4x4 vs 2 wheel Escalade

[Kristy3313]

Hi! I am looking into buying a new Cadillac Escalade to pull my 28ft airstream. I can’t seem to find an answer on whether I need 4 wheel or 2 wheel or if an Escalade can handle the 28 ft airstream. Thanks for any help you can give!

[n2916s]

Well, I would scoot down to my local Cadillac dealer and scope out the actual payload ticker affixed to the driver’s door jam. I imagine that number will not be impressive but I don’t know ...

Whatever our published tongue weight is fro your new trailer, multiply it by 1.2. Then compare your payload sticker number to your tongue weight.

[n2916s]

P.S. Neither of my two tow vehicles had 4WD. Only needed it once and used my towing policy to solve that problem. Less complexity, at least to me, is better.

[Dennis C]

The RWD vs. AWD argument is one that really ends up depending on how and where you tow. My Denali is 4WD, but 99% of my towing is in RWD mode. Only once have I needed 4WD when towing up a slippery incline. Some folks really need it or like to have it as an added measure of comfort, and some don’t need it at all. An AWD system is heavy, and it therefore lowers the payload capacity of the tow vehicle compared to a RWD vehicle.

As mentioned above, the ability to tow a 28-footer will depend on the specs of the individual trailer and tow vehicle. I believe the Escalade is essentially on the same platform as the GM half-ton trucks, but I don’t know that for certain. If that’s the case, you’ll likely be at or over several key capacity limits with that combination. You’ll only know for certain by checking the numbers for the specific vehicle and trailer. For what it’s worth, I’d wouldn’t be comfortable towing a 28-footer with my Denali 1500 truck.

[Ch47d1sg]

You will have approx 4100 Rear gawr and 3550 front gawr with a 7100 lb gvwr max. With a 600 lb tongue weight without a wd and 1100 with a wd hitch. Depending on which drive train you will determine a lot. Your biggest issue will be rear gawr and not 4wd or 2wd.

[GetawA-S]

I towed a 28' SOB (and not a real heavy one) with a one ton van. When it got stuck in the black loam of Illinois, I wished I'd bought a 4WD ANYTHING. (And it didn't happen just once - a storage location that was easy to get into became a quagmire after a rain.)
And then there were the roads where I knew if I slowed down, it would be a loooong wait for assistance. (Drumheller, Alberta... Eagle Canyon in Northern Nebraska... Not much prospect of a cell signal or helpful local, either...
Given that tow vehicles are used to tow trailers, and most trailers end up eventually on sandy, sometime rutted roads in some campground or scenic attraction, opt for the most capable vehicle.
I have only used the 4WD drive on my current truck a couple of times - to back my trailer up the mild incline to the only place I can legally park it on my property. Alternatives? I can't think of any good ones.
Do I regret the expense, complexity or reduced tow capacity of 4WD? NOT ONE BIT! The systems are as much improved as motor vehicles in general.

[GetawA-S]

(Got distracted and timed out - add to previous post)
Worth it.
BTW, the 2020 issue of the Trailer Life tow guide drops the Escalade from 8300 pounds to 8100 pounds when adding AWD. That's too close to the loaded weight of a 28'er (about 7200 pounds) for me, but you'll have to decide what you can live with for the type of camping you will be doing.

[LNBright]

My previous Sierra was a 5.3l 2wd extended cab: I told myself I’d get a little better mpg, that the rear locker would help make up for not being a 4x4... and while I was okay ‘most’ of the time, there was more than once when, something happened, and, I was stuck, and at the mercy of getting assistance to get unstuck (not towing, just driving).

Then, when it comes to selling something, if most people expect it to be a 4x4, then find it to not be, they turn and walk away... lots of people will pass it by.

My new Sierra, a 5.3 4x4 crew cab, gets better mileage than my previous, has more room inside, and can tow 2500lbs more. All around, a better vehicle. And, actually, coming out of my driveway, steep and gravel, it’s good to be able to put it in 4wd.

Better to have it and not need it, than not have it when you need it.

[Glenritas]

2 wd will get the job done .
More important is the wheel base the short Escalade is just that the w.b is to short for a 25' let alone a 28' .

You would be better suited with the Escalade ESV .

[DCPAS]

I am not a "you always need a big truck" person, but I wouldn't do that. As noted, your principal issue is payload and not tow rating. With our Navigator we went with 2WD and no sunroof in order to get more payload (1,552). We tow a FC 25RBT. It works fine for two people, but our ability to put cargo in the truck and stay within numbers is limited. A 25 is as big as I felt comfortable with this tow vehicle, and a rear bedroom at that because the real world tongue weight on a front bedroom 25 is bigger.

Also, check the weight rating on the receiver.

I have read here that GM products will not let you use adaptive cruise while in tow mode. Ford and Ram do. If that is important to you, you might want to ask about it.

