What size truck or SUV is best?

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by barbara4rb

My friend owns a hair salon. She learned that there are three things you never discuss with a customer 1) politics, 2) religion, 3)sex.

These Tow Vehicle posts sometimes break 1 or 2 of the BS Rules as opinions can be very strong. Having said that, I'll jump right in with my 2 cents.

We have towed our 21' (5000# loaded) with the F250 5.4 Triton V8 many thousands of miles. We've been on 6% grades up and down, in horrible winds, and heavy rain storms. We've never lacked for power, changed lanes without meaning to, or had the tail wag the dog. This piece of mind is well worth the 10-12 mpg. Yes, the F250 is a driveway ornament for a good part of the year, but that's OK. It gives the neighbor's cat somewhere to sit and keep an eye on the 'hood.

The best thing about this thread so far is the subtle contraction of "Beauty Shop Rules" to "BS Rules."

[dkottum]

Don't get too relaxed with the F250. The only Airstreamer I have known personally that lost truck and trailer together in a rollover from gusting winds here in Arizona three years ago was driving an F250 diesel.

doug k

[REDNAX]

Spec the trailer first and spec the tow vehicle with the trailer in mind. And any future trailers as it is not at all uncommon to change trailers a few times over a few years. Most often a bit larger.

But it makes no sense to spec a TV [tow vehicle] that is unsuitable for duty the rest of the year. A/S designed their trailers to be easily towed, by cars, not trucks. One may not wish to tow a 31' or 34' with a minivan or sedan with larger brakes, better suspension, etc, over those cars of yesteryear, but the size of the TV has little to do with TV ability. We've gone over this many times in many threads. (ref: CAN AM RV posts/threads/pics). Proper match of TV to TT via some analysis and best hitch rigging makes the difference.

Perhaps the easiest place to start is in the use of the TT: 5k miles annually, or two-three weeks of use? Full-timers doing 15k annually over a half-year or better? Working? Retired? Low annual miles on the TV? Etc.

A trailer is a wonderful thing to have and use, so the TV ought to be well-suited. Larger is not always better, nor is the choice of a pickup truck itself better. Plenty of examples to this end with decades of experience backing it.

More info from the OP would be of help as there are many referential posts and threads to help in the decisions.

.

[starcraft]

How does wind push them over? I have smallest AS you can get. Now a 30 footer I would understand, there is video of Mercedes diesel 3.0 pulling 31 footer on Youtube looks funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD00Z92ON-k

[barbara4rb]

Nice video. Thanks for posting it.

When we drove back home in June (Flagstaff to ABQ), we had the crazy winds, mainly cross, some tail. We knew the wind was blowing by the trees, etc, but didn't feel it in the truck. Like the guy said in the video, we discovered just how windy it was when we stopped for gas. HOLY COW!

With the 21' Sovereign (~4800#), and F250 (~6200+) I'm sure the heavier TV helps to anchor the entire rig.

[SARGE/AF]

Originally Posted by dkottum

Don't get too relaxed with the F250. The only Airstreamer I have known personally that lost truck and trailer together in a rollover from gusting winds here in Arizona three years ago was driving an F250 diesel.
doug k

If it is the same one that I read about and you look back you will find that the cross wind was over 60 mph and he over corrected which caused the rollover. And there was nothing he could have done to stop it according to the State police reports as it pushed the entire vehicle not just the trailer.
In most cases of roll overs they are a result of either an underweight TV or lack of driver experience that causes it.
Just because something can pull something does not mean it is safe!!

[SARGE/AF]

Originally Posted by REDNAX

Spec the trailer first and spec the tow vehicle with the trailer in mind. And any future trailers as it is not at all uncommon to change trailers a few times over a few years. Most often a bit larger.

>>Oh you are so correct and dead on with the above comment..<<

But it makes no sense to spec a TV [tow vehicle] that is unsuitable for duty the rest of the year. A/S designed their trailers to be easily towed, by cars, not trucks. One may not wish to tow a 31' or 34' with a minivan or sedan with larger brakes, better suspension, etc, over those cars of yesteryear.

>>May I add to this conmment that most people when they refer to cars of yesteryear towing campers they dont take into account that cars of that era where made of steal and weighed as much as 1/2 ton trucks and some 3/4 ton trucks do now and had full frames bumper to bumper. This goes to the counter weight issue.<<<

but the size of the TV has little to do with TV ability.

