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Topic: Yes, we tow an Avalon (Read 1 time) previous topic - next topic
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Yes, we tow an Avalon
Yahoo Message Number: 50675
We tow a 1998 Toyota Avalon and have done so for the last two years over about 8,000 miles with no trouble at all.  The car weighs just over 3,400 lbs (not much more than a Jeep Wrangler) and on most roads the LD does not even know it is there.  I sometimes forget myself.
On only one occasion have we taken the car off and that was to go over a high altitude pass in Colorado.  We have a 2003 26.5 RB with a prism lens thing on the back window so the roof of the car is visible at all times.

We use a Remco transmission pump, a Blue Ox towbar and a Brake Buddy.  One word of caution... the Brake Buddy connects to the car via the cigarette lighter 12v outlet.  We burned out two Brake Buddies before we, the dealer or the manufacturer figured out that the car's 12v outlet wasn't able to handle the load.  The factory sent us a (free) kit to connect directly to the battery but it was too complicated for me to understand and we were at the other end of Nova Scotia at the time some 2,000 miles from home.  So I went to the nearest Radio Shack and bought a connector consisting of a wire with a 12v receptacle on one end and two alligator clips on the other that connect to the battery and have had no problems since.

We have found also that on long cross country trips leaving the car attached overnight for more than a couple of nights can cause the battery to run down, so starting the car and running the engine for a short time while stopped can solve that.

Why do we tow an Avalon?  We just happened to have one and didn't want to spend hard earned money on a new more suitable vehicle.  It has worked out fine.

Your mileage may vary etc....

Good luck

John and Brenda 2003 RB and Avalon toad in Cincinnati
 
Re: Yes, we tow an Avalon
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 50686
I was amaZed to see that a 2004 Avalon's "curb weight" is a shade under 3450 pounds ... about the same as my 2004 Jeep Wrangler Sahara.
On the road the Avalon "looks" like a fairly large car.
 You surely can stay under the LD 4000 pound receiver hitch limit even with tow bars and a little "stuff" in the car.  To save some weight you can tow with less than a half tank of gas in the Avalon. I try to do that with my Jeep.