Scion XB as tow vehichle?

[imbeanie]

We are thinking of buying a 16' Bambi CCD. Does anyone know if we would be able to tow it with a Scion XB? Thanks!

[blmitch5]

Originally Posted by imbeanie

We are thinking of buying a 16' Bambi CCD. Does anyone know if we would be able to tow it with a Scion XB? Thanks!

Sorry nope. 1000 lbs or less max. The Bambi weighs 3200 empty. Do a quick google search and you will find that any towing is not recommended. I have friends with one and they can't even tow a pop up.

[Aage]

I believe the Scion has the same drivetrain as my Toyota Echo (1.5l 4-banger).

In the Owner's Manual when you look up trailering it says, "Don't even think about it!"

[overlander63]

My sister-in-law has an XB, and it strains to carry 4 adults and several bags of groceries up the hills where she lives.

*pulls out some cheap sunglasses, polyester suit, and white wing tip shoes*

Sounds like y'all are in the market for a used car...
Good choices for a tow vehicle for a Bambi would be, in no particular order:
Full-size pickup with a small V8 (insert favorite manufacturer here)
Mid-size or larger SUV with a tow capacity of 4500 pounds minimum (the longer the wheelbase, the better it is)

[tpi]

The xb came in two versions, one with the 1.5 and the second with the Camry drivetrain 2.4. I can't see either capable of pulling a 16' Airstream. But I pulled a 13' Scamp with my Camry 2.4 and it towed rather effortlessly.

[DanielB]

Um.. no.

[dstalzer]

Scion XB is a toy car, not a tow vehicle

Dennis

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by dstalzer

Scion XB is a toy car, not a tow vehicle

Dennis

It can tow one of these...not an Airstream but I believe you can get them in silver

Aaron

[JFScheck]

Please take our ribbing lightly as no one means any harm in it, but the bad news is your vehicle can not do it, safely...

Maybe a used F-150/1500 is in your future as that might be you least expensive option....

[nick6930]

John is right it is just good nature ribbing with truth mixed in.

We did everything bass ackwards. We bought the trailer and then discovered how dangerous our Explorer was when trying to tow the 28' Arogsy. So we had to add a 2000 Chevy 2500 to the list before camping.

It is really dangerous to use an under rated vehicle to tow any trailer. There are a few guys that can beef up any car enough to do it but it would be cheaper to just get a vehicle that will work. Ours is solely a TV and just sits around when not towing.

Good luck

[Stefrobrts]

Don't get discouraged, many of us got the aluminum bug and then had to upgrade to something that could pull it. If you really love traveling, you might want to figure out what trailer is perfect for you, and then get the tow vehicle to fit it. Once you have the right Airstream you may have several tow vehicles for it over the years.

We sold our lifted Bronco when we discovered it wasn't really built for safe towing and bought a full size van, which has been an excellent tow vehicle.

[Aage]

Do you have this version of the xb?
.

[blmitch5]

Originally Posted by Aage

Do you have this version of the xb?
.

Be nice guys it's their first post! A mid size suv with a tow rating of 4500 lbs will work fine. Make sure (a must have) to buy a weight distribution hitch for it before you tow it home.

This a great Group of people that will help you with your questions. We may give you a hard time but we mean well.

[imbeanie]

Hey All-- Thanks for the quick, witty, and helpful responses. I think I have my answer! Since it is looking pretty likely that we are getting the Airstream, it looks like a new car is in order; we were looking for one anyway. Since we discovered it's close by, Tuesday we're visiting the Airstream factory and taking the tour. Rob't

[JFScheck]

That's dangerous - I'm betting after a visit to the "Mothership" an Airstream is inevitable....

[imbeanie]

Me again. For those of you breathlessly waiting to know what happened, we ended up buying a 2003 Chevy Tahoe as our tow car. Since the guy at CarMAx pointed out the hooks on the front we could use to add a snowplow (among other features), we figured it would probably be okay for the 16' Bambi. And the factory tour was amazing--and pricey, as we bought a bunch of gewgaws and souvenirs.

[newroswell]

Congratulations on the new Tahoe. That will be much better than this combo.

[AirsDream]

Oh oh! You're in for it now.

Pretty soon - maybe one day after two or three days of rain - that 16' Bambi will make you think about how nice a 20+ footer would be ... maybe a 23' or 25' ... and likely that (plus all the "stuff" you want to take along) will require a "bigger" tow vehicle.

But the 20+ size will go to some rallies where you'll get to sit in a new 28' or 30' er that sure looks good, except for its weight. But of course you can solve that with just little bigger tow vehicle ... etc.

Please wait while I go out and get some auto company stock!

But seriously, you're gonna' have a lot of fun!

[Foiled Again]

Dear IM... congrats on your new Tahoe. I'm glad you visited the factory. I was all set to buy a 19' before my first visit, which was on a Friday when there was no production. We got to climb into several units on the line. Once I saw the bathroom door that opened onto the bed - and thought about a 2am pitstop, I knew that setup was a bad idea.

Floor plans will only show you so much, and the more you know the more you'll want to change. Take your time or you'll end up buying, then redoing. For your first unit you could save a bundle by buying gently used. WARNING, they used to use OSB board for the floor on everything smaller than a 25' and if you've got undetected leaks the floor just falls apart and you're stuck with a major repair. Inspect the floor carefully in any used Airstream (or any other brand for tha matter).

Happy trails!

Paula

[JFScheck]

Yea, go with what you can tow and afford, remember that 25' is about as big as you can get for use in some of the National Forrest camp grounds - 34' is everyone's dream...