back of the van? It probably will be where the jack handle is at the back, drivers side of the van, stowed away in a compartment. This would confirm that you do have the tow package. Also, the radiator is suppose to be larger than a standard one.
I also found this info from one of the many Sienna forums.

The summary of those discussions are presented below. It is based on Sienna's electronic brochures and recollections of other members, who read those disussions, spoke to dealers and made their purchases.

Towing capacity
Model year . . . U.S.A . . . Canada . . .
2004-2007 3500lb 3500lb/1587 kg
2008-2009 1200lb 3500lb/1587 kg

I had U-Haul put the hitch on for me along with the brake contoller. A visit to them also might help find out exactly what your van has already installed for towing. I found out that our local U haul does the hitch work for all the local dealers. So, be sure to research a little. Some dealership say they can install the hitch and then send it out to be done.

If you have the tow package, you should be fine with the PUP your thinking of. And yes, it's a good price.

Best of luck with your project.

 

[verlee]

FlaFortCamper, Thanks for the info.! I too had been scanning the Web. Lots of conflicting information out there. I am not sure why this all is not just straight forward? I am going to check for the wires. But I think we don't have the towing pkg.

It is looking like we may pass on the camper and wait a year or two for when we get a new vehicle.
Thanks everyone for the input! It has made researching this much easier.

 

[FlaFortCampster]

FlaFortCamper, Thanks for the info.! I too had been scanning the Web. Lots of conflicting information out there. I am not sure why this all is not just straight forward? I am going to check for the wires. But I think we don't have the towing pkg.

It is looking like we may pass on the camper and wait a year or two for when we get a new vehicle.
Thanks everyone for the input! It has made researching this much easier.

Agreed on the misinformation. I spent weeks researching about the RAV4 and tow packages. Even Toyota.com rep couldn't tell me what a tow package included. And the dealerships were almost clueless without a brochure.
As for waiting, good things come to those who wait. I waited over 20 years until finances and timing was right for vehicle and PUP. But I got exactly what I wanted and now, ahhhhhhhh.
Previous post about your family growing and what you will get is very valid point. Just think, you can spend the next few years or only 24 months and counting. looking and researching what you guys want. That will be lots of fun and the time will fly. Going to RV dealerships and checking out the different models was REALLY fun. It also helped me decided who I was going to purchase from.
Good luck.

 

[dtum]

Have to agree with waiting..better safe than sorry. Bak in 2004 we looked at Titanium 5th wheels. After much looking around we decided this was the model we wanted, but at that time it was a lot of $$ and I wasn't really sure about a fifth-wheel and towing it given the size so we put the idea away. Comes 2007 and the exact model we had been looking for in 2004 shows up on e-bay from a reputable dealer in GA. The price was too good to pass up so we jumped. Just waiting those three years got us what we had wanted for a much better price (and used means the "new" bugs had been worked out). We now love our Ti and are so happy how it turned out.