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pageclot · 04-20-2009, 06:52 PM

Our tow vehicle is a 2006 Dodge Caravan SXT.

The one with the massive 3.8 litre V6. It's equipped with an advanced hitch, with weight distribution devices, anti-sway bars. I have a honking big transmission cooler. I tow with the column shifter firmly in "3" (not overdrive, except on long downhills). Our mileage when towing is about 15 mpg. When not towing, it's 20 to 25 (city/highway). When towing, we leave about 3 gallons of water in the fresh water tank because there's always going to be water where we're going. We don't pack, nor do we need to pack, 7 or 8 hundred pounds of stuff when we travel.

I know it's not the ideal tow vehicle. When the van dies (and it would probably give my dad a rueful pleasure if it burned out the transmission while towing) we will replace it with something bigger. But that something bigger has to be able to hold 6 people, plus two dogs, and not make me feel like I'm driving a truck, so it will probably be whatever GM or Ford is offering in a 3-row-seating format (Suburbans are looking nicer and nicer). But I expect it'll be 3 or 4 years before we need to replace it.

So far, touch wood, my knuckles haven't approached white in colour while towing, and we haven't had to stop to change pants. We drove back from Algonquin in a rain storm down windy roads, and I felt secure.

This is not to say that I will ignore the weather, or drive beyond my ability. I'm an accountant, after all.

I've greatly enjoyed reading the forums, and soaking up the knowledge and all the points of view, and the relative civility of the discussions. I hope to spend many enjoyable years here, and so I thought it would be good to unburden myself about the minivan TV.

When we make it to rallies, we'll be hard to miss!

Maybe there are others out there, like us.

Ganaraska · 04-20-2009, 06:59 PM

Was it set up by Can Am RVs?

ROBERT CROSS · 04-20-2009, 07:26 PM

What's to confess?....

Your enjoying your trailer, thats what important.

Road Ruler · 04-20-2009, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pageclot

Our tow vehicle is a 2006 Dodge Caravan SXT.

The one with the massive 3.8 litre V6.

Compared to the 150HP, 3.0 V6 engine we had in our Nissan van that is big. The Nissan towed our 23' for many, trouble free years. Enjoy your travels with the SXT and your Airstream.

Aage · 04-20-2009, 09:41 PM

We have a Grand Caravan, but made the mistake of getting the 3.3 litre. So before we can tow the Sovereign, we need to get another tow vehicle.

We're looking at Ford Freestars, and that big 4.2 litre V6 makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Seriously, that is what we will very likely get. Our son has an F150, and while it's a marvellous truck for what he uses it for, we want a minivan, and that's that.

::whew:: There, I said it too. Glad I got it off my chest. Thanks for opening the subject, Pageclot.

It's true, all Canadians are wild-eyed crazy about TVs.

3Ms75Argosy · 04-20-2009, 10:35 PM

... I won't tell anyone I'm thinking of a Dodge Magnum.....

pageclot · 04-21-2009, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ganaraska

Was it set up by Can Am RVs?

Sure was. They were/are great. It's probably a good thing they're not closer, as I'm sure we'd pester them by wanting to come by and look at all the trailers.

The first time we drove there, late February, to look at a trailer, it was during a snowstorm, and there were a bunch of AS owners and trailers inside their garage for a meet and greet. In a snowstorm. They all looked very happy.

Mikethefixit · 04-21-2009, 05:19 AM

Its whatever you yourself are comfortable with. I as a professional driver(retired) feel mini-vans are to light and underpowered for anything over 16 to 19 ft of trailer.
Its not your daddys Caddy or Oldsmobile that weighed in a more that 5000 lbs and had a full box frame under them.
So I will be glad to stick to my Ford F350 that I know weighs more that my trailer and has brakes enough to stop that trailer in case of a trailer brake failure.I still get 14 mpg around town and 20 on the highway and 17 towing.
Again its all about comfort zone and safety and each individuals concept of those two items.
If we all liked the same things there would only be one auto mfgr and 1 trailer mfgr.
Just be safe out there and enjoy the gifts we have.

mutcth · 04-21-2009, 07:18 AM

I guess it depends what year Dad's Oldsmobile was:

1977 Oldsmobile 98 (still body-on-frame, but first "downsized" year) = 4070 lbs.

1974 Oldsmobile 98 = 4990 lbs

The Dodge Caravan SXT in this thread = 4515 lbs.

