Towing with FWD V6 vs a Jetta TDI

[BarterBoler]

Good day everyone.
I have been spending a rediculous amount of time researching what kind of vehicle to tow my 13' egg. I am now looking at a Hyundai Sante Fe V6 FWD. My plan is to be a full-time RVer, lots of driving including mountains if I come accross them. I have been reading all the opinions of FWD vs AWD vs RWD and it gets a little overwhelming to say the least.

So, before I ramble too long, I am looking for yet MORE opinions on the following two options; the above mentioned Sante Fe or a VW TDI manual. Have people had problems with traction using a FWD? Do the Jetta TDIs have enough clearance? From what I understand each vehicle has pros and cons and there won't be a perfect vehicle for my budget $5,000). I would just really like something reliable and fully capable of towing up hills/mountains and into some of the more rugged BLM lands. I won't be going for a 4x4 as the gas would be out of control for me!

Any and all feedback is ALWAYS appreciated.

[BarterBoler]

Ugh, I thought I had read the 2003 Sante Fe could pul 2,500lbs..I just found another site that says it's capacity is 1,200lbs. I really thought when I bought my egg I could tow it with a small car and now this V6 doesn't seem to be enough. Hmmmm......

[BarterBoler]

sorry, unsure how to delete this thread.

I now know the Sante Fe won't work., Thanks anyways.

[frank_a]

So you have an egg Angela, but nothing to tow it with? Have you made a decision yet on a tow vehicle? We're in a similar boat, but are looking at a larger egg, and thinking maybe the new Escape would do it.

A handy resource for tow capacities is Trailer Life. It's a good idea to double check whatever you find there, but there are few resources with all this information in one place, and all the way back to 1999. Here: Trailer Towing Guides | Trailer Life Magazine

Good luck!

Frank

[BarterBoler]

Thanks for that Frank.
Yes, I bought a 13' Boler (an upgrade from living in a camperized cargo van) thinking it was lightwieght enough to tow with just about anything and I am slowly learning that's not the case. I am banging my head against the wall today! I know they are towed with antique cars and all kinds of other small vehicles but for full time RVing I guess I need something bigger. What I thought would be a simple thing has turned into a frustrating pursuit....but, I'll keep on keepin on.

I will check out the link and thanks so much for sharing it.

[Thomas G.]

Angela, don't freak out - this is about the tiniest travel trailer you can buy, short of a teardrop. What engine do you have? Does the trailer have brakes?

[frank_a]

Glad to help Angela. Yeah, you can pretty much tow these babies with anything, long as it's flat! There are some good small SUV's that will tow small campers. How much does your Boler weigh, and what do you have for a vehicle now? And please, NO banging heads against walls! We've all been there...

I don't know where you are in NS, but I have family (not real close anymore) in Halifax, and love Cape Breton, and the Canadian Maritimes in general. A great place for a small egg!

Best of luck,

Frank

[BarterBoler]

Yeah, you can pretty much tow these babies with anything, long as it's flat! There are some good small SUV's that will tow small campers. How much does your Boler weigh, and what do you have for a vehicle now?


I don't have a towing vehicle yet, hence the head-wall-banging, and have never towed anything. This will be my first! The total gross trailer weight is 1350lbs. I'm still trying to figure out my axle and hitch weight. Can't seem to find them at all. Nothing on the frame or manufactureres specs.

As I said, I plan to full-time RV and am heading to the states, destinations Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, so I need to be able to tow over mountanous terrain as well as not get stuck in sand. My needs are a bit greater than just towing on flat land that's for sure!

[Thomas G.]

You can estimate the loaded weight of the Boler from this sampling of FG RVs.

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...rld-43010.html

[frank_a]

With a trailer weight like that Angela, I would bet your tongue weight is somewhere between 100lbs and 160lbs. Once you get a tow vehicle, you can bring the trailer to a public scale and check the tongue weight. All else being equal, tongue weight will have an effect on drive-ability. Less tongue weight, more sway, more tongue weight, less sway. Does the Boler have brakes?

We used to live in Wyoming. I loved it there!

Good luck!

Frank

[BarterBoler]

Originally Posted by Thomas G.

You can estimate the loaded weight of the Boler from this sampling of FG RVs.

