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Old 12-20-2016, 05:19 PM   #21
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You can get a v8 in the Tacoma I believe. I have the 6 your talking about. Drive slightly fast and you'll avg. 12 mile a gallon.
Love the Tacoma though.
"Believe" as you will it won't make it so, there ain't no 8 cyl Tacos.
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Old 12-20-2016, 05:34 PM   #22
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You can pick up a brand new lower-end Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo with a tow package for under $35k and I concur with the commenters who stated it is an EXCELLENT tow vehicle for a 5000 GVW trailer.

Even on the steepest sustained grades, you will be able to pull with confidence at 50 mph. We looked into getting an 8 cylinder and found you had to go up to a Limited for nearly 50% more money. We LOVE our Grand Cherokee.

We also looked into several pickups with over 7000 lb towing capacity. You can get those new for under $35 k, as well. But, they are significantly larger and we found them difficult to fit in the garage unless we moved out the freezer and shelves. Then, we would have to deal with street parking an extra-long vehicle, even with a short bed - not for us.
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Old 12-20-2016, 06:52 PM   #23
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You can pick up a brand new lower-end Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo with a tow package for under $35k and I concur with the commenters who stated it is an EXCELLENT tow vehicle for a 5000 GVW trailer.

Even on the steepest sustained grades, you will be able to pull with confidence at 50 mph. We looked into getting an 8 cylinder and found you had to go up to a Limited for nearly 50% more money. We LOVE our Grand Cherokee.

We also looked into several pickups with over 7000 lb towing capacity. You can get those new for under $35 k, as well. But, they are significantly larger and we found them difficult to fit in the garage unless we moved out the freezer and shelves. Then, we would have to deal with street parking an extra-long vehicle, even with a short bed - not for us.
Do you carry a generator inside your Grand Cherokee? I kind of prefer a car like the Cherokee for when I am not towing but I sort f feel like a truck might be better for carrying a generator and for picking up firewood. Nice to know that either would work.
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Old 12-20-2016, 06:54 PM   #24
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I carry all sorts of stuff in my SUV, like rocks, mulch, etc. That's what plastic cargo liners are for.
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Old 12-20-2016, 07:30 PM   #25
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We towed our FC20 very nicely with a tow-equipped Toyota Highlander.
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Old 12-21-2016, 07:44 AM   #26
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I carry all sorts of stuff in my SUV, like rocks, mulch, etc. That's what plastic cargo liners are for.
Thanks FC Streamer, your comments and others in this thread have been helpful.

I have carried mulch and gardening stuff in my Odyssey with a plastic cargo liner but I have noticed that when I bring a can of gasoline back for the lawnmower that it can stink up the car. So I was specifically interested in whether generators (which I have zero experience with) would do the same. My spousal unit would not be happy if she had to endure a gasoline smell for 6-8 hours while driving down to our next campsite.

I guess I have been assuming that the safest, lest smelly option would be in the bed of a pick-up. That said I prefer an SUV such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee if I can make it work. I just want to understand the trade-offs before making what will be a substantial financial commitment.
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Old 12-21-2016, 07:50 AM   #27
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You can always go the propane route. That should resolve the smelly gas issue.

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping...ic-start/93723
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Old 12-21-2016, 11:59 AM   #28
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You can always go the propane route. That should resolve the smelly gas issue.
. . .
That's what we did. Works great, per this recent post in another thread:

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Originally Posted by OTRA15 View Post
Jasmine, I would recommend the US Carburetion propane-converted Yamaha 1,000 watt generator/inverter as a perfect companion to the new Basecamp, if you only want light 120-volt use (including charging the battery), and don't plan on running your A/C.

You can see further details of this Yamaha 1k unit here:

http://www.motorsnorkel.com/yamaha-e...line-only.html

and some discussions on the following threads:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f448...-150492-3.html
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f448...ml#post1797605

We used our Yamaha last summer quite a bit, and it charged our batteries and ran the fridge fine, from behind the trailer using 2 10' propane extension hoses. With a weight of only 28 pounds, it is easy to get in and out of our tow vehicle, and does not contain any gasoline in the tank, making it safe to carry in a car, van, or SUV IMO.

If you post your needs/expectations for what the generator should do, I am sure you will get helpful comments about other brands and sizes, like the Honda 2000, and perhaps TWO of these units, paired up as companions in order to run your A/C.

Good luck!

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Old 12-21-2016, 03:15 PM   #29
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We live in Hilliard and bought 23 FC this spring and tow with Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland as tow pkg is standard on that model. We frequently go "home" to WI and have done fine with our TV. Reading all the forums has made us second guess our decision. That being said, we can put it in our garage and my husband drives it daily to work. Good luck neighbor!
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Old 12-21-2016, 05:52 PM   #30
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We live in Hilliard and bought 23 FC this spring and tow with Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland as tow pkg is standard on that model. We frequently go "home" to WI and have done fine with our TV. Reading all the forums has made us second guess our decision. That being said, we can put it in our garage and my husband drives it daily to work. Good luck neighbor!
Thanks thixoh, I will send you a private message with my contact information and some questions that are related to our neck of the woods.

