SUV capable of safely towing 25' Safari

[Wayne&Sam]

Originally Posted by mutcth

After all, I downsized my fleet (including selling my Miata) to reduce how many things I had to maintain and insure.
Tom

Tom- we have more than a Durango in common. I sold my 1990 Miata this past fall. I had it since it was new. Loved it, but just wasn't driving it much as it comes off the road for the winter. 22 years I had it. Longer than a lot of marriages.

[ddruker]

We tow our 1999 27 foot safari with a 2011 Mercedes GL 350 Turbo-diesel. Has been a fantastic combination. Pretty sure you will be well within the acceptable towing capacity, but watch out for the tongue weight...

[switz]

A Hensley or Pro Pride hitch would work well on many smaller tow vehicles to handle the larger Airstreams. I use the Hensley on a Mercedes ML320 CDI to tow a 25FB with no issues.

[Friday]

We tow with a 5.7l Sequoia... it is very relaxing and more than capable. As for the 'keep the Tundra and but a _____' thought... We were in a similar situation and did the math for a second vehicle. Other than the limits of having to share, having a single vehicle was much cheaper for us that getting a 2nd car. Even if you got a cheap car, say $10,000 - you are still tying up that money, and paying insurance, repairs etc..

We ended up upgrading our 4runner to a Sequoia, so when we needed to tow we could... when we needed to put 4 baby seats in at once, we could... when we needed to haul 7 adults... we could.

You may get better economy unloaded with one of the diesel options (Toureg or Cayenne), but the price is higher. I'm assuming since you are even looking at the Cayenne, you'd prefer to get the 'right' vehicle even if the price is a bit more.

I'd scratch the Suburban for now (if you are looking new)... overpriced and they are in the middle of a refresh to the platform (and motors).

Cayenna is the sexiest... Sequoia is the 'there ain't no bigger' choice.

[arcamedies]

Originally Posted by ghaag

Do you think the Cayenne Diesel would be a capable tow vehicle?

These are the vehicles I am considering:

Chevrolet Suburban
Toyota sequoia
Cayenne Diesel

Suburban 5 stars, built to tow and comfy too.

Toyota ... be careful of total hitch capacity, Toyota (factory) told me if hitch says 500 lbs that's it, when I told them I was using a Reese dual cam weight dist. trailer weight 450, Reese head assembly 100, propane 40 lbs they said nope 500 lbs total, not 590 lbs,they do not have ratings like Chevy, Ford or Dodge, 500 base 900 lbs with weight dist. bars

Cayenne ... great until you need to fix something then bring your banker, hitch could be tricky as well.

[mercatroid]

Originally Posted by ghaag

Does anyone have suggestions for an SUV capable of safely towing 25' Safari? I am not comfortable with some of the SUV suggestions where I am exceeding suggested towing capacity. I currently tow with a 2008 Toyota Tundra and it works great, but that is the only thing I use it for. I would like to consolidate to one vehicle and prefer that it be an SUV. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance,
Greg

Greg,
Went through same process last year, had a 2011 Tundra I used to tow 25 ft Eddie Bauer. Wife complained of the ride quality so traded it on a Mercedes GL 350 diesel. Found out GL had adequate towing capacity but not enough hitch for the torque weight of the 25 footer. There are numerous threads on beefing up the Mercedes hitch to increase torque capacity but did not wish to weld on my new vehicle. My solution was to sell the Eddie Bauer and buy a 23 ft FBI, just a little shorter but very light on the torque weight. LED lights are another puzzle when towing with a MB so I just had Airstream install incandescent tail lights on the new trailer. Love the diesel, mileage about 16 to 18 in Appalachians pulling hard and fully loaded. No lack of power.

[greatlakes]

I've been towing my 25' Safari for four years all over the country -- 50k miles so far -- with a '10 4x4 Ford Expedition. It has a Reece WD hitch assembly and a sway control bar. The vehicle has a sway control system and a Kenosha trailer brake valve. It tows like a dream up and down the highest hills and yields 13 mpg day and night.

My trailer weighs 6100 # loaded and on the scales I adjusted the hitch to put 10% of that on the rear axle of the TV. I still have 2900 # of towing reserve left on the vehicle. It all added up to comfort, safety, and peace of mind.

Will do it again without a second thought.

[beetlebob]

I guess my M2/106 Freightliner with a air hitch might be the thing.Never have to worry about anything.

[kforsy]

Pulling 1999 25ft Safari with a 2011 Diesel BMW X5, WD hitch and sway bar, 18mpg on freeway. No problem getting up local hilly backroads with high winds. I do need sideview mirror extenders to see safely.

[dirigible25]

You've heard a lot of answers, some more directly to your question, and others with what they are using to tow with. I fall into the last group, (the ones of us who have ignored the crux of the question), as I tow my '97 Safari with a '12 2500 HD Silverado Duramax/Allison. Great for what I want, but not necessarily what you are looking for.