can winnebago intent tow a van

[david2024]

Welcome to any suggestions. i was thinking about towing a 2018 toyota sienna that’s about 4500lbs with a 2021 winnebago intent 31p (v8) . has anyone dolly towed a van or vehicle that weigh 4500lbs or more with an winnebago intent ? did it pull with ease or challenge?

[creativepart]

Hi David and welcome.

Is a 2018 Toyota Sienna "flat towable?" Flat-towable means you can tow them with all 4-wheels on the ground. You can't just tow any vehicle you wish or that's within the proper weight restrictions. The vehicle itself must by approved and set up for "recreational towing" by the manufacturer.

A number of sources publish Dinghy Towing Guides each year listing cars that meet that requirement.

The 2018 Toyota Sienna is not on that list. In fact, only 3-2018 Toyota's are flat towable. Here's a screen shot of flat towable 2018 Toyotas from the FMCA Towing Guide list of cars that can be flat-towed:

[david2024]

Thanks for the info, however im looking specifically for dolly tow performance. i know toyota cant be flat tow and was hoping the RV can dolly tow without any issues.

[Morich]

One would need to look at the specs for weight limits and then compare to weight of car and trailer to put it up on. My guess would be , Not good! But that is without knowing the specs and weight of each, so it needs some study as there are several different things involved that only you can figure.
What does the car weight when loaded as you will be pulling it? What does the trailer weight as there are lots of different options for even that small part.

Then a big one is how much the RV is rated for pulling both on the hitch and the entire RV?

I found dolly towing to be more trouble than I wanted and one of those reasons is the extra weight a seperate trailer adds, versus flat towing. What to do with the dolly was always going to be a problem at the places we stayed most often.

[creativepart]

Originally Posted by david2024

Thanks for the info, however im looking specifically for dolly tow performance. i know toyota cant be flat tow and was hoping the RV can dolly tow without any issues.

Is the Toyota front wheel drive? Most but not all front wheel drive cars can be put on a tow dolly.

Look in your Owner's Manual for "Towing" and look for Dolly Towing or Recreational Towing to know for sure.

If it's not front wheel drive, then that answers the question right there.

[david2024]

yes, front wheel drive. i think i have the information needed. Thankyou.

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by david2024

yes, front wheel drive. i think i have the information needed. Thankyou.

The final authority is the vehicles owners manual, section for Recreational Towing. Even the online towing guides are known to contain errors.
That said, add the vehicle to be towed weight + dolly weight, if it's under the MH towing capacity and MH+vehicle and dolly are under GCWR it's safe to tow your way.
This is informative: https://www.survivaltechshop.com/tow-dolly-weight/

[Morich]

When I look at towing a 4500 pound car, then add in the wieght of a tow dolly of unknown weight, that seems really close to the limits of a 5000 pound hitch?
that is where one would need to check very carefully how much the dolly is going to weight and how much the car with gas and anything else added will weight.
I've never looked a the wieght of a tow dolly and it would depend somewhat on the brand/type of dolly but I never like to go past the ratings of things.

Towing is an adventure all on it's own. Doing it with a chance the hitch breaks off is not where I go to play!

But looking at the true numbers may say different?

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by david2024

yes, front wheel drive. i think i have the information needed. Thankyou.

What was the answer, or what information did you find out?

[Ray,IN]

Since you'll be using a tow-dolly, this might be useful:

[david2024]

so really i needed to know my true occupancy carrying capacity and tally up the numbers to make sure im under the Gcwr.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by david2024

so really i needed to know my true occupancy carrying capacity and tally up the numbers to make sure im under the Gcwr.

You need every thing in post #4

If you wish to accelerate help from outside; take a picture of your yellow sticker inside the RV and the specifications outside on your hitch.

To be most efficient when your RV is heavily packed like normal go to a CAT scale and get a weight $10 - $15? Get the exact weight of tow dolly. Then do the same for your towed vehicle, another $10 - $15, my vehicle actual weigh was 200 pounds more than the manual. I believe it was because of 4 wheel drive?

Point is don't assume any of this, get it right ask all the questions you need BEFORE you tow anything.

I actually replaced my OEM hitch with a higher rated hitch. I am under my 23,000 pound GVWR limit with a 6,000 towed. That means nothing for you. Some people can't tow a 3,000 pound towed depending on their specifications.

Take pictures and post of your yellow sticker inside the RV and the specifications outside on your hitch, if you want the best help.

[Ray,IN]

Most tow dollies weigh 450# and up.