Help in choosing tow vehicle needed

Pretty much any v6-v8 1/2 ton will serve you well. Find the one you like best and go for it.

Take 5 minutes and download the towing guides that are available online from Ford, GM, Ram, and Toyota. They provide maximum tow load specifications by model and engine and transmission and gearing (very important) for all their tow worth vehicles.

Get something that is rated for more load than you plan to tow as the ratings are for maximum which is not the same as optimum. The heavier the load the greater the distance needed to get up to 55 MPH to safely merge with traffic, the longer it will take to pass a very slow moving tractor trailer on a grade, and the greater the distance required to come to a full stop. You also do not want to be 100% dependent upon the trailer brakes working to bring the tow vehicle and trailer to a complete stop.

Don't be deluded with higher MPG ratings for vehicles with smaller engines or higher rear end gearing as it is irrelevant when towing a trailer.

naturist wrote:
What they said.

Do also be aware that any trailer weighing more than 3,000 lbs (3,500 lbs in some states) MUST have brakes, and for that you are going to need a brake controller.

I note that U-Haul requires that the TV weight not be less than 80% of the total weight of the trailer to prevent the tail-wags-dog syndrome. This is a good starting point for saying that if your trailer's loaded weight is say 5,000 lbs, your TV must weigh at least 4,000 lbs. This is for a bumper-hitch rig, 5th wheels are not so sensitive.

So whatever you get, be sure to get enough of it . . . .

Oh, thanks, it helps to have the figures to consider. So I could look for a vehicle that weighs at least 4000. I would want to have all the brakes and whatever else is needed so it doesn't sway. It would be so much easier if I could find someone selling a used vehicle and trailer together!

ib516 wrote:
How much towing are you going to be doing? Occasional use, a V6 might do, cross country trips would need a little diesel, turbo gas engine, or a V8 truck.

I'd suggest you look at the Ram 1500 Ecodisel with 4 corner air suspension.

NY to FL and back one a year and in the summer short trips around NY so maybe a V8 truck would be needed? I don't want to over-buy but I also want something that will be secure - my husband is hesitant about pulling/handling anything which is why we had the C class. But that's just another engine to deal with and since he won't tow a car we have to rent.

naturist wrote:
While @Frank is entitled to his opinion, there are 6 and even 4 cylinder TVs that will work fine with such a rig. They are, however, diesels.

I've dragged a 21 foot TT, 3680 lbs dry weight, 5,000 lbs GVW back and forth across the continent with a 2.8 liter, 4 cylinder Jeep Liberty CRD (diesel) several times. Went over the Rockies on I-70 west of Denver, over 11,000 feet altitude. Worked just fine.

I've since "graduated" to a BMW X5 a 3 liter, 6 cylinder diesel. Jeep, VW, Audi, and Mercedes all have 6 cylinder diesels as well capable of this.

That sounds like what we would like to buy, small and not too heavy. I like Jeeps but does it have to be diesel since the vehicle would be used for everyday driving also?

FrankShore wrote:
You probably are looking at an 8 cyl, not a 6. If the trailer was only 3,500 loaded, you could get away with a Lexus 6 cyl Hybrid LOL!

Do you have any brand preferences?

Which brand of travel trailer are you looking at?

We didn't have anything specific in mind, just looking for a light weight used travel trailer that I'm guessing would be a bit more than 4000 loaded. No specific vehicle either, just trying to get options. Hopefully not a full size truck as it would be used all the time when not pulling the trailer.

Any of the 300 HP base V6 Half tons would pull it no problem. Same for the Grand Cherokee or the Ford Explorer...my choice would be a Chevy Traverse though. It's rated at about 5200 lbs and would jerk that trailer around with NO problem.

You don't need a monster truck to tow a travel trailer.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

naturist wrote:
While @Frank is entitled to his opinion, there are 6 and even 4 cylinder TVs that will work fine with such a rig. They are, however, diesels.

Not quite! ;)

The V6 F150 Ecoboost, or even the upcoming 2.7l Ecoboost would make easy work out of towing such a trailer! The Ecoboost engines would be neck and neck w/ the Ram Ecodiesel for me, if I were shopping. I'd likely go with any of those over a traditional gas-powered V8 naturally aspirated engine.

ops...double post

I call it the ability of the TV to 'manhandle' the setup during adverse conditions
AKA that emergency situation when you have to manhandle the setup

Note that in addition to needing trailer brakes above a certain trailer weight (that
weight limit is different from state to state), but that around that weight...the
trailer tongue becomes both an issue with the TV's rear axle weight rating and
the biggie: the TV's receiver rating requires a WD Hitch system

Read up on the potential TV's design and whether the OEM allows a WD Hitch
system or not. Mainly unibody/monocoque designs.

Gather these ratings for the prospective TV and use them to compare

GVWR
RGAWR
FGAWR
GCWR

Then the simple math to figure the range...

GCWR >= TV + TT + hitch weights (equal to, or greater than)

If you don't have their actual weights, then use their GVWR's, which is the
heaviest they are rated for. Of course if you will NOT be loading them up to
their GVWR's, then you have more fudge room for the 'other' (TV or TT)