Searching for the perfect tow vehicle that is NOT a truck or mom van/SUV!

[moxie t. moto]

different strokes for different folks. 2014 gmc sierra 5.3 6 speed auto camper top 23 ft. 2013 cornor bdrm. 12-13 hwy.. 19 -21 around town. gmc everyday drivearound vehicle. love it.

[andreasduess]

Originally Posted by Iowa Bumpa

I have pulled 5th wheels & travel trailers 40,000+ miles per year since 1992. One year, I had a brand new F-350 Crewcab diesel and put 48,000 miles on in only 9 months. I have seen it all in the past 22 years, literally. I started out with an old Aljo 35' and pulled it with a 1990 F-350. Pokey it was, but no problem stopping it. And that is my point, here. You can pull an Airstream with anything. But try stopping it in an emergency with some of your toy cars and SUV's? As a highway patrolman once told me, "if people would only think about protecting themselves in the worst situation possible, they would never, ever consider pulling their trailers with what they do." I pull a 25' Airstream with a F-350 Ford Crew-cab diesel 4 wheel drive with a 8' box, topper, a hand-built slide-in tool box with 2 slide out 6 to 7' drawers, a 4 piece platform cover cut to fit the box, carpeted. I carry a Honda EU3000is fastened at the rear of the platform, but inside the rear topper door. I have never had an accident in over 800,000 miles, but have had incidents where I had to stop really quickly! I cannot imagine keeping that trailer under control pulling it with an SUV. Sorry, my two cents. Would a F-250 work? Sure. Would a F-150 work? Sure. It's your choice. I can only tell you what my expectations are. If my wife and I have our 5 grandkids with us and an emergency stop comes up, I know our protection level is more with what I use. What if we rolled over? What if? What if? Prepare for the worst - expect the best! Merry Christmas. Iowa Bumpa

Assuming that bigger somehow automatically means safer is a mistake. If anything, the opposite can easily be true.

First, if your trailer doesn't stop itself, then you've got a problem with your setup, a problem that needs immediate attention. This is true regardless of the size of your tow vehicle.

Second, a bigger truck does not come with extra stopping power built in, in fact the opposite is often the case. In real world tests, the larger trucks often have a significantly longer stopping distance than their smaller cousins or SUV/vans with a lower centre of gravity, a wider wheel stance and independent suspension.

This is especially true for older heavy trucks which tend to sport extremely primitive, by today's standards, suspension and axle setups. Whenever I see one of these rigs on the road I give them loads of space because I know they might end up needing it.

[slpiotro]

"but no problem stopping it. And that is my point, here. You can pull an Airstream with anything. But try stopping it in an emergency with some of your toy cars and SUV's?"

In years past there may have been some truth to this idea, but with trailer brakes, and the current version of no skid disk brakes, it is not a concern for anything but the biggest loads, and as someone else said, if your trailer does not have its own braking that works, you are already in trouble.

[gmw photos]

This thread is rather amusing. The OP asked for suggestions of tow vehicle that is NOT, suv, mommy van or truck. And that's pretty much all that has been listed.
Here's one for the OP: go find yourself a nice clean older sedan like a Caprice Classic ...have it modernized and hook up and go. Very likely this could be done for far fewer dollars than what a new or late model vehicle would cost.

[n2916s]

Amen. Every single thread concerning tow vehicles eventually boils down to:
"If you don't tow with a monster diesel truck you're a menace to society"
vs lots of folks who happily and safely tow with a variety of other vehicles but their real world experience is meaningless

Eventually the prospect of massive lawsuits after you wipe out a bus load of orphans comes up.

Then the prospect that some state authority is going to weigh your rig and check it against your door post sticker.

We should just copy one of the many, many threads on the issue, sticky it, and then post it immediately to any poor newbie's new post about TV's

It would save a lot of time.

[ghaynes755]

I don't worry about the state weighing my rig. I do worry, not a lot but am aware, that if forbid I am in any type of accident, my fault or not, that insurance companies will look for any thing and everything in their favor. So being overweight on the TV would fall into that category. Easier just not to go there. But the great thing about our country is that each of us can assume the risk we are comfortable with. Just need to accept the responsibility and accountability that goes with making that choice.

[cory_can]

The brake comments always comes up from large truck owners. I wrote this in another thread but it still holds true and is relevant.

