Need Advise - Tow Vehicle

[goldenfield]

We bought our 17’ SD last summer and hauled it back to South Carolina in our 2012 Kia Sorento. The Kia pulled the RV just fine. It has a 3500# towing capacity. It didn’t have a towing package and there were no engine issues especially in the mountains.

We decided to upgrade to get more towing capacity for long trips and it was time to get another vehicle. We researched online for 5000# towing vehicles. We chose an AWD V6 Kia Sorento because it is the best deal on the market for that size crossover. We decided to buy a new car because there were not many used AWD Sorentos out there. We’ve used the car 1 time going to mountains and got better gas mileage.

[trainman]

For Casita pulling you want at least 5000lbs towing capacity, 500-600lbs tong capacity, and a V6 with 275-300 hp. These are what I would call minimal for safe towing a Casita or any trailer of that size, is it being done with lesser vehicles, yes, but I consider it unsafe.


trainman

[jcharty]

Originally Posted by stevebaz

if you really want a Grand Cherokee then wait until the end of the year when everything gets severely discounted you will save a big chunk of money.

or buy now before the tariffs on Canadian steel take effect--vichle price will rise by 7000 to 10,000 dollars

[Glenn Baglo]

Should force the government to call tariffs what they are - a tax.
So, the politicians who claim they are going to cut taxes would have to admit they are collecting more tax through tariffs.



tariff | ˈtarɪf | noun a tax or duty to be paid on a particular class of imports or exports: the reduction of trade barriers and import tariffs.

[semievolved]

if u r getting new vehicle, highly recommend chevy Colorado duramax diesel 2.8l. i was using 2010 toyo taco 4 liter to tow our scamp and the Colorado blows it away. over 5 week trip in mountains truck and trailer loaded, 21mpg which is just slightly less than taco got empty. Chevy gets 30mpg empty. chevy generates 369 ft lbs of torque at 2000 tpm which is the same as tundra with 5.7l engine turns out at 3400 rpm. long term reliability versus toyo not yet known, however, but compared to chrysler product i wouldn't hesitste.

[Jon Vermilye]

While there are lots of variables when considering a tow vehicle. one that is often not considered is payload. A tow vehicle capable of towing 5000 pounds with a 500 pound tongue weight limit doesn't mean you can tow a 5000 pound trailer that has a 500 pound tongue weight. You are going to put things and people in the tow vehicle. This, combined with the tongue weight is your payload. With many tow vehicles, it is possible to go well over the payload long before you reach the tow capacity.

For example, my Toyota Tacoma has a tow capacity of 6800 pounds. The payload is 1195 pounds.

My Escape 21 weighs 4600 pounds loaded, with a 500 pound tongue weight. I admit I carry more "stuff" than most, and have a 200 pound topper on the truck bed. While not full timing, I travel for 8 - 10 months at a time, so I have lots of stuff. After packing the truck & trailer for a trip, I found I still have 2000 pounds of tow capacity, but am over the truck's payload by at least 150 pounds.

It is sometimes difficult to determine payload for small SUVs, but it is worth discovering what it is & making sure you are under it. Going over puts more wear on the drive train, brakes, etc.

[steve dunham]

I would not run out and buy any vehicle based on internet rumors about a price increase that may or may not happen .

[upfisk]

We have an '08 JGC diesel, with the 3.0 CRD. It is great! We get over 21 mpg on the flats, in the mountains we get 18 mpg. It has loads of power, is rated for 7200#. That is towing our 17' SD Casita. We will be buying a 19' Escape this fall and have no qualms about our JGC towing that trailer either. We did a 3 week trip in April with the JGC, had a 3 kW genset in the back of the jeep. Our BAL jacks also in the back, the back seat was empty. The Casita had fold up chairs, a folding table, enough clothes for 30° to 100° which we saw, and loads of food. You do not need an 8' bed pickup truck to carry what you need. We did the laundry 1 time in 3 weeks. Now a pickup truck might allow you to bring along a screen room, outdoor cooking setup, 4-6 folding chairs, etc. We keep our camping simple.

[LoneWolf04]

Originally Posted by Jon Vermilye

While there are lots of variables when considering a tow vehicle. one that is often not considered is payload. A tow vehicle capable of towing 5000 pounds with a 500 pound tongue weight limit doesn't mean you can tow a 5000 pound trailer that has a 500 pound tongue weight. You are going to put things and people in the tow vehicle. This, combined with the tongue weight is your payload. With many tow vehicles, it is possible to go well over the payload long before you reach the tow capacity.

For example, my Toyota Tacoma has a tow capacity of 6800 pounds. The payload is 1195 pounds.

My Escape 21 weighs 4600 pounds loaded, with a 500 pound tongue weight. I admit I carry more "stuff" than most, and have a 200 pound topper on the truck bed. While not full timing, I travel for 8 - 10 months at a time, so I have lots of stuff. After packing the truck & trailer for a trip, I found I still have 2000 pounds of tow capacity, but am over the truck's payload by at least 150 pounds.

It is sometimes difficult to determine payload for small SUVs, but it is worth discovering what it is & making sure you are under it. Going over puts more wear on the drive train, brakes, etc.

I would recommend putting more things in your camper than your truck bed if you've got 2000lbs still for tow capacity. You can add more to your camper weight wise and put less payload on the vehicle via tongue weight if you properly load it. If you've got a 1195lb payload - 200lb topper - 500lb tongue weight (would recommend weighing for sure) = 495lb payload left - 350lb for 2 people (estimate). So roughly 145lb left for the bed.

