WOW SUV tow rating surprise

[jerrybob]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

We also have a 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie Quad Cab with the 5.7 Hemi engine , the 3.92 rearend and 8 speed transmission . Rides great , comfortable seats , very responsive and fuel mileage is relatively good . The truck has too much electronic junk that I will probably never understand or use but that’s the trend in most new vehicles
My wife just bought a new 2019 Chevy Equinox , the radio has its own owners manual . I would have been happy with a plain old AM radio .

I like trucks for towing and hauling and SUVs for shopping and getting groceries.

I hear ya regarding the electronic gizmo's. I went with a Tradesman and got as little of that stuff as possible...which is still too much. All that electronic stuff is just more things to go wrong down the line. My buzz around car is a 85 Honda Civic with a modified Weber carb. on it. It gets 30+mpg....has coated back windows that you can't see out of because of the dogs spit....and still has crank windows. The only electronic component is my phone charger that gets plugged into the cig. lighter. I did have her painted a few years ago...she's a little beauty! Only 88,000 original miles....should go another 20 years.

[Janet H]

I tow with a VW touareg - rated for about 7600 lbs - even with the v6 gaser it tows well BUT it's worth noting that these SUVS are heavy, mines built on a trucky frame and the MPG rating reflects this. I've towed a 13' scamp, a 19 foot and 26 foot Airstream. The weight is not the issue - wheel base is. Towing a 20' thing is fine but at 26' the tail wags the dog regardless of the weight.

[Civilguy]

We considered a number of tow vehicle options.

The trend to limited service and collapsible spare tires on some vehicles, and the substitution of a can of "fix-a-flat" for a spare tire on others, influenced our selection.

https://www.cars.com/articles/got-a-...1420697605296/

We weren't comfortable with the idea of towing with a limited-service spare, or with no spare at all in the case of the "fix-a-flat".

Apparently the Cayenne was originally marketed years back with an option for carrying a full-size spare.

[BatDude]

So far we like the 2019 Ford Explorer.



Just about 5K miles on it now and need to find a dealer for first service soon. Nearly all the miles have been towing our Escape 19.


So far it beats the Flex hands down and the AWD means it was an easy climb up our 12% drive to get out for our winter escape.


With 5K lbs tow capacity we could now easily up size to a 21 Escape. LOL.
However waiting for a new 21 and selling the 19 and not sure that the extra 2' is worth such an endeavor.


This will be our second 4.5 months living in the 19 and so far it is super.
I think I need to find an RV place where I can replace the weight distribution hitch part that goes into the receiver. I need about 1" more drop to have the trailer completely level. The hitch was perfect with the Flex.


Dave are ETI (not sure if he is still there) indicated that with the dual axle set up the trailer should not have more than 1" difference on level ground measured from the bottom of the belly band front and rear. With the current set up I have 1.25" difference with the front the highest.



Seems to tow OK so not sure the $120-$130 for the replacement part will be worth it. But better to have things a close as they can be. With an additional 1" drop it would be ~ .25" lower in front.



Just for grins back when we were doing our annual conservation project budgets I sent a "Draft" to the regional coordinator for Mesoamerca and included a line item for a Lamborghini Murcielago. Since Murcielago is Spanish for bat and I was doing bat research it seemed appropriate.


Clearly cost aside with the low ground clearance it would not make it over any of the few paved Belizean roads, let alone the jungle tracks our Mitsubishi Montero crawled over. Often places Land Rovers feared to tread.





Fun discussions


Cheers all,


Bat Dude

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by BatDude

...we just recently upgraded our TV from our FWD only Ford Flex to an AWD Ford Escape....

Originally Posted by BatDude

So far we like the 2019 Ford Explorer...

Aah… clarified something that was vaguely bothering me!

Ecosport, Escape, Edge, Explorer, Expedition, and at one time, Excursion... It always bothered me that an excursion is a lesser trip than an expedition.

Reminds me of a family I know. Dad's name is Vernon. Mom's name is Vera. First child is a girl, so Verna. Second child is another girl, so Vernona. Finally, a son. His name... is Travis. Go figure!

