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adonh · 06-09-2008, 03:35 PM

Other than Ford/Mercury and Chevy/GMC what other long wheel base big SUV's are there for towing 31' Airstream. Although the price of gas is going through the roof if you are going to continue to pull the old A/S this may be a good time to trade up in tow vehicles with the rebates and incentives being offered. I want to stay with an SUV rather than a pickup.

You might not be able to get a big SUV before to long.

Don

overlander63 · 06-09-2008, 03:41 PM

There's the Armada, based on the Nissan Titan platform, and Toyota has the Sequoia, based on the Tundra platform. Dodge's SUV offering, the Durango, is based on the Dakota mid-sized truck, so is not a full-size machine.

Silvertwinkie · 06-09-2008, 03:41 PM

eBay Motors: International Harvester : CXT - 4X4 (item 250254891130 end time Jun-12-08 10:47:02 PDT)

overlander63 · 06-09-2008, 03:43 PM

Eric, I think he was asking about SUV's, not pickups, though you could probably carry a pair of Airstreams with that truck.

Silvertwinkie · 06-09-2008, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by overlander63

Eric, I think he was asking about SUV's, not pickups, though you could probably carry a pair of Airstreams with that truck.

Yea, I know, but I just couldn't resist, it's a heck of a truck.

Tom Nugler · 06-09-2008, 03:47 PM

How 'bout a Sprinter window van. eBay Motors: Dodge : Sprinter (item 150254686395 end time Jun-09-08 20:18:51 PDT)&
A bit smaller than the IH.

Tom.

**jcanavera** · 06-09-2008, 04:07 PM

Not knowing what the price of SUV's has dropped to, vans are a good alternative. I have a 3/4 ton GMC passenger van that is a remarkable tow vehicle. Not cheap on gas with the 6 liter V8 and the 4.10 axle, but it will pull just about 10,000 lbs.

When I bought mine it was 10 to 15 thousand dollars less than looking at a Suburban.

Jack

evsjr · 06-09-2008, 05:19 PM

I tow a 2007 27ft. Classic FB with a 2007 ESV (long) Escalade. Plenty of power, never an issue. I have changed out those super low profile tires with Chevy truck rims and Goodyear Wrangler 275/70R17 tires. The shiny, and costly original tires have been set aside for trade-in time. I also installed the largest BMR transmission oil cooler that could be stuffed in with auxillary fan. Seems to decrease ATF temp by about 15-20 deg F, but I have not driven summer desert hills yet. No problems with radiator, control, etc. I consider myself OK but at the edge of my comfort level for towing. I plan a trip out west in a couple of weeks. That will be the real test. As is, the combination is super comfortable. So far, I love it.

Silvertwinkie · 06-09-2008, 05:55 PM

Was the BMR cooler a hose type connection or did you simply swap out the OEM cooler. If you simply swapped it out, did it connect directly to the metal factory trans line pipes?

If it was simply a direct connected trans cooler to the factory metal trans lines, can you share what part number you bought?

I've wanted to add a bigger cooler, but most times, I'd have to run rubber lines to the factory metal pipes and I didn't care for that solution.

TheBigRedTruck · 06-10-2008, 02:42 PM

OK, I have stayed away from this till now. You must be talking about SOB tow vehicles. You did say BIG!!!! 2007 C4500 TOPKICK 12,600lbs 4X4
The REAL MACOY!!!!

lewster · 06-10-2008, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Nugler

How 'bout a Sprinter window van. eBay Motors: Dodge : Sprinter (item 150254686395 end time Jun-09-08 20:18:51 PDT)&
A bit smaller than the IH.

Tom.

Tom,

The Sprinters have a max. tow capacity of 5000lb and 500lb tongue weight for most of the models. The new 3500 dually goes up to 7500/750. It's going to be my next service van/TV combo!

My '04 2500 does very nicely with a full van load and the 19CCD, but the 3500 willl mean more carry capacity AND a bigger 'Stream

bake315 · 06-10-2008, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DIMMER

OK, I have stayed away from this till now. You must be talking about SOB tow vehicles. You did say BIG!!!! 2007 C4500 TOPKICK 12,600lbs 4X4
The REAL MACOY!!!!