Which version of the 23 FC did you purchase? I like the size of the bed in the 23 FB version better but I like floor plan with the smaller corner bed in the back a bit better than the FB.
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Old 01-05-2017, 11:47 AM   #31
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Lots of options

2004 30 foot Classic and a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan, with a 3.6L Pentastar engine. Tows fine, and its a good all-around vehicle.
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Old 01-06-2017, 08:18 AM   #32
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2004 30 foot Classic and a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan, with a 3.6L Pentastar engine. Tows fine, and its a good all-around vehicle.
I hope this is a joke. If not, it's an accident waiting to happen, as the Dodge Grand Caravan is tow-rated at 3,600 lbs., less than half of the weight being pulled!
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Old 01-06-2017, 08:57 AM   #33
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Doom and gloom! Half the trailers, tire and tv combinations on the road are death traps according to some! If it works for the owner that is all that matters.
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Old 01-07-2017, 01:12 PM   #34
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I hope this is a joke. If not, it's an accident waiting to happen, as the Dodge Grand Caravan is tow-rated at 3,600 lbs., less than half of the weight being pulled!
No joke.

Vehicle was purchased on a recommendation from Andy at CanAm. There were some serious modifications made to the hitch/receiver to accommodate the trailer, and we've been all over Ontario and upstate New York this last year without any issues at all. Previous owner of the trailer towed with a Toyota mini van back and forth to Florida from Ontario for a decade.

My understanding is that published towing capacity (as shown in your post) is based more on marketing than on actual engineering limits, and doesn't take into account the type of trailer being pulled (utility trailer/boat/SOB, etc), or the type of hitch (weight distribution/anti-sway/ball mount, etc), of r whether the tow vehicle has been beefed up to help with weight distribution. It sure helps with sales of larger (and more expensive!) tow vehicles, when a smaller one can do the job, and for a lot less money.

Original post was asking about options ("A 20 would be nice, but I don't want a big old truck"). Just providing an alternative, not looking to argue.

Cheers,
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Old 01-07-2017, 04:08 PM   #35
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It would be very helpful if you or Andy could post a detailed list of modifications to the mini-van. Posting an alternative such as this, without posting all the mods up front, is not in the best interests of inexperienced owners/drivers who do not know intuitively that an apparently "under-rated" vehicle can tow with modification. A photo alone of the combo is misleading IMO.

In the interest of safety and full disclosure . . .

Thanks.

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Old 01-08-2017, 06:02 AM   #36
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One of these days an Andy modified underrated vehicle is going to kill someone and he will be in trouble. I also think your warranty is voided and maybe your insurance will be denied with a modified vehicle. Sorta like using an F350 to haul a semi trailer. It could be done but.....
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Old 01-08-2017, 08:59 AM   #37
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[QUOTE=pappy19;1896586]One of these days an Andy modified underrated vehicle is going to kill someone and he will be in trouble. I also think your warranty is voided and maybe your insurance will be denied with a modified vehicle. Sorta like using an F350 to haul a semi trailer. It could be done but.....[/]

Still thumb sucking?

Guys like you have been waiting more than fifty years for the sky to fall.

The answer is that it's the "miracle" also known as a WD hitch.
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Old 01-08-2017, 09:19 AM   #38
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[QUOTE=slowmover;1896644]
Quote:
Originally Posted by pappy19 View Post
One of these days an Andy modified underrated vehicle is going to kill someone and he will be in trouble. I also think your warranty is voided and maybe your insurance will be denied with a modified vehicle. Sorta like using an F350 to haul a semi trailer. It could be done but.....[/]

Still thumb sucking?

Guys like you have been waiting more than fifty years for the sky to fall.

The answer is that it's the "miracle" also known as a WD hitch.

Yup, though I wouldn't say anyone is sucking thumbs, maybe being over cautious. I was rear-ended in my "Andy-modified" TDI, insurance paid no problem and later warranty work was fully covered. The only mod he makes is reinforcing the hitch receiver which means no major design part is affected. As to power, the TDI has more torque than most F150 ecoboosts, and weighs more than the new lighter trucks including the F150, at least on the weight charts I have seen. The only downside is cargo, as in I can't carry much more than two pax and a dog in the vehicle. But given I keep the trailer at no more than 7000lbs even with all our "stuff" in the trailer tongue weight is not an issue.
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Old 01-08-2017, 10:05 AM   #39
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I've been modifying and hot-Rodding cars for years, never had an issue with the cops, DOT, or insurance company. I think most of the problems people have while towing are related to their driving, not the vehicle.
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