[John in Santa Cruz]

Note that Audi Q7 is the same basic vehicle as the VW Tourareg, and Porsche Cayenne, with just different interior trimmings and exterior skins.

[EllPea in CA]

[QUOTE=Keep in mind the ZF9 transmission is not a FCA product. It was designed by another company (ZF) and is used in other vehicles including the Honda Odyssey. The issues I'm familiar with are primarily software based. The transmission design means it behaves differently and vehicle manufacturer's have been challenged in getting the right feel when shifting. FCA has done software updates for the Pacifica's transmission that have resolved most issues but some owners still have unsatisfactory performance.[/QUOTE]

Twenty-five years or more ago, Volvo, Jaguar, and possibly other makes used ZF transmissions. They were BAD, and the dealers continued to blame the owners when the transmissions went out. This was before forums like this and the internet was barely beginning. Our local dealer refused to admit the transmission was faulty, and at that time the replacement was $3000+.

My solution was to do HANDOUTS and put them on every Volvo and Jaguar I encountered, with my contact info should anyone wish to talk to us for more details.

After about 10 days the dealer called me and offered to replace my transmission for just the cost of shipping. I called that GOOD and the job was done.

For the next year or so I was still getting thank you letters from people who had the same issue and were able to argue their case, one from the other end of the state.

I'm sure the ZF problems have long been fixed, but I have been leery of owning a vehicle that needs maintenance through the dealer (as much as I would love to own a Porsche or an Audi...). I know I can trust my independent Volvo service guy so find myself only wishing to upgrade to a TV he will work on.

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Aah… clarified something that was vaguely bothering me!

Ecosport, Escape, Edge, Explorer, Expedition, and at one time, Excursion... It always bothered me that an excursion is a lesser trip than an expedition.

Reminds me of a family I know. Dad's name is Vernon. Mom's name is Vera. First child is a girl, so Verna. Second child is another girl, so Vernona. Finally, a son. His name... is Travis. Go figure!

[Carol and Mike]

Originally Posted by Douglas S

We recently purchased an Audi Q7 W/ the 3.0 turbocharged engine. It has a tow rating of 7,600 pounds. We are only towing a 17 foot Casita but some time in the future we are considering an Oliver travel trailer. We towed with a Honda Odyssey prior to purchasing the Audi and it did OK but struggled up inclines. The Audi doesn't even know there's a trailer behind it, all be it, it's only 3500 pounds.

There are a number of Oliver owners towing with Touaregs and Q7s. All seem very happy.

[Steve Carlson]

My coworker had a Toureg. Man, what a money pit that thing was. A number of problems, and every little thing cost $1,200+ to fix (like the fuel pump!). He ditched it for a hemi Durango a couple of years ago, has been happy with it.

[gklott]

Originally Posted by BatDude

Hi all,I was amazed here at the Mount Pleasant/Charleston KOA to see a huge Airstream dual axle trailer with a small SUV parked in front of it.

We tow our Escape 19' and our Airstream 30' Classic with our 2017 Infiniti QX80 Limited, which has 8500 lb tow rating. We have Hensley Cub hitch on Escape and Hensley Arrow hitch on Airstream.

The QX80 is a wonderful tow vehicle for both.

73/gus

[threepine]

Originally Posted by BatDude

Hi all,


I was amazed here at the Mount Pleasant/Charleston KOA to see a huge Airstream dual axle trailer with a small SUV parked in front of it.


I commented to my wife as the all knowing male person "Hey look at that, really odd, clearly "THAT" is not pulling that huge rig."


WRONG O Bucko...


As we walked closer I saw to my surprise a hitch on the small red SUV and sure as shoot'n it had Wash. state tags so it did pull it to S.C. As we got closer I noted it was a Porsche Cayenne. A quick internet search shows that this SUV has the highest towing capacity for small SUVs at 7,700 lbs!


Bad Dude and family

Ha Ha, I was just about to mention I saw the very same rig in Lake Louise this past summer but then I read the word "red". The Porshe that was pulling this one was white. I talked to the owner who was only too happy to tell me how well it pulled and the good gas milage he was getting.

