I planning to retire and to start towing a T@B trailer with my 2002 RX 300. The GVR of the trailer is 1939 lbs and the tongue weight is 136 lbs. Exterior length is 15' 6" and the width is 6' 7".

I need to install a hitch. Does this sound doable?

Should I get the Lexus dealer to install the hitch or should I go somewhere else?

Pleas be gentle, I'm not very technical.

Thanks for your response.

ET

 

Welcome to CL, tine! The T@B trailer looks like a great small camper, manufactured by Dutchman/Thor, old and well-respected RV builders. You can get a hitch installed by a good RV dealer, by your Lexus dealer, or by a third party like U-Haul - shop around a little before buying. I had the sad experience of boiling over a new '67 289 Mustang while towing a small tent trailer that probably wiighed less than 600 lbs up around Big Bear. Just because the load is small, don't think it will necessarily easy to tow - especially in the mountains. While you are within the towing capacity of the RX, you are closing in on the maximum (listed as 3500#). When towing, you have three primary concerns: stability, braking, and cooling.

Keeping the weight forward in your trailer: water, canned goods, tools, you know, the heavy stuff we all accumulate when camping. You want about 10% or a little more of the GVW of your trailer on the tongue. As delivered, your trailer may be a little light on the tongue. Remember the factory weight numbers are probably just the trailer as delivered, no water, propane, provisions, or other gear. With too little tongue weight, the trailer will tend to sway - expecially when going downhill as it tries to overtake your RX. This sway is at first unnerving, then dangerous as the trailer swings back and forth in an ever-widening arc.

Braking can be resolved by installing good electric brakes on your trailer. These braking systems have a controller, usually mounted on or near the steering column that allows you to set the braking pressure so that the trailer brakes share the braking function with your RX, in addition to providing a stalk that allows you to operate the trailer brakes independently. Engaging the trailer brakes gently under manual control can stop swaying and allow you to regain control quickly.

Two things you can do to improve the cooling of your RX: Install a oil cooler and/or a transmission cooler to take the heat load off your engine cooling system. Some old-timers rigged a spray bar to an aftermarket windsheild washer tank and pump to spray water over the face of the radiator at extreme temperatures to provide a couple miles of auxilary evaporative cooling. It's a little messy, but if you only have a problem a mile or so of mountain passes on your normal route, it might be worth a try (but no guarantees here). Be aware that high altitudes and high outside air temperatures will also reduce the effectivness of your cooling system.

If your engine temperature starts to crawl toward the top of the normal operating range, be ready to shut off the AC, open the windows and turn the HEATER on full blast. This will give you a bit extra cooling capacity (from your heater core), but it's no fun in mid-summer.

I've described a worst-case scenario here, of course YMMV. Talk to your trailer dealer, your Lexus dealer, and a good, experienced RV shop in your area. Use the "Advanced Search" function at the top of this page to research "towing" on the RX forums - we've had plenty of discussions on this in the past few months. CL can provide a lot of information, but there's nothing like local knowledge and experience when trailering.

Happy Trails!

 

I have a 06 RX330 without a towing package. I was just wondering what the RX's towing capalities were realistically. Is it safe/reliable enough to tow another car? Something like a 3500lb+ car?

 

In a nutshell, I wouldn't tow a 3500# trailer with an RX. Although it is rated by the factory to tow 3500# with a suitable hitch, there are far too many factors in play here to make that a safe practice.

We've discussed towing with the RX quite a few times on this forum recently, I've merged your post with one that began only a few days ago. Use of the "Search" function limited to the RX forums for keyword "towing" turned up several others within the past month. Here's one:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=195275

Hope this helps!