Help choosing tow vehicle

[COmountains]

Well tow vehicle type really. I'll apologize in advanced for the newbie questions. Wife and I have always tent camped but with the arrival of two little guys the past two years we started thinking about popups. Long story short we impulse bought one from our neighbor.

Stats:
2400 lbs dry
3400 lbs GVWR

Guessing about 400 lbs for water, batteries, propane. Maybe somewhere in the 3000 to 3200 range loaded.

Now I've never towed **** in my life so I started going down the Honda Pilot route. Naturally you focus only on towing capacity (5000 lbs). Problem is that we live in and will be driving this thing all over CO so in the 5k ft to 10k ft range. All the fine print I read has the GVWR and GCWR derate to the point where I'm pretty darn close to the limit.

So then bump up a level to small trucks. The Tacoma/Ranger line of trucks. Everything looks good there. Still a bit light in the GVWR department but turns out it doesn't matter cause the child seats are a bit of a no go in those cabs.

That bumps me up to the Tundra/F150/etc line. More power than we need but with the large cabs, the family can practically play a basketball game in the backseat.

So I feel stuck between not quite enough of a tow vehicle and under powered in the Pilot, but almost too much truck in a Tundra/F150. (too much being a waste of money, mpg, etc when it's not towing).

Just curious what some more experienced towers think about the situation. Can I get away with the Pilot in the CO mountains without while knuckling? Or if I really want stress free, do I need to put on my big boy pants and get a half ton for a little PuP?

Thanks for reading and thanks for any insight.

[BenK]

Found time to look up Jeremiah’s post that think would work better for the OP...since the OP and advisors leaning towards full sized pickups...My recommendation is to look at full sized SUV’s in light of the kid seats...and...that they will grow quickly

jerem0621 wrote:
There are many other factors at play than just wheelbase. It does help, wheelbase, but there is more to it than that.

My 2011 Tahoe, 6 speed Transmission, 10 Ply LT tires, large trans cooler, 3.08 gears, 31 ft Travel Trailer weighing 7,200 ish lbs.

Tows like it’s on rails behind my Tahoe, the same vehicle that many people discourage others from towing with. Trans temp stays about 180 degrees while towing.

And, my previous TT was pulled with The Godfather of TV, a CC, LB, Dually so this isn’t some newb trying things out. I love pulling trailers and this is my favorite TV I have ever owned.

Thousands of trouble free miles over several different vehicles, it’s all in the set up. All of it. Not just one piece of it.





Hitch Hints Article

Thanks and JMHO based on experience.

Jeremiah

[Grit_dog]

Just get a 1 ton dually turbodiesel and be done with it! Lol

[APT]

I highly recommend something with forced induction which has both more torque at lower engine speeds (<3000rpm) as well as losing less power at higher altitudes. The 2.7L Ford Ecoboost would be great, but so would something smaller if you do not want a full sized pickup. Some of the mid-sized SUVs with turbocharged 4-cly would work well, like Subaru Ascent.

[bikendan]

JIMNLIN wrote:



Ram 1500 comes with a 3.0 v6 ecoboost engine thats advertised at 32 mpg hiway miles.
One rv website member has one he uses in his transport business delivering Airstream TTs. Hes always praising it for good mpg towing/empty and good reliability. His truck has lots on miles on the odo.

WHAT! Ram 1500 v-6 ECOBOOST engine???:h

[Grit_dog]

Don’t forget the Silverado’s turbo 4 banger. Great numbers out of a tiny engine!

[packpe89]

Agree with others, you'll want a turbo. F150 is great, another option would be the GM Canyon/Colorado twins, which you can get with a turbo Diesel or Ram or GM half-ton diesels, great mileage. You'll like the diesel when you fill up at the truck stop and don't have to fight the cars.

[Sjm9911]

Some of the pups can't use wdh. Same with some of the TV. Best to check first. If it has a c shape frame, do not use one. It is not strong enough. You will not need it if you get a full size truck. You can always add the small friction sway bar. Just make sure you get a hitch thats compatible, if you dont you can always modify it. Your pup should have breaks if it was after 2000. I think colman had thwm on every model after that year. And yes you will need them. Check your tires on the pup also, look at the dates. Some of the pups had bad designs and needed the friction sway bar. Most dealers installed them. See if you have a ball on the toung side of the camper, it may allrwady be set up for the friction bar.