Smaller vehicle or larger vehicle, trailer brakes are just as important....it makes no difference. My vehicle may weigh less but it has large vented rotors with 4 piston Brembo callipers and excellent cooling. A large pickup truck wouldn't have any less to bring to a stop.....actually quite a lot more because all else being equal with the TT the TV probably weighs an additional 1000lbs. My Q5 stops from 60-0 inside 110ft repeatedly with no fade, more than 30ft sooner from 60mph than a typical pickup truck.... with much more control and using tires with more grip. It's actually more like 35ft...yes, 35ft sooner. Does the large truck miraculously gain braking force when you strap on a trailer? Perhaps I should ask you if your 6500lbs+ truck has enough braking force to not pile through 2 or 3 cars on the highway if an emergency stop would occur (even without towing a load) or if you could maintain control while doing so.

[rostam]

The heavy duty diesel pickups have exhaust break, so you can go down hills without even applying the breaks. Very nice feature not available in sedans/SUVs.

Also, most folks using underrated vehicles spend money modifying it in aftermarket. Nothing stops truck owners from doing the same. For example, You can get TRD performance breaks on your Tundra which improved the breaking of the truck.


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[Dave-Nancy]

This getting to be Fun! We tow our 19-FC with our Toyota Highlander Limited and are quite happy with what we determine via research. For instance, the Highlander's door sticker says that the GVW is 6,000. The 19-Bambi is 4,500. The curb weight is shown as just under 4,000 lbs. The 19FC is 3,800. The listed towing capacity is 5,000. The SUV load capacity is listed as 1,200 lbs. (easily handles tongue weight of around 500) The front axle is 2,955 lbs. The rear is 3,505. We use a Equalizer Hitch. We average 16 mpg while towing up and down and all-around. The Highlander also runs anti-lock brakes and has a built-in stability control system. All of this adds up to a very safe, economical, and comfortable bunch of statistics, in our opinion. Also, on the RIO research site, the Highlander is considered the number 2 best towing SUV, even above the Tahoe. Until we get to the syndrome of "we need more room inside our AS,"we will continue to feel very secure towing with the Highlander SUV. And, we will keep our third-row of seats for hauling grandkids and their parents.

[cory_can]

Originally Posted by rostam

The heavy duty diesel pickups have exhaust break, so you can go down hills without even applying the breaks. Very nice feature not available in sedans/SUVs.

Also, most folks using underrated vehicles spend money modifying it in aftermarket. Nothing stops truck owners from doing the same. For example, You can get TRD performance breaks on your Tundra which improved the breaking of the truck.


Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

Mountainous descent techniques with diesel exhaust brakes is not what we were discussing. That's a separate discussion. It's a nice feature but saying it would be required is like saying that only large diesel pickups are capable of pulling Airstreams, which certainly isn't the case.

I'm comparing the performance and stopping distance of "typical" panic braking situations, where diesel brakes aren't used. 1tonne diesel pickups typically panic stop in ~150ft....some very slightly less, some more.

I'm not talking aftermarket, I'm talking about stock performance. The only modification I've done is a ~$400 hitch reenforcement.

The thing is, braking physics are a bitch. Without removing weight I'm certain even 8 piston racing calipers with 380mm+ vented rotors aren't going to haul a 6000lbs truck with a high center of gravity and truck tires down from 60mph in ~110ft.

[timhortons]

Rostam, how does the engine braking work, is it substantially different than downshifting or grade logic control to engine brake ? Speed and responsiveness ? Assume it's limited to the drive wheels from a traction standpoint.

Sounds like a brake pad saver though.

[timhortons]

Originally Posted by megster

I know in Europe they frequently tow with cars so who does it best on this side of the pond?



Just two fun gals from New Jersey...the garden state!

Megster, which 328i 6 cylinder is it ? I see the 328 has gone back to a boosted DI 4 cylinder on this years' models.

[megster]

I have the 2011 model year.

