What do you tow with?

PS - forgot to add - all those torque numbers I've quoted come from our friend. We know nothing about what happens under the hood of any car.

TV is a 2011 Ram 1500 with the 5.7 Vortec, Plenty of torque for the job which is a very heavy 2003 25' TT, (previous owners towed it probably 30K miles with a Ford Expedition. I bet it never saw anything north of 8mpg.). It does 11mpg below 60mph and much less above but it is not unusual to see an average of 20 mpg on a tank w/o the trailer attached. I am retired so I am not commuting and doing a great deal of stop and go. Dodge has other vehicles with this drive train that probably would give much the same result. I think the days of diesel have always been overblown for any application that is weekend or less than full-time. Today's vehicles, gas or diesel, have engine management systems that adjust for load, speed etc. and have transmissions that keep the rpms in a sweet spot for torque etc. Gas engines that are reasonably, not exquisitely maintained will far exceed 100K miles even as a tow vehicle unless that is the exclusive application and may even accomplish that achievement. The cost of diesel used to be offset by longevity and cheaper fuel but a quick look along the road indicates the fuel is now being priced more by btu/gal than cost to refine and the higher performance from diesel engines exacts a toll on longevity.
I have a Dodge Ram because it was a really good deal when I found it used, previous vehicle was a Ford Explorer, before that a GMC truck and before that a Chevy truck, I am not eclectic I am cheap, or thrifty so I am not endorsing the Ram but it behaves well, does its job and so far has made me happy. My friend has a Ford half ton with the eco boost and it makes him happy and he gets good mileage. He also tows occasionally. There is no better test for what you need and may want than to check a series of capabilities, find ones in your budget then do a butt test. Do they sit right, will you be comfortable spending time in them? The butt test kept me away from any Ford that did not have power-seats that allowed angle adjustment, standard angle killed my hips after two hours. I sold an SUV I really liked because the seat angle prevented long trips, all else was wonderful, even thought of installing custom seats until I priced that option. You have to be comfortable, at least over 50 you do, and I got that number beaten by more than one decade.
BTW diesel smoke is addictive, I used to stand up in the tractor seat when it was dark, the plow was pulling hard and there was a beautiful purple flame above the stack just so I could smell the perfume. Diesel was half the price of gas and the engines lasted 3 to 4 times as long. Diesel fuel is not the same, the engines are not the same but the diesel religion has not changed for the un-enlightened and un-converted, Hail dyno-fuel may diesel be thy name.
Good night as I duck for cover(s)

I tow my 2006 75th Anniversary 19ft Airstream Bambi Custom (built by David Winick) with a 2006 Chevrolet SSR 6.0L LS2 400hp/400lbft 6spd manual...

...after tens of thousands of miles with the ability to fly up nearly any hill imaginable, I get 12-14mpg towing in 6th at 70-75mph and my truck actually rides and drives better WITH the trailer using a meticulously set up Husky Centerline hitch.

Jeep Liberty Diesel towing a 22' HTT.

What is the weight range of the trailers you're looking at?

The most limiting aspect of an SUV or smaller pickup will be the payload capacity. This is the allowable weight of all passengers, cargo, and the weight of the tongue of any trailer you choose.

If you are selecting a 26' TT with slides, full bath, a queen bed, and all of the other wanted accessories, you would want to be looking for a bigger SUV. IMO, the newer crew cab trucks are a better fit for towing and many have the same luxury as an SUV. Then again, there are some folks that have never driven a truck and are fearful of the experience.

See signature line, my TV is a Ford Expedition with the heavy duty tow package. The TT is 32' hitch to bumper. Sometimes I wish I had a 3/4 ton based GM Suburban or Yukon for the extra payload, but I just don't like them as well and everywhere I looked I could get more for my money with the Expedition. The 5.4 V8 has enough power for what I need, but certainly does not have the torque of a bigger V8 or of course a diesel. The 6 speed tranny and HD tow package with the 3.73 gearing makes this vehicle pull well and I do not regret my choice.

Watch closely what you buy, many SUVs or trucks may look the same, but are optioned out differently and towing ability varies a lot. Good luck with your search. BTW, when pulling my TT I get 9 - 11 MPG ... depending on the terrain.

'05 1500 Suburban pulling a '95 Sunnybrook 26 DB. Suburban has the tow package with 3.73 axle. I really like my Suburban, though I wouldn't want any more trailer behind it than I have.

ggoat!!! wrote:
I tow my 2006 75th Anniversary 19ft Airstream Bambi Custom (built by David Winick) with a 2006 Chevrolet SSR 6.0L LS2 400hp/400lbft 6spd manual...

...after tens of thousands of miles with the ability to fly up nearly any hill imaginable, I get 12-14mpg towing in 6th at 70-75mph and my truck actually rides and drives better WITH the trailer using a meticulously set up Husky Centerline hitch.

Very unusual setup, but very sweet looking!

I've towed with 3/4 ton gas and diesels. I've towed with a Tahoe, E350 Ford, and dually diesel. The key has always been and always will be to have sufficient capacity to tow what you got. A properly matched combination is a joy. An improperly matched combination will leave you tired and frustrated at the end of the day.
For what you want right now a 1500 series pickup with the larger motor might be a good combination. A gas motor 3/4 ton would be better.

We have been looking at a Jayco White Hawk UtraLite 26', which weighs 5724# with full tanks. Also a Forest River Surveyor Sport SP264, which weighs 5133# dry; and a Surveyor Cadet 226. We are open to other TTs but that's what we've found where we live.

What we've been looking at to tow with are Expeditions and Sequoias, all 5.7L V8s, with towing hitches but no other special stuff for towing a load.

We started out looking at a Ram Hemi and a Tundra, all no older than 2011. But we realized that whatever we buy will tow maybe 10% of the time and be driven as our car the rest of the time, and we are more comfortable in an SUV than a truck, as nice as these were. My husband is 73 and has no mechanical or automotive knowledge. I'm almost 70. Were we to hit the road full-time or even half-time, we'd probably go for the truck, but for our plans, even anticipating some longer-term trips of a month or so, it seems like overkill when weighed against the daily use aspect. Where we live, we feel that we need a 4WD or AWD, in case it ever snows again (starting to look unlikely, but we are in the foothills of Northern California and really don't want to be forced off the road when it snows because we don't have chains. And we definitely don't want to mess with them. So we'd prefer an AWD.)

Anyway, one dealer says the Tiguan diesel is too small and lightweight to tow 6000#, and our friend vehemently tells us that the dealer is full of it. We're going back and forth - SUV? Truck? Diesel whatever? Tahoe? Sequoia? F150? Expedition? Tundra? We go to Los Angeles four or five times a year and would like to be able to take whatever set-up we buy, but there's the Grapevine to consider, a long steep segment that crosses the Tehachapi Range. And an SUV is more useful for us than a truck.

There's a huge amount of information we should know, and we're willing to try to learn it, but it gets very confusing when we're getting advice that's diametrically oppositional. We just don't know whom to believe.