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Old 02-13-2012, 09:17 PM   #1
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Name: Judy
Trailer: bigfoot 1990 17 ft
Ontario
Posts: 3
newbie need help in vehicle purchase

We have recently purchased a 1990 17 ft bigfoot trailer and need lots of help

WE have had a trillium in the past few years and have now moved up, this is a new experience for us with this kind of trailer and we are looking for suggestions as to what we need in a vehicle to tow our bigfoot and what vehicles would be suggested
Judy
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Old 02-13-2012, 09:37 PM   #2
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Name: Terrylou
Trailer: 2010 Earthbound
California
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Hi Judy, congrats we love our 17.5 Bigfoot!
It depends where you live and where you wish to travel. Flat geography verses hills and mountain areas? While a good 6 cylinder will pull the trailer you must also consider fuel economy. Vehicles that include tow haul mode can also make a big difference when towing! There are many choices so it also depends on your other needs, when you're not towing.
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Old 02-13-2012, 09:51 PM   #3
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Hummmm Ford F-150 with Ecoboost (okay that's what I want), but you'll need something that can tow 3,500 to 4,400 lbs if you see http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...rld-43010.html
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Old 02-13-2012, 09:57 PM   #4
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Name: Judy
Trailer: bigfoot 1990 17 ft
Ontario
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We are undecided about a truck or a van, will be replacing a van but had a truck previous to that. My husband and I each see advantages to both
We will be doing some travelling in the mountains and with a 3 yr old black labrador retriever
We live in southern Ontario and have kids and grandkids in the west of Canada and the US

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Old 02-13-2012, 10:26 PM   #5
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Trailer: 2010 Earthbound
California
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We tow ours with a GMC Acadia we have two dogs and extra gear. Its great and we still have a little extra room. With the tow package it's capable of 5500lbs has the tow hall package amazing option for towing and handles the mountains between Alberta an BC with no problem. When not towing our all wheel drive model is agile and comfortable to drive. Fantastic in snow has great visibility. Our other choice was going to be an Avalanche might be our next vehicle... Who knows.
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Old 02-13-2012, 11:20 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Donna D. View Post
you'll need something that can tow 3,500 to 4,400 lbs if you see http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...rld-43010.html
My recommendation is to ask the seller to see the Trailer Towing section of the owner's manual of any vehicle you're interested in. I suggest focusing the search on at least 5000 pounds total capacity and higher. That seems to be full size trucks and vans, such as Ford F-150 Truck or Ford E-150 or E-350 Van. (They don't make the E-250 any more.) I recently looked at a Ford Flex "crossover" but it maxed out at 4500 pounds.
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Old 02-14-2012, 08:36 AM   #7
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Name: Bob Ruggles
Trailer: 2015 Escape
Michigan
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Don't know if this applies but we tow our Egg Camper with a Chrysler minivan 6 cylinder (3.8 liter) or with our Chevy 1500 V8 (5.3 liter). Yesterday we compared mpg on both vehicles. I was surprised to see that we got several more mpg with the Chevy. It has the ability to automatically run on 4 cylinders when the conditions are right. Is this a fractor? Don't know. I do know that the Chevy doesn't have to work as hard towing. Not that this applies but the Chevy has much more comfortable seats.
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Old 02-14-2012, 10:22 AM   #8
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My advice is when it comes to specific vehicles, take any advice you receive from any forum like this with a grain of salt. When it comes time to choosing a specific vehicle, go to the genuine experts like Consumer Reports, Edmunds, Car and Driver, and especially, US News (which summarizes many other experts). People at any forum-type site like this will give all kinds of advice, both bad and good, but most of it, (or at least a lot of it), will be purely anecdotal, out of date, or based on personal needs and preferences that don't necessarily match yours. These people might swear by a certain vehicle because it gave them decent service, (possibly five or ten years ago), while the fact remains that better choices are often available and sometimes for less money. Work doing research now will probably be well worth it in the long run, even if it results in nothing more than peace of mind that you made a good decision.
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Old 02-14-2012, 12:03 PM   #9
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Name: Judy
Trailer: bigfoot 1990 17 ft
Ontario
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Thanks to everyone for the advice
I shall begin to research it. WE are hoping to get on the road for a few weeks in early May

Judy
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Old 02-14-2012, 04:45 PM   #10
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Name: Roger
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We are using a 1500 Chevy excursion XLT van 5.7 Vortec, pulling a U-Haul VT weight around 2300lb + Does a nice job, withe two 75lb dogs
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Old 02-14-2012, 05:49 PM   #11
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Old 02-15-2012, 06:13 AM   #12
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I don't know. While an "expert" opinion can be helpful, there is nothing like getting real world experience. I usually look at what the "experts" say and then take it to the real world. What works will come up over and over and someone can help you tailor it to your specific situation. Interesting discussion as I am here to learn what others are doing also.
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Old 02-15-2012, 12:28 PM   #13
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Trailer: 2017 Escape 17
Mount Horeb, Wisconsin
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Hi Judy, When we got our 2003 17 foot BF we had a similar situation. Our BF is abount 2950 lbs from the factory and I would guess 3500 lbs loaded. We needed a new truck anyway, and after posting on FGRV and the BF owners group we decided to get a half ton truck. We were told the trailer would need a "strong" truck and we eventually bought a Ford 150 on Craigslist. It was only two wheel drive, but has the 5.4 engine,3.73 rear end, and tow package. Since the price was right it has worked out even though the MPG is only about 12. I think the two capacity is more than 9000 lbs. It has a four speed auto and we still find it easier to lock out overdrive.
I suspect your trailer is lighter so you may not need as much TV. I hope somebody with a trailer of similar vintage as yours can provide more info.
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