A good van or crossover to tow a 24 Tradewind?

[Muskie]

Hi Folks, we are looking for a van or Crossover to tow our 1959' 24ft Tradewind.
We are a family of 4 and don't want to get a truck. The trailor is around 2000lb, and we also live in the Canadian snowbelt. Hills and mountains would be navigated!
Any suggestions or experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks

[AlbertF]

Your trailer is listed at 3,170 lbs empty. Loaded weight will be 4000-4500, I’d guess.

For maximum comfort, utility and stability, I would tow with a Honda, Toyota or Chrysler van. Of course, this would exceed the towing recommendation for those vehicles.

You say Canadian snowbelt, with mountains. I’m guessing it’s not the Ontario snowbelt east of Lake Huron. Finding a shop to set you up might be a challenge.

If you really want a stylish station wagon on stilts, AKA SUV, something like a Buick Enclave might be a good choice. If an import is your style, a Volvo XC90 would work well.

Please note - off-road suspension and oversized tires are not optimal for towing.

[Muskie]

Thanks, I must have been mistaken with weight, good info.

Yes I live in Ontario, but want to tow through mountains out west.
I have considered going to CanAm to get a tow package put on, as pricey as it is, it would allow a smaller vehicle.
Part of my inquiry is to find out what not to buy.
Many thanks

[GetawA-S]

Trailer Life publishes an annual towing guide that lists everything with a capacity of more than 3000 (?) pounds. (My copy is elsewhere.) it may be available on line (I only have my phone.)
Sprinter has a 4WD version. Transit was promising 4WD, but I have not seen one.
Trucks are stylish and comfortable now... just sayin’

[n2916s]

The Nissan NV 3500 would easily tow your trailer and pretty much anything you would want to bring along. Excellent 5.6 liter gas V8, good standard brakes, built in brake controller with tow pkg.

Downside is 2wd, 26 gallon fuel tank and about 10 MPG.

[PA BAMBI II]

I know you will find haters here on the forum, but Andy and his tram at Can-Am do a great job setting up minivans to tow. Your '59 should be quite a bit lighter than the modern Airstreams he usually sets the minivans up to tow. We have towed our 17' 1964 Bambi thousands of miles with a 2012 Chrysler T & C with no issues. It sits low, is wide, and powerful enough for the job.

Would I want to be in front of a 34' Airstream with a minivan? No. Not personally. But it has been done by others with success.

Stop in and see him or reach out to him. As busy as he is with his booming business, he always responds to individual customer communication in a timely manner.

[Flathead1984]

Originally Posted by Muskie

Hi Folks, we are looking for a van or Crossover to tow our 1959' 24ft Tradewind.
We are a family of 4 and don't want to get a truck. The trailor is around 2000lb, and we also live in the Canadian snowbelt. Hills and mountains would be navigated!
Any suggestions or experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks

You are in luck. Maybe someone else recommended them, but CanAm RV in London are the experts on towing - especially with vans, SUV's, and even passenger cars. I tow with a VW Touareg and CanAm was very helpful. In the US, we favor Pick Up Trucks, BIG PICK UP TRUCKS, and they are very capable. But so are SUV's for your size trailer. What I learned is the set up with a WD Hitch is critical and makes a huge difference. CanAm can advise and install a good hitch and set it up properly.

Good luck. I spend my winters in Central Florida, and 80% of the residents in my development are from Ontario (from Lagoon City to Trent). Few from Alberta, and Nova Scotia. We love visiting Ontario, but this year we are stuck in Pa.

Ed

[Craigleith]

Ignore cost for a moment as this is all about a safety which means a correct set up.
CanAm strengthened the hitch set up on my Honda Ridgeline for a 2003 19 foot Bambi (3,800 lbs dry). My first AS. Honda had under engineered the hitch for this use although rated to tow 5,000 lbs.
I bought new from CanAm a 2017 28 foot Flying Cloud (6,400 lbs dry) and tow with an F150 eco boost. The tow vehicle was my choice not CanAm’s. They set this up and I have been to the west coast twice (including Alaska/Yukon last trip) and to the east coast once. Lots of kilometres and lots through the mountains. Only one “never do that again experience” but that was the road and not the set up (succession of 12 percent downgrades followed by a 15 percentage down grade with very tight switchbacks). CanAm if asked (they will offer input if asked) are more likely to steer you to a van or SUV with independent rear suspension.
I live next door in Craigleith and make the trip to CanAm several times a year. There expensive towing knowledge is invaluable.

