Favorite 3rd row vehicles to tow.

[bclan6]

Anyone towing a vehicle with 3rd row? Traveling with 6 so I need a small 3rd row.

What 3rd row have you been happy with towing? What's too big for comfort?

[CatchinBluegill]

Rick Jay wrote:

Like rk911 mentioned, you have to know the details for your own specific case. For our rig, we have a GVWR of 22,000 lbs. and a GCWR of 26,000 lbs.. The tow hitch is rated for 5,000 lbs. and the tow bar is rated for 6,500 lbs.


Oh, I also have a 2003 Suzuki XL-7 with a 3rd row seat and 4WD (such models up to 2006 were flat-towable).

~Rick

That's exactly my situation, too. 22K GVWR/26K GCWR. I have a 2009 Odyssey and am probably brave enough to flat-tow it 🙂 but there's that weight thing. I'd prefer a vehicle that weighs under 4000 pounds, and while I have such a 6-passenger vehicle (>= 6 is a requirement for us), it's a Mazda 5 with auto trans, which means dolly towing. An XL-7 would fill the bill nicely; under 4000 pounds, four-down towable, seats more than 6.

My one question is, according to the Motorhome Magazine dingy guides, the tow speed limit is 55 MPH/run engine every 200 miles. I can live with the 200, since I'm likely to take a bio break about that often anyway, but I don't like the 55 thing.

Soooo, while you aren't towing yours, if anyone who four-down tows an XL-7 is reading this and does so at 65, have there been any problems?

Thanks!

[00zx6r]

2nd GEN Dodge Durango weighted 4600- 5100 lbs 4WD with N transfer-case is another option.

[dubdub07]

Whew, people are long winded. 2011 or newer Dodge Durango is a nicely appointed and around 5K and will tow behind with the transfer case AWD option. It is a Grand Cherokee with a Dodge skin. All Jeeps tow amazingly.

WW

[bclan6]

Rick Jay wrote:
What are the size of the people who will be riding in the car? The 3rd row on the smaller 3-row SUVs generally aren't comfortable for adults. Kids, fine. Teens & adults, not so much.

Oh, I also have a 2003 Suzuki XL-7 with a 3rd row seat and 4WD (such models up to 2006 were flat-towable). I bought it for that purpose should we need another option. I really like the car. I never got around to rigging it up to tow for several reasons. But one of them is that after a couple of years, the kids had grown to the point that stuffing them back there would not be pleasant for them. Plus, when that seat is in use, storage space drops almost to nil. The minivan, by comparison, is cavernous and works much better. When we are at a campground and then use the car to go sight-seeing, we often want to take a cooler with beverages, sandwiches, etc. The XL-7 doesn't even have the space for the cooler when the 3rd row seat is in use. So carefully assess how you intend to use the vehicle. Now, if we were planning on going "off road", the XL-7 would be the choice...and we'd just have stuff the kids in and strap a cooler to the roof! LOL But that's just not been our life stylfe.

Good Luck,

~Rick

For some reason, this post wasn't listed under "my forums" so I couldn't find it and thought the post never went through. Sorry to all for the no responses!!

There's 6 of us, including one car seat and one booster seat. My booster seat kiddo can sit in the 3rd row, and even my 10 yr old will fit comfortably too. But I may want a van so I can use toad while at home too. I didn't know any could be towed without getting the lube pump installed so I'm going to look into an Odyssey.

I have no idea how much I weigh loaded up. The only place I can remember someone telling me to go is at the state lines where the truck do he weight check. That's a long haul for me to trek (3 hours one way) to find out though. I'll camping world to see if they do it or know of a local place that does. Our total family weight with pets included is 570lbs.

I want to stay with 4-down so I don't have to store a dolly at campsite or at home. I'm going to get a portable brake system so I can change out the toad whenever I want. I'm going to get magnetic light kit for same reason. It seems most are happy with the convenience of flat-toad vs dolly and that driving is easier with it too. THe dolly weight takes away from the size of vehicle I need anyway.

