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Old 09-11-2010, 06:59 PM   #1
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1971 25' Tradewind
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Need recommendations for tow vehicle

We own a 2002 Bambi 16 ft. trailer and plan to purchase a tow vehicle in the next year or so. We'd appreciate advice on what type of vehicle we should be looking for (and what to avoid). Some of our criteria:
1. We have never towed any type of trailer, so we'll definitely have a learning curve. Are there some vehicles that are better for newbies at towing?
2. Whatever we buy would be our only vehicle, and mostly be used in-town, so something not too huge or gas-guzzling would be great. But we want something powerful enough to tow the trailer too.
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Old 09-11-2010, 07:08 PM   #2
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Welcome to the forums.

Would you prefer a Pickup Truck or an SUV?
I have friends in Tucson and they tow a similar trailer. They are very happy with their Toyota Tacoma.
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Old 09-11-2010, 07:17 PM   #3
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Thanks for the welcome! We'd probably prefer a pickup truck, unless an SUV is for some reason a better tow vehicle. Do your know whether your friends have a 4 cylinder or a V6 Tacoma? Manual or automatic?
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Old 09-11-2010, 07:22 PM   #4
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Howdy and welcome to airforums.com, Wildkittens!

The GVW of your trailer is only 3,500 lbs. (dry weight is 2,855 lbs).

You do not need a truck. Just about any of the popular Minivans would tow it just fine, as would many SUVs.

What would you LIKE to use to tow it?
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Old 09-11-2010, 07:52 PM   #5
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Interesting. We bought a very small trailer so we'd be more comfortable learning to tow it. Would any particular type of vehicle be easier to hitch up, tow in various conditions (including mountains, wind, rain, etc.)? Right now we drive a small 5-speed sedan, which won't tow much of anything. We don't really need interior space (like a minivan or SUV). Would a V6 engine be best? Also, if we're used to a manual transmission, is there any reason to consider an automatic? Thanks for your help!
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Old 09-11-2010, 07:58 PM   #6
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In general, automatic transmissions are better for towing. A 4 cylinder engine is out of the question for any towing need; a v-6 will be required and should be more than sufficient to tow a 16' Bambi. You may wish to consider whether or not you will want 4 wheel or all wheel drive as well. Will you require two seats or 4 seats?
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Old 09-11-2010, 08:04 PM   #7
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I'm not positive what they have, but I believe it's the 6 and automatic. It has a small back seat for their dogs and the bed of the truck for the rest of the stuff. They are on the road ad put a lot of miles on their Bambi.
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Old 09-11-2010, 08:29 PM   #8
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I agree with Richard, the Tacoma is an excellent tow vehicle with a V6 & automatic... There are many, many vehicles capable of towing your trailer, so most of it will be a choice based on personal preference. Honda's Ridgeline might be a good mix of SUV & pickup, if you prefer not to go full size. A Ford F150 is the most highly rated full size pickup.
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Old 09-11-2010, 08:43 PM   #9
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Wildkittens,

Hibby's got it right. Oddly, you are more likely to wear out the clutch in a manual transmission than do damage to an automatic transmission.

I mentioned minivans since they have some desirable features: the rear wheels are almost always positioned as close as possible to the very rear of the vehicle, they tend to have a low CoG (centre of gravity), and they are long enough to "stand their ground" with the trailer better than SUVs will. These are very general comments though, not meant to rule out SUVs.

Those items help with towing stability for those windy, rainy days you want to tow.

Seriously, it's rarely as much fun towing in that kind of weather, no matter what the tow vehicle is; I suggest you try avoid that kind of weather for draggin your trailer around.

Oh, and another thing in favour of minivans is that they are incredibly well-priced these days. Seems the "soccer moms" image has pushed more people into buying SUVs just so they look more cool. You don't have to load them with just people either, they are really handy for just carrying big loads, like dogs, bedding, food, lumber, and so on.

And as a class, they tend to be way more comfy than trucks.
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Old 09-11-2010, 08:49 PM   #10
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The V6 Taco is a good truck if you're not exceeding its limitations. I think you might also consider a lightly-used 4.6L F150 while you're considering... the F150 doesn't suffer from the "Toyota Myth" so you can get a lightly-used one cheaper than a Taco with similar miles and equipment, and the current generation of the Taco is no better than the F150 with respect to reliability. The small-engine F150 would easily pull a trailer a few sizes larger than your 16' Bambi, so if you get the bug and decide you need a 22' sport or something.

I think I want a 5.4L F150... but then again, my idea of a starter TT is a 23' FB Flying Cloud. We're collectively too fat for an Airstream "double" and I don't think I'd be able to sell twins for more-than-weekend trips.
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Old 09-11-2010, 08:51 PM   #11
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Wow, this is great. I'm learning a lot already! Thanks azflycaster, Aage, and Hibby. Please keep the advice coming if you think of other things!!
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Old 09-11-2010, 11:07 PM   #12
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Hey Wildkittens! Welcome to the Forums! And welcome to another Tucson Airstreamer! Yea! This is Terry (& Greg), the friends in Tucson that Richard mentioned above...

