Fiance and I are looking to buy a new suv - Fiberglass RV
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 01-25-2019, 01:35 PM   #1
Junior Member
 
Name: Paul
Trailer: 2014 Jayco Flight
WA
Posts: 2
Fiance and I are looking to buy a new suv

What is a good suv to pull my 2014 32 ft jayco flight
KNOXSQUAUD2018 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2019, 03:17 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Jon in AZ's Avatar
 
Name: Jon
Trailer: 2008 Scamp 13 S1
Arizona
Posts: 11,925
Registry
Fiance and I are looking to buy a new suv

This forum is particularly focused on all-molded fiberglass (“egg”-style) trailers, so I really have no idea what such a trailer might weigh, but that’s your starting point.

You need to find the actual fully-loaded weight with food, propane, water, clothes, and everything else you take with you. Load it up and take it to a CAT (certified auto and truck scale). It’s also helpful to determine the tongue weight.

If that’s not possible, you can use the GVWR, which should be printed on a sticker affixed to the trailer somewhere. Assume the tongue weight is about 12% of the GVWR. Do not use the dry weight.

Look for a vehicle that can handle both the trailer weight and tongue weight (probably with use of a weight distributing hitch) with some extra margin. Make sure to consider payload, which includes everything in the vehicle plus the tongue weight of the trailer. When you find something that appears to have the requisite ratings, I recommend you download and read the towing section of the owner’s manual before you purchase. It often contains requirements and caveats not covered in sales literature.

Full-size traditional SUV’s might work- Suburban, Expedition, Sequoia- but I wouldn’t dare to speculate without knowing more. Certainly nothing smaller will work.

As suggested elsewhere, you might find folks with actual experience with the same trailer on the Jayco forum.

I believe congratulations are in order!
Jon in AZ is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2019, 06:47 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Name: bill
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
The Mountains of North Carolina
Posts: 4,137
Registry
4 door 3/4 ton pickup of your choice.
thrifty bill is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2019, 08:41 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
John in Santa Cruz's Avatar
 
Name: John
Trailer: Escape 21, behind an '02 F250 7.3 diesel tug
Mid Left Coast
Posts: 2,940
Quote:
Originally Posted by thrifty bill View Post
4 door 3/4 ton pickup of your choice.
yeah, F250/F350, or Chevy/GMC HD2500/3500, or Ram 2500/3500 would be my choice.

if you want an SUV, I know Chevy/GMC used to make a 2500 version of the Suburban, I don't know if they still do. And Ford used to make a Excursion, which is a F250 class SUV (the Expedition is F150 based).

Another option is a full sized 250/2500/350/3500 van, such as a Ford E350, Transit 350, or Dodge or Chevy equivalents.

but yeah, what Jon in AZ said, this forum is for molded fiberglass trailers like Escape, Casita, Scamp, Bigfoot, not skin-on-frame stuff like Jayco.
John in Santa Cruz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2019, 09:19 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Mike Magee's Avatar
 
Name: Mike
Trailer: 2012 Escape 19
Oklahoma
Posts: 6,020
You'd want to get the longest, heaviest duty Suburban ever built, and even then you should plan on using a top notch weight distribution hitch... preferably ProPride or Hensley Arrow.
Mike Magee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-26-2019, 01:12 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
John in Santa Cruz's Avatar
 
Name: John
Trailer: Escape 21, behind an '02 F250 7.3 diesel tug
Mid Left Coast
Posts: 2,940
in addition to that WDH, I'd rear-airbag anything I used like that, *especially* a soft SUV. load and level the SUV with your cargo using the airbags, THEN hitch up, and use the WDH to level the tongue weight.

Pretty sure the 2500 Suburban does *not* have the pansy soft air-suspension rear end the regular suburban 1500's often had.... ahhh, wikipedia says the 2500 version was discontinued after 2013... they DO make fleet-only, and military 2500/3500 suburbans now, but not as a regular passenger vehicle.


Heck, I'm thinking of airbagging my 2002 F250 longbed diesel... So it would ride better when heavily loaded. its not bad now, actually, it rides worse empty, hah hah.
John in Santa Cruz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-26-2019, 08:15 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
Jon in AZ's Avatar
 
Name: Jon
Trailer: 2008 Scamp 13 S1
Arizona
Posts: 11,925
Registry
Got curious and did some quick googling. For current models, it appears 32’ Jay Flight models have GVWR’s around 10-11K pounds, with UVW’s in the 8-9K pound range. Tow ratings of the half-ton, full-size SUV’s I mentioned top out around 8-8.5K pounds. Won’t fly.

You’re definitely looking at a heavy duty truck. Bill gets the prize!