TBH I don't really want to toad. We're going 3k miles away and wont even use the toad (unless for emergencies) until we get to SD (from FL), where I could get by without having one, then not until ID, where there are NO rental companies nearby. Otherwise I'd save the expense of setting it up until next time.

Sooo, all this said, I need to get the weight check before proceeding! Thanks for responses and sorry again for not knowing this post actually posted!

[OldBlackWater]

We've been towing my wife's 2006 Honda Odyssey with four wheels down for three years. No problems as long as we follow the procedure of starting it and going through the gears every few hours.

[Rick_Jay]

What are the size of the people who will be riding in the car? The 3rd row on the smaller 3-row SUVs generally aren't comfortable for adults. Kids, fine. Teens & adults, not so much.

We tow our 2001 Honda Odyssey. It weighs in at 4,460 lbs., so it works within the weight limits of our motorhome. Honda "allowed" many of their vehicles for flat-towing before 2005. Then they changed their policy. There are those who still continued to tow them, but if you choose to do so, you're taking a bit of a risk.

Before you look, though, you really have to know the weight specs and actual travel weight of the motorhome you're going to use.

Like rk911 mentioned, you have to know the details for your own specific case. For our rig, we have a GVWR of 22,000 lbs. and a GCWR of 26,000 lbs.. The tow hitch is rated for 5,000 lbs. and the tow bar is rated for 6,500 lbs.

If you look at those numbers, you might think: "Easy...I can tow 5,000 lbs. as the hitch is the lowest number." But that's only true IF the motorhome and it's contents weighed less than 21,000 lbs. IF the motorhome weighs in at the GVWR of 22,000 lbs., the maximum amount we can tow would be 4,000 lbs. or else we'd exceed the GCWR spec. For the record, our rig empty weighs about 18,800 lbs. and loaded to travel we're between 21,000-21,500 lbs. So we do flirt with the GCWR when towing the Odyssey. (But we only exceeded it once. Funny story. My mom was travelling with us & the kids for a two week long trip, so we were pretty heavily loaded. My weight ticket showed us at 26,135 lbs. My mom says: "Hey...I weigh 135 lbs.". So....I figure I was one grandma over the limit! LOL I was thinking about having her run along side until I burned 135 gallons of fuel, but figured the long-term repercussions of that decision would be FAR WORSE than running the rig over the GCWR. LOL)

Oh, I also have a 2003 Suzuki XL-7 with a 3rd row seat and 4WD (such models up to 2006 were flat-towable). I bought it for that purpose should we need another option. I really like the car. I never got around to rigging it up to tow for several reasons. But one of them is that after a couple of years, the kids had grown to the point that stuffing them back there would not be pleasant for them. Plus, when that seat is in use, storage space drops almost to nil. The minivan, by comparison, is cavernous and works much better. When we are at a campground and then use the car to go sight-seeing, we often want to take a cooler with beverages, sandwiches, etc. The XL-7 doesn't even have the space for the cooler when the 3rd row seat is in use. So carefully assess how you intend to use the vehicle. Now, if we were planning on going "off road", the XL-7 would be the choice...and we'd just have stuff the kids in and strap a cooler to the roof! LOL But that's just not been our life stylfe.

Good Luck,

~Rick

[atperci]

2014 and earlier Honda Pilots and Odysseys are towable four down. Honda does not sanction this and it will void your warranty. But the drive train in the CR-V, Element, Pilot, and Odyssey (whether 2WD or AWD) are all identical and are designed in such a way that they will be fully lubricated while being towed four down. Do not tow the AWD on a tow dolly and you MUST follow the start-up procedure exactly. There are many RVers that tow these for 10's of thousands miles with no problems. Do a search to find out more.

[gasser9]

I tow a Buick Enclave 4-down full of gas & some junk it weighs 4,600 & my gas class A is rated to tow 5,800, but the hitch is rated at 5,000 I am under these limits. I use an SMI Stay & Play brake system (no noticeable junk in the car & nothing to store). I notice no difference between towing the Enclave VS. my 2004 Saturn Vue, Gas mileage or hills

[rk911]

Grandpere wrote:
Thank you lanerd for pointing out his other post.