[Dennis C]

Originally Posted by GetawA-S

Trucks are stylish and comfortable now... just sayin’

I agree with this. A modern crew cab 1/2 ton pickup truck might be worth considering. They are very comfortable for up to 5 people, they have great cargo capacity, and they have good towing capacity. I had SUVs of various shapes and sizes for years, and now that I own a truck, I can't see going back to an SUV.

[pteck]

I'll agree with the OP that I don't care for a truck. Different strokes for different folks and he was clear he wasn't interested in one.

For a 4000-4500 GVWR trailer, any number of mid to full size SUVs will do the deed.

To the OP, is there any particular brand / leaning that you have? Price range? Just about every major manufacturer has a product in their line-up that could do the deed.

As you live in the mountains, would it be correct to assume you may want AWD or 4WD? Perhaps more power and torque of a turbo-6 or V8?

[Foiled Again]

It isn't just the high price of the truck..
It's the later add-ons:
Bed liner
Topper or tonneau
Bed slide
Electric retractable folding mirrors
Running boards
Cargo control straps
...Ad nauseum

The side door access from a van to the cargo area is a winner too

[GetawA-S]

Foiled Again,
My wife teases me about my comparison spreadsheets. I did one last year, including vans, and the F150 won. I never thought I would drive a crew cab, but it works.
We considered a “Cowboy Cadillac “ twenty five years ago for our 28’ Sunnybrook and went with a one ton Ford Econoline. This was an upgrade from a19’ Palomino and Villager minivan. Our two kids LOVED the space. No regrets, except the lack of 4WD.
All I’m saying is don’t get locked into one option because of preconceptions.

[mtbmitch]

We tow with a Ford Transit with the 3.5 twin turbo and max tow package. They offer an AWD now. Vans are so practical.

[bibbs]

I love my chevy express standard length 6L 6speed. Plenty of room all the power I would ever want. We cross the Rockies twice a year, on our way to Ontario Canada, for the summer, (sadly not this summer) my truck is a one ton, it’s a rough ride when empty, next time I will go with a 3/4 ton.

[Muskie]

Thanks, I am curious, when you are towing up hill do you feel a lack of power or does the Can-Am hitch really come into its own?

[Muskie]

Curious, would owning an F150 be a lot more expensive when it comes to fixing than a SUV or mini van that you have owned in the past?
Part of me wonders that having a truck brings you into a whole different expense bracket with maintenance and general repairs.

[bibbs]

The thing about trucks, is they don’t need much repair, they are built better, I have driven chevy vanS for 40 years other than breaks and oil changes I only needed dealer service once

[GetawA-S]

I spent more on repairs for a VW Passat over 70k miles than my last F150 over 130 k miles. You really can’t generalize. The truck came away from a significant rear end slam requiring $1200 for a new bumper. Any car would have required significantly more $ to fix.

[Foiled Again]

In 2005 I had a 2500 Suburban. WAH![emoji24] IF I knew then what I know now.... I would still have it. Of course it would be a rust bucket with a rebuilt engine and transmission by now.... and would get 10 mpg towing and 12.5 not towing...
But I digress. I Ccould climb into the cargo area from either side door OR the rear barn doors without needing a ladder, and get out without a parachute.
Wonder if I stripped both back seats out if I could get by with a 1500. Or get a former secret service 2500?
I am toying with a NV 3500 as a tow vehicle too. Sprinters... seem to be maintenance hogs.

Decisions, decisions.

[uraljohn]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

In 2005 I had a 2500 Suburban. WAH![emoji24] IF I knew then what I know now.... I would still have it. Of course it would be a rust bucket with a rebuilt engine and transmission by now.... and would get 10 mpg towing and 12.5 not towing...
But I digress. I Ccould climb into the cargo area from either side door OR the rear barn doors without needing a ladder, and get out without a parachute.
Wonder if I stripped both back seats out if I could get by with a 1500. Or get a former secret service 2500?
I am toying with a NV 3500 as a tow vehicle too. Sprinters... seem to be maintenance hogs.

Decisions, decisions.

Better hurry! No more Nissan vans to be marketed after the 2020 sales year. All vans!! Even the cargo style. Nissan is completely abandoning the van market.

The NV3500 SL Passenger van is a tow horse. 5 year/100,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty just like the Titan trucks. 9400 LBS GVW, 8700 LBS tow rating, 2500 LBS cargo capacity (even with all those seat in there). These things come with seating for 12. Remove all that extra seating, about 700 LBS worth , and you have a spacious, secure tow monster. My good friend took delivery of a brand new one yesterday. He loves it and it will tow his 23" SOB with ease. There are some available on the used market. You want a 2017 or newer as lots of upgrades were made to the engine. The cargo versions have an even higher tow rating and a payload capacity close to 4000 LBS depending on body model. Get one soon!