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...rld-43010.html

Yeah, I looked at that last night and that's why I'm trying to figure out my axle and hitch weight. There are 3 listings for Boler 1300....

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by BarterBoler

Yeah, I looked at that last night and that's why I'm trying to figure out my axle and hitch weight. There are 3 listings for Boler 1300....

The axle and hitch weight is going to depend on how much you pack into it and where you place the load. For a couple of bucks, a local weigh station will weigh it for you, then you will know for sure..

[BarterBoler]

The boler doesn't have breaks but I didn't think that was necessary for it's size. I've been reading about installing them too and the information about it is way over my head. What is the average cost of having brakes installed? Do I really need to? I know this will allow me to use a smaller vehicle but I spent WAY too much on the purchase price (it needs a lot more work done to it than I was told) of the Boler and am pretty financially strapped now....

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by BarterBoler

........ Do I need to know the axle and hitch weights before buying a vehicle?.....

You need to know the maximums, which is a pretty safe bet to be less than 2000# total and 200# tongue weight. A vehicle rated for these weights should be fine.

[MC1]

Hey there Angela. My family is all from the valley. Great people and a great province.

The tow rating thing can drive folks nuts. I find it amazing that the small 4 cyl Hyundi Elantra car Top 10 Vehicles for Towing is rated for 3,000lbs yet the V6 Santa Fe SUV is rated for less. Amazingly large V8 sedans like the big Caddy STS is only rated for 1,000lbs.

Most vehicle when set up optimally will handle an egg.

[BarterBoler]

Originally Posted by MC1

Hey there Angela. My family is all from the valley. Great people and a great province.

The tow rating thing can drive folks nuts. I find it amazing that the small 4 cyl Hyundi Elantra car Top 10 Vehicles for Towing is rated for 3,000lbs yet the V6 Santa Fe SUV is rated for less. Amazingly large V8 sedans like the big Caddy STS is only rated for 1,000lbs.

Most vehicle when set up optimally will handle an egg.

Nuts is most definitly what I am feelin! I feel a bit better knowing I'm not the only one confused by all this. I've already let the Sante Fe go, ie not buying it, and am starting to look all over again. I would also think most vehicles could tow my 13' which is why I bought it. Maybe I'm putting too much pressure on myself. When I was camping in my RWD van I got stuck in the sand twice and I just don't want to have to avoid camping on BLM land or going over mountan passes because I didn't buy the right vehicle. I'm sure this will all work out. I just didn't realize how ignorant I am regarding towing safely.

Oh, and yeah. I would say we're a pretty good bunch out here on the east coast

[BarterBoler]

I find it amazing that the small 4 cyl Hyundi Elantra car Top 10 Vehicles for Towing is rated for 3,000lbs yet the V6 Santa Fe SUV is rated for less.


BTW that tow rating is for a trailer that has brakes, without the rating is 1000lbs.

[Francesca Knowles]

The (2013) Hyundai Santa Fe will tow up to 5,000 pounds depending on model...if we're talkin' used/other models it's a different ball game.

Here's a link to specs for one 2013 6cyl.: 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 4dr SUV 3.3L V6 6-speed Automatic Features and Specs

Seems like plenty of vehicle for a 1300 pound trailer. Probably more room in the tug than the tow, which could turn out to be important for a fulltimer...

Francesca

[Bill in Pittsburgh]

I personally do not like front wheel drive for towing. Traction can be an issue when pulling out on an uphill gravel or grass slope. This is a situation I often find myself in when trying to get away from the crowds and seeking the primitive areas of a campground.

[frank_a]

Putting on brakes usually means a new axle Angela, and if you hire it done, you're probably looking at a grand Canadian. Sometimes the new axle can be avoided if the existing axle has mounting flanges for brakes. To figure that out, you would need to pull a wheel and see if there is a steel plate behind the wheel mounted to the axle with 4 holes. That is where the brake assembly would attach, and would reduce the cost of installation by 1/2 I would think.

It will also mean your vehicle will need a 7 pin RV plug and a brake controller as opposed to the 4 pin normally used for lights on towables without brakes. That can run into a few hundred too if you can't do it yourself. To avoid the 7 pin plug and brake controller thing, you can go with hydraulic brakes. Those are mostly used on boat trailers, but can be used on other kinds of trailers too. I prefer electric for my travel trailers, hydraulic for my boat trailers.

Frank