Towing a 3,000 lb pop-up camper with my 2023 Highlander, what settings should I use?

Looking for some help choosing the best settings. This is my first time towing. I know my car can tow up to 5,000 lbs, but I’m taking a 3,000 lb pop-up camper on a trip to the beach. Any tips would be great. Thanks!

Move the gear from D to M, then use the +/- to set it to M6. This will keep it from using the 7th and 8th gears, which are overdrive gears.

We tow a pop-up that’s about 2,800 lbs with our 2019 hybrid. The only issue we had was the tongue weight (around 300 lbs), which caused the back of the car to sag and lifted the front a bit. I added Firestone air springs to the rear to help with the sag.

I’m dealing with the same thing and can’t decide between a weight distribution hitch or airbags. I’m pulling a 3,000 lb trailer with my 2014 XLE.

We tried the Andersen WDH because it’s light and has anti-sway, but we sold it. No sway problems, and we didn’t want to risk bending the unibody since there’s no frame for heavy loads. Plus, it was a hassle when backing up.

Lilly said:
Looking for some help choosing the best settings. This is my first time towing. I know my car can tow up to 5,000 lbs, but I’m taking a 3,000 lb pop-up camper on a trip to the beach. Any tips would be great. Thanks!

Isn’t the max tongue weight 200 lbs and 2,000 lbs for towing?

Lilly said:
Looking for some help choosing the best settings. This is my first time towing. I know my car can tow up to 5,000 lbs, but I’m taking a 3,000 lb pop-up camper on a trip to the beach. Any tips would be great. Thanks!

The manual says the V6 Highlander can tow 3,500 lbs.

Lilly said:
Looking for some help choosing the best settings. This is my first time towing. I know my car can tow up to 5,000 lbs, but I’m taking a 3,000 lb pop-up camper on a trip to the beach. Any tips would be great. Thanks!

Thanks for clearing that up.

Lilly said:
Looking for some help choosing the best settings. This is my first time towing. I know my car can tow up to 5,000 lbs, but I’m taking a 3,000 lb pop-up camper on a trip to the beach. Any tips would be great. Thanks!

Make sure to check tire pressure. You’ll want to max it out.