New here, Looking for Tow Vehicle Advice

[GenXair]

Originally Posted by ericpeltier

GenXair - the 2007 and before Armadas had a bad habit of wrecking differentials, I think.

Eric

I believe you're correct, but Nissan addressed that issue with the 2007's.

[n2916s]

My 2004 Nissan Titan (same power train as the Armada) towed our 1986 31' Sovereign some 70000 miles over 12 years and never let us down. Just traded it in on a new Titan XD at 212000 miles and it was as solid as ever driving to the dealership.

Some common problems to the Titan/Armada:

At some point the exhaust manifolds will crack. Replacement is about $1200 but the aftermarket manifolds are warranties forever.

The nose seal on the differential will leak about every 75000 miles. Relatively cheap to replace.

The radiators last about 100000 miles, a pain to replace and several hundred bucks.

9-11 miles per gallon towing. Maybe 15 solo if you are light footed.

OEM brakes were weak until 2007. I installed aftermarket slotted rotors and that solved the problem. Pads go about 40000 miles, depending on use.

[TinkersToy]

We tow our 22FB Sport with a 2003 Tundra 4.7 Liter V8 with factory tow package The setup works fine with power, tow capacity, and mileage; and it is a very dependable vehicle. The pickup is also handy to carry the extra equipment.

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by PKI

Rostam - You may not have a clear perspective of the folks who pair with a smaller trailer as the OP is considering. As one example, we have 30K on the clock, regularly post, and have no intention to move to a truck. We do not seem to have problems with brakes, power or chassis stiffness. In fact the experience with our rig is quite satisfying.

We do note your comments with respect to folks who opt for the larger and heavier trailers.

Travel safe. Pat

The OP specifically mentions the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the 22',not larger trailers and much smaller SUVs. Perhaps he was looking for responses from people who have actually towed with a Grand Cherokee?

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by pappy19

Sorry, I can't recommend someone that insists that passenger cars make better tow vehicles than trucks and SUV's. Most folks would recommend a good used 1/2 ton pickup, designed to tow your anticipated AS weight. Don't get conned into buying a marginal vehicle for towing, you won't be happy and it could well become a safety issue.

I actually bought my trailer there and they were helpful and very thorough. Incidentally, all dealers I visited encouraged me to buy a 23' or even a 25' and said my V6 Jeep GC would have "no trouble at all" pulling it, not just CanAm. I think it's a common selling point they use when selling an Airstream. one dealer even told me to ignore the tongue weight as the WD redistributes it. I did not wreck my GC and disappear from the forum as one poster suggested; it towed fine although light on merge power. They build the GC a few miles from my home and quite a few folks around here who build and engineer them actually tow with one. I DO recommend the Hemi V8 based on my experience with the V6.

Whenever I answer a question on TVs or trailers, I try to confine my answer to vehicles I have actually towed with or owned. There is just too much advertising and BS out there. When I owned a Harley, people who owned other brands and never actually rode a Harley had all kinds of opinions about them, and people who didn't even ride had even more opinions than that! When I drove a 1996 (immaculate, 225,000 mile) diesel Suburban the oil experts and Diesel engine experts came out of the woodwork to tell me all about my engine and my truck, and how the engine would disintegrate unless I added this or that to the oil.

The OP should walk around a big campground and ask people who are actually towing with various vehicles what they think. There are plenty of EcoDiesels, GCs, Rams and F series as well as Honda Pilots etc towing 23' and under trailers. There's even one guy who sold his GC and tows his 19' with a one-ton Ford Just ask!

[SagaCapt]

We LOVE our TOUAREG. More towing capacity than many, 7700/700. I made sure we got something big enough in case we want to trade up in size.

The 8k Equalizer hitch works just fine with our Bambi 16'.

[MrUKToad]

Originally Posted by rostam

To the original poster: Save yourself time and money and use the search tool to lookup folks who had previously used a modified under-rated tow vehicle (sedan/minivan/small SUV) to tow a large trailer. In most cases, a near identical scenario repeats itself:

1) They rave about the performance of their tow vehicle, how there is more to towing than tow ratings, and how their tow vehicle handles/brakes better than a big truck (I call this the "honeymoon" phase),

2) They go offline for a while. Usually because something breaks in their TV, tow vehicles struggles up/down a steep hill, or they were in a near accident situation (I call this the "reality check" phase), and

3) They switch to a properly rated tow vehicle for seemingly unrelated reasons. Only a handful admit their initial choice of TV was probably a mistake (I call this the "denial" phase).