Being it is a gasser you are limited to 5000 pounds.

maybe, but maybe less. in general, the maximum amount of weight you can safely tow will be the lesser of the following:

• the GCWR (gross combination weight rating) of the MH minus the actual weight of the MH as it is loaded for travel (includes fuel, fresh water, food, clothing, people, pets, supplies, etc.)

• the weight rating of your tow bar

• the weight rating of your hitch

this is why it's vital to know what your MH weighs...by axle...as it is loaded and configure for travel before choosing a toad.

load the MH as you would for a trip including fuel, water, food, clothing, pets, supplies and people. get individual axle weights and compare them to the GAWR for that axle. if either axle is overweight then either move weight to the other axle or eliminate the weight altogether. you need to check individual axle weights because it is possible to be under the GVWR of the MH even if one axle is overweight. I know 'cuz it happened to us.

you also need to know the gross weight of the vehicle you want to tow including whatever gas you want in the tank and cargo you want to carry while it's being towed. and since you may be using a dolly you must add the weight of the dolly to the weight of the vehicle you want to tow. you didn't say what the GVWR, GCWR or actual weights of the MH and toad are so i'll use the weights of our MH and toad to illustrate my point.

we have a 2000 Itasca Suncruiser 35U that has a GVWR of 20,500-lbs (7000 front, 13,500 rear), a GCWR of 26,000-lbs and an actual weight of 19,300-lbs (6700 front, 12,580 rear). we usually tow a 2010 Jeep Liberty that has a total weight of 4,200-lbs. our hitch is rated at 5,000-lbs and the tow bar at 6,000-lbs.

applying the three tests above gives us these results:

• the GCWR (gross combination weight rating) of the MH minus the actual weight of the MH as it is loaded for travel = 6,700-lbs (26,000 minus 19,300)
• the weight rating of our tow bar = 5,000-lbs
• the weight rating of our hitch = 6,000-lbs

5,000-lbs is the most weight I can safely tow since the hitch has the lowest weight rating. but if I was towing on a dolly that weighed in excess of 800-lbs I couldn't (shouldn't) tow the Liberty as the combined weight of the Jeep and dolly would exceed the weight rating of the hitch.

good luck to you.

[Grandpere]

Thank you lanerd for pointing out his other post.

Being it is a gasser you are limited to 5000 pounds. Towing 4 down is usually 4WD territory, using a tow dolly broadens what you can tow. We have pulled our Sedona to MT and back and various short trips around home on a Master Tow Dolly. Our gasser pulls it just fine and it sits 6 comfortably and 7 in a cramped 3rd seat. We are going to sometime get a 4WD pickup to flat tow and for use around the property. But we will hang on to the tow dolly for those times we need to sit more than the 2 of us so we can still pull the minivan.

We push the 5000 pound window with the van and tow dolly, but it has not proven to be a problem and I do frequent checks of the MH chassis and receiver hitch for signs of a problem.

Anyway, all that said, watch your tow vehicle weight and you can pull most anything in the midsize area like a minivan, ford flex, dodge durango, etc.

[rvten]

Ford Flex. Second and third row seats all fold out of way for more cargo carry also.

[lanerd]

HERE is his other post which gives a little more info.

[ccxnola]

I tow a 2009 Saturn Outlook with the 3rd row seating - which is very seldom used - the 3rd row is down to make more storage space most of the time. But even with the 3rd row up for seating, there is still space for groceries and personal 'stuff'.
So Easy to setup and tow (4 down) - attach towbar & lights, pull one under-hood fuse, put in neutral, ignition key on Aux - that's it and you are away!!!

AND it is a GREAT daily driver as well!!

[Grandpere]

That question is also dependent on what you are towing the toad with. A big DP get a Suburban, a gasser, you may get by with a minivan and a tow dolly. MORE info please.