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Old 04-13-2018, 07:21 AM   #1
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Name: Debra
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FL
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Front rear, rear wheel, all/four wheel for towing?

Hi, I am researching towing vehicles. My TV will also be my everyday car. I have heard different things about whether to get a front wheel, rear wheel or all/four wheel drive vehicle. Any advice or experience? Thanks in advance.
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Old 04-13-2018, 07:31 AM   #2
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first

Debbie you need to figure out what you are going to be towing? trailer weight, tongue weight trailer length so forth!

Lots of us here own scamp 13footers about anything within reason can tow these but move up to a 16f or longer then larger cars or trucks come into play.

there are some real pros here to guide you in your selection. you have come to the right site though!


good luck

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Old 04-13-2018, 07:39 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Debbie in Florida View Post
Hi, I am researching towing vehicles. My TV will also be my everyday car. I have heard different things about whether to get a front wheel, rear wheel or all/four wheel drive vehicle. Any advice or experience? Thanks in advance.
On a side note, most 4 wheel or awd crossover/small suvs that you buy now a days are all fwd until the front wheels loose traction. Then the rear wheels kick in temporarily to give you give you enough traction to get out of the situation. So your basically going to be looking at all fwd cars anyway, unless you move up to something like a large jeep cherokee, toyota 4 runner or a pickup truck. I wouldn't worry about it, just get a car that is capable of towing what you plan on towing.
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Old 04-13-2018, 07:42 AM   #4
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It depends on how heavy your trailer is.

For lighter trailers, FWD is adequate, although you may occasionally get some loss of traction while climbing grades on slippery surfaces- loose gravel or wet grass- in a campground or back road. AWD on a FWD-based chassis is a good upgrade, and many manufacturers give a higher tow rating to the AWD version.

For heavier trailers, a RWD pickup or SUV is better. In that case, the benefits of 4WD are less and the components add weight that often reduces the tow rating and payload. If you may tow in winter conditions or on back roads, I'd recommend it. If not, RWD (with a limited slip rear differential if available) is fine.

If you are still planning to tow a 16' Casita, I would recommend any of the various AWD crossovers with tow ratings in the 5000# range: Pilot, Highlander, Pathfinder, Santa Fe (not Sport), Sorento, Explorer,... In addition to comfort, cost, and reliability, research towing set-up (particularly wiring) for each vehicle. Some are easy to wire for a trailer, others are not.
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Old 04-13-2018, 08:03 AM   #5
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Thanks Bob, Dave and Jon for great advice. And Bob for remembering I was considering the 16 foot Casita. I will probably go with the 16 or 17 foot Casita as I can get a new one by mid summer. Scamps are now saying there is a year long waiting list. Still assessing. Some folks have told me that many people often want to upgrade trailer size so get a TV that can accommodate the upgrade. Even if I get a 13 ft. SCAMP, I want a toilet (heavier). Its all a matter of trade offs. I prefer a smaller vehicle but am not experienced at any of this (I am a tent camper getting too rickety for that!) so want a vehicle that will have the power to do the needful (including travel in the mountains) and is reliable since I am solo. So, very much appreciate advice and experiences. Keep it coming! I have looked at the Sante Fe (not a Sport), the Ford Explorer and the Toyota Highlander. Welcome and feedback on that. Agree I am in the right place for great advice. Thank you!
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Old 04-13-2018, 08:14 AM   #6
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The difference in weight and (especially) tongue weight between the 16' and 17' Casita is significant. The tongue weight of the 17' is near the limit of what the FWD-based vehicles can handle and will probably necessitate use of a weight-distributing hitch. I would make that decision before I bought the vehicle. Casita may be able to set you up with a local owner for a demo of both models.

On the other hand, if you go with a 13' Scamp bathroom model (which I see as fine for one person), you can step down to a smaller 3500# rated AWD crossover: Santa Fe Sport 2.0T, Ford Escape Titanium, Kia Sorento 2.0T, Toyota RAV-4 Adventure, to name a few.

In this case, the advice "trailer first, then tug" applies.
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Old 04-13-2018, 08:19 AM   #7
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what i think

Debbie you are maintaing an open mind good thing! I have done about everything with rvs up to a 40f converted bus it was too much not much fun back to a tent!

then we found at our age getting off the ground getting harder and harder so we got an A-Liner loved that thing easy to tow and had lots of room to now after 2 big-time back surgery to a 13f scamp.

I would not consider a b/r in a 13f scmper go for it if you want but it will be cramped big time. we use a portapottie we have no water no stove we don't want either. we use a campstove for cooking and heating water. we are also primary boondockers call us frugal!

for you consideration there are several used scamps, casitas other up for consideration in our classifieds. some at a real savings over new and you can get them no wait.

this site is devoted to fiberglass rvs you will find the greatest most knowlegable people on the planet right here and willing to help you in your decisions.

good luck and glad to have you

bob
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Old 04-13-2018, 09:47 AM   #8
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A great combination is a 15 or 16 ft trailer with a Toyota Highlander. Even a hybrid if you can find a used one. Or afford a new one.
Or, any other brand of mid-size SUV. Ours is 4WD; essentialy FWD until the front tires begin to slip when the rear wheels pick up the load.
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Old 04-13-2018, 10:13 AM   #9
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I personally wouldn't tow a trailer with a car that has a CVT transmission. I would move up to a car with a heavier duty transmission. You can read about them on line and make up your own mind.
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Old 04-13-2018, 10:16 AM   #10
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Name: bob
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I agree with jon our problem we had an A-Liner about anything will tow that trailer then back surgery hit so bought a 13f scamper about 400lbs more. our ford edge fw handles it but I wish I had something else but then again we made it in the mountains just fine.


