Poll of SUV-Driving Trailer Towers

[Dcreswell]

Hello all!

I am taking a poll (essentially). If you pull a travel trailer with an SUV, I would love to hear what kind of SUV you have and what kind of trailer you pull.

I believe my family is going to need an SUV to travel, but I'm nervous about the strength of the SUV for the tow. So please, share your knowledge and experience you have had in your SUV-Towing, travel trailer adventures! Thanks!

[jtyphoid]

You probably already know this, but towing with an SUV is going to limit your trailer options if you want to have a safe, comfortable driving experience within the SUV towing capacity versus an unsafe or even white knuckle driving experience by exceeding the SUV towing capacity. I've done both, and didn't like the latter at all and got out of that situation as quickly as I could.

I don't have any towing experience with current SUVs, but my advice is to go big on the SUV and small on the trailer.

[jimcumminsw]

Will I can't speak for the current version of the SUV since so, many of them are on a car chassis instead of a truck chassis!

I use to tow a pop-up trailer such as a 1979 StarCraft 8 model with a full size Jeep Cherokee Chief, 360V8, 4X4 full time drive SUV. This vehicle had no issues what's so ever towing but fuel mileage was not great!

If I was to pull a TT with an SUV, it would be with either a Ford Excursion or a GMC/CHEVY Suburban for a tow vehicle. I know I will upset a lot of people, but those little vehicles that call themselves an SUV cant' pull anything.

[creativepart]

Your only real SUV choices for a TT Tow Vehicle would be General Motors' Tahoe, Suburban and the GMC/Cadillac versions based on them. Or the Ford MoCO Expedition/Expedition EL or Lincoln Navigator version of the same.

The Ford models are basically F150 Pickups with SUV bodies. So, you can tow pretty much anything a F150 can tow. Though the tow ratings are not as high. An Expedition EL is a fine tow vehicle up to about 7000lb GVWR and about 27'.

The GM models are generally a tiny bit less unless you can get the 3/4 ton version of the Suburban - which new must be special ordered and are rare on the used market.

Other SUVs, even if they are body/frame models like the new Expedition are good for towing small light trailers and no more. So, unless you're looking at 17' to 19' TTs under 4,000lb they should not be on your list.

We towed a 25' Arctic Fox (5,800lb) with a Tahoe and found the wheelbase too short. We changed to an Expedition EL and the pair worked well together. Our first EX-EL was a V8 and the second an Ecoboost V6. The v6 pulled GREAT.

Before we moved to motorhomes, we looked at larger and heavier TTs and felt that 27' and 7,000lbs would be an absolute max with the Ecoboost Expedition EL.

[shane_the_ee]

SUV and trailer are in my signature. Biggest limitation on SUVs are tongue weight and payload. If you want to have a tow vehicle that fits everyone and need more than about 900lbs of tongue weight, you’ll need a 1T van or something used (Excursion or 3/4T suburban) or custom (like a Duraburb).

[tuffr2]

I am going to look at the Ford Transit Van's in a few weeks - maybe two. They make a small, medium and large van. Before you nix them watch a few videos on YouTube. I watched 3 and all 3 reviewers said how nice it drove. I am going to look at the mid and large size. I want something I can stay in with an air mattress for up to a week when I visit friends. I kinda want to use it as a secure tent.

I am thinking they can tow around 8,000lbs. You owe it to yourself to at least watch a few videos.

Now you do know that a crew cab truck can carry 5 people in comfort. When I have company and have 5 people I always say I will drive. People always...and I mean 7 out of 7 times for the 1st ride they all say - 'I did not expect such a nice comforable quiet ride'.

Tomorrow Ford is going to introduce the redesigned F-150. I expect it to match the 2019 GM 1500 series trucks in size...which is big.

[Mike M.]

I tow my 2016 Flagstaff 21 FBRS behind my 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Fully loaded up, including water, the TT weighs in at 5,080# and is under 22ft long. The GC has a V6, so is rated to tow 6,200. Tongue weight is just under 600# I use an Equal-I-Zer 4 point that is set up very well.