A used Excursion, max rating 11K, seems like the best- maybe the only- SUV option. They were last sold in 2005, so they’re getting long in the tooth, and not all versions carry the highest rating. As best I could find, Chevy/GM Suburban 3500’s were only rated to tow up to 9600#, so marginal. HD vans top out around 10K, also marginal. That leaves pickups. Ratings vary with model year and equipment, so you have to evaluate each vehicle independently. Look beyond just the tow rating to payload, GVWR, and GCWR.

The other option, of course, is a smaller trailer. Maybe it’s not a coincidence you landed on a molded fiberglass forum!
Jon in AZ is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-26-2019, 10:42 AM   #8
Senior Member
 
Name: bill
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
The Mountains of North Carolina
Posts: 4,137
Registry
The Ford Transit vans, despite coming in three sizes including a one ton version, have relatively low tow ratings. The passenger van version maxes out at 5,000 pound tow rating, while the cargo van version maxes out at 7,500 pounds (the diesel version).

Seems like the vans are built with payload in mind, higher than the comparable Ford trucks, and not for towing.

I was considering a Transit van as a tow vehicle, as I like the enclosed storage inside the van, but the mediocre tow ratings changed my mind.
thrifty bill is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-26-2019, 10:50 AM   #9
Senior Member
 
Jon in AZ's Avatar
 
Name: Jon
Trailer: 2008 Scamp 13 S1
Arizona
Posts: 11,925
Registry
I looked up the Chevy Express van. Being the last old-school design still in production, I guessed it might have the highest ratings. The 1T cargo version with the big 6.0L is rated to tow 10K pounds (passenger version is 400# less, before passengers of course).

You are right, though. Vans in general are designed more for payload than towing.
Jon in AZ is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2019, 05:43 AM   #10
Senior Member
 
Jon in AZ's Avatar
 
Name: Jon
Trailer: 2008 Scamp 13 S1
Arizona
Posts: 11,925
Registry
Anybody else wondering why newlyweds want a 32’ trailer and an SUV?
Jon in AZ is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2019, 07:23 AM   #11
Senior Member
 
Name: bob
Trailer: 1996 Casita 17 Spirit Deluxe; 1946 Modernistic teardrop
New York
Posts: 5,413
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon in AZ View Post
Anybody else wondering why newlyweds want a 32’ trailer and an SUV?
They watched "The Long Long Trailer" movie
mary and bob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2019, 08:24 AM   #12
Senior Member
 
Jon in AZ's Avatar
 
Name: Jon
Trailer: 2008 Scamp 13 S1
Arizona
Posts: 11,925
Registry
Almost lost my morning coffee, Bob. Good one!
Jon in AZ is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2019, 02:59 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
John in Santa Cruz's Avatar
 
Name: John
Trailer: Escape 21, behind an '02 F250 7.3 diesel tug
Mid Left Coast
Posts: 2,940
also, realize, a 32 foot trailer means your travel will be pretty much limited to interstates and RV parks. with a typically 20-22' foot long tug, your combined rig will be over 50' and even getting into a supermarket parking lot will be challenging. I would strongly suggest if you really want something that large to get a 5th wheel, which will still require a 3500/350 class pickup truck but will tow and ride better.
John in Santa Cruz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2019, 03:37 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
Name: bob
Trailer: 1996 Casita 17 Spirit Deluxe; 1946 Modernistic teardrop
New York
Posts: 5,413
Post #1 indicates that they already own the trailer. Their question is what SUV is capable of towing it. Seems that most agree a full size pickup 2500 series would be best. We have a friend that is towing a 35 footer with a F150, but only because he wouldn't spend the money for a F250.
mary and bob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-02-2019, 01:54 PM   #15
Member
 
Name: John
Trailer: Oliver Legacy Elite II
Hawaii
Posts: 84
[QUOTE=. We have a friend that is towing a 35 footer with a F150, but only because he wouldn't spend the money for a F250.[/QUOTE]

The cost of a new F150 frankly is getting pretty close to a F250. If your friend had their 35 footer, I bet he wishes he had spent the few grand to get the far more capable truck.

Agree with the above respondents that a 3/4 or 1 Ton truck would be their best choice if they can't downsize. Personally I love my Oliver Elite II. But likely the newly weds need more play space that we have.
Geronimo John is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Generators and SUV's?? RosaK Problem Solving | Owners Helping Owners 86 09-26-2017 06:21 AM
New and looking to buy a new camper Angelic General Chat 11 10-04-2012 12:51 PM
Need Help Finding SUV to Pull My Casita Karalyn General Chat 34 11-05-2007 09:02 AM
Towing with an SUV Hybrid Patrick M. Towing, Hitching, Axles and Running Gear 5 04-07-2007 10:17 PM
Smart SUV's Benita General Chat 27 12-17-2006 07:26 PM

» Upcoming Events
No events scheduled in
the next 465 days.
» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:19 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.