3 tow vehicle choices for single long haul tow-need help

[zombojoe]

Hey everybody, I'm new to the site, and need a bit of help. I recently co-inherited a 1966 Airstream with my sister, weighing in at approx 4300 lbs (tandem axle, 26 ft). Long story short, we are giving it to a distant family member as a birthday surprise due to lack of storage on our part, among other things. The problem is we are in B.C, Canada, and the recipient is retired in Florida. This is my first time towing long distance, with most of my limited experience being towing my dad's 16 ft powerboat in city with a Yukon. So far, we have three options for tow vehicles.

option 1: a 2014 Ford Flex 3.5 liter ecoboost, AWD, with factory class 3 tow package,it has all the bells and whistles, trailer sway control, and a 4500 lb capacity- basically brand new with but very close to the max towing capacity.

option 2: a 2003 Toyota Tundra single cab 2WD with a 3.4 liter v6 and 5 speed manual tranny. It has an aftermarket receiver hitch (no tow package), a 2 inch lift, an aftermarket locking rear diff, and apparently a 5000 Lb capacity (has trailer wiring as well).

option 3: get ready for this... a 1976 Chevy Caprice 4 door hardtop. My car guy cousin now owns this and it was the original tow vehicle for the Airstream (if we choose the caprice, he's offered to drive). It has no underside rust, but it hasn't been driven for approx 5 years. It has a factory equipped 7000 lb tow package with rear air (superlift) shocks, a 454 big block, dual exhaust, larger brakes, heavy duty suspension and radiator, tranny or oil cooler (can't remember which) and some other factory tow stuff (posi diff!). It is bone stock except for a general tune up (oil, spark plugs, new tires and brakes, rebuilt carb, etc). He is also in the process of replacing the transmission with a 700R4 overdrive, (the original TH400 was toast). I think he also added aftermarket headers, but I'd have to confirm.
Anyway I'd like to hear some more experienced tow people's thoughts and opinions. I'm sort of conflicted, as the one vehicle that can safely tow the airstream isn't actually running yet and who knows what electrical or mechanical gremlins could pop up during the trip. On the other hand, the Toyota was never meant to tow and there seems to be a very real chance of going over the vehicle weight limit with both it and the Ford. Any help is appriciated

[docnascar]

Great report. Sounds like it was an adventure and at least you made it safely.

Good job finding the nails. At least now I won't get them in my tires. 😉 I hate that!!!

[Fordlover]

Thanks for the report.

[BenK]

Glad it worked out...even after so many potential 'worst trip ever'
path crossing by Mr Murphy... 🙂

It is the whole package that really matters and size is a bigger part
of it...why I own a 8.6K GVWR Suburban

Again, it is the whole package...not just any one factor...like HP and
the go most advise as the most important. Manhandling the setup is
more important IMHO

Happy to hear that your relatives will enjoy that trailer!

[zombojoe]

They loved it. When they originally moved down, they sold theirs because they didn't believe that there would be enough space in the driveway. Then when they got down, they found out that the driveway extended all the way into the backyard, and didn't stop at the side of the house like they thought. They were extremely happy to have another trailer, though this is their first Airstream. I believe they are already planning their first trip. And just to answer a previous question posted, their tow vehicle is an 09 2WD Nissan Armada. 9000 lb tow rating I believe.

[Buzam]

Awesome, thanks for the report. How did your family member you were taking the airstream to like it?

[Lessmore]

Thanks for posting and I'm not surprised.

Interesting story. We used to tow with a '76 Impala (stock 350 V8) and our last long trip with it, was in the mid-90's. We towed across 3 prairie provinces and the Rockies (BC) to Vancouver Island. We then drove it back, towing our trailer across Washington, Idaho, Montana and North Dakota, then up to Canada.

Not one issue....a heat wave where temps hit 109 F (Montana)...well one issue. The cheap dept. store tires we had, needed to be replaced due to their inability to handle the heat.