[John in Santa Cruz]

my upcoming road trip, I'm bringing a lot of stuff that flat won't fit in the camper, or that I don't want in the camper. thankfully my F250 longbed has plenty of payload

[Jon Vermilye]

Originally Posted by LoneWolf04

I would recommend putting more things in your camper than your truck bed if you've got 2000lbs still for tow capacity. You can add more to your camper weight wise and put less payload on the vehicle via tongue weight if you properly load it. If you've got a 1195lb payload - 200lb topper - 500lb tongue weight (would recommend weighing for sure) = 495lb payload left - 350lb for 2 people (estimate). So roughly 145lb left for the bed.

These were actual weights, not estimates. I travel solo, so that gave me a bit more. Since much of what I carry in the truck wouldn't fit or make sense in the trailer, my solution was to move up to a bigger truck - picking up a F 150 next week.

[JBjunior]

Originally Posted by Tom 72

Last night you mentioned a 2005 Duramax diesel. That is intriguing. I think you said 25,000 miles. I would advise online research. You may like that [Isuzu?] diesel. Expect about 1/3rd better mileage than gas. Newer diesels subject to stricter emissions, warrant a lot more research. Isuzu makes a ton of diesel engines.

Another way to consider is a smaller roughly 3 liter diesel. I've been happy with a 2.7 liter turbo. Do your homework.

Where was the Isuzu diesel mentioned?

I have an Isuzu diesel but there hasn't been an Isuzu diesel pickup or SUV released in the US since the late 1980s.

I have a '17 Ram Ecodiesel that I absolutely love. Will be towing my Scamp 19 across country in about a week. Gooseneck is wonderful, I have a SofTopper for it and will convert the bed to a storage space each night once we are settled.

[Tom 72]

Isuzu is a major player in medium duty trucks, particularly box trucks.

The Duramax is a General Motors V8 diesel engine family for trucks. The 6.6-liter Duramax is produced by DMAX, a joint venture between GM and Isuzu in Moraine, Ohio. The Duramax block and heads are poured at The Defiance GM Powertrain foundry in Defiance, Ohio.

-Wikipedia

Note: Presumably if GM could produce the engine without Isuzu, they would not have joint ventured.

[JBjunior]

Originally Posted by Tom 72

Isuzu is a major player in medium duty trucks, particularly box trucks.

The Duramax is a General Motors V8 diesel engine family for trucks. The 6.6-liter Duramax is produced by DMAX, a joint venture between GM and Isuzu in Moraine, Ohio. The Duramax block and heads are poured at The Defiance GM Powertrain foundry in Defiance, Ohio.

-Wikipedia

Note: Presumably if GM could produce the engine without Isuzu, they would not have joint ventured.

Ah, I see what you were saying. I have been a diesel and Isuzu enthusiast for years so I am aware of the relationship, I just missed your connection. There has been a relationship between GM and Isuzu going back to at least 1996 when Isuzu quit producing their pickup and instead sold a re-badged Sonoma/S10 starting then. Isuzu has always been and remains popular on the international scene, just haven't been here ever and left the market in the early 2000s.

This isn't a new joint venture, in the international world this happens all the time. GM could produce it, but it wouldn't be wise for them to do so. Similarly, the Ecodiesel in the Ram/Jeep products is an engine in use for around a decade in Europe made by VM Motori.

[dmpyron]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

and it hasn't been recalled due to the dieselgate scandal ?

It is looking more and more like anything German and diesel is having issues.

[JBjunior]

Originally Posted by dmpyron

It is looking more and more like anything German and diesel is having issues.

Like what? Dieselgate had no impact to the consumer initially, you got better mileage than advertised? Thanks VW. Resale of cars was impacted but they have more than paid back for that at this point. People were driving a car for 5 years and getting back so much they couldn't afford not to sell it back to VW.

Diesel is amazing, very simple in every way. Unfortunately the EPA's involvement has forced DEF, DPF, EGR, etc. and it has driven diesel engines into having issues. It isn't the engine's fault when you have to heat it up to burn stuff off or cycle dirty gases back through the engine. Why is the Ford 7.3 liter diesel so loved by all? It was one of the last before all of the crap started being added to them. Why will VWs 2003 ALH engine go 400k+ miles? Same reason.

[steve dunham]

My wife has COPD and I thank God every day for the EPA .
I am old enough to remember when on a hot summer day the air was so thick with exhaust fumes you could cut it with a knife and you could smell the Mississippi River from a mile away
The good old days , I think not !!

[Jon in AZ]

Thinking the same, Steve. And it's not just the EPA that's regulating diesels out of the personal transportation segment. Europe appears to be rethinking their commitment to diesel technology. Air quality in some major European cities is really bad.

Diesels are great for hauling and towing. They're great for cross-country road trips. Not so great for commuter service in congested cities.

[Mike Magee]

In the '90s I went on a mission trip to the Philippines. Talk about diesel fumes, ugh! Even out on the open highway, if the air was heavy from rain the fumes just hovered along the roadway. I felt sick after 8 hours of it (Baguio City to Manila). Yeah, I think they've overdone it with the DEF and some of that, but I am grateful for some of the emissions controls.

[redbarron55]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

My wife has COPD and I thank God every day for the EPA .
I am old enough to remember when on a hot summer day the air was so thick with exhaust fumes you could cut it with a knife and you could smell the Mississippi River from a mile away
The good old days , I think not !!

I will second that.
Too bad that the EPA is being gutted