Best Hybrid Tow Vehicle

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

CVT is a belt drive design, it doesn't have 'gears', it has pulleys with a belt between them, and the pulleys are each made from a pair of cones that can be slid closer or farther apart, which makes their effective diameter larger or smaller.

they aren't very good for delivering a large amount of torque, and they are very prone to premature failure and expensive repairs when abused.

I believe Toyota's hybrid CVT uses the electric motors to transfer torque rather than the conventional belt-and-pulley affair. It seems to be quite robust by comparison.

Toyota does not use a conventional belt-and-pulley CVT in any of their non-hybrid models.

[John in Santa Cruz]

I've always seen the Toyota hybrids called Synergy Drive. they use a gas motor, and 2 electric motor-generators inter-connected via two differentials

MG1, MG2 are the motor-generators, and ICE is the gas motor. S, C, R are the sun, planetary carrier, and outer ring gears of a sort of differential, and various combinations of how the electric motors are actuated achieves various effective gear ratios.

this is the first gen system, later versions used another S/C/R and a 3rd motor-generator to give them more operational modes.

[Lynn Eberhardt]

And it works very well for towing as well as holding you back on hills.

[ThomasC]

Originally Posted by ShelbyM

Ford now has a 3.5L F150 hybrid. Should tow almost any FGRV other than a big Bigfoot or an Oliver. One cool feature is the "Pro Power Onboard" which they advertise as a generator but seems to be a Lithium battery, inverter, etc that recharges when the engine is running. You could plug your trailer in.

That truck can tow most anything. Here is a chart of F-150 max tow capabilities.

3.3-liter V-6: 8,200 lbs
2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6: 10,100 lbs
5.0-liter V-8: 13,000 lbs
3.0-liter Power Stroke V-6, turbo-diesel: 12,100 lbs
3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6: 14,000 lbs
3.5-liter PowerBoost V-6, hybrid: 12,700 lbs

[Jon in AZ]

Well, they would certainly pull a 15’ Trillium, which was the original question!

The other requirement was under 16' to avoid ferry surcharges.

I did some checking on Highlanders. The latest redesign is over 16', but the 3rd generation (2014-2019) specs at 192.5", just a half inch over. Wonder if that would get a pass on the ferry? Shouldn't be too hard to find a clean, low mileage 2018-2019 hybrid. 2nd generation (2008-2013) is under, but they're getting pretty long in the tooth.

There is a lot of conflicting information about the Niro on the internet, so I looked up the 2020 owner's manual, and it's unfortunately very clear: no towing.

EDIT: The Ford Escape hybrid is only good for 1500#, per the 2020 Ford Escape Towing Selector.

The Toyota RAV4 hybrid is good for 1750#, adequate for some 13'ers, but not a 15' Trillium.

Looks like pretty slim pickings for sub-16' hybrids with at least 2500# towing for a 15' Trillium.

[steve dunham]

Ford F150 Hybrid ! . It should be sufficient / adequate for the majority of fiberglass trailers on the road or currently in the market
We are considering buying a new truck next year , hopefully Ram and Chevy will up their hybrid offerings

[Jon Vermilye]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Well, they would certainly pull a 15’ Trillium, which was the original question!

The other requirement was under 16' to avoid ferry surcharges.

I did some checking on Highlanders. The latest redesign is over 16', but the 3rd generation (2014-2019) specs at 192.5", just a half inch over. Wonder if that would get a pass on the ferry? Shouldn't be too hard to find a clean, low mileage 2018-2019 hybrid. 2nd generation (2008-2013) is under, but they're getting pretty long in the tooth.

Other than that, the Escape hybrid seems like the only compact option with a tow rating at least 2500# to pull a 15' Trillium.

There is a lot of conflicting information about the Niro on the internet, so I looked up the 2020 owner's manual, and it's very clear: no towing.

While it may not be the way other ferries measure vehicles, the MA ferry to Nantucket doesn't do physical measurements. They use the vehicle specifications to determine which $ rate to charge. You go through a series of menus to pick the make & model, and the rate pops up. Of course if you have a trailer attached, they will have to actually measure.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Jon Vermilye

While it may not be the way other ferries measure vehicles, the MA ferry to Nantucket doesn't do physical measurements. They use the vehicle specifications to determine which $ rate to charge. You go through a series of menus to pick the make & model, and the rate pops up. Of course if you have a trailer attached, they will have to actually measure.

I suspect you’re probably right, but worth checking. I assume the only ferry that matters is the one to and from their home on Whidbey Island, since they would probably use it fairly often without the trailer.

[David & Terry]

Hi Remi, I saw earlier post when you were looking at a 1978 UNIK. We have the exact trailer. Weighs ~3300lb. We've had it from 2006; spent 6 months renovating it inside & out. Pictures can be seen under tab "Gallery"; Click Categories. Scroll down to Unik. Our pictures are ID'd with David & Terry . Did you pass on the UNIK you looked at?
Terry Sergison

[Dave Fish]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

I suspect you’re probably right, but worth checking. I assume the only ferry that matters is the one to and from their home on Whidbey Island, since they would probably use it fairly often without the trailer.

There are two Whidbey ferries and yes, they measure dependingon which agent you get. The categories are 22 ft, under 30, under 40, etc. My Pilot plus Campster is 32 feet. I've had the agent get out of the booth and measure AND I've had other agents let slip through at the under 30 rate.