[panamerican]

You don't need 4x4 to tow, but if you like to boondock off the beaten path, yes, 4x4 can come in handy. I would not buy a truck or SUV without 4x4 because I live in the rust belt where we can get a good deal of snow and it's a personal choice. You don't need 4x4 until you need it and if you don't have it, well then you're waiting for some kind of help typically to get you out of a jam.

Looking at the Cadillac current tow ratings for both the standard (Tahoe sized) Escalade and the ESV (more the size of the suburban), they have around 7600lb tow rating. I think the ESV is your best choice if going that route as it has a longer wheelbase. Yes, you are close to the max rating with a 28 footer, but if you look at the GMC Yukon XL Denali, same truck basically, it has an 8k tow rating.

[Squairstream]

Not getting into the weight discussion,but IMO a 4x4 isn't always needed, but when it is, it is sure nice to be able to switch from 2 to 4 wheel drive. Our TV is a dodge 2500 4x4.

[Dennis C]

Another thing to consider is dirty, wet, and possibly smelly gear. When we camp, we often end up with things like muddy boots, wet waders, gasoline cans, a generator, etc. in the bed of the truck. I wouldn’t want to mess up the beautiful carpet inside my new Escalade with that stuff. These things may not apply to you, but it’s something to consider as you decide what tow vehicle makes sense for your camping style.

[lemley]

I tow a 6000 lb 29’ trailer (1988) with a 2013 Yukon. I love it. I don’t have the luxury of a dedicated tow vehicle. I need the third row. I use Weathertek floor mats throughout to take care of the dirty gear (and dirtier dogs and grandkids) issues.

On mine, GVWR for the combination is 14000. Scale tickets show the total at just under 12000. I normally don’t need 4wd, but have one place we camp a couple of times a year and I need it. It’s on the sides a mountain. I cannot make it up with 2wd. Believe me I’ve tried. I wish I had 4wd.

If your trailer weighs in at 7200 lbs then I would be a bit reticent to tow it with my setup.

On a side note, as you get closer to the limits hitch setup becomes more and more important. Too much weight on the back of the TV and you lose steering. Too little weight on the back and you lose traction, which increases the risk of jackknife, particularly on wet pavement.

[pteck]

It will depend on how you use your tow vehicle and where you like to camp.

Beyond just 4WD, there's additional functionality that comes with it that may be useful.

Particularly a low range transfer case. This can help immensely with any campsite to have controlled low speed gears to get up on legos or leveling wedges. I can't emphasize this benefit enough as there's no lurching or surging, just nice smooth control.

If you like camping in the mountains, countryside, beach, all that can potentially have tractions compromising situations, the combination of 4WD and low-range is going to give you hugely more options to make sure you don't get stuck. 2WD means only 2 tires are driven out of 8 between the tow vehicle and trailer. 4 tires working in concert has great benefits. Even if that means coming down a steep hill in rain/snow to have 4 wheels worth of traction for things like engine braking.

[davidrrand]

We don’t do much boondocking or off-road camping but our f150 is 4WD. Last fall we had reservations at a campground in VA that was really just a level spot on an otherwise hilly pasture with water and electric. It was very rainy and had been so for several days. When leaving, we barely made it out of there even with 4WD.

[davidrrand]

Chantilly Farm near Floyd and BRP

[davidrrand]

Originally Posted by pteck

It will depend on how you use your tow vehicle and where you like to camp.

Beyond just 4WD, there's additional functionality that comes with it that may be useful.

Particularly a low range transfer case. This can help immensely with any campsite to have controlled low speed gears to get up on legos or leveling wedges. I can't emphasize this benefit enough as there's no lurching or surging, just nice smooth control.

If you like camping in the mountains, countryside, beach, all that can potentially have tractions compromising situations, the combination of 4WD and low-range is going to give you hugely more options to make sure you don't get stuck. 2WD means only 2 tires are driven out of 8 between the tow vehicle and trailer. 4 tires working in concert has great benefits. Even if that means coming down a steep hill in rain/snow to have 4 wheels worth of traction for things like engine braking.

Good points! But, unless you have lockers in both front and rear, your 4WD is really 2wd and your 2wd is likely 1wd. 😝

[pteck]

Originally Posted by davidrrand

Good points! But, unless you have lockers in both front and rear, your 4WD is really 2wd and your 2wd is likely 1wd. 😝

This is a great point. 2WD is really 1WD in low traction environments. Putting that in normal terms, it only takes a single wheel to slip before all locomotion stops. That's because an open differential will unfortunately direct all power to that single spinning wheel. There's some techniques around this like concurrent brake application, but suffice to say, on even minor slippery grass, it doesn't take much to stop a rig in its tracks. Not when there's 7 other heavily laden wheels to be pulled.

If you're talking about my rig - oh yes I have several lockers. And 35" AT tires. Not impossible to get stuck, but I'd have to be trying pretty hard.

[Dennis C]

I know that in some vehicles, engaging tow mode locks the rear differential to improve traction. It does in my GMC truck.