Towing question/help with new rig
Ok so I'm shopping around to get my first motorhome moving up from a travel trailer. I've been leaning toward a gas class A until recently when I saw that the newer Class C's with the E450 have a 750...
Forum Discussion
I have the 2016 Coachmen Leprechaun 319DS with the Class IV (7500 pound) receiver and a 2015 front wheel drive Ford Explorer that I tow four down. As I recall, my Explorer's curb weight is about 4400 pounds, and I'm towing with the Blue Ox base plate and Aventa LX tow bar. I've kept the cargo weight down in the motorhome (it's just me and my wife), and after a couple of three hour trips, I am pretty pleased with how the setup handles on the highway. I haven't had to tackle any real steep grades yet, but will be making several trips through West Virginia this summer and will see how it handles there. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I don't know that it's back there, but it tracks very well behind the motorhome, and I'm still getting used to taking wide turns and using both the side view cameras and mirrors to make sure that I don't clip anything in the turns.
As an aside, I'm going to take the motorhome in for an alignment because even without towing the Explorer there is a slight amount of play in the steering that is magnified a bit when towing. The motorhome only has about 900 miles on it, but I've been reading on this forum that a lot of new motorhomes leave the factory with a less-than-desirable alignmnet.
Since I'm relatively new to owing the Class C (I've had a travel trailer for over 30 years), I'll be curious as to what others have to say about this setup. At least for the time being, it's working for me. It was pretty pricey to get the entire setup (base plate, tow bar, wiring for the lights, Blue Ox Patriot brake system, etc.), but I wasn't going to get a new vehicle after just having bought the Explorer.
I realize that you are specifically asking about towing your 1500 Suburban, but just wanted to weigh in on the alternative you suggested. Good luck with your decision!
As an aside, I'm going to take the motorhome in for an alignment because even without towing the Explorer there is a slight amount of play in the steering that is magnified a bit when towing. The motorhome only has about 900 miles on it, but I've been reading on this forum that a lot of new motorhomes leave the factory with a less-than-desirable alignmnet.
Since I'm relatively new to owing the Class C (I've had a travel trailer for over 30 years), I'll be curious as to what others have to say about this setup. At least for the time being, it's working for me. It was pretty pricey to get the entire setup (base plate, tow bar, wiring for the lights, Blue Ox Patriot brake system, etc.), but I wasn't going to get a new vehicle after just having bought the Explorer.
I realize that you are specifically asking about towing your 1500 Suburban, but just wanted to weigh in on the alternative you suggested. Good luck with your decision!
