considering upgrading tow vehicle

[Melanie83103]

Hello - We have a small camper - the 16 foot Amerilite, which only weighs 2300 pounds. We are currently towing with our 2011 Nissan Quest minivan (which is a v6).

We have always felt that the minivan is really dragging when we are towing the camper. We only drive about 60 mph, but it still doesn't feel right. We do have a weight distribution hitch and sway bar too.

We are considering trading in the minivan on a smaller V8 SUV, like the Chevy Tahoe. Does anyone have any input on this? We chatted with another couple at a campground recently, and they said that upgrading to a V8 will make a big difference with towing. Anyone know if this is true? We are planning a cross country trip with summer, which would involve some mountain travel, and I'm worried that the minivan won't be able to handle it....

Thanks!!

Melanie

[Road_Ruler]

Road Ruler wrote:

Melanie83103 wrote:
Road Ruler - what speed did you drive towing with your quest? And what gas mileage did you get? Did you ever drive in mountains? It feels like the van is working so hard....

Thanks for the info!

Melanie... We averages 16MPG (Imperial gals) towing the 23'. It was the same since moving to the 3.5 in the car.

Our Quest would cruise all day at 60MPH. Never a problem. We towed up some good sized hills here in Ontario but not out west. It did however tow a 2,200lb pop up through the Rockies.

Your issue is not engine power or capabilites. My thoughts are leading to the performance of your CVT transmission which I have limited knowledge. Sorry.

There are many examples of V6 Mini Vans towing trailers without issues.

[Road_Ruler]

dual post

[APT]

The only report on here I found with a Flex/Explorer with 3.5L Ecoboost is here. However, there are hundreds of reports of much larger/heavier RVs towed by the F-150 with 3.5L Ecoboost on here. Those owners are very pleased with performance.

[wintersun]

Plan on real world gas mileage with the Tahoe of 15-16 MPG combined driving and 75% of that when towing. The problem with towing a standard travel trailer is more that of overcoming air drag than it is dealing with the weight. That is where the popup trailers shine.

But no reason to worry about fuel economy if you buy a 4500 lb. SUV that is going to cost you over $50,000 in total with the purchase price, sales taxe, DMV fees. I cannot see the need for a full size SUV to tow your trailer. At most I would use something like the Toyota 4Runner though even that would be overkill.

I see plenty of people towing Burro/Casita/Scamp travel trailers with mini SUV cars all over the western USA and that includes very mountainous areas.

[eluwak]

A number of folks tow with the 3.5L EB in F150s, and they are very nice (I had one too). The Flex and Explorer will have different gearing, but I would be surprised if they didn't pull well too.

Regarding the speed aspect, I stick to 60-65 when towing depending on conditions. The standard tires are only rated for 65 MPH.

[Melanie83103]

Ok, so if I do make the leap and trade in for a new vehicle, it sounds like the v6 3.5L ecoboost is a good option. Anyone have experience towing with one? How does it do? Also, what speeds are you towing at? I would love to go 65 for our long cross country trips, but have only felt comfortable at 60 with our current setup.

Melanie

[APT]

The Traverse/Acadia/Enclave have similar power to the OP's Quest. It won't change "It feels like the van is working so hard". The only way to change that is significantly more power with a lot more displacement or forced induction.

[Fast_Mopar]

I would agree with Road Ruler. I have towed heavier trailers with our vans and a proper setup is the key. However, if a new vehicle is necessary, the Ford Flex is a great choice. The Chevy Traverse / GMC Acadia / Buick Enclave are also great choices.

[APT]

Every diesel engine sold in the least 15 years has a turbocharger and they tend to last twice as long as naturally aspirated gas engines. Having a turbo or not cannot determine reliability. Ford's Ecoboosts are doing okay as far as owner reported problems, but still only around in F-150s since 2011.