Most people get tired of an under-powered, under-braked, under-chassis'ed vehicle quickly.

Six seasons in and still going strong.

Apologies to the OP, this isn't what you asked about, but sometimes negativity just has to be challenged.

[rostam]

Originally Posted by MrUKToad

Six seasons in and still going strong.

Apologies to the OP, this isn't what you asked about, but sometimes negativity just has to be challenged.

MrUKToad, didn't you mention in another thread that your reinforced hitch receiver was twisted badly after a couple of seasons of towing? You may consider your setup "fine", but I'd argue most people consider a twisted hitch receiver a serious safety issue.

[MandK]

Wonderful, succinct summary and spot on! Great share for everyone to read! The first time you face a down hill grade without the proper TV is the moment you realize that you have made a big mistake. Regrettably, everyone on the same hill driving in both directions is at the mercy of fate as to whether your poorly chosen TV will create a potentially disastrous outcome for everyone on the hill. I find it disappointing that they have mandated check stations for semi-trucks along the highway, yet they do not require RVs and TV/Trailer tandems to pull in for similar safety inspections.

[dlkershaw]

Currently I have a 2014 Jeep GC with the 6 cyl / 8 speed trans and paddle shifters: I am towing a 2016 22ft FB Bambi Sport. Dealer installed Equalizer hitch and trailer brakes, ( tow capacity rated at #6200) no factory tow package. The jeep dealer reprogramed the trans for towing, and the Airstream dealer ( Colonial ) did the rest. This past summer we traveled 1500 from NJ through Maryland, PA, and West Virginia. The Jeep was all I needed. Lots of elevation in Western Maryland ( Sideling Mountain) and southern WV around Summersville Lake and Mt Nebo. Downhill grades ( sometimes 8%) were controlled with paddles and braking, wind, rain and elevation were not an issue. We controlled our speed on the interstates , including the Baltimore beltway and kept to 60mph in the right lane. We averaged 16 MPG.
With the correct set up there is no reason the Jeep won't do the job... Drive safe, don't speed and give yourself room for braking and enjoy the trip.

[MrUKToad]

Originally Posted by rostam

MrUKToad, didn't you mention in another thread that your reinforced hitch receiver was twisted badly after a couple of seasons of towing? You may consider your setup "fine", but I'd argue most people consider a twisted hitch receiver a serious safety issue.

Goodness! Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story, will you?

A twisted hitch receiver would surely be a serious safety issue, so it's a good job that's not what I mentioned in the earlier thread. To assuage your obvious concern, the deformed receiver box was checked by the installers and found to be safe for this past season's travels, pending a repair this winter. Wear and tear is quite normal and is not an indication as to the effectiveness of a tow vehicle, one way or the other.

As I said, six seasons of trouble-free towing.

Again apologies to the OP for allowing the thread to get hijacked by Rostam and his negative, unfounded speculation.

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by MrUKToad

Again apologies to the OP for allowing the thread to get hijacked by Rostam and his negative, unfounded speculation.

Hopefully the OP was able to find the few posts in this thread that actually review the vehicle he is thinking about using. This forum spins out quicker than my old Impala on ice.

[tkowalyk]

Originally Posted by mefly2

Yep; +1...

Yep +2.

Regardless of the marketing setting a passenger car to tow -- check with your insurance carrier or an attorney to verify that you can legally do so. If you go this route -- up your life insurance.

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by tkowalyk

Yep +2.

Regardless of the marketing setting a passenger car to tow -- check with your insurance carrier or an attorney to verify that you can legally do so. If you go this route -- up your life insurance.

Lol further evidence of post #32 above.

[tkowalyk]

Originally Posted by Roadtrippin

Hi everyone!
I am new here and have been reading through some great information. I figured I'd throw out a couple questions about a couple vehicles I'm considering to make the best companions to the my future airstream.

My wife and I are considering either the 22' sport or the 23' international.

I have come across some conflicting info here on Range Rovers, but the 2004-2006 RR seems to be in my price range and the tow capacity seems more than enough. But wondering if these two would be a good match?

Other considerations are a VW Touareg, Grand Cherokee, Nissan Xterra etc. but open to suggestions.

