My first towing experience in Kluger AWD

[Taka]

It was absolute a blast after a long rest of track days (4 moths since last one). I decided this time since I now own a Kluger with a tow bar this time and I would hire a trailer.

The first mission was to find a trailer. Well there are many servo using Handy hire car trailer but it is really luck if you can find one clean and new - or maintained at some stage in the last 15 years . The Handy Hire depo is in Dandenong but you think it is a large company, think again. It looks like a junk yard more than anything... but the variety is huge. All sizes to choose from, and the guy is friendly. But it is in Dandenong ... and I am not sure it is close enough for the effort. Another one of the big chain is U-haul. They are great, on retrospect I should have hired it, and they are cheap... in Bayswater. They even have the full racing version for lowered car, but they are 1000kg in weight for I said forget it (think now I should have gone for it). Eventually I went for the Kennards, just because it is close to home (so I can return the trailer early in the morning too). BTW I live in Kew area, so if you know a nice car trailer to hire within 15km of drive - let me know. The trailer I hire is ~650kg.

Now back to the trailing bit. I never tow a braked trailer before so it is a new experience. The guy at hire place load the trailer up for me. No drama. The empty trailer drives beautifully. I can look at the side mirror to see where the wheels are at. And the side sticks out about another width of the tyre. Not a huge deal. Loading the car up is a drama. Lock the brake first to make it secure, and I eventually rang the guy up and ask for advice. Lucky I have a slight hill (end of hill to a flat ground at home). So I place the car and the trailer on the flat ground (like in the above picture). The ramp will be on the slope (so the end of ramp is pretty much level to the flat bed of the trailer... get it?)... and this is the ONLY way to load the car up. Also find a hill to lower down. If you go to Sandown or Winton I can show you where it is. If you go to Phillip island then I forgot or don't know (but I am sure there is one). I brought 5 ties (4x550kg rated and 1x900kg rated). But I only used 3xsmall ones and use the big on one of the wheel closer to the car. Also the car is in gear and hand brake on fully. I hook the car up with the metal hook that comes with the trailer too! (too secure?)

In terms of driving the trailer loaded, my sports car is about 1300kg.... so the total weight is just under 2 tonne. Power of the car make it easy. But I would advise to put some premium petrol in. I found normal driving if you put 98 Octane petrol the car feel zippier. Yes you need some extra power to get up the freeway hills. I manage to tow at 100kmh although some dude in Territory towing a boat is at the speed limit of 110kmh. I put the car in S4 mode since the owners manual recommends not to use the 5th gear. So the car happy go lucky at 2600rpm. At that rate, the car uses about 17L/100km of V Power.

After the racing it is time to go home. The loading and tieing up cost half an hour to do this time. And driving back is easy! Prob because of wind, plus V power racing fuel that I did not use on the race track, or we are going at 100kmh not 105... ... The car average about 14.7L/100km on the way back.

I still advise to drive very carefully and avoid ANY sudden turning of steering wheel, so play attention to the road and make the move more than twice earlier than normal driving. The steering really became firm on the car and although the trailer is very reactive to the car steering, you don't want the trailer to jack knife on you!

Any thing else I should have said?

It was a good experience and even my wife enjoyed it.

Edited February 19, 2008 by Taka

[Kruzenvax]

Thanks,

I assume your struggle with loading car up on atralier is not Kluger-related isn't it?

I'm glad the car doesn't seem to struggle. 4S - does this mean using this sportshift mode?

It was absolute a blast after a long rest of track days (4 moths since last one). I decided this time since I now own a Kluger with a tow bar this time and I would hire a trailer.

The first mission was to find a trailer. Well there are many servo using Handy hire car trailer but it is really luck if you can find one clean and new - or maintained at some stage in the last 15 years . The Handy Hire depo is in Dandenong but you think it is a large company, think again. It looks like a junk yard more than anything... but the variety is huge. All sizes to choose from, and the guy is friendly. But it is in Dandenong ... and I am not sure it is close enough for the effort. Another one of the big chain is U-haul. They are great, on retrospect I should have hired it, and they are cheap... in Bayswater. They even have the full racing version for lowered car, but they are 1000kg in weight for I said forget it (think now I should have gone for it). Eventually I went for the Kennards, just because it is close to home (so I can return the trailer early in the morning too). BTW I live in Kew area, so if you know a nice car trailer to hire within 15km of drive - let me know. The trailer I hire is ~650kg.

