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Sub tow vehicle

Saint_Augustine
Explorer
Explorer
I want to tow a trailer of about 4200 lbs. please suggest the smallest Suv that would be suitable.
21 REPLIES 21

camp-n-family
Explorer
Explorer
Your actual weights will exceed 5k lbs which puts any of the midsize V6 SUVs out of the picture. You don't mention if you want a new or used vehicle but it needs to be a full size V8 to get a tow rating and payload that you'll need. Take your pick;
Dodge Durango
Jeep Grand Cherokee
VW Toureg
Toyota Sequoia
Toyota V8 4Runner (no longer made new)
Chev Tahoe/ GMC Yukon
Nissan Armada
Ford Expedition
Any 1/2 ton truck
'17 Ram 2500 Crewcab Laramie CTD
'13 Keystone Bullet Premier 310BHPR
Hitched by Hensley

bikendan
Explorer
Explorer
Looking at the 2109S specs, the actual tongue weight will easily be over 500lbs, after just adding battery weight and propane.
That's before you add the weight of cargo and water in the trailer.

I don't know of any v-6 SUV that can handle more than 500lbs tongue weight.
Dan- Firefighter, Retired:C, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur:W, Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever(RIP:(), 2014 Ford F150 3.5 EcoboostMax Tow pkg, 2016 PrimeTime TracerAIR 255 w/4pt Equalizer and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes

APT
Explorer
Explorer
Very few mid sized SUVs have the receiver limits to support 600 pounds of loaded TW. If that is 4200 pounds dry, then your TW will be closer to 700 pounds loaded up. That leaves you at Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Durango, and some expensive imports. Meanwhile, any of the full size half tons would do very well with 5000 pounds loaded.
A & A parents of DD 2005, DS1 2007, DS2 2009
2011 Suburban 2500 6.0L 3.73 pulling 2011 Heartland North Trail 28BRS
2017 Subaru Outback 3.6R
2x 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV (Gray and Black Twins)

bikendan
Explorer
Explorer
Saint Augustine wrote:
bikendan wrote:
Saint Augustine wrote:
I'm going with brochure rate and adding a a couple of hundred pounds for loading. I'm looking at the 21 ft. Line that Forest River has. The line with the slides. Just beginning my search. Thanks for responses so far.


You still haven't told us which spec is the 4200 number.

Is it the fictional brochure/website dry weight or the GVWR number?

And what is the dry hitch weight? That's the number that most SUVs will have issues with.


Base/dry unit weight of rock wood mini lite 2109s, a unit we are looking at is 4091.


well then, my Rockwood had the same brochure/website Base/dry weight.

when it arrived from the factory, its actual weight was 4471lbs.
loaded for camping, for two of us, it is a minimum of 5000lbs.

so figure you'll need a v-8 SUV.
Dan- Firefighter, Retired:C, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur:W, Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever(RIP:(), 2014 Ford F150 3.5 EcoboostMax Tow pkg, 2016 PrimeTime TracerAIR 255 w/4pt Equalizer and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes

wanderingbob
Explorer II
Explorer II
The longer the wheelbase on the TV the better !

Saint_Augustine
Explorer
Explorer
Bumpyroad wrote:
Saint Augustine wrote:
Sorry about vagueness. we do not have the trailer or the tow vehicle. We want to match. Basically we ant a TT about 21 ft that can sleep two comfortably without making the couch one bed and the dinette another. We want to sleep together in a bed that stays a bed. We want to shower comfortably. We had two Pleasure Ways but the showers were not usable in our opinion. We have been into RVing a long time and have never "both" been satisfied with the same unit. This time we want to try harder to get it right. Any suggestions are appreciated.
Bob


my Ascend 17 RD meets your needs and was 3500 or so dry. the 19 footer would be a little more liveable.
bumpy

Will check it out. Thanks.

Saint_Augustine
Explorer
Explorer
bikendan wrote:
Saint Augustine wrote:
I'm going with brochure rate and adding a a couple of hundred pounds for loading. I'm looking at the 21 ft. Line that Forest River has. The line with the slides. Just beginning my search. Thanks for responses so far.


You still haven't told us which spec is the 4200 number.

Is it the fictional brochure/website dry weight or the GVWR number?

