What tow vehicle do you use to pull your popup with?

[Fla2RI]

Curious to see the variety of tow vehicles used for pop-ups.
I'm considering a new Toyota 4Runner with a 3500lb tow rating.

[charlie43]

Curious - do you still have that 5th wheel hauler 4 sale?

[tmbowman]

2003 F250 here. I want to upgrade to a suv also. We currently take 2 vehicles, me in the TV and the wife and kids in the 05 caravan. People tell me that it will pull the pop-up. It's right at the tow limit so I'm not convinced it is a good idea.

[Superslif]

Are you talking about the new 10' 4-runners. For 10' they went back to a 4 cylinder and a V-6. No more V-8's..... I can't imagine a 4 banger in a 4k+ vehicle as a base engine. I believe the V-6's are rated at 5000 towing. Before we had our current tow vehicle (V-8 4 Runner) we had a V-6 4 Runner towing a 99' Coleman popup. The 99' 4-Runner had a 5000 towing cap. and did well pulling a popup with a dry weight of 2100 and a loaded weight near 2600+. Are you thinking about a 4 cylinder to tow a popup?

[Fla2RI]

I got the 2010 4Runner V6 last week, it has a 5000 lb tow rating. After considering popups, we're now thinking of a 19' Jayco Hybrid @
3600lbs dry. 4650 GVW. with equal-i-zer hitch and Prodigy2.

[Superslif]

At the Toyota dealership a few month back I couldn't believe they got rid of the V-8's for the 10' 4-Runners. I tow a 24' hybrid with my 05' 4-Runner with the V-8. The numbers for a 19' hybrid are within the V-6's range. The only thing you have to watch out for is the hitch weight of the model of trailer you want. Ours was only 315 dry. I have seen some rather short hybrids with 500-600lbs hitch weight. My hitch limit is 750lbs. for the V-8. We only use a sway-control......I'm good under 65mph. But over that it gets a little funny. I get my best gas milage at 58-59mph (12 to 12.5 mpg).

We have had three 4-Runners
~90' V-6 150 HP (tent camping)
~99' V-6 183 HP (Coleman pop-up)
~05' V-8 272 HP (Aerolite Cub hybrid)

[MikenAmber]

We used our 2006 F-150 S/C to tow our Coleman Sedona, did and excellant job of towing, with the 4.6L V8, it could tow up to 6800lbs. Purchased a 33' Coachman Captiva and it was fine on the flat land but tugged a bit in steep hills. The Coachman had a dry weight of 5662lbs. Have now upgraded to a 2000 Ford F-250 with a V-10. Great tow vehicle.

[poppatello]

My wife has towed her 12' Starcraft for the last three years with her 2001 Ford Windstar. It took a crap early this summer on the way to Frontier Camp Ground in Ocean City, Md. I had to work that morning and was going to meet her later. My buddy a trans mechanic stated she blew a main seal in the tranny. @ 138,000 miles is not worth for us to repair it. So I'm looking for a newer tow rig and family mover.

Just an FYI, look very hard @ what you get. I never thought a pop-up would kill the tranny. He tells me it overheated and shows signs of heavy stress. You also need to check what the manufacture saids about towing as well. Ford Explore is not recommended as a tow rig but I see people towing with them all the time. So those that are looking @ SUV's I understand the towing ratings but ask the dealer and check that info on line. If you have an accident towing or have a major break down they will not cover it! I work on Automotive Equipment and see all to offten dealerships getting out of replacing motors and trannys because the owner had a tow hitch on the vehicle! My choice is a 4 door pick-up. I plan to get the wife a small car and she can drive the truck when she goes camping. We have two baby girls so a four door is a must. Good luck with your tow mobile trek and keep us updated...

[edj]

We used a full-sized van when we were towing a popup. It was a Chevy G20 that was customized by an aftermarket company. LOTS of space for the kids and cargo as well as very comfortable.

