Tow vehicle suggestions

[wizzman]

So for many reasons (dogs, cargo space, future kid(s) and tow capabilities), I am looking at swapping my Subaru Legacy GT wagon for some kind of SUV. I know I have many more options if I were to consider a pickup but we really prefer the enclosed trunk of an SUV. I have never been a truck/SUV person so I am not biased towards any one manufacturer. It will be my daily driver as well but I do not commute except to the airport occasionally so gas mileage is not a major concern. A key feature is the capability to comfortably tow the Miata as well. I am just looking for some suggestions on what to consider and possibly what to avoid. I am not looking at anything new and will spend up to $17k. A couple I like on paper:

Nissan Pathfinder- tons of cargo room, powerful V6, styling
Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited- Hemi motor, tons of features, less cargo space

[tommac]

I've had both SUV's and P.U.'s. Problem I found with SUV's is it neither a pickup or station wagon. Pickup's are nice for throwing gargbage in or a gas can without the worry of a drip or smell. I haven't turned in a suv yet that I didn't scar or catch the upolustry(sic?) or headliner. Once I went to a pickup I'd never go back to a suv. I had a Honda Ridgeline which was really a nice vehicle both in and out. But, no motor. couldn't pull for beans. It was a v6 and just didn't have "it". The gas mileage really was not better than the 5.3 V8 that replaced the Honda.Could have been motor and rear gear combo.. Got rid of it and went to a GMC 1500, 5.3 V8 with ext. cab.. but it has 3.73 rear gear and , well it's a compromise. Just bought a 2500 4WD 6.0 V8 GMC with ext. cab for the company and it has 4.07(I think, I know it's 4 something) rear gear and it pulls great. Now that's the truck I wish I bought. I've has all the Jeep's (grands) and would never buy another. ( I do own a 2005 Wrangler with straight 6 and it's fun but loves fuel. Kills to drive it any distance, o.k. around town. Throws heat off the exhaust and tranny like you wouldn't believe!) So pickup is my choice with the right engine/ rear combo. Alot of aftermarket caps out there that run the gamit. We always put Line X in them and when we are done with them in 5 years and 225 K later, they look (and run) great. Good luck, you'll get plenty of good advise here. Tom... also, get the camper mirrors , night and day from the clip on jobs.

[WillM]

Dave,

Since towing will be one of the important uses of the SUV, take some time and do some research on the towing, payload, and combined capacities of each vehicle. Here's a good guide to review: http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/problems/equi ... towing.pdf Keep in mind that a vehicle's tow rating doesn't tell the full story, and that a vehicle's actual towing capacity could very well be much lower than the stated maximum capacity.

I was not a truck/suv guy either until I started towing to events. Though I've owned a few, I'm still not a truck/suv guy - I just need one!

I'd go with a body-on-frame type suv, such as the Nissan Pathfinder or Toyota 4Runner. Honda Pilot/Ridgeline & Toyota Highlander, etc., need not apply. I'd also go with the biggest & most powerful one you'd be OK with owning - it seems you can never have too much tow vehicle. A typical steel dual-axle open-deck car trailer weights ~1,600, some weigh a bit less (EconoTrailer/Dively), some weigh significantly more (closed-deck steel trailers). Figure your car weighs in at 2,400 pounds. Then add in tires (at about 150 pounds/set) plus gear, and the number quickly goes up. At a minimum, you'd want something with 5,000 pounds towing capacity while still being able to carry a decent payload of people & gear (tires, jack, fuel jugs, etc).

My first tow vehicle was actually borrowed. For my first season of towing I borrowed my Dad's old Ford Explorer. I added a transmission cooler, electric brake controller, and weight-distribution anti-sway hitch and made it to every COM event, far and near. The hills of Vermont, and even those on the Mass Pike, were sometimes a bit nail biting, but the truck never left me stranded. The WD hitch with anti-sway was a necessity. The cooling system and hill climbing capabilities were marginal, at best.

