# 2008 Toyota Sequoia & 2012 Outback 250Rs



## Popupbound (Jul 29, 2012)

Just signed up for the forum today. We are currently towing a 2007 Fleetwood Niagara popup with a 2004 Yukon SLT 4x4 with tow package. We are thinking of purchasing a travel trailer in the future and I do believe we will also need a new TV. My ideal trailer looks to be the 2012 or 2013 Outback 250RS. I love that the bed slides out the back and will give us more "living room" in a shorter tow length. I also like that there are now 3 windows in the King bunk area. We are considering purchasing a used 2008 Toyota Sequoia Limited 4x4. This has the tow package and according to the 2008 brochure I have at home it has the 4.3 axle. It is rated to tow 9100 lbs (with weight distribution). My concern would be if the TV is too short to pull the trailer which is listed at almost 28' long. The wheelbase on the 2008 Sequoia is listed at 122". We are just beginning our search and can wait for the right TV and trailer to come along. Most of the time it will be myself, husband and 50 lb dog. Occassionally the two kids (21 and 18) will be along for the trip. I have also been exploring a 2010 Ford Expedition EL as a TV option. What we like about both the Sequoia and the Expedition EL are that the seats fold into the floor. The 3rd row seats in the current Yukon are really a pain to put in and take out. As far as I can tell from my research, the Expedition EL 4x4 is rated to tow 8700 lb with weight distribution. The Expedition EL is listed as having a wheel base of 131". Thanks for the assistance.

Kim


----------



## Sweathog62 (Jul 28, 2005)

Welcome to the site.... I'll let some others with your type of vehicle chime in!!


----------



## laxkid0002 (May 21, 2012)

The toyota will pull the trailer on paper. The one thing you'll have to look into with the sequioa is the GVWR. How much weight will you be loading? Kids? Gear? Don't forget the weight of the tongue of the 250. I''m not sure what motor and trans the ford has, but that toyota 5.7 is a beast. We love our 250 and we upgraded from a 1500 to a 2500 just because of all the extra weight in the bed. the 1500 was great when we had just the camper. But on our week long trips, we haul a lot of wood, generator, and a lot of other b.s. we probably don't need. Hope this helps!


----------



## sptddog (Mar 22, 2006)

I tow a 2010 250RS with a 2010 Nissan Armada - similar to the Sequoia wheelbase specs and overall I believe, and it tows great - get a GOOD weight distribution to cover sway (equalizer or reese dual cam - no friction), and you will be okay. You won't win races, and you'll have to be aware of the potential for sway (and read up on how to drive when it does sway, so you know how to react if it does kick in). I think your decision between the Sequoia and the Expedition will probably come down to things like which has the bigger engine, gear ratio (which might not be prime, but with a tow mode, will up the ante), and any difference in payload capacity. Watch tongue rate for both of them as well.

As the others have said, you can't put much in the tow vehicle, and you have to pack the trailer carefully to not go overboard with weight. Dad, Mom, 2 kids, the dog, and a few odds and ends, everything else is in the camper. Mine hauls better with things packed in the camper up front in the bunks (increasing tongue weight), and in the center over the wheels. Too much heavy stuff under the rear slide and I'll get some sway because the tongue gets light (I never fill the fresh water tank). I haul a rubbermaid container of wood directly in front of the sink, which fits with the slides in. I don't need more than that for a weekend usually, since it's generally warm when we camp. I don't haul a generator....just bikes, clothes, and food.

I just hauled it 1200 miles roundtrip from PA to TN and I couldn't have been more pleased with it, even on the bigger grades in Virginia. No sway with trucks. Because we were there a full week, and I am careful with weight/sway, we planned accordingly. The campground hooked us up with the local folks who dropped off enough wood for us for the week, so we didn't haul any (they have a policy anyhow that says out of state wood can't be brought in). We didn't pack excess food, but shopped when we got there, saving us some extra weight. Small things that really lightened our load for a week long trip.

Whether or not you will like the Sequioa depends on what you expect from it, how far you regularly tow etc....You'll likely get some really good advice on how to figure out your weights, payload etc from the other folks here. I could never explain them to you technically, but I read and read them, and took that seriously. It gave me a safe, dependable tow vehicle that fit in my family's needs, and that I'm happy with. I'd imagine as long as you understand either of your proposed tow vehicles capabilities, get a good weight distribution hitch - dialed in correctly, and pack reasonably light, you'll find the same!


----------



## Trackermi (Jun 15, 2011)

sptddog said:


> I tow a 2010 250RS with a 2010 Nissan Armada - similar to the Sequoia wheelbase specs and overall I believe, and it tows great - get a GOOD weight distribution to cover sway (equalizer or reese dual cam - no friction), and you will be okay. You won't win races, and you'll have to be aware of the potential for sway (and read up on how to drive when it does sway, so you know how to react if it does kick in). I think your decision between the Sequoia and the Expedition will probably come down to things like which has the bigger engine, gear ratio (which might not be prime, but with a tow mode, will up the ante), and any difference in payload capacity. Watch tongue rate for both of them as well.
> 
> As the others have said, you can't put much in the tow vehicle, and you have to pack the trailer carefully to not go overboard with weight. Dad, Mom, 2 kids, the dog, and a few odds and ends, everything else is in the camper. Mine hauls better with things packed in the camper up front in the bunks (increasing tongue weight), and in the center over the wheels. Too much heavy stuff under the rear slide and I'll get some sway because the tongue gets light (I never fill the fresh water tank). I haul a rubbermaid container of wood directly in front of the sink, which fits with the slides in. I don't need more than that for a weekend usually, since it's generally warm when we camp. I don't haul a generator....just bikes, clothes, and food.
> 
> ...


I pull my 250s with an avalanche. I am not sure of the toyotas wheelbase but I know I wouldnt touch that trailer with a tahoe sized truck wheelbase. Definitely use a good sway and WD hitch and mark darn sure you load proper weight to the front. Tossing all your bikes on the back, using a smaller wheelbase TV and then no weight up front is a recipe for disaster. I can't tell you how many ftards I see on the road that thier TV is too small and when you drive by the whole vehicle and trailer shift into the median on the highway from wind.

Gross weight will need to be monitored and I equally think the trailer properly loaded. Mine pulls better loaded than empty.

My Avalanche is a 130" wheelbase. I will never go lower. To many trips and frankly I have two awesome kids I love dearly. So it's worth doing it right.


----------

