Your Vehicle Tow Rating.

[Adrian W]

We tow our '05 Scamp Side Dinnette with shower, etc in front, fairly loaded with too much stuff with a '03 Ford Ranger V6 Auto Extended Cab, it had transmission cooler on it, we added 2 sets of over load springs my son had and not using. No problems in towing up hills or mts. or long distances and in over 100 degree weather.
I am not sure of ratings or weights. But it gets the job done, I can go as fast as I would want, have towed at 70 to 75 mph but normal stick to about 60 mph now days to save some mpgs. This summer we had several 16 mpgs a few 18 mpgs and some lower mpg depending on the wind direction and steepness of the hills.
the DesertHawk

[Bob Cupp]

I low my 1000lb Love Bug (actual weight on a certified scale) with a Chevy Astro. Astro has 5800 tow capacity. Definitely overkill. My mileage without trailer at 75 mph is 19 mpg. Mileage with Love Bug, 60 mph is 17 mpg.

[Buck62]

Our Honda Element has a 1,500 lb towing capacity by USA standards. The Honda CRV, with the same frame, engine and body weight as the Element is also rated at 1,500 lbs in the USA. But that *exact* same CRV is rated at a 3,300 lb towing capacity in Australia.

Needless to say, Honda hasn't really figured out what they true towing capacity is for an Element. Oh... and I'm pulling a 1984 U-Haul 13' camper trailer with an empty weight of 1,250 lbs. For a trailer that's supposed to be near my weight limit, you can't even tell it's back there most of the time.

[John Mc]

FWIW, there's the numbers:
-- My Subaru Forester (2004 XS model, manual transmission) has a 2,400 lb tow rating (US)
-- My 1985 Scamp 16 (with brakes) weighs 1800-1850 lbs loaded for the road, with an additional 200 lbs on the tongue
-- That makes a 2,000 lb trailer, right?
-- My one-ton trailer is 80% of my tow rating.

As I've written previously, the rig tows beautifully, with adequate power. After the first 4,000-mile sumer, I had the synthetic engine oil analyzed and no indications of abnormal wear were found.

I wouldn't want to tow anyone else's 16-footer with anyone else's Forester, but my combination works fine!

[Lizbeth]

1979 Boler 1300 with frig, heater, and lots of junk with a 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.2 rated to tow 6500 lbs.

[Anne H]

Escape - probably around 2400 lbs with my gear
Tow - Honda Pilot rated at 4500 lbs

Mileage: highway (w/out egg) 22 mpg; w/egg: 17mpg; over the Rockies w/egg: 13.5mpg

[Benny K]

Tow vehicle is a GMC Sierra ext cab with a little 4.8 V8 ....about 280 hp, and torque about 290 lbs. ft...tow capacity 5000 lbs. as-is......tows either my 17' or 13' Boler...truck works a bit on flat land into any headwind and won`t tow in OD with the 17' ......tows the 13' on small hills with no problem, but really can`t hold speeds in the mountains unless I gear down and run high RPM.....somewhere around 4500-5000......needs more motor in the Rockies......would have to really work hard with the 17'......average mileage on long trips with the 13' is about 20 mpg Imp. or about 16mpg US....empty about 27 mpg Imp or 21 or so US....weight of the 13' is about 1450 lbs....a cap/topper on the truck would probably make a difference for the better.....Benny

[Lance MacArthur]

We sold our crown victoria, which was a pretty good tow vehicle, although not geared well for a trailer, for a Nissan Pathfinder.

We're towing a 13' 1972 Boler, which weighs in aout 1750 pounds loaded. The Nissan has a 3500 lb rating.

Oddly. the Nissan, being a bigger vehicle, one would expect mileage not too good. Our last trip to Utah and its rather high alitude, we were averaging about 20mpg -- 3 or 4 more mpg than we got with the crown vic. The transmission in the Nissan makes towing easy, as there's no quick shifts like the vic had.

[BobB]

Hi Chester,

Our Casita 17 has not been weighed--we travel light without awning, microwave or large TV, maybe 3000#

Previously towed with a Jeep GC 4.0 L straight 6, 190 hp, 235 torque, AT, Equal-i-zer WDH, Voyager brake controller, factory tow package, 5000# tow rating. The power was adequate.

In 2006 switched to a 2005 Jeep GC with 4.7 L V-8, 235 hp, 290 torque, AT, Equal-i-zer WDH, Prodigy brake controller, factory tow package, 6500# tow rating. Power is very adequate.

[Loren G. Hedahl]

Our 16ft Scamp is towed by an 83 GMC Jimmy (full size) with a 6.2 liter diesel engine that is turbocharged. Gearing on the Jimmy is 3.73:1 with a 0.7 reduction in overdrive.

Needless to say, this is overkill, and I have considered a newer TV more than once, but this delivers 19 MPG at 60 MPH rarely shifts out of overdrive except on the steepest passes and gets us into remote camping areas where the locals have never seen a trailer before.

We also have a 26ft Avion, but since the kids left home and I retired, the poor Avion sets in the drive and the Scamp gets all the fun.

Loren

[Brian B-P]

Tow - Honda Pilot rated at 4500 lbs...

From Honda's Pilot Factsheet:

Towing requires installation of power-steering- and transmission-fluid coolers, both available exclusively from your Honda dealer. Maximum towing capacity for 4WD models is 4,500 lbs. for boat trailers and 3,500 lbs. for all other trailers; premium unleaded fuel is recommended when towing above 3,500 lbs. Maximum towing capacity for 2WD models is 3,500 lbs. Refer to the owner’s manual for additional towing information.

So it's 3500 lb, not 4500 lb, but still lots for the Escape! The boat trailer rating is frequently misused by Honda sales staff; I believe the logic is that boats are pointy things with less drag than a travel trailer, so they are not as much strain to tow at sustained highway speeds. The Odyssey (2WD only) was previously reported as having the same 3500/4500 dual rating, but the 2007 sheet for it now says only 3500 lb.

Not a criticism, just a clarification...

[Anne H]

Wow! I guess it's a good thing that I was conservative in picking my trailer!! Some of the trailers that I was looking at were right around 3500.
(guess I'd better get serious about the trannie cooler too)

Thanks for the info!

[Steve L.]

16' 2003 Casita SD, weighed at 2950 lb, but with some stuff left behind at the site (weighed at a rally) so I assume 3100 lb over the road.

2006 F150 4x4, 5.4L V8, 3.73 rear end, 145" wb tow rating 9,500 lb.

I can easily pack the Honda ATV in the bed (600 lb) and tow the trailer.

[Joe MacDonald]

my minivan:


1995 Chevrolet Lumina APV/Minivan: A 165-horsepower, 3.8-liter V6 connected to a 4-speed overdrive automatic transmission. With that powertrain, towing capacity rose to 3000 pounds.

with the factory tow package.i.e... Tranny cooler...engine oil cooler.... rear air suspension

[RonnieV]

Towing a 2004 16 ft., side dinette, Scamp with toilet and shower, a/c, some food and clothes, very little water. Using a 2006, v6, Pilot, with tow package. Have to hold it back in the flats and never suffered going up some good new england grades. The old post roads (postal service) go straight up and over, never around or side to side. Total altitude is not much, but the grade is as steep as I have seen anywhere on the continent. No problems.