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Old 07-26-2018, 03:32 PM   #21
itat
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Welcome to the forum from 40 minutes east of Toronto!

We used to tow a '99 Coleman Santa Fe popup (about 2500# loaded) with a 2005 Sienna LE and no WDH. We needed air bags to prop it back up and were likely overweight but we didn't know any better back then. Kudos to you for asking before buying!

I would never tow a trailer that's supposed to be 3000# "dry weight" with a Sienna and especially not something taller than a popup. Are you looking at the Passport 175BH? I see one advertised at Layzee Acres right now. (We bought our current camper from them - used - in 2015 but never had to use them for after sales service so I can't really rate them as good or bad.)

If you can't upgrade your tow vehicle:
... look for a regular popup (not a high wall) with air conditioning. It will be low so it won't be like towing a parachute which would be the case for the Passport 175BH. Personally, I would prefer a popup to a small travel trailer. It'll be more more open feeling. The only negatives would be putting it away in the rain and it would be more difficult to keep cool in the middle of summer. But a set of custom made Popup Gizmos tent end covers will help a lot.

If I were in the market for a popup, I'd look at either an A frame model or a Rockwood "tent trailer". IMO, the Jaycos are poorly built - I wouldn't touch one. Colemans were always the best built but they stopped making them a long time ago. Rockwood "tent trailers" are the closest quality you can buy compared to the Colemans.

Now, if you can upgrade your tow vehicle:
... go straight to at least a half ton. Look at the payload (aka Cargo Carrying Capacity) on the sticker on the B pillar on the drivers door. Ignore all the claims about "towing capacity" since you'll always exceed the payload capacity before the towing capacity. I tried to tow a 23' hybrid TT with a Toyota Tacoma which is probably on par with the current Chevy Colorado. The trailer was 5200# fully loaded - well under the Tacoma's claimed 6500# max. - but with the trailer attached, as soon as I put a 3rd person in the Tacoma it was over its GVWR, and we are a family of 5. The 4.0L was under-powered, too. We ended up taking 2 vehicles until I upgraded the truck.

Look for a payload number of at least 1500# but 1700#+ would be ideal as long as you don't go bigger than a 26' trailer.

Good luck!
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Old 07-27-2018, 05:51 AM   #22
BadmanRick
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I had a 2004 Sienna. I was towing a very large Coleman Bayside pop up camper. The factory’s hitch was very low to the ground. When I hooked up the camper it was only a couple of inches off the ground. The trailer weigh was 3250 empty. But I ran about 600 lbs of equipment.
I installed Air lift air bags at the rear. This lifted the rear and gave me about a 1000 lbs extra capacity.
I also towed my 19’ mako boat and heavy trailer 5000 lbs with no problem but not on a regular basis.
You will need to get Air bags installed and a good weight distribution hitch with anti sway bar. But your best bet is get a heavier duty vehicle.
Btw I got 17.3 mpg pulling the pop up with the sienna in this configuration.
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Old 07-27-2018, 11:46 AM   #23
fjr vfr
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Be careful with a WDH on a mini van. Honda not only stopped recommending them for the Odyssey they now include in bold letters in the owners manual, Do Not use a WDH!
We did not use one with our Odyssey. We added the air bags and it towed fine.
I can only speculate that adding a WDH was overloading the front suspension at times?
Again speculation, but they for sure found some issue with using them. Of course like all the manufacturers you'll never find out from Honda just what the problem was.
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Old 07-27-2018, 12:33 PM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BadmanRick View Post
I installed Air lift air bags at the rear. This lifted the rear and gave me about a 1000 lbs extra capacity.
Remember though, air bags DO not increase or add to payload and/or towing capacity. They only LEVEL the load.
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Old 07-28-2018, 04:35 AM   #25
itat
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Quote:
Originally Posted by busterbrown View Post
Remember though, air bags DO NOT increase or add to payload and/or towing capacity. They only LEVEL the load.
X2

People seem to think that they can carry more but the same parts are carrying the load.
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Old 07-28-2018, 06:03 AM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by busterbrown View Post
Remember though, air bags DO not increase or add to payload and/or towing capacity. They only LEVEL the load.

x 3 . . . . . . .


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Old 07-31-2018, 06:07 PM   #27
Wireman134
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Your van's payload capacity if full of passengers will most likely be exceeded
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Old 08-07-2018, 07:45 PM   #28
steamboatscott
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This article is in context of a popup camper, but applies to any RV really: http://www.popupcamping101.com/weight/
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