What do you think of this combo?

[homeaway]

Hi everyone

First post here and will be joining the airstream club very soon.

I have pretty much decided on the 2017 or 2016 flying cloud 25rb queen.

With this decision I will be needing to upgrade my vehicle so I can actually tow this thing lol.

Currently in a 2015 ford explorer sport which definitely cannot pull the 25rb

I really like the SUVs over pickups so if I can avoid it I would like to. I have been considering the Sequoia and Expedition

There is a nice leftover 2016 Sequoia platinum for a steal at a local dealership.

But I have also thought about the ford expedition el which has a slightly better tow capacity.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

[Becky B.]

Originally Posted by homeaway

Hi everyone

First post here and will be joining the airstream club very soon.

I have pretty much decided on the 2017 or 2016 flying cloud 25rb queen.

With this decision I will be needing to upgrade my vehicle so I can actually tow this thing lol.

Currently in a 2015 ford explorer sport which definitely cannot pull the 25rb

I really like the SUVs over pickups so if I can avoid it I would like to. I have been considering the Sequoia and Expedition

There is a nice leftover 2016 Sequoia platinum for a steal at a local dealership.

But I have also thought about the ford expedition el which has a slightly better tow capacity.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Love my 2015 Expedition EL XLT with the HD tow package. I use it as my every day vehicle & she tows my 32' Avion like a dream.

[dkottum]

Ask this forum and you will learn what everybody loves about their own tow vehicle and hates about everybody else's.

Ask the hitch experts at perhaps N. America's best RV hitch shop and you will learn something useful.

http://www.canamrv.ca/towing-expertise/contact/

I suspect they will like all three tow vehicles you mentioned very much, including the one you are driving now.

[moosetags]

Welcome to the Forums. We're glad to have you with us.

The Explorer Sport is probably not to the task at hand. The other possible tow vehicles you mention will most likely be satisfactory if set up properly. Be sure to check the tires on possible tow vehicle. Some SUV's may have P rated tires that may not be sufficient for your intended use.

Brian

[joshjack]

The sequoia's are fantastic vehicles but you may get better MPG from the Ford.

[AirMiles]

For me, the most important number in my next tow vehicle selection will be "payload". The payload for each vehicle is on a sticker with yellow inside the vehicle's driver's door. My truck's sticker says "Max Payload 1377#" and I find it difficult to keep under that number while towing a 2017 Flying Cloud 25 Front Bedroom.

That 1377# payload disappears really quickly. Here is how on my rig. My wife, me and the dog 450#, my tonneau cover 50#, my generator 100#, lawn chairs, grill, cook stove 50#, my weight distribution hitch 90#. This totals 740# and now I need to add the tongue weight of the Airstream. There is only 637# left! Now my truck's 1377# payload assumes 175# for a driver, so I can add that back to get 812# for the Airstream tongue weight. Luckily, my WDH was able to distribute some of my Airstream's factory spec 837# tongue weight to the Airstream axles so I could stay under my truck's max payload. But you can see that I cannot even add a decent size cooler to my truck without being over its payload!

Now some will say that payload doesn't matter. But it matters to me and I choose to stay within all weight ratings provided by the manufacturers of my rig. Other's can choose to ignore payload.

Finally, "Platinum" trim vehicles will have the lowest payload of the model line because they include the most heavy options like, leather, power seats, tool boxes/storage compartments, a 100# sub-woofer and a dozen heavy speakers! So a stripped down version of my truck might have a 2000# payload where my Platinum has 1377#. Watch the yellow sticker on the actual tow vehicle you select. They are customized to the options on the vehicle. My next truck will have closer to 2000# of payload so I don't have to worry about adding a cooler in my truck.

[TruckerFritz]

we had a 2011 F150 Ecoboost which did a great job. Got a pretty good deal on a 2016 F150 3.5 which does an OK job, wife got a 2016 Expedition XLT King Ranch which does the best of all.. many TV threads everyone has an opinion including the guys that want to pull a 7K trailer with a diesel, go figure, bottom line what works for you... but given what you said re SUV, check out the Expeditions lots of low mile used online..

[cazual6]

From experience:

Get a truck if you have big things to carry such as bicycles. Do not put a hitch on the back of the trailer and put a bike carrier. As I said, from experience.

What I have done, and plan on doing, is renting trucks.

More cost effective to pay less than $500 for a weekend than payments for years not to mention maintenance.