Last week my DW and I (kids are all grown) camped at 8500ft elevation in the Apache National Forest. We live at 3,000 ft, so towed up then down the mountains. Weather was quite calm, so wind was no factor towing. Worst of the grades is 8% for about 6 miles, so holding 45mph kicked it into 2nd sometimes. Since the speed limit thru Salt River Canyon is 35, using 3rd and 4th made climbing easy. 6% grade up and down for about 15miles. For the round trip, I hardly ever went over 62mph and got just over 13mpg.


I've handled this pair now for about 15,000 miles in 4 years, and had almost no white knuckles. Winds in New Mexico and Texas make me slow down to 50-55.

[Glen 3]

When we bought our Winnebago 1706FB last year we knew we would need to replace our aging 1998 Ford Explorer 4.0 litre. We did one trip with it and then a dealer called with a like new 2016 Explorer 3.5 litre non-turbo but with the trailer towing package. It's well matched to our 19ft trailer whether in the mountains or on the flats. I don't need a truck for anything else so I'm quite happy with the purchase. Now if I were looking for a larger trailer, I might have gone to a pickup. The Explorer is a heavy beast so it handles beautifully when towing our small trailer. I don't think that I would consider the new Chevy in the same size class.

If you have use for a truck then get a truck. Otherwise an Explorer with not more than a 20ft trailer or an Expedition for something larger should do it. Just make sure you get the trailer package. The package adds and changes a lot of things to make it a more versatile tow vehicle. In addition to being pre-wired for trailer brakes controler, it has the hitch receiver, wiring for two harness types, larger oil cooler and trany cooler, and even some recalibrated software such as the low fuel [emoji618] warning countdown.

[thetravelkids]

We tow a 2012 Evergreen Element with a 2018 Ford Expedition XLT which replaced a 2012 Expedition Limited.

[aether_one]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

I am going to look at the Ford Transit Van's in a few weeks - maybe two. They make a small, medium and large van. Before you nix them watch a few videos on YouTube. I watched 3 and all 3 reviewers said how nice it drove. I am going to look at the mid and large size. I want something I can stay in with an air mattress for up to a week when I visit friends. I kinda want to use it as a secure tent.

I am thinking they can tow around 8,000lbs. You owe it to yourself to at least watch a few videos.

Now you do know that a crew cab truck can carry 5 people in comfort. When I have company and have 5 people I always say I will drive. People always...and I mean 7 out of 7 times for the 1st ride they all say - 'I did not expect such a nice comforable quiet ride'.

Tomorrow Ford is going to introduce the redesigned F-150. I expect it to match the 2019 GM 1500 series trucks in size...which is big.

Yep, and put a fiberglass topper over the bed and you have much more "inside" storage than any SUV. We learned this trick in 2005 when we upgraded from a Trailblazer to a Crew cab Silverado with topper.

[KenZ71]

The auto mfg all publish their towing specs.

Having said that a dual rear wheel pickup will be much more stable by simple virtue of being wider and more contact surface.

Tradeoff being it is wider and therefore more of a challenge in tight spaces. Many parking garages will be off limits as well due to width not so much height.

[Desert Flyer]

A review of past posts of years gone by points to a range of about 6,500 to 7,500 lbs max TT weight for half ton pickups. (With the newer truck models coming out, that rule of thumb is looking older and older). Suburban and Expedition EL are basically half ton trucks with more weight out back for roof, glass, and interior furnishings. All that stuff adds weight and diminishes available payload and towing capability. (Forget about Ford’s vaunted 9,000 lb towing capacity for Expedition). Higher trim lines add weight and also reduce available payload. I see Expedition EL Platinums that only have 1,500 lb payload! Some CUVs have even more than that! Careful shopping out there.

[tuffr2]

Desert Flyer brings up a good point. Payload, payload, payload.

Look at the yellow sticker on the drivers side door jam as well at axle ratings. Pick the SUV with the highest payload numbers.

And just a fyi - the Vans I recommended have payloads around 3,000lbs with the largest Ford Transit Van with the dual rear wheels I think was just over 4,000lbs.

[L.C.Gray]

Originally Posted by creativepart

The Ford models are basically F150 Pickups with SUV bodies.

Evidently you haven't looked underneath them... The Expy has a completely different cushy Independent Rear Suspension. Nothing at all like the F-150. That's a limiter in both their payload and handling ability under load.