New to RVing and In Need Of Advice! :)
Hello! I would appreciate some advice for a first-time RVer. So first of all, I need to buy a new car because my current car is at the end of her life. I'm deciding if I should buy an SUV to tow a sma...
Forum Discussion
RVs get heavy quick and small vehicle run out of payload. It's a lot more about the payload capacity than the tow rating. Further, tow rating is a generic rating apply to all types of trailers but trailers aren't all created equal. There are many types of trailers: flat bed, horse, boat, dump, travel trailers, etc.
I would say by far the most difficult to tow is a hard sided travel trailer. Their large percentage of tongue weight, inability to shift the tongue weight, huge frontal area and large side sail area make them difficult to tow. A tow vehicle that might do a great job towing a 6,000 pound boat might be a struggling handful with a 5,000 pound RV.
If you want an SUV you will be limited to rather small trailers not well suited to living in. Good picks would be anything with an actual frame (not uni-body). This would include: Suburban, Tahoe, Expedition, Sequoia, Armada, etc. My particular favorite here would be a 2500 series (3/4 ton) Suburban.
A truck makes a better tow vehicle for a travel trailer because the bed allows for hauling: firewood, generator, gas cans, bikes, etc. A fifth wheel will generally be a lot easier to tow and shorter overall. If you plan to tow a lot of miles I'd get a FW. If you plan to be stationary most of the time a travel trailer would be fine.
I would say by far the most difficult to tow is a hard sided travel trailer. Their large percentage of tongue weight, inability to shift the tongue weight, huge frontal area and large side sail area make them difficult to tow. A tow vehicle that might do a great job towing a 6,000 pound boat might be a struggling handful with a 5,000 pound RV.
If you want an SUV you will be limited to rather small trailers not well suited to living in. Good picks would be anything with an actual frame (not uni-body). This would include: Suburban, Tahoe, Expedition, Sequoia, Armada, etc. My particular favorite here would be a 2500 series (3/4 ton) Suburban.
A truck makes a better tow vehicle for a travel trailer because the bed allows for hauling: firewood, generator, gas cans, bikes, etc. A fifth wheel will generally be a lot easier to tow and shorter overall. If you plan to tow a lot of miles I'd get a FW. If you plan to be stationary most of the time a travel trailer would be fine.
