With the
Scamp being out first trailer ever, I am looking for some feedback on tow vehicles and our experience thus far. This thread is a bit long but I wanted to give as much info as is possible on our situation.
When we bought our Jeep earlier this summer we had no idea we'd being looking to add a trailer at some point. Turns out that the Jeep was a catalyst for my wife and I reconnecting with our childhood camping past. The Jeep was purchased as a third "fun" vehicle. I've had one before and love the top off fun. We have other cars we use for long drives, work commutes and when we need a more comfortable ride.
Fast forward to today and our top down love for the Jeep comes in second to our desire to go further with our
Scamp. We started wondering if the Jeep would be a towing vehicle that actually kept us from going further as a 6+ hour drive in the Jeep is not something we want to do. Our butts are too used to more comfortable rides.
I used to own a VW Touareg. Loved it. Hated the gas mileage and its lust for new
tires. I also didn't tow then so I couldn't justify it as a fill time vehicle.
I borrowed a T-reg today and towed the
Scamp with it. INCREDIBLE. The trailer dissappeared. Whereas the Jeep feels like I'm wearing a backpack full of heavy books, the T-reg felt like nothing was even behind me. It's also just much more smooth on the road.
My wife and I are trying to figure out what Makes the T-reg so much better. Towing capacity? Engine? Suspension? Maybe a bit of everything? We want to use this info to help us make an informed next step. Our options are:
- Keep the Jeep and just accept its lack of road manners. It's awesome at camp sites and still very fun for beach trips and summer days
- Move from the Jeep to something a bit more refined like a FJ Cruiser (feedback on this vehicle appreciated). Give up top down for better towing.
- Go to a T-reg for all driving needs. Accept the bad gas mileage because one less car is good and it tows like a dream. Tow the Scamp all over the world. Also, get one with 18" wheels so we don't have to change out tires on a weekly basis.
- Look at something like a Highlander Hybrid as a multi-purpose vehicle. Good gas mileage but how does it tow (feedback on this vehicle also appreciated)
We're probably going to check out the FJ and Highlander but its hard to find a dealership who will let you take the vehicle out for a test drive with a trailer. We're really new to all of this but are having a blast in the Scamp and want to get the most out of it.