[JIMNLIN]

So I feel stuck between not quite enough of a tow vehicle and under powered in the Pilot, but almost too much truck in a Tundra/F150. (too much being a waste of money, mpg, etc when it's not towing).

Just curious what some more experienced towers think about the situation.

Just about everyone that is looking at a RV trailer to pull goes through this regardless of the trailers size (5k or a 10k or a 20k or 25k lbs).

You know about the Pilot so use your own judgement on using it.

Fords F150 has more engine options/towing options than any of the other 1/2 ton size pickups.
Their turbo boosted engines can net in the 20+ mpg when not towing. Living in CO mountains JMO they would be a good pick.

Ram 1500 comes with a 3.0 v6 ecoboost engine thats advertised at 32 mpg hiway miles.
One rv website member has one he uses in his transport business delivering Airstream TTs. Hes always praising it for good mpg towing/empty and good reliability. His truck has lots on miles on the odo.

Don't forget GM Colorado/Canyon trucks sized just smaller than a full size 1/2 ton trucks.

[Durb]

COmountains wrote:
Durb-

Yep, this is a Coleman circa 2003 (but in great shape with lots of aftermarket stuff added).

Even with a half-ton, you think a WDH is still a good thing to have? I was thinking just a friction control sway bar and call it a day*.

*Reminder from my first post that this will be my first time towing anything ever so I have no idea what I'm doing. Been spending all my time researching tow vehicles, haven't gone down the rabbit-hole of hitches yet!

I bought the hitch for the Toyota and it was a Godsend. Didn't need the weight distribution part for the Nissan but used it as anti sway was incorporated. Didn't need the WDH at all if I didn't need to carry water. I'm thinking Coleman installed the water tank behind the axle. I think my model was a Grandview or something like that. It had a slide out dinette which was really convenient. The hitch helped me sell the trailer and I never regretted buying it.

[Grit_dog]

IdaD wrote:

COmountains wrote:

Even with a half-ton, you think a WDH is still a good thing to have? I was thinking just a friction control sway bar and call it a day*.

I'd drop it on a ball and try it out, and I bet that's all you would need to do.

^ This.
I wouldn't even consider a wdh or sway control on anything fullsize or even a midsize solid axle pickup.
Only if you get a SUV or mini Van that won't handle the tongue weight well.

[rexlion]

A friction bar wouldn't hurt. Main thing is, weigh the tongue and the popup when loaded for camping, and make sure you have between 10% and 14% of the total popup weight on the hitch. This is the best way to avoid dangerous sway, and you shouldn't have any as long as hitch weight is proper. I rarely used anything for sway control when towing 16'-27' trailers, but when I had a 23' TT and a short wheelbase (111") SUV once upon a time, that rig definitely felt odd until I added an Equal-i-zer hitch.

[BenK]

Consider a full sized SUV.

Most are based on a pickup and are body on frame

Nephew has a Pilot (based on the Odyssey mini van) and it will do the job, but there will be times of struggle.

Any if the full sized half ton pickups or SUVs would allow for some future upgrades in trailer size...and...for your kids buddies

Search for fellow forum member Jeremiah, he has a setup think you would like

[IdaD]

COmountains wrote:

Even with a half-ton, you think a WDH is still a good thing to have? I was thinking just a friction control sway bar and call it a day*.

I'd drop it on a ball and try it out, and I bet that's all you would need to do.

[COmountains]

Durb-

Yep, this is a Coleman circa 2003 (but in great shape with lots of aftermarket stuff added).

Even with a half-ton, you think a WDH is still a good thing to have? I was thinking just a friction control sway bar and call it a day*.

*Reminder from my first post that this will be my first time towing anything ever so I have no idea what I'm doing. Been spending all my time researching tow vehicles, haven't gone down the rabbit-hole of hitches yet!