I would not expect any gas engine to use less fuel than you do now at 11mpg. It takes the same amount of energy (fuel) to pull your trailer through the air. A larger profile SUV might take a little more air off the trailer, but that is negligible as they weigh 1500-2000 pounds more than your minivan. The only way to use significantly less fuel is by using a fuel with more energy content. Diesels are your only choice for automobiles. Diesel + 3 rows of seats means a farily old Ford Excursion, GM full sized van, Audi Q7, MB and BMW SUVs that cost far more than any fuel savings compared to an Ecoboost Explorer for example.

What A V8 Tahoe, V8 Durango, or Ecobooost Explorer/Flex will improve over your van is the "It feels like the van is working so hard". Your van does work hard especially climbing hills/mountains. That really is how it is designed. That engine make its peak torque at 4400rpm and peak horsepower at 6000rpm, both around 250 in quantity. A Tahoe V8 makes its peak power at similar engine speeds, but a lot more of both. So at 2500rpm where you may want to keep it, A V8 just makes more power and probably enough too tow a high walled trailer up a hill. The Ecoboost is even better offering more power than a Tahoe V8 and it's peak torque is right where people want tot drive, 2000rpm. Diesels are similar, peak torque 1500-2500rpm where people like to drive.

[carringb]

Any motor, putting out the same power, will use about the same fuel. The efficiency differences with modern moderns is pretty negligible. One huge difference is the 3.5L EcoBoost can pull big trailers up steep hills at much lower RPMs than the equivalent HP V8 motor. The 3.5L EcoBoost actually compares best with the GM 6.2L in power deliver, but compares better with the 5.3L for fuel efficiency.

The problems with the EcoBoost are few and far between, and the most common ones (condensation or carbon build-up) seem to stem from people babying them and never working it like its supposed to be worked. The new diesels have similar issues.

[Melanie83103]

Road Ruler - what speed did you drive towing with your quest? And what gas mileage did you get? Did you ever drive in mountains? It feels like the van is working so hard....

Also, how do I know if the hitch is set up right? We are fairly familiar with towing (we towed a pop up before this, and also a boat) so I think I know how it should be hooked up, but I'm not sure.... the Amerilite dealer set up our sway bar and weight distribution system, and it seems ok...

Thanks for the info!

[Melanie83103]

Thanks for the info. I'm confused by all the options..... do you think the flex or explorer sport with the 3.5 L ecoboost would get me better gas mileage towing? What is the advantage of going with this over a v8 tahoe? My husband says that turbo engines can be less reliable and expensive to fix? Is that true? Thanks for all the info everyone - I'm fairly new to all this. We used to have a pop up camper and I was shocked at how different it was to pull my amerilite that weights almost the same as the pop up - I didnt realize what a difference the higher profile would make!

Melanie

[rexlion]

Horsepower numbers don't lie. Yes, more HP will do the work faster and better. But will use the same amount of fuel (roughly), unless you go with diesel which has more energy per gallon.

I learned the same thing with my 270 HP Toyota Highlander towing a 16' x 7' wide, 2700 lb. KZ Escape. Towing up a long grade at mile high altitude into a headwind, that thing struggled; I had it in 2nd gear at 38-40 mph. And a few times on my trip from OK to Yosemite and back, the transmission temp light came on. I decided, no more of that.

For now I've sold the KZ and purchased a used Aliner popup. But soon I hope to buy a new Jeep Grand Cherokee; besides the options of 3L diesel or a 360 HP V8 Hemi (I'd prefer the latter), the Jeep also has an actual tranny temp readout in degrees rather than a simple idiot light. If they didn't make the Jeep, a Ford Explorer Sport with Ecoboost would be my next choice. Either of those will tow anything I'd want to pull (I like small, maneuverable trailers anyhow so I can go to small, out of the way NF CGs). Sorry, I'm not a GM person so I can't comment directly about those.

[aclay]

I think any truck based SUV will be a huge improvement. We towed for a year using our Yukon XL with a 5.3 towing a Jayco 26BH (~7500lbs). I think you'll see a huge difference. And as others have said, with new engine management systems you'll get better highway mileage. You'll always drop a lot while towing, but I'm going to guess a small V8 towing 3k should get into the mid-teens on the highway.