Now back to the trailing bit. I never tow a braked trailer before so it is a new experience. The guy at hire place load the trailer up for me. No drama. The empty trailer drives beautifully. I can look at the side mirror to see where the wheels are at. And the side sticks out about another width of the tyre. Not a huge deal. Loading the car up is a drama. Lock the brake first to make it secure, and I eventually rang the guy up and ask for advice. Lucky I have a slight hill (end of hill to a flat ground at home). So I place the car and the trailer on the flat ground (like in the above picture). The ramp will be on the slope (so the end of ramp is pretty much level to the flat bed of the trailer... get it?)... and this is the ONLY way to load the car up. Also find a hill to lower down. If you go to Sandown or Winton I can show you where it is. If you go to Phillip island then I forgot or don't know (but I am sure there is one). I brought 5 ties (4x550kg rated and 1x900kg rated). But I only used 3xsmall ones and use the big on one of the wheel closer to the car. Also the car is in gear and hand brake on fully. I hook the car up with the metal hook that comes with the trailer too! (too secure?)

In terms of driving the trailer loaded, my sports car is about 1300kg.... so the total weight is just under 2 tonne. Power of the car make it easy. But I would advise to put some premium petrol in. I found normal driving if you put 98 Octane petrol the car feel zippier. Yes you need some extra power to get up the freeway hills. I manage to tow at 100kmh although some dude in Territory towing a boat is at the speed limit of 110kmh. I put the car in S4 mode since the owners manual recommends not to use the 5th gear. So the car happy go lucky at 2600rpm. At that rate, the car uses about 17L/100km of V Power.

After the racing it is time to go home. The loading and tieing up cost half an hour to do this time. And driving back is easy! Prob because of wind, plus V power racing fuel that I did not use on the race track, or we are going at 100kmh not 105... ... The car average about 14.7L/100km on the way back.

I still advise to drive very carefully and avoid ANY sudden turning of steering wheel, so play attention to the road and make the move more than twice earlier than normal driving. The steering really became firm on the car and although the trailer is very reactive to the car steering, you don't want the trailer to jack knife on you!

Any thing else I should have said?

It was a good experience and even my wife enjoyed it.

Edited February 19, 2008 by Kruzenvax

[Taka]

Thanks,

I assume your struggle with loading car up on atralier is not Kluger-related isn't it?

I'm glad the car doesn't seem to struggle. 4S - does this mean using this sportshift mode?

No no no loading has nothing to do with the Kluger, more because my car is quite low. Prob I tow because I don't want Benalla police to see it as well. <_<

Did not struggle. It will be slow to start but if you press the pedal it will work. The brake is strong enough to hold but I am gentle to it to avoid sudden stop.

S4 is shift mode. Put that in gear and dial to 4. It will use lower gear as well but limit itself to 4th gear (and not using the top gear)

[Kruzenvax]

Thanks

No no no loading has nothing to do with the Kluger, more because my car is quite low. Prob I tow because I don't want Benalla police to see it as well. <_<

Did not struggle. It will be slow to start but if you press the pedal it will work. The brake is strong enough to hold but I am gentle to it to avoid sudden stop.

S4 is shift mode. Put that in gear and dial to 4. It will use lower gear as well but limit itself to 4th gear (and not using the top gear)

[PC XT]

Sorry its not about the tow car its what its towing ....Very Nice Very jealous!

[Taka]

Thanks mate.

Yeah I have done just a few things to the car.

Now I finally broke the driver seat, and got permission to install a racing bucket seat. To balance the car, I will need to take the passenger seat off ... now it is really a race car! I am going to get a set of harness to it too.

The RX-8 is not the most powerful car in the world, but it is a lot of fun around corners!

Edited February 27, 2008 by Taka

[Mikeyboy]

For the US Highlander, they offer the following option for towing.

Towing Prep Package [3]:

l 5000-lb. towing capacity

l Heavy-duty radiator with engine oil cooler

l 200-watt fan coupling

l Transmission oil cooler with water cooler

l 150-amp alternator and prewired harness

Do they offer this here as well when fitting a tow bar?

Is it necessary or would it be a good idea?

[Kruzenvax]

Would love to get this!

For the US Highlander, they offer the following option for towing.

Towing Prep Package [3]:

l 5000-lb. towing capacity

l Heavy-duty radiator with engine oil cooler

l 200-watt fan coupling

l Transmission oil cooler with water cooler

l 150-amp alternator and prewired harness

Do they offer this here as well when fitting a tow bar?