My 2nd tow vehicle was a 2007 (new) Toyota FJ Cruiser with the towing package. I loved that truck but out grew it. The Toyota 4.0L V6 was plenty powerful. Some would say too powerful. I'll never forget the first time I lead a caravan with the new truck. Within the first mile or so all of the radio chatter was along the lines of "Slow the F$&#($ down Will!" With the electric brake controller and weight distribution anti-sway hitch, I never had any problems. As a daily-driver, the truck was fun and unstoppable in snow/rain, etc, and was compact enough to park in the city. Eventually I started carrying more stuff, so I traded for a bigger truck. The WD hitch helped balance the truck, and the anti-sway helped stabilize things, but neither were as necessary as they were on the Explorer. I wasn't crazy about the ABS tuning, but understand that it is better now.

My latest tow vehicle is a 5.7L Tundra with the towing package. As you might guess, towing is not a problem. If I couldn't see the trailer/car in the rear view mirror, I'd often forget that it is even there. The WD hitch helps balance the truck when I have a lot of weight in the truck bed, but the anti-sway isn't necessary.

I mention all of this to show my experiences: The bigger the tow vehicle, the easier the tow. Some mid-sized SUVs can get the job done, but not all of them. I'd give preference to a larger & more stable platform than one with more power and/or higher rated towing capacities.

If I were looking for something in the size you mentioned, I'd shop the Toyota 4Runner vs. the Toyota FJ Cruiser, and pair either of them with a lightweight aluminum trailer. The 4Runner being more practical of the two. I can't comment on the Pathfinder, as I've never owned a Nissan. If you are OK going up a size, I'd be shopping Ford Expedition vs Chevy Tahoe. I came very close to buying an Expedition.

For a mid-size pickup, the Tacoma is the one to have. You might find that a dual-cab 4-door with a cap on the back is exactly what you are looking for...

[WillM]

LOL. While I was typing, Tom was posting! I agree with a lot of what Tom said, and like him, did a great job scuffing up the inside of the suvs with tires, gear, etc.

[n1gzd]

I too am thinking about tow vehicle.
My current thinking is a 2 wheel drive pickup. Someone told me that 4wd is actually worse for towing. Is that true? 2wd would be cheaper to maintain.

It woudl have to be something cheapish and used (1990's?).

regarding trailer: I am going to consider a covered trailer if I can find enough money (would require a more powerful tow vehicle).
Also, I am going to initially consider getting one that is large enough to carry my largest antique car (19 feet long, 4300 lbs).
If it turns out that this is too unaffordable then I will consider lighter weight options (ultimate goal is just to transport race cars - but I thought I would afford a solution for the rest of my car hobbies that would be nice).

Currently I have no idea what things cost or how much stuff weights.

Rebecca

[6PAK72]

Last year I asked the greater wisdom here, and a number of people suggested we get a Chevy Van. There's a good string on the forum explaining why to buy a Chevy over a Ford.

We did so, and it's a FANTASTIC tow vehicle.

We bought a used 2006 Chevy 3500, 6.0L V8 with a 1.5-ton axle and towing set up already installed. It's quiet (really), comfortable to run to Watkins, NJ, etc, gets damn decent mileage (12mpg towing flatout behind Wasilko, 22 when we drive it sane), and it was really cheap to buy and insure.

We bought it from Mass Ave Motors Lunenberg. The guy goes to auctions specifically to buy vans, and he has 8 there right now, from 1/2 ton to 1 ton, 4.3L to 6.0L. www.senorbrown.com/ The owner is a straight, good guy.

