Towing a camping trailer?

It really depends on your skills.   Some people can deal with trailered loads.  Some can't. 
    Give yourself a fair chance. Make sure the trailer is aligned with the tow vehicle.  You can do that with a tight string, 2 Jack stands and a tape measure. 
    Once you're done with that  measure the tongue weight. Anything less than 400 pounds is a warning to fix it.  You want the center of weight ahead of the center of pressure. 
         If high winds scare you then watch the weather  and don't drive during high winds.  If they kick up unexpectedly pull over.   OL you may lose a few hours  but your concern will be dealt with 
     

Don't be this guy:

https://www.nbc12.com/2021/08/25/driver-charged-after-pickup-trailer-overturns/?outputType=apps

This resulted in a few miles of backed up traffic a couple afternoons ago.  Fortunately, I was heading the other way.  It's interesting to note that several of the overpasses on I-295 are crazy uneven and can cause a trailer to bounce up and down.  I wonder if that played a role in this mishap.

z31maniac said:

In reply to cfvwtuner :

It does. It keeps reinforcing we either need:
Expensive prolite-type trailer 
or
Full-size tow vehicle (non-starter)

I think you're reading too much into some of the responses. The question you asked was simply whether wind was a valid concern or not. People agreed that it is valid and then followed up with explanations and examples of why. However, while you talked about your specific situation, most of the anecdotes weren't particularly equivalent. So it's not a 1:1 frame of reference.

Here's one a bit closer to what you're considering. We have a 2017 R-Pod 178. Remember that the number on the web-sites are typically without any 'options' (even every one produced has them) and your actual will be heavier.  Advertised weight for this model is 2600 dry, as delivered dry weight was ~2850. As loaded, we're approaching 3500 pounds, which is still a couple hundred under GVW.

While not 'ideal' from a towing perspective, our TV is a 2017 Sedona with a 3500 lb towing capacity. As far as I can tell, the only thing keeping it from the same 5000 tow rating as the 3-row CUV (Sorento) build on the same platform, with the same engine, same 3500 tow rating when equipped with the same FWD transmission, same size tires, same size brakes, etc, is the lack of availability for the the same AWD system to achieve the top towing configuration. And as for the things that matter most for stability (wheelbase, track width, curb weight, payload, etc) the minivan actually specs out better across the board despite its lower rating. So when it comes to vehicles in the 3500 pounds towing capacity class, I'd put minivans in the underrated category.

Equipment wise, we've combined this with an Anderson weight-distribution an anti-sway hitch. The lighter weight of this design is quite nice, and so far I've got no complaints with it's function. Despite basically pushing right up against the 3500 towing capacity of the minivan, and while it does take some additional effort and concentration over not towing, I simply have yet to experience the white knuckles and induced stress accumulation that the internet seems to assure me I will encounter when pushing up against the rated limits of my tow vehicle for 5+ hours... Unless I just have a higher tolerance for it than most people. And whoever said that you'll max the payload before you max the towing capacity hasn't mathed (or weighed) one of these out. I seem to recall having something like 500 pounds of payload to spare with the family on board and the towing capacity maxed out.

In other words, as long as you put some careful consideration into your selections, I honestly do not consider a full-size tow vehicle particularly necessary to safely pull a 4000 lb GVW (<20 ft) travel trailer... There will inevitably be other concessions that need to be made in order to do so too though, as there are no perfect solutions. In my case, those largely being the occasional traction limitations and the potential of a shortened transmission life.

However, there's another valid concern that  you'd need to plan around: Are you familiar with cell data signal quality and high speed wifi availability (and reliability) in most campgrounds?... It's not particularly good.

In reply to Driven5 :

Some of this is speculation, but I think part of why minivans have lower tow ratings is they back into that rating via the tongue weight, which can be limited by the overall cargo capacity of the van itself, which is often 7 adults plus their baggage. That amount of people and cargo doesn't leave much in reserve using roughly 10% of the trailer weight being the tongue weight on the receiver. 

In reply to Ian F (Forum Supporter) :

Except that the (3-row) CUV's in question also have 7-passenger + baggage load requirements to deal with too. Even though the 3rd row is less adult friendly, I don't think that actually matters from a manufacturer weights and capacities standpoint.