I would not attempt this with a 16f but I am sure there is someone out there doing it.


so pick out your trailer and get your tug matched to it you will be happier!


bob
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Old 04-13-2018, 12:06 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by stevebaz View Post
I personally wouldn't tow a trailer with a car that has a CVT transmission. I would move up to a car with a heavier duty transmission. You can read about them on line and make up your own mind.
As far as I know, the only one in this class of vehicles with a CVT is the Nissan Pathfinder, and it has one of the higher tow ratings. Go figure...
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Old 04-13-2018, 12:46 PM   #12
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I personally wouldn't tow a trailer with a car that has a CVT transmission. I would move up to a car with a heavier duty transmission. You can read about them on line and make up your own mind.
That's your hangup. Our 2007 Highlander Hybrid with CVT worked very well, no problems. The rear axle is driven by an electric motor that kicks in when the front wheels begin to slip. I would have bought another one, except that newer ones came only in the Limited (highest priced) version. And a 2013 non hybrid with a trailer hitch came available at my local dealer.
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Old 04-13-2018, 02:57 PM   #13
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wayne

wayne
I am sort of not informed on these Hondas how do they work?

bob
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Old 04-13-2018, 05:51 PM   #14
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That's your hangup. Our 2007 Highlander Hybrid with CVT worked very well, no problems
Toyota's Synergy Drive is a totally different animal than the usual "belt drive" or "chain drive" most CVT vehicles have. Toyota calls it a CVT only because the electric and gas motors combined in the planetary gear system have an "infinite" number of ratios by design, but that is only similarity. Toyota's hybrid system is actually very simple in principle (complicated in its implementation) and quite sturdy and reliable. No belts, no chains. I wouldn't mind towing with a hybrid Highlander, but I wouldn't touch a CVT Pathfinder even if it was given to me.
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Old 04-14-2018, 09:47 AM   #15
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Debbie, I tow a 17' Casita SD with a Toyota AWD Highlander. I do use a WDH to keep the front tow wheels on the ground. The trailer tows wonderfully and the 6cyl Highlander climbs the Sierras just fine at 55mph. One thing you need to realize is that you MPG will be significantly lower than before. Oh well, the price we pay!!!!!!

Good hunting, you sound like you are doing your homework well.

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Old 04-17-2018, 07:14 AM   #16
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HI Mike...what is a WDH. And what MPG do you get. Also, I am told the Toyota only has a 4 pin hookup and most have advised me to get a 7 pin. I am about to write a separate question about this. Thanks for your advice and information.
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Old 04-17-2018, 07:29 AM   #17
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WDH is a weight distributing hitch. There are various designs, but all essentially pry up on the trailer frame to raise the ball mount and transfer weight forward to the vehicle's front axle and rearward to the trailer axle. They are used to even out the weight distribution across all axles on trailers with a high tongue weight and correct sagging of the rear suspension.
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Yes, you need 7-pin wiring to pull a travel trailer. The extra wires include connections for the trailer brakes and trailer battery charging under tow. Toyota only supplies 4-pin wiring, so you have to have the extra wires added by another shop after purchase.
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Old 04-17-2018, 08:42 AM   #18
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Originally Posted by Debbie in Florida View Post
HI Mike...what is a WDH. And what MPG do you get. Also, I am told the Toyota only has a 4 pin hookup and most have advised me to get a 7 pin. I am about to write a separate question about this. Thanks for your advice and information.
Debbie, Jon in AZ provided an excellent reply above.
As far as MPG it depends a lot on the terrain you are driving and your speed.
Here in Cali our limit towing is 55 MPH, I never go above 65 MPH when the law permits, based on a suggestion by Larry and the concern for wheel bearings .

My 2018 Highlander AWD V6 gets 18-20 MPG in town and approaching 25 MPG highway. When towing the Casita I would say at least a reduction of 5 mpg both in town and hwy.

With gas prices today at $3.43/gal or higher in Cali driving costs a bit, but what better way to spend your money than Camping in your tiny home, Casita.

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Old 04-17-2018, 12:25 PM   #19
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Doesn't matter what your vehicle comes with, you WILL need a seven pin harness for any trailer that has brakes. Since you are looking at 16 or 17 foot Casitas, you will have brakes.

Four wire plugs are fine for small utility trailers, or the smallest of molded fiberglass trailers, but that is about it.

As far as gas mileage while towing, often people with the smaller tow vehicles get worse mileage than I get towing with my V8 F150. My theory is these smaller tow vehicles engines are working A LOT harder!

"Two foot itis" is pretty common to people new to trailers. I personally prefer a tow vehicle that can handle a trailer that is at least two feet larger in size. Rather than have a tow vehicle that is at its max, I prefer to have power to spare.
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Old 04-18-2018, 03:22 PM   #20
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We tow with a 2014 Honda Odyssey, 6 speed automatic, V-6 rated for 350 lb tongue and 3500 pounds. Tows very well, plenty of power. We've averaging between 19 & 21 miles per gallon towing our 2600 pound Scamp 16. On the highway without the trailer we get 30 plus miles per gallon. Around town about 24. The car is really comfortable and so far as reliable as any Honda we've owned. Now up to 84,000 miles.
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