What is Towing Capacity of 2013 Toyota Highlander

Updated 06/20/2022 | Published 06/19/2022

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Question:

I am trying to decide on the size of a RV that I can tow, using my 2013 Toyota Highlander SE, 4WD, 3.5litre V6 engine, 270hp. The SUV is in good condition and only has 40,000 miles on it. The formulas which I have looked for on the internet are all over the place with advice. The manufacturer says I can tow (TWR) 5000 pounds, the GCWR is about 9880 pounds, the GVW 4266 pounds, payload capacity 1734 pounds. Between myself and wife we weight below 300 pounds. I know we need to add some weight for items we put in the SUV and additional weight in the RV, we will not be adding a lot of extra items in the SUV and RV. Toyota say to have the tongue weight between 9-11 % of the RV weight, which is around what people say it should be, I read 10-15%. Could you give me a rough idea about the weight of an RV I could tow. I know what equipment that I need from you to add to my SUV and then I need to look for the extras to use the RV.

asked by: David

Helpful Expert Reply:

Since Toyota has stated that your 2013 Toyota Highlander can tow up to 5,000 lbs that's the relevant figure to use for your overall towing capacity. This means that you can tow up to 5,000 lbs without having to worry about factoring in the weight of your cargo. 10 percent of this is 500 lbs so that would be your tongue weight capacity.

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expert reply by: Jameson C