[Chrispy]

I've had both SUV's and P.U.'s. Problem I found with SUV's is it neither a pickup or station wagon. Pickup's are nice for throwing gargbage in or a gas can without the worry of a drip or smell. I haven't turned in a suv yet that I didn't scar or catch the upolustry(sic?) or headliner. Once I went to a pickup I'd never go back to a suv. I had a Honda Ridgeline which was really a nice vehicle both in and out. But, no motor. couldn't pull for beans. It was a v6 and just didn't have "it". The gas mileage really was not better than the 5.3 V8 that replaced the Honda.Could have been motor and rear gear combo.. Got rid of it and went to a GMC 1500, 5.3 V8 with ext. cab.. but it has 3.73 rear gear and , well it's a compromise. Just bought a 2500 4WD 6.0 V8 GMC with ext. cab for the company and it has 4.07(I think, I know it's 4 something) rear gear and it pulls great. Now that's the truck I wish I bought. I've has all the Jeep's (grands) and would never buy another. ( I do own a 2005 Wrangler with straight 6 and it's fun but loves fuel. Kills to drive it any distance, o.k. around town. Throws heat off the exhaust and tranny like you wouldn't believe!) So pickup is my choice with the right engine/ rear combo. Alot of aftermarket caps out there that run the gamit. We always put Line X in them and when we are done with them in 5 years and 225 K later, they look (and run) great. Good luck, you'll get plenty of good advise here. Tom... also, get the camper mirrors , night and day from the clip on jobs.

I have the 2500HD 6.0 V8 but with the 3.73 gears. With the new 6 speed transmission the rear end ratios aren't as much of a problem anymore, pulls the trailer no problem.

With the 4-speed they use in the 1500's against the 3.08 gears they are now using for economy I think it kills the towing performance quite a bit. The 3.73 is the lowest gear ratio available for the 1500 w/4-speed.

[TroyV]

I like the idea of an SUV to pull a Miata, but only when you have a tire rack on the trailer...lockable of course. This way, you spare your interior unnecessary damage from hoofing tires in and out. You still have your tools and spares to contend with, but they are typically cleaner than tires are.

[breakaway500]

To be avoided...

Maybe eliminate the need for a tow vehicle..

Whatever you decide to look at,watch out for RUST! Where you can't see is the most important area to be checking. Condition is everything!

If there were only one good tow vehicle,everyone would be driving the same one....

[n1gzd]

thanks for the tip regarding a van. I had actually thought that getting a cargo van would work because you could turn it into a camper. Would a real cargo van be heavy duty enough to pull a large one car cargo van? (v nose)?
Rebecca

[Chrispy]

thanks for the tip regarding a van. I had actually thought that getting a cargo van would work because you could turn it into a camper. Would a real cargo van be heavy duty enough to pull a large one car cargo van? (v nose)?

Yes, the 2500 van is basically the 2500 truck but in van form. The tow capacity is 9800 pounds with the 6.0L V8. Interior capacity is 2700lbs.

[tommac]

vans are o.k. if your o.k. with the visibility thing. They are a beast trying to see out of them. I've had them and you can get plenty of motor. It's whatever floats your boat. I'd still take a ext cab or a crew cab add a quality cap and it's alot quieter. You hear every rattle and squeek from the tool box and everything else in there with a van.

[n1gzd]

I think that the main reason why I would consider a van is because I could sleep in it (you could turn it into a pretty nice camper).
On the other hand, you make a very good point about visibility.

I could camp in the car trailer with the car but then I might be kept awake by some fumes. Has anyone had that problem?
Rebecca

[paultg]

You can buy a passenger van and remove the interior (they have plenty of windows vs. a cargo van), something like you see for airport transportation.


You can try to tow in style too:


Or in not so much style:

These are cheap, so cheap it's hard to argue, and would probably tow fine with a trans cooler and some beefed up rear springs:
http://forums.aaca.org/f117/92-roadmast ... 48716.html

I haven't towed before, but folks in Europe seem to tow alot of stuff without a big truck..

[breakaway500]

A Vista Cruiser with a 442 hood? Guess I missed that model. Those were great looking wagons.. The Roadmasters came with pretty stout drivetrains,and many had tow packages that included HD cooling and suspension. Caprice was Chevys version. Damn solid cars.

"I haven't towed before, but folks in Europe seem to tow alot of stuff without a big truck.."
I guess you missed the video link above..


You could also do a pickup truck with a slide-in camper. When not towing/camping...the base truck can be used as a daily driver. You can even use the camper as an emergency residence...

It all really depends on your overall needs.