So decide whether it is worth buy or renting as an option.

[Doc Foster]

Make sure they have the towing package. I would choose the Toyota over the Ford. My Tundra (same platform as Sequoia) pulled my 25 footer nicely. Toyota should last longer IMHO.
But you do need to look at the towing and payload capacity of each carefully.

[james.mileur]

We did a 2008 Sequoia fully loaded at max payload pulling a 16' 7500# trailer loaded to max from RI to ID in 2009 without a problem (my first long tow adventure). I installed a brake controller and ProPride and about Kansas, quit looking back to make sure it was still there.

[camperguy58]

Do the math. Trailer base weight, trailer GVWR, Loaded weight, Tongue weight, and then your TV GVWR, TV payload, and then your TV Gross Combined Vehicle Weight, and any reduction for altitude in the TV owners manual. You may be surprised just how large a TV you need.

Good luck, have fun, and stay safe,

[homeaway]

Thanks for all the help everyone! Guess Ill have to do some calculations once I get my trailer and load it up.

Seems that its like everyone says and payload will be my determining factor in selecting a tow vehicle.

[Piggy Bank]

Assuming that either turn out to have adequate payload then I would choose based on how they drive, fit and feel, easy of parking, and whichever you just like better.

I have a Tundra and like it a lot. It is my daily driver. It tows our 25 FC twin rear bed nicely. (we did Yellowstone so have done some long days and mountain driving with the combo).

The only other thing that may differ would be that my Tundra does not have factory tow mirrors. We started with tow mirrors that clip onto the standard mirrors. After the Yellowstone trip we just invested in McKesh mirrors. If the Ford had factory tow mirrors that pull out truly wide enough away from the vehicle, that might be another point to consider.

[homeaway]

I am leaning toward the expedition el at this point. They offer an option for the axle ratio


3.73 comes standard on the 4x4 el but optionally 3.31


Would this affect me in any way and if so which would you choose?

[Becky B.]

I have the 4 x 4 EL heavy duty tow package. It's rated to tow 9100 lbs. the non-4x4 was rated 9200 lbs. I am unaware of the axle option. The nice thing about the newer expeditions is that they have a "jake brake". So if you are going downhill & step on the brake, they automatically downshift so you don't have to brake so hard. It's a nice feature that we didn't know about when we bought it.

[homeaway]

Originally Posted by Becky B.

I have the 4 x 4 EL heavy duty tow package. It's rated to tow 9100 lbs. the non-4x4 was rated 9200 lbs. I am unaware of the axle option. The nice thing about the newer expeditions is that they have a "jake brake". So if you are going downhill & step on the brake, they automatically downshift so you don't have to brake so hard. It's a nice feature that we didn't know about when we bought it.

O thats really cool

yea I never thought there was an option but i just went on the ford website builder and see the option to change the ratio.... ill ask the dealer about it but I am curious as to what that would affect.

Sidenote is that I also now am considering the nissan armada if anyone wants to weigh in on that.

[Bobbo]

The 3.73 gives better torque for towing. The 3.31 gives better gas mileage.

[Bill M.]

You will need the 3.73 for towing.

[Foiled Again]

You didn't ask.... but is that goimg to stop moi? NOT.

What about a full size van?

I full-time so my sotuation may differ from yours, but you get a truck and add mirrors, bed liner, a tonneau or bed cover, and electric running boards that go down to give bum knees a break, a tailgate ladder - same reaaon... and then you meet someone who has a bed slide. A SUV comes with the bed cover. A full size van? Worth at least a passing thought.

Another passing thought - as a long term fan of the diesel... Next time I will almost surely choose a gas engine. The big gassers are closer to the performance and durability of the diesels... and the difference in price tag? Well duh.

Happy trails, Paula

[AirstreamCSH]

Homeaway - You live very close to me so it might make sense to check out the reality of what equipment you "need" and what you "want" in person. I had a Sequoia that I loved and towed my 25FB home from NJ with - until I loaded the AS for a weekend within AS and Toyota limits and got pulled sideways and backwards going up some steep hills here.

That's when I looked on the forum and learned about Payload. Didn't take long to discover how important that number is as most of the TV we would use have more than enough towing capacity. I had a basic SR5 and had a low payload, can't imagine what a Platinum trim payload would be.

A 9550 mile trip this summer showed we only needed the bigger TV about 20pct of the time but were visibly happy we had done so.