We tow our 2006 19' Bambi Safari SE with a 2007 Tacoma Double Cab V6 2WD Automatic with a factory tow package (necessary)... We are totally pleased with to Tacoma's performance and like you, it's our only vehicle, so we too didn't want a big truck. The tow capacity of the Tacoma is 6500 lbs and the 19' bambi filled is 4500 lbs. so we are well within the 80% rule of thumb for towing. So you would be fine with a 16'... We have a tonneau cover on the truck bed...it helps us (a) limit what we drag along unnecessarily, and (b) secure our gear in the truck... it works our great for us. And the Girls (2 cockers) get the back seat all to themselves. Spoilt, they are! We have towed nearly 20,000 miles in the past 3.5 years, in AZ, CA and NM and have climbed the mountains everywhere...over half the miles on the truck is towing miles and we have never had any trouble.

We'll have to get you to a Four Corners Unit rally, too, so you can meet some of the other good Airstream folks in our neck of the woods... It's a great group with a very active bunch of campers...friendly , diverse and welcoming... Let me know and I can fill you in on upcoming rallies...some of our best gatherings are coming up soon!

Again welcome to the Forums...this is the place to be for all things Airstream!

Happy trails! Hope to see you down the road very soon!
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Old 09-12-2010, 05:09 AM   #13
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Great suggestions from all and if I may ask - What's your 5 /10 yr plan for your Bambi, streaming family size, full time / part time streaming. Most streamers upgrade with time so it's crucial to get a TV that can tow your future (10yrs) upgrade/s.
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Old 09-12-2010, 07:05 AM   #14
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Wildkittens, You have not mentioned snow. If during your travels you anticipate encountering it, you need a 4 wheel drive, otherwise only if you plan to go off roading.
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Old 09-12-2010, 08:02 AM   #15
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I echo the question above - what do you WANT to tow with? That size of trailer gives you a lot of options. (That said, there aren't many sedans with a high enough tow rating for this - manufacturers assume you'll buy a pickup or SUV for towing duty.)

My Argosy Minuet is similar in weight to your Bambi. I tow it with a Honda Odyssey minivan with a basic weight-distribution hitch and friction anti-sway control. I've been delighted with how it tows; the set-up is very stable and it's handled swerving around "surprises" very well. We averaged 15 mpg towing in PEI and Nova Scotia this summer. It's great to have all of the interior space. I've been so happy with it that we replaced our 2005 van with a 2010.

But. A minivan isn't the simplest tow vehicle for a newbie. There is a bit more hassle in setting it up; for example, the wire harness isn't plug-and-play like it is in some vehicles that come with a factory tow package. You need to add transmission and power steering coolers. Plus, you can't fill all of the seats with people and still be under the 3500 lb weight rating.

I've also towed with a Lincoln MKT (which is basically a Ford Flex) and a new Jeep Grand Cherokee. Both towed well and, when equipped with their tow packages, were easier to set up - just plug the brake controller into a plug under the dash and off you go. In other words, there are plenty of SUV options here that will work well for you if you don't want a truck. Of course, a truck gives you a bed for carrying "outside stuff" or household chores.

One more thing - having a backup camera is lovely for lining up the hitch first time, (almost) every time.
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Old 09-12-2010, 08:15 AM   #16
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We tow a 22' Safari Sport with a Honda Ridgeline with no problems. We chose it over the Taco because it has more interior room, more comfortable ride, and has a large trunk where our generator and spare tire can reside.
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Old 09-12-2010, 08:36 AM   #17
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Smile

I've been looking at new TVs as well and for smaller units it's a lot easier. The Toyota V6 quad cab is very good and it's the best sm truck option. For SUVs the Newer 2006 and above Acura MDX and Honda Piolt will work very well with a 16'. If you want more power the Jeep Grand Cherokee is a very nice TV and my new favorite is a 2008 and higher Volkswagen Tuareg V6 TDi! Pricey but a used one might fit in my budget. As said before you have lots of options with a 16' Bambi. I currently tow with a 2004 MDX outfitted with upgrades (help from CamAm) and am happy so far but I do want more power. We did great in CO this year(both up and down) but it's sucking the gas, @ 10-11 MPG. That's why the TDI is attractive to me. I wouldn't mind a truck (Toyota) but I still tend to be drawn to the SUV and I had a VW Jetta TDI and loved it so that's why I'm leaning toward that one.

Make a list of needs and "wants" and start researching on cars.com and KBB.com and find your best fit. Good luck and let us know what you get.

PS we love pictures around here!
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Old 09-12-2010, 10:02 AM   #18
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blmitch5,

My neighbor (four doors down) just bought a new Dodge Ram pickup and is selling a Tuareg that I'd swear they just bought. I'm not sure if it's a TDi, but I can check. They take such immaculate care of their vehicles that I wouldn't hesitate to buy it. As a matter of fact, we are now having their son detail our vehicles for us, since he learned so much from Dad!

If you are interested in it, I'll find out more and take some photos for you...
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Old 09-12-2010, 10:11 AM   #19
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Thanks! I bought my Bambi through this forum so it's only fitting for me to buy my TV here.
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Old 09-12-2010, 02:58 PM   #20
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We really appreciate all of the advice from everyone. Lots to think about!

Terry (and all): Please let us know about any upcoming Airstream rallies in or near Arizona.

Also, can anyone explain how to attach a photo to our profile? I had no trouble downloading a test photo, but the instructions on how to show it in our thread make no sense (something about a BB in the corner of the full sized image...???).
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