Ultimately, I'd love to know if the RR is a good fit for that size air stream and if not, what are some suggestions for the best possible combinations for the 22' or 23' airstreams?

We are trying to get prepared and want the best possible set up (within our means : ) come this summer!

I've also read that towing with an equalizer is ideal and not all vehicles allow for this so I'm also open to considering which vehicles would permit for this type of arrangement.

Thanks in advance for everyone's input.

I don't have any experience with RR, but have had a number of SUVs as tow vehicles.

The good --

We had a 2007 Durango with a 5.7L Hemi that was a great tow vehicle for our 25' Safari. The Durango was a bit marginal for our 27 Classic, but for our primary East Coast towing, the Durango was a good choice. It had a max tow limit of 8950 lbs, with a payload of 1650 lbs. A good overall daily driver, but she struggled a bit on hills. We had to replace the Durango with only 80,000 after a series of electronic failures -- we replaced the gauge cluster after it failed, and then it repeatily went "dead" after shutting it off. It was a computer problem that we couldn't repeat at the dealer.

I would think that the grand Cherokee would be similar and a good choice for a 22 or 23' Airstream. You would need the towing package, and preferably the diesel option -- the 5.7 Hemi would be a good second, but we experienced 13MPG around town, and 10MPG towing. Highway mileage without the AS we were able to get 19MPG.

I think the Exterra would be on the small side -- check the capabilities carefully. We had a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. We loved the Pathfinder -- it has a payload of 1425 and a towing capacity of 6,000. One of my most favorite vechicles ever, but it wasn't enough tow vehicle for our 2006 25' Safari. It was great for our previous SOB that had a GVWR of 5,000 lbs.

We currently have a 2016 Nissan Titan XD with a 5 liter Cummings Diesel -- an awesome tow vehicle with a great mix of daily driving and it tows our 27' Classic effortlessly. You wouldn't need this much truck for a 22' or 23' Airstream, but it would be a good option, and would tow anything in your future.

The bad and ugly -- we 2 Mitsubishi Montero's as tow vehicles for our previous SOBs that weighed in similar to a 22 or 23 AS. The Montero's had tow packages, but would consistently blow fuses that left us without brake lights. It was a problem with the trailer as we had the same problem with different trailers on different Monteros. Another huge problem was the transmission temperature which would get extremely hot -- so hot that mounting for the passenger seat would get hot -- very hot to the touch.

Good luck in your search and keep us informed!

[mandolindave]

Rasberries……………….. ( sorry, don't know how to spell it )

[mandolindave]

I'm not dead so I suggest you buy what I use.

[rostam]

Originally Posted by MrUKToad

Goodness! Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story, will you?

A twisted hitch receiver would surely be a serious safety issue, so it's a good job that's not what I mentioned in the earlier thread. To assuage your obvious concern, the deformed receiver box was checked by the installers and found to be safe for this past season's travels, pending a repair this winter. Wear and tear is quite normal and is not an indication as to the effectiveness of a tow vehicle, one way or the other.

As I said, six seasons of trouble-free towing.

Again apologies to the OP for allowing the thread to get hijacked by Rostam and his negative, unfounded speculation.

I have never heard of a hitch receiver deformation being normal wear and tear. Anyways, its good that you had it checked.

For the record, I have no problem if anyone decides to ignore vehicle towing specifications -- you are free to do what you want to do. What I take issue with is someone recommending others do that based on their personal experience (which clearly is not conclusive/comprehensive). You may do something reckless 1000 times and get lucky 1000 times -- other may get in trouble the first time around. I think there is an unwritten rule (violated by many folks in this forum) that when you make recommendations to others you should be extra cautious to make sure you do not put them in any trouble.

[tkowalyk]

Mr. Toad's wild ride


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[rodsterinfl]

Well, you heard from the gang, what say you?

Every time I see a thread on tow vehicle I remember when I posted the same thing and my first few posters said, "oh boy, here we go again." Now I know what they meant.

My advice is to get a vehicle you like THAT ALSO meets the weight requirements without having to have someone attempt to alter the vehicle. That way ALL SYSTEMS, cooling, frame, etc are designed to meet the need. There are two points to check- tow capacity and payload or cargo capacity. Usually the catch point is payload/cargo capacity. Tongue weight is subtracted from that and what is left is for passengers and stuff.