[Gompka]

The Audi Q7 is also in the 7,700lb towing club, but all of these SUVs are on the same platform and come from the same main company. Audi Q7, VW Toureg, Porsche Cayenne and all are quite pricey.

[Janet H]

Originally Posted by Gompka

The Audi Q7 is also in the 7,700lb towing club, but all of these SUVs are on the same platform and come from the same main company. Audi Q7, VW Toureg, Porsche Cayenne and all are quite pricey.

Also worth noting that the VW Touareg is not for sale in the USA this year and next despite selling well in other countries. My aging rig is soon to be replaced and I'll likely look at the Q7.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/michael.../#177e78dd680f

[AdamNH]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlson

My coworker had a Toureg. Man, what a money pit that thing was. A number of problems, and every little thing cost $1,200+ to fix (like the fuel pump!). He ditched it for a hemi Durango a couple of years ago, has been happy with it.

Anecdotally our Touareg TDI has 162k miles and has never needed anything except for consumables. Rear brakes lasted to 140k miles. My biggest complaint is that it chews up tires pretty quick. But it does way 5000 odd pounds I believe. Seems to be doing better now that I replaced the factory 20" rims with a set of OEM 18" ers. At least the tires are cheaper.

But when something does break I do expect it to be very expensive.

[steve dunham]

My wife recently purchased a new 2019 Chevy Equinox
It came equipped with a 2.0 liter turbo engine , 9 speed transmission and factory towing equipment package . The vehicle has a 3500 lb tow rating and a 350 lb tongue weight limit
We have owned the vehicle for approx 3 weeks
( 1000 miles)
In my opinion based on what I have observed I would not tow anything larger / heavier than a 13 ft Scamp with the Equinox and even that is pushing the limit beyond my comfort level .
It appears to be a fine commuter vehicle / grocery getter .

[Bill Finch]

I've been towing my 2008 Scamp 13, max weight 1,750 lb, for ten years with my 2003 Toyota Celica five speed (tow rating 2,000 lbs). I realize that this doesn't give me much slack but I seldom pull faster than 62 mph (maximum 75 mph when passing). I get 25 mpg when towing (33 mpg without trailer but at 75 to 80 mph) and have towed over most of the passes crossing the Sierra Nevada including Sonora Pass with 20% plus grade at the top. I suppose most people want more cushion, but I'm happy with my combo. I've never felt unsafe except going down from Greenhorn Summit to Lake Isabella (sustained 13% grade) before I put in a brake controller. We routinely tour the Four Corners area every year and go over many mountain and dirt roads.

In my youth, I drove a standard VW Beetle (usually slowly) to places only jeeps went and maybe that's why I feel comfortable with my rig.

[sbarlag]

When calculating the tow ability of a vehicle, this is the resource I use with my customers. I hope this helps you too. https://www.trailerlife.com/towing-guide/ Merry Christmas, Scott, NW Indiana

[Casita Ed]

Speaking of SUV's as a TV, we are now towing our Casita 17SD with a 2018 Honda Ridgeline RTLE. I would call it an SUT or Suburban Utility Truck. The reviews I have read state that it rides like a luxury SUV and I believe that to be true. It is super comfortable, quiet and zippy. We used to tow with our 2010 Toyota Tacoma Prerunner but I needed to change because of my back. This was a major improvement over the Tacoma. The Ridgeline tows like our Casita isn't even back there, partially owing to our use of a WDH. With the Tacoma, we always were reminded of the presence of the Casita even with the WDH.

I had envisioned just buying a full size truck back when I was searching but was put off by how high off the ground they all are. I didn't even test drive them because of that. The nice thing about a truck compared to an SUV for towing a camping trailer is all the clinks, rattles and squeaks of camping gear is in the back of the truck and not in the passenger compartment with you.

So if you are passing up on a pickup truck because its like, well a truck, take a look at and test drive a Ridgeline. I think you will be impressed.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by Casita Ed

I would call it an SUT or Suburban Utility Truck.

Sure it's not a Suburban Light Utility Truck?