Toyota Highlander is a perfect family car, where 7-8 passengers can comfortably sit. This modern SUV can also tow many vans and campers weighing between 1,500 lbs and 5,000 lbs. Check your Highlander model name to precisely know its towing capacity and dry and loaded weights before considering purchasing a trailer.

Important Calculations

Staying below the numbers allowed by the manufacturer is not only a matter of safety but legitimacy too. Exceeding the maximum towing capacity or loaded weight of your Toyota Highlander may result in severe issues on the road. That is why you should better keep the fully-loaded weight of your track less than 85% of the laden mass of your Highlander. When calculating the total mass of your van and Toyota, do not forget to consider the weights of all tanks in your trailer and Highlander: fluids, fuel, and oil. Include the mass of all passengers, the stuff, and equipment you take. By the way, any non-standard equipment which you tune your car or trailer with counts against its dry weight marked by the manufacturer. Also, do not forget to add around 10% of the trailer’s mass to your Toyota Highlander’s payload. Once paired, the camper passes the Tow Ball Mass (TBM) to the tower. The manufacturer marks this number near the towbar capacity.

Types of Trailers You Can Tow

Highlanders can afford to tow pop-up trailers, airstreams, classic travel trailers, and teardrop trailers, so let’s find out some more information about each of these types.

Pop-up trailers are small with a mass between 600 - 4,000 lbs. These trailers are very compact when traveling, but once popped-up, they offer tiny living, dining, cooking, and sleeping areas. Since the extended tents are soft, there is no perfect isolation, and you always should keep a couple of warm blankets in case of cold weather. Also, some national parks may restrict pop-up trailers because wild animals can attack them and hurt people.

Classic travel trailers differ from other types with their larger sizes and interior living areas like dining, bathroom, bedroom, kitchen. It’s not always should be a truck to tow a fully-equipped travel trailer. Since their mass ranges from 2,200 to 7,800 lbs, your Toyota Highlander can be the perfect option to join the camper community and enjoy traveling.

Teardrop trailers are so miniature that almost any vehicle can tow them. Sometimes they can leave the Highlander’s rearview mirror unblocked! Teardrop trailers’ dry weight rarely exceeds 3,000 lbs, so it’s comfortable in driving and manipulating. If you are just a beginner in towing campers, this stress-free option can work best for you. 

Airstream trailers are very similar to classic trailers, but their feature is rounded exterior corners and metallic covering. These trailers do not have any sliding or popping out extensions, but they have enough functional space inside. Airstreams can be long and short, and their laden mass varies from 2,500 lbs to 4,000 lbs, so your LE Plus, XLE, SE, or Limited model of Toyota Highlander can 100% tow any airstream.