I think people who dismiss big Chevy rear wheel drive sedans...have never towed with them.

[zombojoe]

Hi everybody, I just flew back from Florida last night, and as promised, here's an overview of how the towing/trip went (sorry, it's a bit long). And it was interesting to say the least...
Okay, so with we left B.C with the airstream hooked up to the Flex, and by using the vehicle's GPS, we planned to cut across the states until we hit Tampa, Florida. The good news- The Flex towed way better than I expected it to. There were four of us (Me, My sister, her boyfriend and their 120 pound Rottweiler-great travel dog) and even with all our luggage in the back, there was still plenty get up and go. The twin turbocharging really helped the acceleration. The trailer was steady,tracked straight, and braking was what I expected for the combo. With my driving, we averaged overall 11.7 mpg.

The Bad news- on the downhill, the trailer was really trying to push the Flex around. You could definitely feel the weight behind the wagon at all times. The mirrors were also smaller than what was needed, and we picked up a pair of cheap, universal clamp-on tow mirrors. The first delay was the disintegration of the left rear tire as we were driving off an off-ramp to a gas station. I quickly pulled over and inspected the tire, worried that it had popped under the weight. A quick search found three nails embedded in the remains. The spare was one of those mini donut types, which you are not allowed to tow with. We wasted half a day getting a new tire put on, but in hindsight, that was mostly on us for not thinking to bring a full sized spare. The next (major) problem happened just outside of Montana. About half an hour beforehand, the air con stopped working. Nothing too big, but then the coolant temp gauge started skyrocketing, followed by the oil temp. I took the next exit and pulled over in a dirt lot across from a gas station, and after five minutes of poking around, I realized that both the primary and secondary fans had stopped working. We had it towed to a small Ford dealership, where they said that this was a semi-common problem and could be fixed under warranty with a module flash (or something) and replacement of the fans. BUT- this was Saturday afternoon, their mechanic bays were closed Sunday, and the fastest they could get us back on the road was late Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning. Soooooo, with that in mind, I bit the bullet and called my cousin (Thank god for family). We left the Flex at the dealership, slept in the airstream overnight, and on Sunday afternoon, after 18 hours of straight driving, the Caprice pulled into view. We used that for the rest of the trip.
The Good news- The ride and seats were sublime, even with the airstream behind it. The engine had been modded (Smog equipment removed, mid-length headers, flowmaster cats, aluminum water pump and double roller timing chain at the moment-stock mufflers at least, so the noise was bearable),and it definitely had more torque than the flex (stock 370, with mods, anywhere from 375 to 385). The Caprice was an anchor compared to the Flex. It was seated in the road and twice I forgot that were were towing a trailer. Braking was about the same as the Flex on flat roads, a little farther on downhills but not by much. Thanks to the old school analog trip/ distance odometer, were were able to track out gas mileage. With my math, we got an average of 11-12 mpg. Also, it was fun listening to Led Zepplin, The Rolling Stones, and The Who on the Caprice's 8 track player.
The Bad news- a few tail and headlights burnt out, as well as a turn indicator. My cousin had brought packets of spare bulbs with him, so no real problem, just annoying. As we were driving through Illinois, we noticed the driver's side front tire was very low, and found yet another nail. We patched it with a kit, replaced it with the spare (full sized, but original from 1976-looked like it had never been used before) and then refilled it at a gas station and re-installed it. We drove through the night and in early morning in Georgia, I noticed that the voltage was low. My cousin and I dropped everybody off to get breakfast, we drove to a wrecking yard, bought a used alternator for 35 bucks, installed it, and drove back before they had even gotten their food. Same with the Flex, the mirrors were also a tad to small. Finally, just as we were in Tampa and were a few blocks away from out destination, the air conditioning belt snapped. Didn't really matter since the air con didn't work anyway, but I though I'd best mention it.
So Overall it was fun, stressful, and interesting. I flew back because I was just too tired to make the trip back again. As for the vehicles, I still like them both. If I had to choose a DD that was also a tow vehicle, I'd go for the Flex. It handled better than the Caprice, but I would not put a trailer weighing anymore than 4000 lb behind it though. It will definitely tow more, but not comfortably. The tire incident was our fault for not bringing a proper spare, and with the cooling fans fixed, I have no doubt that it would be as reliable as anything. Having said that, if I was to choose a vehicle strictly for towing, the Caprice would win hands down. It felt much more solid with the load behind it, the seats felt like couches, it could have easily fit six people and the dog if it wanted to, the truck was large enough for our luggage, my cousin's spare parts and tool box, and the dog food. It had a 26 gallon tank compared to the Flex's 18-19 gallon tank, which made longer stretches of driving possible. The fact that it got the same mileage towing as the Flex did (Flex 11.7 vs 11-12 for the Caprice) really, really surprised me, especially since we had my cousin, his tools, and his luggage with us now, but shows how different vehicles can act under load. Also that the one time we drove through the night, everybody (except me, the driver) slept as if they were in their own beds. No way that would happen in the Flex.
Anyway, here's what happened, hope you enjoy reading and I hope it helps give people insight on tow vehicles. I honestly thought that due to the technology of newer vehicles, the Flex would have been the better of the two, but the Caprice pulled through for us. There might have been more repairs, but they were drop dead simple and cheap to remedy, as well as all age related. The fact that a year old vehicle had such a major cooling problem has made me a little more suspicious of newer vehicles. At least with older ones, you probably have a good idea of what could go wrong.
P.S. I was an idiot and didn't take any pictures of the Caprice or Flex hooked up to the Airstream. I'll check with family members when they get back to see if any of them did. .

