Which to tow with?

dmbcdn · 10-30-2003, 08:37 PM

What a site!!

I asked this on another area until I came accross this one, sorry about the semi double post.

We are 99% sure we are getting a 78 Excella 31' this weekend. The tow vehicles we have to choose from are:

'03 Ford Winstar

'03 Ford F150 Supercrew 4x4 with 5.4L

We would love to be able to tow with the Windstar because it has a VCR/TV for our 2 children and there would be room for the 2 dogs in the back. A local dealer told us the Windstar would be fine to tow with and have just finished hooking up their 200th Windstar recently. I asked if it was too much weight and they said no, if it is set up right. They offered to let me use a salesman's Windstar and tow a larger Airstream to show me how confident they were in their setups and in the Airstreams towablity.

I am leaning towards the pickup because it just seems like that trailer would overwhelm the van.

Can anyone offer advice or opinions?

Thank you

Don
dmbcdn@rogers.com

Fun-Lovin · 10-30-2003, 09:18 PM

The choice here is quite simple.
The F-150 will have the towing capacity to tow a 31' airstream.
It is unlikely that the winstar will be capable of towing it.

You can always add a camper shell to the F-150.

The 31' airstream will have a gross loaded weight of approx 7500# to 8000#.

Silvertwinkie · 10-31-2003, 06:07 AM

As I read the post, before I even looked, I had figured that you were from Canada.

There are folks in Canada that swear by pulling large RVs with underpowered cars, minivans, etc.........

I have to agree with Fun Loven. Out of the two possible choices, the only correct choice for what you are doing is the F-150.

Could the Windstar move the coach. Sure. Would I put my kids (if I had any) in it at 65 with that monster behind it? Not at all. The only plus is that the Windstar has a TV in it so that the kids would never see the impending doom that would befall them......

The F-150 every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Sorry to be so dramatic....

Eric

sander17 · 10-31-2003, 07:22 AM

Visualize yourself rolling down a steep hill towards a busy intersection with a non-working brake controller. You want BIG brakes, LOTS of rubber, and a strong frame. Always use a truck or big SUV with a heavy trailer.

My 2 cents worth.

qqq · 10-31-2003, 07:30 AM

It's easy & cheap to add a tv/vcr/dvd to the F150.
I would forget the minivan

Hart

Chas · 10-31-2003, 07:34 AM

Oh no, here we go again!

I can see this thread going wacko like the last, "Intrepid Tow Vehicle", anyone?? Seriously, I think there needs to be a towing forum added for the Canadian folks, or some kind of Airstream Forums Intraclub. They seem to be having good results with their choice of tow vehicles so I say more power to them.

I am actually quite jealous of them, wish I could get by with a Windstar or an Intrepid.

Chas

**Chuck** · 10-31-2003, 07:54 AM

Quote:

There are folks in Canada that swear by pulling large RVs with underpowered cars, minivans, etc.........

My theory is that one's attitude can change dramatically when the price of gasoline is $5/gallon.

Silvertwinkie · 10-31-2003, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by chuck

My theory is that one's attitude can change dramatically when the price of gasoline is $5/gallon.

Perhaps, that might make RVing not possible for some folks. I know that if gas went up to $5/gal and I was hell bent on still Airstreamn', then I would just have to pay the $5/gal for the gas guzzler knowing that the $5/gal was money well spent towards my own personal safety.

Gas prices around here were within a few pennies of $2.50 a gallon...what's another $50 a fillup once you break the $30 mark.....I know that I'd have an econobox and my bike handy for local trips where I wasn't towing.

Eric

rluhr · 10-31-2003, 08:17 PM

Poor dmbcdn, he didn't know what an issue he stepped into!

Those of us who have monitored this board for some time know which dealer in Canada he's talking about ... the same dealer that has outfitted over 500 GM front-wheel drive cars to tow RVs in the last decade.

dmbcdn, here's the dynamic you stepped into: on this forum (which is dominated by Americans), it is well-known that you must tow an Airstream with nothing less than a large American-made truck with V8. To do anything else will result in your immediate demise ...

Elsewhere, especially Canada, people are unaware of this, so they do just fine with Ford Winstars, other minivans, and even cars.

-- RL

j54mark · 10-31-2003, 09:21 PM

RL,

Don does not ask about towing just any trailer with his Winstar. He wants to tow a 31 foot Excella. It is entirely possible that your 17' Caravel could be towed by a Winstar, but he is asking about the biggest, heaviest trailer made in the 70's, and he wants to load it and his tow vehicle down with enough stuff for his two kids and two dogs.

Let's assume for the sake of arguement that the Winstar in question came with the factory towing package, and therefore has the 3500 lb. towing limit, rather than the stock 2,000lbs. We will also assume the 120" wheelbase is not going to be overwhelmed by such a long, heavy trailer - one that is over three times longer than the Winstar wheelbase. Let's further assume that the trailer brakes and controller will always fuction to maximum capacity and the Winstar will never need its little disks and meager drums to stop anything more than its own weight plus that of its occupants. Let us also assume that Don has no concern about the possible liability of towing a load that is, at a minimum, a ton-and-a half greater than the maximium allowed by the manufacturer.

If you will grant all those assumptions, then it will still be necessary for Don to negotiate a truckload bulk purchase rate on new transmissions as he will be burning them up as fast as he can put them in.

All this, and meanwhile he has a perfectly good F150 sitting in the drive!

Mark

thenewkid64 · 11-01-2003, 06:19 AM

Use the F150.

We origianlly had a 74 Overlander and towed it with a '94 5.0 L F150. It did fine and we had fun. We decided to upgrade to a 77 31 ft Soverign. The 5.0 would pull it but going up hills all I kept hearing in my head was "I think I can , I think I can". Stopping/turning/etc. was not an issue, I just could not get out of my own way sometimes. Long trips were not fun

I traded for a new '95 F150 with the 5.8? (351 CDI, 190 HP). It was so much more power that the hills were not an issue.

As I, and many others on the forum, have said before regarding towing wth an undersized tow vehicle:

Can you do it : Yes

Should you do it : NO

Not just because we all love our big trucks, but because we want to encourage safety, and for all to have a pleasant experience Airstreaming, not broke down or wrecked.

rluhr · 11-01-2003, 11:45 AM

You guys are arguing with the wrong guy. Talk to the Canadians who already tow with combinations like this.

My point is that they are obviously doing something that works, and it's in our best interests to figure out what. Simply slamming them out of hand isn't productive. Whether we think it "should" be done is not the issue -- they ARE doing it and they seem to be:

(a) having fun
(b) getting where they need to go
(c) arriving safely (I haven't heard of any flaming brake failures)
(d) having no unusual maintenance problems.

So, what are they doing right?

-- RL

PS: thenewkid64, can I assume that "190 hp" for the 5.8 liter engine was a typo? Many a V6 car outproduces that.

thenewkid64 · 11-01-2003, 03:32 PM

Typo,

The 95 5.8 had 240 HP @4000 RPM, 340FTLBS Torque at 3200 RPM.

But a 2001 Winstar 3.8L Horsepower: 200 @ 4900rpm, Torque: 240 @ 3600rpm

Just for camparison, I PERSONALLY would not want to try to tow an Excella with the winstar based on that comparision alone.

ipso_facto · 11-07-2003, 03:47 PM

All I can say is, don't be penny wise and pound foolish - I fall into that trap sometimes. Though luckily, not with towing vehicles.