And what is the dry hitch weight? That's the number that most SUVs will have issues with.


Base/dry unit weight of rock wood mini lite 2109s, a unit we are looking at is 4091.

rexlion
Explorer
Explorer
I looked up the Flagstaff Micro Lite 21FBRS as a sampling, and dry weight is 4037 lbs. So I am going to speculate that most likely you are giving us a dry weight. Adding 200 lbs is unrealistic; you have to figure in some water (8.3 lbs per gallon), LP, battery, clothing, pots & pans, towels, and more. Better to assume that a similar weight TT would be north of 5000 lbs when loaded.

And then you have to consider hitch weight. The aforementioned Flagstaff lists 437 lbs dry hitch, which will likely be 650-700 lbs when ready to camp.

A Jeep Grand Cherokee (diesel or V8, not V6), Dodge Durango or similar size SUV would be the minimum TV I'd want. Make sure the hitch will take at least 700 lbs, but preferably more.
Mike G.
Liberty is meaningless where the right to utter one's thoughts and opinions has ceased to exist. That, of all rights, is the dread of tyrants. --Frederick Douglass
photo: Yosemite Valley view from Taft Point

bikendan
Explorer
Explorer
Saint Augustine wrote:
I'm going with brochure rate and adding a a couple of hundred pounds for loading. I'm looking at the 21 ft. Line that Forest River has. The line with the slides. Just beginning my search. Thanks for responses so far.


You still haven't told us which spec is the 4200 number.

Is it the fictional brochure/website dry weight or the GVWR number?

And what is the dry hitch weight? That's the number that most SUVs will have issues with.
Dan- Firefighter, Retired:C, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur:W, Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever(RIP:(), 2014 Ford F150 3.5 EcoboostMax Tow pkg, 2016 PrimeTime TracerAIR 255 w/4pt Equalizer and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes

Bumpyroad
Explorer
Explorer
Saint Augustine wrote:
Sorry about vagueness. we do not have the trailer or the tow vehicle. We want to match. Basically we ant a TT about 21 ft that can sleep two comfortably without making the couch one bed and the dinette another. We want to sleep together in a bed that stays a bed. We want to shower comfortably. We had two Pleasure Ways but the showers were not usable in our opinion. We have been into RVing a long time and have never "both" been satisfied with the same unit. This time we want to try harder to get it right. Any suggestions are appreciated.
Bob


my Ascend 17 RD meets your needs and was 3500 or so dry. the 19 footer would be a little more liveable.
bumpy

Terryallan
Explorer II
Explorer II
Saint Augustine wrote:
I'm going with brochure rate and adding a a couple of hundred pounds for loading. I'm looking at the 21 ft. Line that Forest River has. The line with the slides. Just beginning my search. Thanks for responses so far.


If that is the dry weight. A Expedition, or Burb is the minimum TV you will need. Both are good to over 8000lb IF properly equipped.
Terry & Shay
Coachman Apex 288BH.
2013 F150 XLT Off Road
5.0, 3.73
Lazy Campers

Saint_Augustine
Explorer
Explorer
Sorry about vagueness. we do not have the trailer or the tow vehicle. We want to match. Basically we ant a TT about 21 ft that can sleep two comfortably without making the couch one bed and the dinette another. We want to sleep together in a bed that stays a bed. We want to shower comfortably. We had two Pleasure Ways but the showers were not usable in our opinion. We have been into RVing a long time and have never "both" been satisfied with the same unit. This time we want to try harder to get it right. Any suggestions are appreciated.
Bob

Grit_dog
Navigator
Navigator
If 4200 is gvw of the trailer and you're towing mostly in the flatlands then many capable mid size SUVs. Jeep GC, 4 runner, Durango etc.
Suspect you're quoting "dry weight" which is notoriuosly understated or misleading. In which case, the vehicles above would be BARE minimum I'd consider and Tahoe/Expedition would be much better suited.
You need to be more specific though. Your question was about as vague as they get and responses will vary from Highlander to 2500 Suburban for reccomendations.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5โ€ turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

Saint_Augustine
Explorer
Explorer
I'm going with brochure rate and adding a a couple of hundred pounds for loading. I'm looking at the 21 ft. Line that Forest River has. The line with the slides. Just beginning my search. Thanks for responses so far.