Shopping for a trailer to pull with a van...
Okay- I am new here & I KNOW that this gets brought up a lot. After reading an old post from 2011, I decided to join this forum to get some advice. We've got 6 kids, one in a car seat. We also h...
Forum Discussion
I ran through the calculations when van shopping. Built a spreadsheet to work out all the loading options.
Minivan with a 3500 pound "maximum tow rating," two people and their camping stuff, 3000 pound TT is just fine, plenty of the van's GVWR left to handle 300-400 pounds of tongue weight.
Figure for two of us, two adult children, three grandchildren, and about 50 pounds of "stuff" each, we've used up 1300-1450 pounds of the load capacity, and cut the usable tow rating down to 2000 pounds. We need 300 pounds for tongue weight, some minivans can do it, some are already over limits, and then there is the 50-60 sq ft frontal area restriction at full weight, so likely family trailer is one of the more simple pop-ups or tent trailers.
This is what pushed me toward a full-size van, with 13,000 GCWR, 8600 to 9600 GVWR, for "maximum tow rating" in the 6700-7000 pound range. This still doesn't mean that I can fill the van to max load and tow 6700-7000 pounds, thats just what it can tow if empty. GCWR gets used up by what I carry and what I pull; both loads fit into that 13000. Load the lighter van with 2400 pounds of people and stuff, I can tow 4400. Fully load the heavier van (about 3200 pounds) and my tow is down to 3400 pounds. There are an infinite number of load-tow combinations in between.
I could step up to a full size van with 18,000 to 18,500 GCWR, still 8600-9600 GVWR, and it will have a 10,000 pound maximum towing capacity, usually hitch-limited, because these run about 6200-6500 pounds empty. But I still can't load the van to max, because with the van at 9600 pounds there is only 8900 pounds left out of 18,500, or 8400 out of 18,000.
Even some of the heaviest-duty light trucks face similar limitations, because the are designed to carry a lot as well as tow a lot, but not both at the same time. That would be medium-duty truck territory.
For your family, I would recommend a Chevy Express 3500 van (12-seat version should be big enough, but you could get a 15-seater and take out the back seat). Make sure it has the 6.0 Vortec, and you'll be able to carry your family, pretty much everything they think they need with them, and still pull a 8000 pound travel trailer, which is about what you need to have enough living space.
Unless a tent trailer/popup works for you.
Minivan with a 3500 pound "maximum tow rating," two people and their camping stuff, 3000 pound TT is just fine, plenty of the van's GVWR left to handle 300-400 pounds of tongue weight.
Figure for two of us, two adult children, three grandchildren, and about 50 pounds of "stuff" each, we've used up 1300-1450 pounds of the load capacity, and cut the usable tow rating down to 2000 pounds. We need 300 pounds for tongue weight, some minivans can do it, some are already over limits, and then there is the 50-60 sq ft frontal area restriction at full weight, so likely family trailer is one of the more simple pop-ups or tent trailers.
This is what pushed me toward a full-size van, with 13,000 GCWR, 8600 to 9600 GVWR, for "maximum tow rating" in the 6700-7000 pound range. This still doesn't mean that I can fill the van to max load and tow 6700-7000 pounds, thats just what it can tow if empty. GCWR gets used up by what I carry and what I pull; both loads fit into that 13000. Load the lighter van with 2400 pounds of people and stuff, I can tow 4400. Fully load the heavier van (about 3200 pounds) and my tow is down to 3400 pounds. There are an infinite number of load-tow combinations in between.
I could step up to a full size van with 18,000 to 18,500 GCWR, still 8600-9600 GVWR, and it will have a 10,000 pound maximum towing capacity, usually hitch-limited, because these run about 6200-6500 pounds empty. But I still can't load the van to max, because with the van at 9600 pounds there is only 8900 pounds left out of 18,500, or 8400 out of 18,000.
Even some of the heaviest-duty light trucks face similar limitations, because the are designed to carry a lot as well as tow a lot, but not both at the same time. That would be medium-duty truck territory.
For your family, I would recommend a Chevy Express 3500 van (12-seat version should be big enough, but you could get a 15-seater and take out the back seat). Make sure it has the 6.0 Vortec, and you'll be able to carry your family, pretty much everything they think they need with them, and still pull a 8000 pound travel trailer, which is about what you need to have enough living space.
Unless a tent trailer/popup works for you.
