towing with family

[roned2b]

Hi
My question is probably one everyone has heard or asked in some form or another
I have a 2007 Cherokee 27q 6600# trailer, I have a 2014 Ram 1500 w/the hemi, with equal-I-zer w/d hitch and airlift airbags in the rear springs (coil) it seems to pull it fine but now I've got another dilemma
My daughter and grandkids want to take a trip with my wife & I they have a Nissan Armada 2005 and its tow rating is 11000#
Does anyone have any thoughts or experience using this type of suv for a trailer in my weight range my thought is to have them follow in a car but my wife & daughter thinks its crazy to use 2 vehicles
thanks
Ron

[Grit_dog]

Omg. You're going to die if you try this! Stop what you're doing right now and go buy a 5500 Dooley!
Don't see much diff between your half ton and the Armadilla.
No you're not crazy but actually I'd rather tow with my own vehicle unless I knew the other vehicle well.
Btw, talking 20, 200 or 2000 mi trip?

[APT]

It takes me a couple hours to set up my WDH. You are considering doing this twice. That alone doesn't seem worth the time vs. just taking two vehicles. Do they have a brake controller already? If your TT is 6600 pounds dry, that's likely right at the Aamada's 900-ish pound receiver limit. The tow rating if they have the big tow package is right around 9000 pounds. Payload will likely be the problem.

[phil-l]

Some quick checking indicates that the 2005 Armada towing capacity is more like 9000 (depending on specific equipment; requires optional tow package; check your vehicle). More problematic: It looks like it has a payload capacity of 1693 pounds (according to Edmunds; check your vehicle's details). By the time for you account for the trailer's tongue weight (could be 900+ pounds for a properly-balanced 6600 pound trailer), you'll rapidly run out of cargo capacity as you add passengers and cargo to the Armada.

While I couldn't verify this, it looks like the 2005 Nissan Armada has a rear axle rating of 4200 pounds; the Armada has a curb weight of about 5500 pounds. It's surprising how quickly you reach the axle limit figure when towing with family on board.

For reference, I recently faced a similar problem with a family of 5 and looking to upgrade our camping equipment. We opted for a 2005 Suburban 2500 (5500 pound rear axle; 2527 pound payload; 7600 pound towing capacity, a realistically usable figure even with family on board).

[dodge_guy]

oakbowery wrote:
Here's my TT with wife's Armada...


As previously mentioned, after towing TT home from the lot with the Armada I bought the Dodge 2500 in the below image...


I pulled our TT with only me in the Armada and the TT was completely empty (not even sewer hoses, bed linens, etc.) I felt that the unloaded tongue weight was too much even with the Armada's air bags. The Armada looked perfectly level due to the air bags, but driving it told another story. It had "P" rated tires so I'm sure I could have helped it with "E" tires, but I felt the dodge was the safer bet. Now I just leave the dodge hooked to the camper 100% of the time. It's always loaded and ready to roll.

HOLY Carp!!!!! I would've never considered the armada for that trailer! No doubt you switch out after the tow home. I'm towing a 7100lb empty (9100lb) loaded trailer with my Excursion. It's a handful for the X.

[intheburbs]

Check your numbers. No way, no how, not ever does an Armada have an 11,000-lb tow rating.

[oakbowery]

Here's my TT with wife's Armada...


As previously mentioned, after towing TT home from the lot with the Armada I bought the Dodge 2500 in the below image...


I pulled our TT with only me in the Armada and the TT was completely empty (not even sewer hoses, bed linens, etc.) I felt that the unloaded tongue weight was too much even with the Armada's air bags. The Armada looked perfectly level due to the air bags, but driving it told another story. It had "P" rated tires so I'm sure I could have helped it with "E" tires, but I felt the dodge was the safer bet. Now I just leave the dodge hooked to the camper 100% of the time. It's always loaded and ready to roll.

[oakbowery]

Check that 11,000 tow rating. My wife has a 2006 Armada with the tow package and the max trailer weight is 9100 if I remember correctly. 11,000 doesn't sound correct. I towed our 7700 lb unloaded travel trailer home from the lot with it. The engine did okay but the tongue weight was too much and caused the rear end to be spongy. I don't recommend loading the armada down and pulling a trailer in the 7000 lb range. I've personally been there and didn't feel comfortable.

[Campfire_Time]

DownTheAvenue wrote:
and probably has "P" rated tires which will increase sway dramatically.

Nope not true. The "P" rated tires on today's SUVs and trucks are not the same ones on your family sedan like they would have been 20 years ago. The SUV/truck "P" tires have stiffer sidewalls and can take a greater PSI. Mine can go up to 51 psi and it tows beautifully. I run my backs at 45 when towing.

[RedJeep]

If you try it, be careful not to put too much weight in back of the trailer. My experience with long TTs is that tongue weight that is too light can cause dangerous handling issues.

Test drive the setup. See how it works. If you're doing any mountain or hill driving test how it behaves while braking on a downhill curve.

[cw2006]

My Suburban(+family +fuel) and similar 6500# trailer top over 12000# combined weight.

The only way to know for sure is to take it all to the scales and see, but probably simplest just to take two cars.

[BurbMan]

This guy was pulling a 35' TT with his Armada until he traded for a F-350 diesel.
BUT his trailer was a lot longer and heavier (8500# dry), and he says the Armada did a respectable job towing it, but he traded because he was down to his last ounce of ratings. So with your size/weight TT you might be OK with the Armada.

Of course that means installing a brake controller in the Armada, getting proper mirrors, etc....

If this is the first time taking DD and the kids, maybe worth going somewhere close to home where they can follow easily in the Armada and see how the family camping thing works out with the TT before investing in tow gear for the Armada.

[DownTheAvenue]

TAKE TWO VEHICLES. TAKE TWO VEHICLES. TAKE TWO VEHICLES. Just in case I wasn't clear, take two vehicles. That Nissan is a marginal two vehicle for your trailer, and probably has "P" rated tires which will increase sway dramatically. It will probably be overloaded with everyone and everything stuffed inside. You will have to equip the Nissan for towing, too.

[Campfire_Time]

It'll work fine, but watch the payload. Daughter, kids, and their stuff along with the tongue weight might push you over the payload.

It may be "crazy" to take 2 vehicles, but I think this idea is crazier. Personally I wouldn't want the hassles of setting the WD hitch up for a different vehicle for one trip. Not to mention putting in a brake controller if it doesn't have one built in, which I don't think the Armada has. And if your RAM has a built in controller, that means you'd have to buy one for the Armada.

[donn0128]

Take two vehicles. Pileing everyone into ove vehicle would possibly overload any of the vehicles you hitched up to.