SUV Tow vehicle suggestions

You really need to test drive all of them and decide. They are all great vehicles. I was primarily interested in a diesel so I went with the ram for their great power plant.

If you are talking trucks, this is how I ranked them in 2016. since then, Ford has redesigned their HD trucks. I think right now Chevy is the only brand with a Van that would meet the tow capacity you need.

Ford was the best driver to me. Steering, braking, acceleration (hot rod). Interior was way dated and due for a refresh the next year. I always liked the styling of their trucks. I don't care for their remodeled exterior that much now. Their engines are true hot rods (the diesels) out of the bunch. They also have a history of issues due to the complexity of a v8 diesel.

Chevy/GMC. They boost about their quality but I was not impressed. Panels crooked etc. Also did not like their configurations of no slider window if you have certain options. Also had the least options at the time- no rear seat heaters, etc and they were very proud of their prices (high) and not welling to deal. The GMCs are one of the best looking trucks imo though.

Ram. Nothing but good reviews of the diesel engine. IMO, even though I bought one, it was the worst vehicle for daily driving. Brakes are sluggish, acceleration sluggish, seats are OK. To me, fit and finish was the best out of the three though. Value for what you get was also the highest to me as well. One feature it had over the other brands was the extended cab (mega cab), which has room behind the back seats and they actually recline a little. Trucks are tight on space already. I keep blankets and misc stuff behind the seats and it doesn't eat up the passenger area.

At the end of the day, I don't think you can make a wrong choice. The only thing I wish I had done differently was bought a 3500 and prep for 5th wheel. They were about a 300 dollar difference, but I figured I would not need the extra payload of the 3500 based on my current trailer. Well, now we are talking about getting a toy hauler...which obviously weight more. This round I think we are OK because I am not looking for 5th wheels yet. The next truck though....will be 3500 so I don't have to worry about it.

Bankoske wrote:
Thanks everyone for the clarity and feedback, super appreciated. Preferences on 3/4 ton Ford/Silverado/Dodge for any in the know?

Jeff

I know I just looked at the
Chevy Express passenger van and you'd be at or over GCWR (14600 - 6100 = 8,500 for people, fuel, gear, and trailer) for the 2500 so you're probably looking at 3500 vans.

None of the Ford transit passenger vans have enough GCWR or hitch capacity even if they have plenty of payload.

The Promaster 2500 vans max out at 5,100 pounds of tow capacity.

So basically you're only option will be a Chevy 3500 van.

Bankoske wrote:
Preferences on 3/4 ton Ford/Silverado/Dodge for any in the know?

Jeff

Asking a question like that here is akin to lighting a match to check the fuel level in a gas tank. Not a good idea!
All the new trucks are good, so it really comes down to personal preference. FYI, there isn’t much difference between a 3/4 ton truck and a 1 ton. The main difference is an extra set of rear springs on the 1 ton. The cost is close to the same. You gain a lot of payload with the 1 ton for nearly the same price.
If buying used, do your research.

Used to have a 2005 Roadtrek Class B motorhome (3/4 ton Chevy Express van). I had it weighed and it was 8,000 lbs sitting there on the scale. We towed a 5000 lb 24' Rainier travel trailer (not a camper) with it. It had the 6.0 engine. It pulled the TT easily up and down mountains in cruise control. Therefore, I recommend a 1 ton Chevy Express with as big an engine as you can get in it.

Whatever you can get the best deal on .
Any new 250/2500 truck will do the job, get the Factory Tow Package NOT a DEALER add-on package. Watch the incentives for cash back allowances to see if those models will work for you.

Thanks everyone for the clarity and feedback, super appreciated. Preferences on 3/4 ton Ford/Silverado/Dodge for any in the know?

Jeff

Pass on the Tahoe for pulling 35 feet of TT. Not enough wheelbase, and I’m a Tahoe fan...’01, ‘07 and ‘15.

Bankoske wrote:
Thanks for the feedback. Let me expound a couple items...

Our family of 5 consists of my wife, my 11, 7, and 3 year olds which adds about 600 lbs to the vehicle's gvwr. The max tongue load for the older Expedition is 920 lbs and the tow weight is 9200 and the 2018 is 930/9300. The GVRW of the Expedition varies from 1700-2000 lbs.

If you bumped the tongue weight to say 850, added the 600 lbs from the family, and another 300 lbs of "stuff", we would be right at the limit of the gvwr but would still be well within the limit of towing. That said, if we were mindful of the situation, we could also load the gear in the trailer itself and stay well below the tow weight.

Thoughts?

Jeff

Have you checked axle weight ratings on those vehicles?

The trailer you bought is a big guy. It also has metal siding which is not very light either. You will eventually find out that trailer weights (dry) fall under the same category of the tooth fairy and Santa clause. IE: Very fictional

Dry weights are just that, the trailer with nothing inside. No propane. No food. No battery. No water. No pots and pans. No bedding. No TV. I am not sure if they even include the AC unit on the roof. A good rule of thumb is to take the dry weight and add 12-15%. Your wet weight may very well be close to 8500 lbs.

I personally like to travel with our home water (city water) in the tank as well since it's chlorinated and won't stink up if left in the camper. For us, that's an extra 300 lbs. Sometimes we can't get to the cleanout so we just do it at the next trip. Could possibly add another 500 lbs in gray/black tanks.

Also, hitch weight is generally 12-15% of the trailer weight on a travel trailer. Once you throw your propane and battery up front. Fill up the front bunk with wood for levelers, sewer stuff, fresh water stuff, etc. Your 740 lb hitch weight will very likely be closer to 1000 lbs.

At that point, I think any SUV is out of the question as it exceeds their hitch weights and you are really pushing the limits on the tow rating/gvwr. You should really be looking at something like a Chevy Express Van.

A 2500/3500 will get you more seats than you need as well as almost a 10K lb towing capacity. As with anything. It is better to be within the limits of something vs right at the max allowed. I went from a Tundra (1/2 ton rating) to a 3/4 Ton Ram. It handles my trailer night and day better. I feel much safer towing with the heavier duty truck because it's well under the max limits. On paper, the Tundra was right at max, but within the capabilities of the trailer. And while it did tow it OK, it still pushed the truck quite a bit.

If I had a need for that many seats and was not interested in a truck, I would def. be looking at a heavy duty van.

I agree with those who say this is too much trailer for an SUV. You're firmly in 3/4 ton truck territory with that trailer weight and payload.

packpe89 wrote:
I would certainly consider an HD pickup for that size camper. Ford and Dodge have huge back seats, I can fit three teenage boys in with no problems.

Also, along with weight issues, for a trailer that long, you'll want a long wheel base to help stabilize, i.e. a Suburban would be better than a Tahoe for a stable ride (using those to compare lengths, you still have payload issues with them). I've pulled a 30' with a few trucks, crew cab 6.5 bed pulls better than extended cab 6.5 bed (both 3/4 ton), which in turn are better than crew cab 5' bed 1/2 ton.

Yup, did 5k miles this summer with two teens and a tween in a crew cab pickup, plenty of room. In fact the leg room in the back is more than either row in our Grand Caravan.