[mrdually350]

Diesel engines with an exhaust brake are comparable to any normal gas engine for braking. A diesel doesn't have an intake butterfly valve to regulate the air coming into the engine, it simply sucks in what it needs (or forced in what it can with a turbo). So, without a valve to close when not giving it throttle, it won't give you compression resistance when going downhill like a gas engine. My van doesn't have an exhaust brake, but I've never had a problem gaining speed downhill since I have the aerodynamics of a shoebox to slow me down

[AlbertF]

Originally Posted by Dave-Nancy

This getting to be Fun! We tow our 19-FC with our Toyota Highlander Limited and are quite happy with what we determine via research. For instance, the Highlander's door sticker says that the GVW is 6,000. The 19-Bambi is 4,500. The curb weight is shown as just under 4,000 lbs. The 19FC is 3,800. The listed towing capacity is 5,000. The SUV load capacity is listed as 1,200 lbs. (easily handles tongue weight of around 500) The front axle is 2,955 lbs. The rear is 3,505. We use a Equalizer Hitch. We average 16 mpg while towing up and down and all-around. The Highlander also runs anti-lock brakes and has a built-in stability control system. All of this adds up to a very safe, economical, and comfortable bunch of statistics, in our opinion. Also, on the RIO research site, the Highlander is considered the number 2 best towing SUV, even above the Tahoe. Until we get to the syndrome of "we need more room inside our AS,"we will continue to feel very secure towing with the Highlander SUV. And, we will keep our third-row of seats for hauling grandkids and their parents.

Interesting numbers, and they got me thinking.

The effective load carrying capacity of your Highlander (never mind that silly load capacity sticker) is 6,000 lbs (GVWR) less curb weight (about 4,350), which equals about 1,600 lbs. A typical half ton these days has a GVWR of 7,200, with a curb weight in the 5,500 lb range.

Your Highlander gives up only about a hundred pounds payload capacity compared to a pickup. It's no surprise that owners of conventional trailers with heavy tongue weights are quick to buy 3/4 ton trucks.

For the OP who wants to tow with a car, you will need to pay extra attention to this. If you carry a full load of passengers and other stuff in the car, you may find yourself at GVWR rather quickly. In my experience, the first thing you will notice is a rough ride on bad roads, like old concrete interstates. However, I am not suggesting that this will lead to component failures, unless you fail to exercise reasonable caution over things like speed bumps and poorly maintained railway crossings.

[AlbertF]

Originally Posted by megster

I currently have a BMW 328i x drive sedan which has a v6 inline with 230 hp. It weighs about 4000 lbs. One option is to have a custom class III hitch made for it. That requires a trip to Canada to have CanAm do the job. Another option is to sell the Bimmer and buy a tow vehicle with more power and able to use a standard hitch. Everyone seems to talk only about trucks as a tow vehicle and I am just not a truck kind of gal. (Not that I have ever owned one but as a passenger they seem to be a stiff ride.)

Half ton pickups are not bad, but 3/4 ton and up can be brutal, in my opinion. Hard on the passengers, even worse for an Airstream.

Stick with your Bimmer. You won't find a better car (some may be equal, but none better) for what you want to tow. With a precise hitch setup, stability and handling should be superb - yes, towing should be fun! Power is sufficient; don't be afraid to downshift and let the engine spin to make the necessary power.

Try to get a trailer harness for the lights from the dealer or a good aftermarket source. The people at Can Am can help sort this out; they tell me that BMWs are probably the worst vehicles for connecting trailer lighting, but it can be done.

[Andrew T]

We have set up a few 3 Series BMW's and they have all performed well but it is the handling that is amazing. These cars are designed to run the Autobahn well over 100 MPH for a couple of hours straight so towing an Airstream at 60 MPH is hardly a challenge.

If you want to test drive something similar here are two cars we have been towing smaller Airstreams (Under 23' with) lately.

The Mercedes has massive power with its 302 HP 3.5 Litre and 7 Speed. The Cadillac is a 2.5 litre 4 cylinder mated with a 6 speed auto. They both are outrageously stable on the track with a slight edge maybe going to the Cadillac.

Here the ATS is towing an 8' wide 22 International but from a power perspective the 22 Sport is the best match.

Andrew T

[rostam]

Originally Posted by timhortons

Rostam, how does the engine braking work, is it substantially different than downshifting or grade logic control to engine brake ? Speed and responsiveness ? Assume it's limited to the drive wheels from a traction standpoint.

Sounds like a brake pad saver though.

Exhaust brake - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0yjDv8Slkw

[Road Ruler]

[QUOTE=rostam;1559470]Exhaust brake - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

OMG that is loud/noisy. Time to get out the ear plugs!

[rostam]

[QUOTE=Road Ruler;1559483]

Originally Posted by rostam

Exhaust brake - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

OMG that is loud/noisy. Time to get out the ear plugs!

I guess most people take the noise over going off the road due to brake fade.