Hmmm... Seems to run counter to your sigline!

That's quite a beast!

Incidentally, how do you get the jeep off of the truck? It is a rockcrawler, so I guess you could just run it up there, eh?

evsjr · 06-10-2008, 03:29 PM

I need to correct myself. The ATF cooler that I had installed in my 2007
Escalade was the B&M model 70297. You can Google it and decide if you like
the product. Normally, I will install almost anything myself, but not this
time. I had a professional radiator tech do the installation and I'm glad I
did. Cost of the cooler was $220 and cost of installation was $500. Some
plastic cowling had to be trimmed to make things fit. Rubber tubing was used
in the installation. The fan is supposed to be controlled by a 175 deg
thermostadt. When the weather got hot, I observed that the fan NEVER came
on. I ran a fused toggle switch to manually control the fan. This works fine
as long as I remember to shut the fan off when leaving the vehicle. Looking
at the available real estate forward of the radiator, I believe that this is
the largest ATF cooler that can be reasonably installed in an Escalade. Hope
this is useful. evsjr

adonh · 06-10-2008, 05:15 PM

Interesting, the Toyota Sequoia has a bigger engine 385 HP compared to the Suburban and Expedition at 300 to 320HP for the 2 wheel 1/2 tone models. But the Sequoia wheel base at 122" is 8" shorter than the Suburban and Expedition at 130". Its also about 12' shorter in overall length as well. The towing capacity listed for the Sequoia is 9,500 lbs compared to around 7,500 lbs for the Suburban and Expedition.
It sounds like it has the power to pull a big A/S but I wonder what effect if any the shorter wheel base may have.

Don

rp709 · 06-11-2008, 03:14 PM

I tow with a 1998 Navigator. It is a little challenged for power. However if you use the Hensley Arrow hitch you won't care about the wheel base of the SUV. This hitch ends all sway. The new Sequoia wood be my choice for a towing SUV. A great design with 9,100 tow rating an 380 HP and 400 lb/ft of torque. Made in Texas. Check out the Hensley.

RoverOwner · 06-11-2008, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Nugler

How 'bout a Sprinter window van. eBay Motors: Dodge : Sprinter (item 150254686395 end time Jun-09-08 20:18:51 PDT)&
A bit smaller than the IH.

Tom.

A Sprinter is a wonderful tow vehicle. I've got a 2500 that I used to tow my 61 Ambassador home from Cape Cod. Once the trailer is restored, the Sprinter will be my primary tow vehicle.

nunya001 · 06-11-2008, 03:55 PM

Power is multi-directional in terms of breaking inertia as well as making it

adonh · 06-12-2008, 05:34 PM

This headline was on Fox News

High Gas Prices Driving Midsize SUVs to Extinction
People are starting to abandon them because of high gasoline prices.
It's one of the last places to back away from the class of SUVs, which includes the once-popular Ford Explorer and Chevrolet TrailBlazer. Some industry analysts are already declaring the midsize SUV extinct.
"They're dinosaurs. Put a fork in them," Erich Merkle, vice president of auto industry forecasting for the consulting company IRN Inc.

The big SUV's are next.

Don

RoverOwner · 06-12-2008, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adonh

This headline was on Fox News

High Gas Prices Driving Midsize SUVs to Extinction
People are starting to abandon them because of high gasoline prices.
It's one of the last places to back away from the class of SUVs, which includes the once-popular Ford Explorer and Chevrolet TrailBlazer. Some industry analysts are already declaring the midsize SUV extinct.
"They're dinosaurs. Put a fork in them," Erich Merkle, vice president of auto industry forecasting for the consulting company IRN Inc.

The big SUV's are next.
Don

Another reason to buy a Sprinter. I get 26mpg empty and 17 towing. Plus it seats 10. Of course diesel is over $5.00 a gallon...

slowmover · 06-12-2008, 10:00 PM

The people who didn't need an SUV are finally wising up. Those with families, or work needs, still find them useful, as with trucks. Buying a used one is the best value, something that has four or more years projected use in it. By then we ought to see some nice, high mpg diesels in this sort or size of vehicle.

I wouldn't buy new.