Sienna Towing Experience

[robv10]

I am buying a 16.5 ft. boat with a total trailering wt. of about 2000#. All the boat sales people say that they would not spend the extra $500 for the surge brakes. Do you guys agree and what has been your experience towing in general with your van?

[tcp]

Anything over 1000lbs requires brakes according to all toyota literature. The Sienna brakes are just fine for stopping itself and its passengers/load, but will quickly become overwhelmed by an extra 2000lbs strapped to the back...expecially in any hilly terrain. It's a no-brainer. Get the brakes. One set of burned brakes will cost more than that to replace/overhaul and the trailer won't try to pass you in an emergency stop.

[brian_bp]

Ditto what tcp said!

Trailer brakes make a huge difference to stopping and control ability, and while I towed a lighter tent trailer without them for one trip, I would not consider going without brakes on my travel trailer, or on the U-Haul which I rented.

Also, you have a choice of surge-activated hydraulic brakes (what they're offering), electric brakes (would presumably need to be corrosion-resistant products intended for boat trailer use), or various more complex and obscure systems. Surge brakes are very common for boats, to avoid electrical issues as the trailer is submerged; they are also well proven on rental trailers. Surge brakes are appealing on a Sienna because it is not pre-wired for towing, so installation of the brake controller required for electric brakes is less convenient than it would be for a truck... the surge system needs no controller, which is why the rentals use them. I found the surge brakes on the U-Haul worked okay, and I assume that they would be even better if properly maintained (U-Haul and maintenance don't go together).

The boat sales people probably tow with heavier vehicles, probably don't really know anything about towing, and presumably want to make the overall purchase price more attractive.

[shineysideup]

I agree with the other posts. Brakes in my opinion are a MUST ( and the law in many states/provinces ). I'm sure they would pay for themselves in no time (reduced wear on van brakes)

happy towing!

[scubajoe]

Yep. if it's an option when you buy it, get the brakes. You'll be glad you did. I'd have to buy a whole retrofit kit for my boat trailer, and just haven't done it yet, but my camper came with brakes, and it makes things SO much easier ..... and SAFER.

[robv10]

How is the van as a tow vehicle and what gear do you tow in. I have never towed before.

[Texastrooper]

The van tows great. Ok. my trailer only weighs about 2000 - 2200 lb but the Sienna handles this weight with ease. I only tow in D.
I use the lower gears however for engine braking when going downhill. The very few times the engine gets over 4000 rpms.

What I don't like for towing is using the cruise control. Especially when going uphill the computer wants to maintain the speed at all times and he is doing this with brute force. Even on small hills like overpasses. As soon as the speed drops by a mile or two the kick down is initiated and pushes the van a few miles above the set speed. And it repeats this process as soon as the speed drops again below the set speed.
When towing in flat areas I use the cruise but going uphill I switch it off.

[robv10]

Anybody else tow in D and use the other gears to slow down? Also what about sway control with a 2000 pound boat?

[brian_bp]

Anybody else tow in D and use the other gears to slow down?

Yes. I tow in "D". The transmission does its automatic thing and shifts down as required, both for more power and for engine braking. I shift manually only when the transmission doesn't shift down quite enough (or soon enough) for my assessment of the situation... uphill or down.

Also what about sway control with a 2000 pound boat?

2000 lb is not all that much for a Sienna (at least the second generation), and I do not use a sway control device with my 3000 lb (when loaded for a trip) travel trailer, but each trailer has its own characteristics. Small power boats are generally considered to be easy to tow; they tend to be more stable because the mass is relatively centralized (near the engine location), and since that mass is located well back they naturally end up with a long distance from hitch to trailer axle (which is good for stability).

Boat trailer brakes are often hydraulic surge systems (as mentioned above), and surge brakes are not generally compatible with sway control devices, so I think these devices are rarely used on boat trailers. There are other brake options and other sway control options, some of which could be combined.