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My trailer is a Rockwood A124 A liner and weighs around 1900 lbs.
It does have trailer brakes.
Currently I tow it with a '12 Highlander Base 4cyl with no problems at all (have towed it 9 hours with no problems).
I am looking at upgrading to the '15 but unsure on the 6cyl LE Plus or XLE.
The LE plus is only rated for 2000 lbs and the XLE has the extra coolers etc to tow up to 5000lbs.
Initially I thought about getting the LE plus and just then adding the brake controller and a transmission cooler.
I think this would be fine right? I have had no trouble with the 4cyl getting too hot and I don't even have a transmission cooler on it.
I really don't want to spend the extra on the XLE but I also don't want to buy something that is not sufficient for towing my trailer.
I have a big trip planned in a month from Indiana to Florida and would like to get the new ride before then.
According to Toyota, the XLE includes all of the following which contributes to the higher tow capacity.
"Heavy-duty radiator with engine oil cooler, 200-watt fan coupling, supplemental transmission oil cooler and 150-amp alternator"
I googled your rockwood and it's unloaded (dry) weight is around 1900 lbs. However, you should never use this as it's towing weight. With a gross vehicle weight over 3000 lbs, chances are in reality you are far exceeding the 2000 lb weight limit of the LE Plus by the time the optional equipment on your camper is factored in, as well as any thing you store/haul in it.
For peace of mind on your new vehicle, your probably better off with the XLE. The LE Plus is limited in it's overall cooling capacity for heavy duty towing beyond just the need for a transmission cooler and your already overweight.
I tow, and if I was spending this much on a new tow vehicle, I do not think I would look to save a couple grand by skimping on the factory heavy duty cooling to sufficiently bump up my tow capacity. In the grand scheme of things, the $3000 difference between these two models is not that much.
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