[carringb]

Buzam wrote:
Whats the payload on the flex?

From the Google:

1,322 to 1,531 lbs
2015 Ford Flex, Payload

[Buzam]

Plz post a trip report! How many people coming on this journey? Whats the payload on the flex?

[RobertRyan]

Lessmore wrote:
We pulled our trailer...much smaller than the Airstream with out '76 Impala. In 1995 we went across western Canada...over the Rockies and to Vancouver Island. Toured the Island, then went home through Washington, Idaho, Montana and North Dakota, up to Canada. The Impala had the 350 V8 and never burped during the trip.

The big deal is what condition the frame, body powertrain are in. If all is ok, the Caprice would handle it well.

Although two things to consider. Ben indicated that driving far distances with headers can really be hard on the ears. Quite true.

Also as the other poster said...would be wise to check to see how much shipping the Airstream would be. Costs might be comparable.

X2

[Wishin]

Good call on the Flex. Unless you are intimately familiar with the condition of the entire 40 year old Caprice, I'd be nervous as heck to drive it that far unloaded yet alone loaded and towing. The Flex will work just as well or better and should be reliable as well as far quieter and more comfortable. The Toyota does not seem to be an improvement in my eyes.

Good luck.

[zombojoe]

Hey guys (and girls?), thanks for all the great advice. I've looked over everybody's suggestions and talked it over with my sister, and it's been decided that we are going to try out the Ford Flex. We've got a WDH for it, and hopefully it should make the journey trouble free. I'll post back with details after the trip on how it towed. Thanks again for all the info.

[carringb]

BenK wrote:


I'd say if an Explore is rated for WD Hitch Systems, then this
Flex 'might' also be...best to check the manual

Manual says weight distribution is required for max trailer weights

[BenK]

Another item among other items to check...

Just searched to find that the Flex is also a CUV and derived from
the Taurus...or Ford CD3 platform, which was designed by Mazda for
Ford

The latest version of the Flex is the same as the mini van
platform...D4 (Explorer) and still a unibody/monocoque design...if
I read that right


IFS and IRS

Unibody/Monocoque construction

Now ask what the trailer's tongue is and what the Flex manual says
about WD Hitch systems on a unibody/monocoque

I'd say if an Explore is rated for WD Hitch Systems, then this
Flex 'might' also be...best to check the manual