Tom

Aage · 04-21-2009, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikethefixit

I still get 14 mpg around town and 20 on the highway and 17 towing.

You are getting amazing mileage on that F350, Mike. Why, Consumers Reports said "Expect 14 mpg overall on regular fuel." for the F-150!

ps: the curbweight of the Ford Freestar is 4,275 lbs. My trailer is 5,100 lbs "dry", and max weight is 7,100.

I have told my wife that we must avoid repeating Lucy Ricardo's mistake of collecting large rocks as they toured in the movie "The Long Long Trailer".

WBCCI9898 · 04-21-2009, 09:30 AM

Hey Pageclot... you wont miss us either at rallies...
34ft Dodge Magnum Hemi

http://www.airforums.com/forums/atta...1&d=1240325521

Mikethefixit · 04-21-2009, 11:45 AM

Aage
I have check time after time tank after tank. It does not vary only a little. My truck is a SW, Longbed. CrewCab with 7.3 liter International Harvester (Ford) Diesel and and Allison Automatic.
I drove over the road for 45 yrs. I seem to be able to squeeze the best mileage out of my diesel.It takes a steady toe and patience. You cannot expect diesels to act like gas jobs.They are not meant to go from 0 to 60 in 6.1 seconds.They develop torque to pull with,and speed comes later. I didn't get that kind of mileage till I passed the break in point of about 60k miles. I'm also very religious about oil changes,I use the same oil as the big trucks. Its also important to keep an eye on Air filters every other oil change. That's my secret and now its not a secret anymore.

Roger

ROBERT CROSS · 04-21-2009, 02:07 PM

Well said Roger..

When we got the 06 8.1 4:10 Burb I thought the MPG wouldn't be close to what we were getting with the 95 454 3:73. It had been "massaged" a little to help along those lines.

NOT the 06 is 2mpg better all around.

Slow down, keep your brain on your right foot, enjoy the ride, you'll learn to love

it!!!

rollingbubel · 04-21-2009, 02:22 PM

I acutally have towed mine short distances with a hyundai santa fe!!! It actually towed real nice. However I will be looking for a suburban, tahoe, or expedition within the next year.

RangerJay · 04-21-2009, 04:26 PM

I have written about our tow vehicle a few times over the years - Nissan Pathfinders aren't known as shining stars in the tow vehicle department. Regardless I started out our Pathfinder towing adventures with phrases like “Great!” - eventually gravitating to “OK” - 6 towing seasons into it and well over 50,000 towing kilometres later that is where it still stands today - OK.

What have I learned? - to start off with:

· I have been unimpressed with those who “have it all” and lord it over the rest of us with their sanctimonious judgments on the inadequacies of set-ups that don’t meet the standard of an ego that is as big as all outdoors (whew - I sweated my brain cells coming up with that)

· I have been just as unimpressed with those who “risk it all” and ridicule those who go to considerable length and expense to make and keep their rigs roadworthy and safe.

I guess I am comfortably nested in the middle - but often abused by both sides.

Yes - we have a marginal tow vehicle - centre of gravity is too high, wheelbase is too short, weight of the TV is little more than the weight of the trailer, power isn’t going to win any uphill races anywhere.

But;

I tow within the vehicle specs, the hitch is a Hensley, the brake controller a Tekonsha P3, the tires are LT and sized to eliminate the “balloon” sidewalls, the safety aspects of both truck and trailer are exceptionally well maintained, and driving habits are conservative.

The name of the game in the beginning (at least for me) was to get as much trailer as I could for the truck we owned. My big issue was lack of towing knowledge and experience - though I wouldn’t have admitted that at the time - heck - we’d towed the utility trailer, the pop-up and the boat trailer since the beginning of time - what else was there to know?

Today that game hasn’t really changed a lot - the trailer is around for the long haul (we hope) - the next truck isn’t going to be a heck of a lot bigger than the one we have (well - maybe a little) - but we’ll still be a one vehicle family that asks far too much of that vehicle (formal dinners to dump hauls). What has really changed is my understanding of the towing dynamics between the truck and the trailer - and the importance of paying attention to those dynamics.