[Superslif]

Quote:

Ford Explore is not recommended as a tow rig but I see people towing with them all the time. So those that are looking @ SUV's I understand the towing ratings but ask the dealer and check that info on line. If you have an accident towing or have a major break down they will not cover it! I work on Automotive Equipment and see all to offten dealerships getting out of replacing motors and trannys because the owner had a tow hitch on the vehicle!

As far as the Ford Explorers. If your looking at any used Explorers, watch which V-6 engine it has. The older cheapoo one, only had a single overhead cam with a towing cap. of 3500. And not many had the towing package.....The 2010's (V-6's) have towing cap's between 3500 & 7100. Big difference.....I trust my Trailer Life towing guide.....

[Frank P. Martin]

Our 1986 Coleman Laramie pop-up was towed by three different trucks before I turned it over to my son.

1986-1988: 1985 GMC S-15, High Sierra, extended cab, 2WD.

This truck had a 2.8 V-6, auto trans, and NO A/C. It pulled the Laramie OK in the flats but was a real dog on hills. For towing, I simply attached a hitch ball to the hole in the rear bumper. On a two week camping trip in August of 1988 we learned that my two sons had quickly outgrown the small uncomfortable, inward facing jump seats. So, upon returning home, we started looking for a new truck and placed an order for the GMC's successor. It was delivered in November of 1988.

1988-1996: 1989 Chevrolet C-1500, Silverado, extended cab (8' bed), 2WD.

It was the first (and only, so far) vehicle I ever ordered. I even ordered the same color combination (Red/Silver) as the 1985 GMC. It made the neighbors rub their eyes and squint when we brought the new truck home because it looked to them as if we somehow just had the GMC enlarged. Now, we could travel in comfort- A/C and a full back seat with enough leg room for my growing sons. The 5.7L V-8 with auto trans w/overdrive and positraction rear end pulled the Laramie effortlessly. It also had a trailering package with receiver. The 8' bed provided plenty of room for camping equipment and four bicycles. I was quite happy with this truck. But in 1996, something weird happened.

1996-2000: 1996 Ford F-250 HD, XLT, super cab (6-1/2' bed), 2WD

My wife and I were driving to a bowling banquet one evening and happened to pass a Ford dealer's lot along the way. Then I saw it parked in the lot, parallel with the street. The two-tone green color seemed to almost glow in the duskiness. I asked her, "Did you see that truck?". Of course, she answered, "No.". On the way back from the banquet, I stopped to look at it in the lot. Except for the five speed manual trans., the options were exactly as what I would have ordered- A/C, 4.10 limited slip differential, bench back seat, captains chairs, HD trailering package. But the neatest option was the PowerStroke diesel... WOW! We took it for a test drive and I couldn't get over how it would pull any hill without having to downshift. Well, long story short, we bought it. The Chevy pulled the Laramie effortlessly. Towing it with Ford... you didn't even know it was there!

By 1996, our oldest son was starting college and our other son would graduate from high school in 1999. We knew their camping days with us would become fewer and fewer as they pursued their own lives. My wife and I began attending RV shows looking at travel trailers. The last camping season the Ford towed the Laramie was in 1999 as we bought our 2000 Jayco TT in January of that year. Many people end up having to move up to a bigger truck when they graduate from a pop-up to a trailer. But we were all ready when the time came.

[JayandKath]

We bought our first camper (2000 Starcraft popup) at the beginning of the 2010 summer. Up until last week I pulled it with a 2004 Chevy Colorado crew cab 4x2 with an I5. It pulled it ok, but I definitely knew the camper was back there. The biggest prob I had was the fact that I could not see behind me. In the mirrors all I could see was camper. I now pull it with a '06 Dodge Ram quad cab 4x4 with a Hemi. It is a much much easier pull and I can see around and over the camper.

[Jlmlgifford]

We have/had a 1999 tracker trailstar pup that I towed with a 2007 Ford f150 4.6 v8, but knew we were going to buy a tt so I bought a 2006 dodge ram 2500 5.9 v8 and I pick up our 2011 springdale 2600tb in one week

[barturo]

2006 Nissan titan 5.6 tow package,towing 2006 fleet-wood e-2