Your ideal towing vehicle for Scamp 13'?

[johnsoba]

Hi, everybody. We're looking for a new tow vehicle for our stripped down (no water, no shower, no a/c, no bunk beds--it does have brakes) 1982 Scamp 13'.

What's your ideal? We'd like to stay away from a truck, if possible. But, please, tell us your favorite option.

History: We've been towing with a '99 Subaru Outback 2.5 litre. On our last trip through WV over to St. Louis, we just got tired of turning off the a/c when climbing mountains, turning off the cruise control almost all the time to prevent jumping up to 4K rpm on even relatively flat land. We also got tired of turning on the heat all the way a mile before coming to a stop to prevent over-heating. And who knows how hot the transmission was getting.

(Secondary considerations: used around 15K? tow package? 4 or 7 pin electrical? transmission cooler? power steering cooler? stiff rear suspension?)

THANK YOU!
Ann and Bruce

[Carol H]

You would probable find those issues disappear if you where to purchase a newer Outback with the higher tow rating. Even though you are pulling a light 13' its still probable pretty close if not over its towing spec - think it was about 2006? that they increased it ratings to 2800lbs or 3000lbs depending on the model. I pulled a heaver trailer with an 2007 Outback and did not have to do any of the things you mentioned.

The Highlander is reported to be a great tow tug by a number of people I know who tow with them. Another to look at might be the Venza - again know someone pulling a 17' Escape with one with no issues.

Originally Posted by johnsoba

Hi, everybody. We're looking for a new tow vehicle for our stripped down (no water, no shower, no a/c, no bunk beds--it does have brakes) 1982 Scamp 13'.

What's your ideal? We'd like to stay away from a truck, if possible. But, please, tell us your favorite option.

History: We've been towing with a '99 Subaru Outback 2.5 litre. On our last trip through WV over to St. Louis, we just got tired of turning off the a/c when climbing mountains, turning off the cruise control almost all the time to prevent jumping up to 4K rpm on even relatively flat land. We also got tired of turning on the heat all the way a mile before coming to a stop to prevent over-heating. And who knows how hot the transmission was getting.

(Secondary considerations: used around 15K? tow package? 4 or 7 pin electrical? transmission cooler? power steering cooler? stiff rear suspension?)

THANK YOU!
Ann and Bruce

[johnsoba]

OK. Our list so far:
1) post-2006 (?) Subaru Outback
2) Toyota Highlander
3) Toyota Venza

Thanks, Carol!
Other nominees, anybody?

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by johnsoba

OK. Our list so far:
1) post-2006 (?) Subaru Outback
2) Toyota Highlander
3) Toyota Venza

Thanks, Carol!
Other nominees, anybody?

Jeep Grand Cherokee with V6 engine and 8 speed auto transmission

[johnsoba]

4) Ford Escape

[floyd]

Originally Posted by johnsoba

4) Ford Escape

Ditto

[johnsoba]

5) 8 speed transmission on a V6 Grand Cherokee. I like it. Thanks, Steve.

[johnsoba]

2 votes for the Escape. thanks, Floyd

[Jon in AZ]

Do you mean used around 15K$$ or 15K miles? If the former, I think you're going to have a hard time finding something that is both reliable and giving the kind of towing performance you are looking for. A minivan might be your best bet, price-wise.

I would want a factory or factory-equivalent towing package for the added cooling and electrical demands of towing, especially on mountain grades. We towed for a while with a 2000 Toyota Sienna without the tow package and , while the engine had adequate power and our trailer was under the 2000# limit so equipped, we managed to overheat the tranny climbing a long grade against a stiff headwind (went into limp mode, so no serious damage, thankfully). We chose to trade rather than upgrade since it had almost 200K miles!

We have a Pilot now. Might be overkill for some people, but we are four (often with an extra head or two) and live in a mountainous area, so it was a good choice for us. Nice thing about Pilots (some years and models, anyway) is that the full towing package (includes everything you mention, plus an integrated brake controller) is standard - means you can find a used one with a towing package , but never actually used for towing. (We also looked for a Highlander, but found them to be several thousand $$ pricier in 6 cyl. trim YMMV).

BTW - I still turn off AC during the longest, steepest sections of mountain climbs.

[johnsoba]

Excellent info, Jon. $15,000 is what we're thinking, but maybe we're dreaming. Still, Craigslist and CarMax are showing me some older Pilots that we might be able to do.

6) Honda Pilot

[keekers]

I'll second the vote for the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Does a good job pulling my UHaul.

[johnsoba]

Jon, can you tell me more about the towing package on your Pilot or other years of Pilots, or maybe I can find this online.
Thanks again.

[MC1]

Ann and Bruce.... There are 100's of vehicle choices for what you intend on towing.

What kind of vehicle do you prefer? Car, SUV, truck? Big or smallish? Hardtop or convertible?
Import or domestic?
Is fuel mileage important to you?
Gas or diesel.
4,6, or 8 cyl.

If you can answer these questions in will narrow down the choices. Realize just about anything is possible.

thnxs

[MCDenny]

I had a 2007 V6 RAV4 with tow package that pulled our 2850# Lil Snoozy just fine. You could find those well under $15k.

[johnsoba]

2 votes for the Grand Cherokee. Thanks, Patti!

[johnsoba]

Thanks, W. We're pretty open, but probably 6 or 8 cyl. SUV, foreign or domestic, gas or diesel. Gas mileage less of a concern.

[johnsoba]

7) Toyota RAV4, 6 cyl. Thank you, Denny.

[MC1]

Originally Posted by johnsoba

Thanks, W. We're pretty open, but probably 6 or 8 cyl. SUV, foreign or domestic, gas or diesel. Gas mileage less of a concern.

I forgot to ask. Would a Mini Van work for you? They make excellent TV's and are very practical overall.

[honda03842]

In our case we only own one vehicle, a 2004 Honda CRV and it's worked very well for 10 years.

Is the tow vehicle going to serve primarily a towing function or does it have a secondary function like driving to work, hauling kids,.... ?

For towing an empty Scamp 13 with brakes the number of possible choices is huge. For me a used Honda CRV would easily do the job or virtually any vehicle so far described. In my view a V-8 is definitely overkill for a Scamp 13 unless you have another purpose for the truck.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by johnsoba

Excellent info, Jon. $15,000 is what we're thinking, but maybe we're dreaming. Still, Craigslist and CarMax are showing me some older Pilots that we might be able to do.

6) Honda Pilot

Not 100% sure (except 2011, which is my year)...

2004-2008 towing package optional across all models
2009-2011 towing package standard on all models 2WD and 4WD (integrated receiver, trans & PS coolers, brake controller, 7-pin wiring harness, pigtail must be purchased - I made it part of the deal so all covered under Honda-certified extended warranty)
2012-2014 towing dropped from 2WD, still standard on 4WD

A $15K Pilot is going to have a lot of miles; $20K would give you more choices. Sienna, Odyssey (beware tranny issues on older models), and newer Chrysler minivans with the 3.6 are worth considering, also, and tend to depreciate a bit faster, so better chance of finding something decent under $15K.


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