Is it necessary or would it be a good idea?

[PC XT]

Would love to get this!

For the US Highlander, they offer the following option for towing.

Towing Prep Package [3]:

l 5000-lb. towing capacity

l Heavy-duty radiator with engine oil cooler

l 200-watt fan coupling

l Transmission oil cooler with water cooler

l 150-amp alternator and prewired harness

Do they offer this here as well when fitting a tow bar?

Is it necessary or would it be a good idea?

Would not like to pay for this its oviously a yanky over kill!

For carring a big V8 mussle car not a nimble RX8 .....LOL

Bigger isnt always better

Edited March 3, 2008 by PC XT

[Kruzenvax]

Still some extra cooling is a nice when towing a boat a lot. I guess...

Would love to get this!

For the US Highlander, they offer the following option for towing.

Towing Prep Package [3]:

l 5000-lb. towing capacity

l Heavy-duty radiator with engine oil cooler

l 200-watt fan coupling

l Transmission oil cooler with water cooler

l 150-amp alternator and prewired harness

Do they offer this here as well when fitting a tow bar?

Is it necessary or would it be a good idea?

Would not like to pay for this its oviously a yanky over kill!

For carring a big V8 mussle car not a nibble RX8 .....LOL

Bigger isnt always better

[Taka]

I don't mind extra cooling, but the car is towing fine within the towing capacity.

[Kruzenvax]

Yep. I can't tow for another 700 km's but I hooked by boat in the garage - the car looks as solid as a rock. 200kg's of dowinforce is great.

But I won't be surprised if Toyota releases some cooling accessory here sooner or later.

BTW 5000 lb is about 2267 kg's? So with this kit (in US) towing capacity goes up by 267 kg?

I don't mind extra cooling, but the car is towing fine within the towing capacity.

[SamF]

Yep. I can't tow for another 700 km's but I hooked by boat in the garage - the car looks as solid as a rock. 200kg's of dowinforce is great.

But I won't be surprised if Toyota releases some cooling accessory here sooner or later.

BTW 5000 lb is about 2267 kg's? So with this kit (in US) towing capacity goes up by 267 kg?

I don't mind extra cooling, but the car is towing fine within the towing capacity.

Hi I just took delivery of a Klugar Grande AWD and I had read about the towing pack for Highlander in the USA. I asked the salesman about it and his comment was that in Australia we got the USA sport suspension option as standard and that he thought we also got the extra capacity radiator. However bear in mind this was a salesman talking. However for seroius towing while the extra radiator capacity would be great the real need is for a tranmission oil cooler. The Klugar has apparently a transmission oil temp alarm and it will be interested if it every goes off to signal a high temp situation.

[Taka]

Interesting and agree the transmission will suffer first in towing.

FYI, the day I went up to Benalla it was 35 degree C

[Kruzenvax]

Thanks Taka so you had abour 1900 kg behid in 35C and you did how many km's no drama?

Interesting and agree the transmission will suffer first in towing.

FYI, the day I went up to Benalla it was 35 degree C

[RICE RACING]

I intend to drive mine manually when I tow my RX7 and trailer :)

I read the user manual but can see zero reasons to leave the car in 4th gear only especially at speed on highway on flat land where it will pull the load no worries and will save a crap load of fuel (just as it does when driving car alone) *see difference between sitting @ 100kph in 4th v's 5th!

The excuse for "battery charging" is rubbish in my books as I don't know any theories on how a trailer and car can cause more electrical load??? IF car is not hunting up and down gearbox which it wont do unless your on a climbing grade or head wind etc then I will be driving mine in 5th in S mode as you can select this normally. Engine braking? well your in S mode and you use appropriate gear yourself, all you need to do is pull or push lever :) just as I did today in mountains to control the vehicle without killing the brakes.

I expect you will trip well over a full liter off your high 14's consumption when traveling at 100~105kph.

Cannot wait to start towing with mine :D this thing is going to be just what I wanted and ultra efficient for the immense power on tap.

Edited June 8, 2008 by RICE RACING

[Taka]

Thanks Taka so you had abour 1900 kg behid in 35C and you did how many km's no drama?

Interesting and agree the transmission will suffer first in towing.

FYI, the day I went up to Benalla it was 35 degree C

It is a 450km return trip.

The owner's manual said to put the car in S4 mode because the 5th gear is weak??? I don't know.