Fortunately, we also have a bridge, so I go that route most of the time. The savings in ferry fares more than covers the cost of gas. (If you're going to the Olympic Penninsula, the ferry is the only rational option.)

[Jon in AZ]

I’m very curious what the OP ended up deciding, but as they haven’t been back since the day they posted (almost a year ago now), we may never know.

Bottom line is you can have under 16’, you can have a hybrid, and you can have a minimum 2500# tow rating for a 15’ Trillium, pick any two. Nothing currently or recently manufactured meets all three criteria.

Island living has its perks and its challenges.

[John McMillin]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

CVT is a belt drive design, it doesn't have 'gears', it has pulleys with a belt between them, and the pulleys are each made from a pair of cones that can be slid closer or farther apart, which makes their effective diameter larger or smaller.

they aren't very good for delivering a large amount of torque, and they are very prone to premature failure and expensive repairs when abused.

True that, but Toyota's "CVT" transmissions (and Ford's) work nothing like that. Ford calls it E-CVT, and it's actually a self-sabotaging form of mislabeling. Both units aren't really transmissions at all, as they operate in one gear. It's actually a a power-splitting and combining device. Inside a rotating planetary gear sits the engine output shaft and two electric motor/generators. These can generate electricity through resistance braking, or add torque to the system as electric motors. The changes in operating mode are seamless, and the few moving parts are robust and trouble-free. There are no belts and cones, like a CVT. The main similarity with CVTs is the constant engine note under acceleration.

[redbarron55]

The description of the Ford system is exactly like the Toyota as it is basically built under their license.
The transmission system is basically trouble free as far as the transmission

[gdchristian]

Thinking of buying a F150 Hybrid with 7Kw source for my Casita Independence. Interested in the gas mileage I can expect.

[gdchristian]

I am planning to purchase this spring to replace my 2013 Ridgeline. The 430 hp, the electric Pro Power Onboard to power my Casita, and the Driver Assist system seem ideal for a senior like me. Ii am not sure about the gas mileage pulling a Casita. Hopefully it is descent. I get about 11-14 MPG driving 65 now.

[Mary F]

We had the F150 hybrid for awhile last year (2022) and pulled our 21’ Escape from central Texas to Washington State and back. It did great and the on-board charging came in handy one night when our solar panel hadn’t been able to get any sun for a couple of rainy days. Of course, when you’re in tow/haul mode, the EV doesn’t kick in. On our 7688 mile trip we averaged 14.4 mpg, with just 391.2 electric miles.

Where the EV helps is with the running around when the trailer’s parked in the campground. It’s only rated to get 25 mpg, though, on a good day; and our (2023) gas engine gets 22-23 if/when we can run it in ECO mode. (YMMV)

[Bob Smucker]

I've been towing my 17' Casita with an F-150 PowerBoost since buying the truck brand new in June 2022. It gets about 14mpg towing (similar to my previous 2009 Pathfinder with 4.0L V6) and 24mpg not towing (much better than the Pathfinder). It also has a lot more cargo space. Only drawback is the size, it does not fit in my garage and I've had to re-learn how to back into tight spots because it's much longer.

[Casita Greg]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

I suspect you’re probably right, but worth checking. I assume the only ferry that matters is the one to and from their home on Whidbey Island, since they would probably use it fairly often without the trailer.

Whidbey Island has land access to the rest of Western Washington via state roadways, even though it is an "island." Washington State Ferries are expensive, (but aren't they all nowadays.) Unless you're planning to head west (Hwy 20) to Port Townsend, (and the Olympic Peninsula,) and other points west, I'd just go east and jump onto I-5. Just my two cents. I've been on all the WA State ferries, including the Whidbey Island ferry.

[DeanCHS1980]

I have been researching pickup trucks as a Sunday pandemic habit since April, 2020 (dealerships are closed) with a Starbucks in hand and a pup cup for Mr. Gibbs (our Mississippi Maltese). On paper, the Ford F150 PowerBoost with the 7.2kw ProPower generator would be amazing. From everything I have read and seen, it will get 23 to 24 mpg not towing and 12 to 14 mpg towing a camper like our Casita. I just don’t know that I want a truck that large. I prefer the mid-size trucks.

Speaking of midsize trucks and hybrids, the new 2024 Toyota Tacoma will offer a hybrid version of its new 2.4L turbocharged 4 cylinder. It will offer competitive horsepower and massive amounts of torque (great for towing). It will not offer the ProPower generator features of the F150 PowerBoost.

I am thinking about buying at the end of 2024 and both of these trucks and others will be on my short-list.

Take care,

Dean

[DeanCHS1980]

Originally Posted by gdchristian

I am planning to purchase this spring to replace my 2013 Ridgeline. The 430 hp, the electric Pro Power Onboard to power my Casita, and the Driver Assist system seem ideal for a senior like me. Ii am not sure about the gas mileage pulling a Casita. Hopefully it is descent. I get about 11-14 MPG driving 65 now.

As a followup to the F150 PowerBoost or Tacoma Hybrid being great choices to tow a Casita, have you thought about replacing your 2013 Ridgeline with a 2024 Ridgeline. I am Ridgeline fan as well and contemplating the simplicity of its normally aspirated 3.5L six cylinder rather than the complexity of the turbocharged hybrid engines. What are your thoughts about the Ridgeline?