Buying a Tow Vehicle

Yup, 4WD is all about surface conditions and terrain. I have it because I live in snow country. I have been stuck----pulling a boat trailer and heavy boat out of a swamp. That was all about what was under the wheels. Typically, for the average RV'er, it's not necessary.

An SUV will limit trailer weight compared to a truck. An alternative to trailer towing larger trailers might be a crew cab truck and a ramp for old Fido. There may come a time, also, when he needs to be carried into his riding-couch. It's a shame we outlive our pets and have to see them gentrify quickly.

If you think you will ever be off paved roads in mountain/hill country, seriously consider 4wd. Sister and B-I-L had a 2wd SUV, and a relatively-light hybrid camper. We went down a steep road into Lower Bowns Reservoir in Fishlake National Forest, Utah. Camped a few days. They left earlier in the morning than we did, but B-I-L came walking back to camp. They couldn't get up the hill, and slid (back tires spun, and brakes couldn't stop them) into the ditch as they were trying to get up the hill.

I used my 2007 4wd Grand Cherokee, hooked to their vehicle, and towed them up the hill with no problem. They got rid of the 2wd SUV before their next campout. Got a 4wd. Not worth the risk of getting into a campground (yes, this was a National Forest fee campground, with facilities, etc) but not getting back out.

newadventure wrote:
(Suv because of my Lab) and a trailer.

Lab, what kind of lab? photo lab, ?!?

Thank you for all of the information. I think that maybe now that I have a better understanding of it anyway. I will keep looking and I that you for all of the valuable info.

As many have already said, payload, payload, payload.

Payload is the tow vehicle's capacity to carry everything and everybody you put in, or on it. Look for a tire / loading sticker on the drivers door post. It will show a cargo carrying capacity (AKA payload). That carrying capacity is used up by the weight of aftermarket accessories, people, pets, weight distribution hitch (about 100 lbs), tongue weight from a trailer, and all the "extra stuff", packed into the vehicle.

If you know the total weight of your people, pets, weight distributing hitch, and "stuff", subtract that from the vehicle's payload. The remainder is your carrying capacity that is available for trailer tongue weight. Divide that number by .13, to get a ballpark figure for a loaded trailer weight that will keep you at or near your ratings.

4WD might be nice if you get stuck in the mud, but, it is not a must for towing. If your towing will be on improved roadways, there is no need for 4WD, and rear wheel drive is fine. 4WD also adds weight to the vehicle, which reduces it's available payload.

First of all pick a camper to suit your needs, then pick your tow vehicle. For any RV over about 4000 lb loaded, you are going to need a Ford Expedition, Nissan Armada, or a Toyota Sequoia.

As others said, keep track of your vehicle payload. Assume the tongue weight of the trailer will be 12-13% of the gross trailer weight. That will be included in your vehicle cargo.

don't pay much attention to towing capacity. this is a fictitious number. watch payload. my WJ for example is rated for 6500 lb towing but only 1000 payload. my camper comes in around 4000lb so lots of towing capacity but I am maxed on payload. 13percent on the tongue means I only have 480 lbs left to put in the jeep. me and my family take most of that leaving minimal capacity for gear, hitch and whatever else. also remember to get real world weights. sticker on my camper is for 3200 lbs but after adding food and camping gear and a battery and 60lbs of propane and whatever else (don't forget water if you use your tanks) that weight grows quickly.

you really need to do your research before you buy. Almost all SUV's will be limited to the smallest TT's due to cargo capacity limitations and tongue weight of trailers. Also, 4WD/AWD is irrelevant. Axle ratio of the tow vehicle is very relevant. When researching an SUV, you may find an article with a tow rating but that only applies to models with the tow package.

Good luck in your research! Dig around the old threads here as well.

SUV's work but you need to watch your payload vs the trailer tongue weight and all items you plan to load into the SUV. Once you figure out the payload, look at what the available tow capacity is.