The bottom line is: know your vehicle - maximize on its strengths, mitigate its weaknesses and don’t exceed whatever limitations remain.

And: for the record - I want to thank Can Am RV for their frank and professional advice on making our own rig comfortable and safer to tow.

Jay

ROBERT CROSS · 04-21-2009, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RangerJay

I have written about our tow vehicle a few times over the years - Nissan Pathfinders aren't known as shining stars in the tow vehicle department. Regardless I started out our Pathfinder towing adventures with phrases like “Great!” - eventually gravitating to “OK” - 6 towing seasons into it and well over 50,000 towing kilometres later that is where it still stands today - OK.

What have I learned? - to start off with:

· I have been unimpressed with those who “have it all” and lord it over the rest of us with their sanctimonious judgments on the inadequacies of set-ups that don’t meet the standard of an ego that is as big as all outdoors (whew - I sweated my brain cells coming up with that)

· I have been just as unimpressed with those who “risk it all” and ridicule those who go to considerable length and expense to make and keep their rigs roadworthy and safe.

I guess I am comfortably nested in the middle - but often abused by both sides.

Yes - we have a marginal tow vehicle - centre of gravity is too high, wheelbase is too short, weight of the TV is little more than the weight of the trailer, power isn’t going to win any uphill races anywhere.

But;

I tow within the vehicle specs, the hitch is a Hensley, the brake controller a Tekonsha P3, the tires are LT and sized to eliminate the “balloon” sidewalls, the safety aspects of both truck and trailer are exceptionally well maintained, and driving habits are conservative.

The name of the game in the beginning (at least for me) was to get as much trailer as I could for the truck we owned. My big issue was lack of towing knowledge and experience - though I wouldn’t have admitted that at the time - heck - we’d towed the utility trailer, the pop-up and the boat trailer since the beginning of time - what else was there to know?

Today that game hasn’t really changed a lot - the trailer is around for the long haul (we hope) - the next truck isn’t going to be a heck of a lot bigger than the one we have (well - maybe a little) - but we’ll still be a one vehicle family that asks far too much of that vehicle (formal dinners to dump hauls). What has really changed is my understanding of the towing dynamics between the truck and the trailer - and the importance of paying attention to those dynamics.

The bottom line is: know your vehicle - maximize on its strengths, mitigate its weaknesses and don’t exceed whatever limitations remain.

And: for the record - I want to thank Can Am RV for their frank and professional advice on making our own rig comfortable and safer to tow.

Jay

Sounds good to us...

63Silver · 04-21-2009, 07:30 PM

I bought an F150 4.6 liter crew cab a few years ago never expecting to actually own an Airstream. I would have expected this small V8 could handle our 1963 Ambassador, which we NEVER over load. While I like the truck and will continue to be a Ford man, the 4.6 is just not powerful enough especially on the hills. Getting down to 40 miles an hour on the Interstate is freightening, the other guys are already going WAY to fast. I believe the 5.4 liter would be enough but if I am going to up grade I think I'll just get a diesel. Who knows in a few years the wife may let me buy a bigger trailer.

63silver

Road Ruler · 04-21-2009, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 63Silver

While I like the truck and will continue to be a Ford man, the 4.6 is just not powerful enough especially on the hills.

The new F150 is a whole different story....

safari 28 · 04-21-2009, 08:43 PM

I am convinced, and with more experience than most on this forum towing a 28 nationwide in all conditions the following: Our 08 f150 will do the job for anything airstream makes. The popular notion on this forum of a 3/4 ton diesel IS good for chiropractors to adjust for whiplash from railroad tracks and potholes. It also is in the best interest for rv repair dealers to fix your appliances and loose rivets. Otherwise, get a properly set up half ton, gasser, and simplify your life big time. Trust me on this, bigger is not better when towing an airstream, in fact, it is worse.

Gene · 04-21-2009, 08:43 PM

Didn't we learn that Canadians tow with lighter vehicles on another thread? Perhaps because the magnetic north pole is in Canada, it pulls them along and they don't need big engines? Or is it because it's downhill to the Arctic Ocean? Just look at a globe of the planet and you can see that driving north is all downhill. When we're in Canada next month I'm going to see if we can coast north.

Gene