Towing over 10K lbs with 6 passengers...
So I'm searching for a vehicle that can tow our 10K lb trailer and still give us room to carry 6 total passengers, 4 of them under 12 which means they can't ride in the front with an airbag turned on....
Forum Discussion
Good luck finding something made in the last 7 or 8 years. And it won't have a diesel!
I'm in the same boat (4 kids age 10 and under). A crew cab isn't great w/ 6 people in it anyway, safety issues aside. We have done it on occasion, but only for shorter trips. Our Suburban does the job for now, but our trailer only weighs 6k loaded, and we're still pushing the limits. We are in need (want?) of a larger trailer as well.
Unless you go custom (ie -- 6 door pickup or custom made Excursion), I think a van is about the only option out there to tow that much weight. My wife would absolutely not drive a van as her DD (and I'm not sure I would either), so I haven't looked in to the van options out there, to tell the truth.
We've identified the following options for our family. First, there are some lighter trailers that have bunks and will sleep 8+, and still come in around 6k lbs. They would work with a properly optioned 1/2 ton Suburban or Expedition EL, at least for the types of trips we do. We'll probably always have one of those as a family hauler anyway, so probably the least expensive option. Also, there are these trailer tote things out there that reduce the payload on the TV to nearly nothing -- payload is often the biggest problem you'll have. Second would be to commission a custom made 6 door truck. There is a company here in Utah that makes 'em, and they are pretty nice -- you wouldn't know they aren't factory. This is probably my favorite option. Only problem is $$ and results in a hard to use daily driver. Third is to buy a Class C and tow the Suburban behind it. We would need a 6 passenger toad because all of our camping is 'exploration camping' -- we never go somewhere and stay at the campsite the whole time. But there aren't a lot of floor plans great for a family (we really like having bunks) built on a chassis that can tow 6k comfortably (I'm not thinking a class C on a F450 van chassis towing a Suburban would perform to my wants). I have seen a couple great Super C's w/ diesels that I think would do the trick. But they are $$$.
So, good luck! You can always roll the dice on a 10 yr old Excursion or Suburban w/ an 8.1 in it, but I'm not really interested in someone else's 10 yr old truck. There just aren't a lot of options for bigger families right now. Unfortunately, I'm not sure I see that changing.
I'm in the same boat (4 kids age 10 and under). A crew cab isn't great w/ 6 people in it anyway, safety issues aside. We have done it on occasion, but only for shorter trips. Our Suburban does the job for now, but our trailer only weighs 6k loaded, and we're still pushing the limits. We are in need (want?) of a larger trailer as well.
Unless you go custom (ie -- 6 door pickup or custom made Excursion), I think a van is about the only option out there to tow that much weight. My wife would absolutely not drive a van as her DD (and I'm not sure I would either), so I haven't looked in to the van options out there, to tell the truth.
We've identified the following options for our family. First, there are some lighter trailers that have bunks and will sleep 8+, and still come in around 6k lbs. They would work with a properly optioned 1/2 ton Suburban or Expedition EL, at least for the types of trips we do. We'll probably always have one of those as a family hauler anyway, so probably the least expensive option. Also, there are these trailer tote things out there that reduce the payload on the TV to nearly nothing -- payload is often the biggest problem you'll have. Second would be to commission a custom made 6 door truck. There is a company here in Utah that makes 'em, and they are pretty nice -- you wouldn't know they aren't factory. This is probably my favorite option. Only problem is $$ and results in a hard to use daily driver. Third is to buy a Class C and tow the Suburban behind it. We would need a 6 passenger toad because all of our camping is 'exploration camping' -- we never go somewhere and stay at the campsite the whole time. But there aren't a lot of floor plans great for a family (we really like having bunks) built on a chassis that can tow 6k comfortably (I'm not thinking a class C on a F450 van chassis towing a Suburban would perform to my wants). I have seen a couple great Super C's w/ diesels that I think would do the trick. But they are $$$.
So, good luck! You can always roll the dice on a 10 yr old Excursion or Suburban w/ an 8.1 in it, but I'm not really interested in someone else's 10 yr old truck. There just aren't a lot of options for bigger families right now. Unfortunately, I'm not sure I see that changing.