>>Correct ability but does have to do with stability and towing counter weight.<<

[SARGE/AF]

Originally Posted by starcraft

How does wind push them over? I have smallest AS you can get. Now a 30 footer I would understand, there is video of Mercedes diesel 3.0 pulling 31 footer on Youtube looks funny.

Great video, you pointed out the one thing that most does not take into account and that is aerodynamics. The AS will not catch the wind like a flat sided trailer will even with proper hitching, But this also applies to the tow vehicle as well, you was in a 30 mph constant wind, it changes dramastically when it is sudden gusts and if the wind happens to be stronger than 30, more like 50 and above. The heavier tow vehicle will always handle better than a lighter one because of the weight.
I know because I drove truck for 21 plus years with over 1.5 million miles and have drove and towed everything from 1 ton hotshots to oversize loads and except for moble homes.
Weight and areo dynamics play a major role in safety.

[Inland RV Center, In]

A 1/2 ton truck, properly equipped will pull anything Airstream has ever made.

The key is "properly".

A good size transmission oil cooler is a must.

8 ply tires for the TV.

Spare fuel tank never hurts.

A good rear end ratio can help depending on the kind of traveling a person wants to do.

A proper rated, properly installed and properly adjusted load equalizing hitch, with sway control.

The only thing excessive rated hitches do is transfer more road shock to the trailer, which in time, causes damage to the trailer.

Jazzing a 1/2 truck up with a nice shell to cover the bed also works wonders in keeping those "extra" things safe and secure.

But then, a person must also consider what percentage of miles will be towing.

The higher the towing mileage percentage, the more attention needs to paid to "how" the tow vehicle is equipped.

Some owners tow a very small number of miles, yet spend a fortune and a half on a TV that will never pay for itself.

Andy

[mefly2]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

Some owners tow a very small number of miles, yet spend a fortune and a half on a TV that will never pay for itself.

Andy

That begs the rhetorical question ... which TVs will pay for themselves? LOL ... $$$ lost as soon as you drive the TV - new or used - off the lot... unless it is some kind of collectible or low production model ... just another $.02 ...

[Road Ruler]

Originally Posted by SARGE/AF

A/S designed their trailers to be easily towed, by cars, not trucks. size of the TV has little to do with TV ability.

So much truth here. Generally speaking the pickup/large SUV's work but have many short comings. Not so good aerodynamics that interact negatively with the bullet shape of the Airstream. High centre of gravity. Low tech suspension. It seems folks take the heavy weight of the pickups as the saving grace but many will debate whether heavy vehicles towing an Airstream is a blessing or a handicap. Varied opinions for sure on this subject.

[REDNAX]

"Weight" is not an advantage to either TT or TV. It's only relative to shape and suspension as they count for more, as does ground clearance and center-of-gravity. One can consult charts about weight and wind speed for blow-over, but they themselves do not account for these other factors. Vehicle stability is a product of a number of factors.

I was always happy to have been driving a flatbed versus a box van crossing the Great Plains, especially in those stretches of Wyoming where blowovers were common. I could weigh less or more, but the comparative dimunition of sail area and lack of squared edges that didn't trap the wind that it piled up against the trailer increasing the pressure was always a relief.

In re what size truck or SUV one can have one's choice. But some choices are better than others, which, as Andy notes, have to do with the miles accummulated in solo driving as well.

.

[keithgrowe]

I'm using a 2006 f150 to pull a 29' TT. It's well within the tow rage of the truck, but it feels like the truck has no power when towing. Still a newbie towing, so this might be normal....

[SARGE/AF]

Originally Posted by keithgrowe

I'm using a 2006 f150 to pull a 29' TT. It's well within the tow rage of the truck, but it feels like the truck has no power when towing. Still a newbie towing, so this might be normal....

Keith, you are at the upper end of the towing limits on that particular year depending on the engine you have in it. If it is the 3.8, then it will feel like that, some 4.0's will also feel the same. One thing you can do is to open up the exaust with a thrush muffler, or glass pak, the other is to switch the air induction from filter to ram air so it can breath, such as with and what most everyone uses is K&N. This will gain you a little more power.