Wife and I are longtime tent-campers trying to upgrade to a travel trailer. We're looking at something in the 15-17' range (such as Starcraft AR-One, R-Pod, etc.) weighing under 3,000.Since my current vehicle (Ford Fiesta) wont tow *anything* I know I need to get a truck capable of safely towing a camper. I've tried to do my homework, but I'm going crazy...GVWR...GCW...axle rating...tongue weight...gear ratio...transmission coolers...I've seen plenty of trucks in my price range ($10K) that I *think* will work (F150, Excusion, Silverado 1500, Yukon) but I've been unable to make an exact determination. The sellers sometimes have no idea what gear ratio the truck has. Or if the installed hitch is a "load distributing" hitch. Etc.With the small size trailer we're looking at, can I safely assume that nearly any full-size vehicle with a V8 will work? Is there anywhere online that I can simply plug in a vehicle VIN and get a "you can safely tow XXXXX" determination?

Find a vehicle you like with a V8, then look in the owners manual before you buy to determine what it can tow. Also have some pre-determined RVs and weights in mind to determine your final choice. Smaller trailers like an R-Pod should not require a WD hitch, only a anti-sway bar and a hitch rated for the correct weights. Good Luck!!

You might not even need a V8 if you dont ever pln on going bigger with the trailer. A modern v6 in a half ton shoud do the job if you stay with a truck within 5-7 years or so. Try and get a 6 speed auto in the flavor of truck you prefer. This means 09 or newer ford or gm. Not sure on the dodges.

Mvander wrote:You might not even need a V8 if you dont ever pln on going bigger with the trailer. A modern v6 in a half ton shoud do the job if you stay with a truck within 5-7 years or so. Try and get a 6 speed auto in the flavor of truck you prefer. This means 09 or newer ford or gm. Not sure on the dodges.He said 10grand budget. That's ok I try to spend other people's money too!This guy is right, for a little trailer like that a V8 half ton would be super comfortable. 6 banger would do the job though. A lot of midsize suvs would do it too, but you may find the best bang for the buck in an ext cab pickup. 4 full doors command a premium price and ext cabs aren't as popular but just as capable and comfortable from the captains chair.

We saw a little TT at the Hershey show last month that I think weighed just south of 2000 maybe 1500 lbs. Think it had a Mini Cooper Max hooked to it. Not very big, but offered the basics if just starting out. good for 2 people. If I can find the name, I'll post it for you.

Complete Newbie Needs Straight Talk | Good Sam Community

SpeakEasy
Explorer
Oct 06, 2016
What you're looking for is an online guide where you can enter a vehicle's year, make, and model, and have it look up and tell you the towing capability.

Here it is.

Keep in mind that this gives the towing weight capability but there are more numbers you need to be aware of. One of the most important, in terms of the limitations you're likely to run into, is payload capacity.

-Speak
ACZL
Explorer
Oct 06, 2016
We saw a little TT at the Hershey show last month that I think weighed just south of 2000 maybe 1500 lbs. Think it had a Mini Cooper Max hooked to it. Not very big, but offered the basics if just starting out. good for 2 people. If I can find the name, I'll post it for you.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Oct 05, 2016
Mvander wrote:
You might not even need a V8 if you dont ever pln on going bigger with the trailer. A modern v6 in a half ton shoud do the job if you stay with a truck within 5-7 years or so. Try and get a 6 speed auto in the flavor of truck you prefer. This means 09 or newer ford or gm. Not sure on the dodges.

He said 10grand budget. That's ok I try to spend other people's money too!
This guy is right, for a little trailer like that a V8 half ton would be super comfortable. 6 banger would do the job though. A lot of midsize suvs would do it too, but you may find the best bang for the buck in an ext cab pickup. 4 full doors command a premium price and ext cabs aren't as popular but just as capable and comfortable from the captains chair.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Oct 05, 2016
Yes.
Mvander
Explorer
Oct 05, 2016
You might not even need a V8 if you dont ever pln on going bigger with the trailer. A modern v6 in a half ton shoud do the job if you stay with a truck within 5-7 years or so. Try and get a 6 speed auto in the flavor of truck you prefer. This means 09 or newer ford or gm. Not sure on the dodges.
janstey58
Explorer
Oct 05, 2016
Find a vehicle you like with a V8, then look in the owners manual before you buy to determine what it can tow. Also have some pre-determined RVs and weights in mind to determine your final choice. Smaller trailers like an R-Pod should not require a WD hitch, only a anti-sway bar and a hitch rated for the correct weights. Good Luck!!

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