Should I upgrade my TV?

vinmaker · 08-11-2014, 08:18 PM

Hello everyone,

I wanted to get a your opinions on my current and possible future TV.

I current own a 2004 Trailblazer (v6) that is rated to tow 5,000lbs. I used it successfully to tow my previous pop up; a Rockwood HW256 (about 4,000lbs). I ended up selling my HW256 and will be replacing it with a Rockwood HW296 ( about 4,500 lbs) . It is about 500lbs heavier or so.

As the TV is getting close to 10 years old, I will be replacing it very soon. No time like the present if I need to. Hehehe.

Anyway. I am not a contractor nor do I have a truck with my business. I only camp about 5 trips a year so I am only towing 10 days a year. I just drive normally for the other 355 days each year.

If I do upgrade I am thinking of getting a similar type TV that can tow 5,000lbs. The DW would primarily drive it and would rather an SUV than a pick up truck. I am considering the Ford Explorer with a tow package. I know it is on a car chassis and defaults to FWD.

A Chevy Tahoe is the other choice (add $10K to the cost). This has a V8 and a truck chassis and would work better. Just not looking to spend all that money.

What are the thoughts out there? Any other ideas for towing a pop up?

I do have use a prodigy and use a 1,000/10,000 lbs equalizer WDH.

Honest opinions are welcome. I know the TV topic is often a hot issue but I am interested to hear if I am on the right. Or not.

Thanks everyone.

Vin.

jtstromsburg · 08-11-2014, 08:27 PM

I think you would be best to look at a vehicle built on a truck frame. That said, depending on how far you travel to camp and what type of terrain(hills or not) you'd drive. If it were me, I'd look at a used Tahoe or similar vehicle.

asquared · 08-11-2014, 08:31 PM

I would go with a Tahoe or armada or something along that size. You seem to keep tv for awhile. Think about potential trailer upgrades in the next 10yrs. Get something that can handle a HTT or small/medium tt. Remember to get a tow package that includes tranny cooler.

The_Rhino · 08-11-2014, 08:57 PM

If your wife wants a SUV, then you need to get a SUV... Personally I prefer a used Armada over a used Tahoe... We almost bought an Armada last year & are still thinking of getting one for my wife when we trade-in her Odyssey. Lots of room on the inside but it won't feel cumbersome for your wife to drive. Make sure you get the tow package which allows you to tow up to 9,000 lbs...

funfinder5 · 08-11-2014, 09:06 PM

You probably know yourself better than us. I'm thinking a guy who's been driving and towing with a 6 cylinder mid-sized SUV for 10 years... Owned a popup for 8 years and just recently upgraded to a new popup. You know what your into and I don't see the likely hood of you upgrading to a TT anytime soon.

Ford Explore with 3.5L V6 and 5,000 towing package seems like your style to me... Just enough to get the job done and easy on the gas budget for the other 355 days a year!

asquared · 08-11-2014, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Rhino

If your wife wants a SUV, then you need to get a SUV... Personally I prefer a used Armada over a used Tahoe... We almost bought an Armada last year & are still thinking of getting one for my wife when we trade-in her Odyssey. Lots of room on the inside but it won't feel cumbersome for your wife to drive. Make sure you get the tow package which allows you to tow up to 9,000 lbs...

Rhino- I had a 2004 armada. It will handle a small to med tt or a htt or pop-up like op wants but your primetime is too much tt for it. I towed a 30' tt that had a loaded weight of 7300 lbs. I got pushed all over the road with it and had no control of the tt coming down a 7% grade. The payload was low on it. You are limited by a hitch rating of 910 lbs/9100 lbs and our payload was around 800 lbs with family in it. It should however do just fine with a 24' tt and a tt around 5500-6000 lb gvwr. I wouldn't want to go any bigger than that with it. And yes I had a tow package and it towed a 5000 lb horse trailer like it wasn't even there, did great with a car trailer and even a 20' boat but 30' tt not so good.

funfinder5 · 08-11-2014, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Rhino

If your wife wants a SUV, then you need to get a SUV... Personally I prefer a used Armada over a used Tahoe... We almost bought an Armada last year & are still thinking of getting one for my wife when we trade-in her Odyssey. Lots of room on the inside but it won't feel cumbersome for your wife to drive. Make sure you get the tow package which allows you to tow up to 9,000 lbs...

And a gas discount card! I personally know two families that have Armada's (4X4). 13-14mpg is what they average picking up the kids from school and grocery shopping. That's about what you'll get out of a Tahoe or pretty much any 5+litter V8.

Oh, same families are happy to get 17mpg on family all highway trips. It's the cost of big V8's and seating for 8!

PSUFan1 · 08-11-2014, 09:16 PM

How about a V8 mid size SUV, like a Pathfinder, Touerag,etc. I use an Envoy Denali to pull my 3,600 # dry weight camper and it's not a bad pull.

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wickedwyrm · 08-11-2014, 09:44 PM

You could look for a mid size diesel SUV. I use a diesel X5 for my SP220 4500# dry and it works great and gets 27mpg when not towing. I don't think it would do good with a 30' trailer with that short of wheelbase.

The_Rhino · 08-11-2014, 10:59 PM

Remember folks, the OP has a 4,500 lb. popup, not a 30' trailer, etc. Although he could get-away with a V6 like before, IMO the new V8's do better with gas mileage than before...

On my 20 mile daily commute, my Ram 2500 w/5.7 Hemi gets 17 mpg. It costs me $1,000 more in gas per year vs. my V4 Accord so definitely less than $1000/year difference vs. a new $35K+ "Eco" V6 gasser or diesel. I purchased my 2 year-old Ram 2500 ST CC for $14K... It would take me 10 years to recoup the up-front costs of "Eco" technology... I plan to drive my V8 for about 5 years & then see where used Eco technology lands vs. gas & diesel prices... We also tend to keep our vehicles. We had the Accord forever & my wife's Odyssey is 10 years old & has never missed a beat...

vinmaker · 08-12-2014, 06:41 AM

Thanks everyone,

Great comments.

I realize I am right around the max towing of the car SUV types and this is why I am on the fence. It would be an easy decision if I had a 6,000 lb unit. I would have no choice.

I know the conventional wisdom is that people start in a tent, move up to a pop up, then HTT, then TT, then 5th wheel, then MH. I plan on sticking with a pop up mainly because I just would not feel comfortable with a huge unit behind me. We considered a Roo 23IKSS but it just looked so tall and huge compared to what I am used to.

The Armada's as great but big. I think they compete with the Suburban which is on the large size to me. I would prefer a Tahoe size vehicle I think. Pathfinder and Toureg are definitely considerations. The choices can make you crazy. lol.

I am thinking it would be a good idea to see how my Trailblazer tows the new pop up. If I find it is having trouble, then that will answer the question pretty clear. If it is ok, then I could still consider a car based SUV. That will at least narrow the choices down a bit for me.

Vin.

The_Rhino · 08-12-2014, 06:57 AM

The reason I suggested a 2-3 year-old V8 is because they get about the same gas mileage as the older V6's... My 5.7 Hemi gets 17 mpg on my combined highway/city commute which is about what a friend's older V6 Trailblazer gets.

The new "Eco" technology tops that combined with 8 speed trannies, etc. is still a more expensive up-front purchase & it's difficult to find something used for a good price. IMO if your Trailblazer can serve another 2-3 years, you will have more affordable new & used "Eco" choices in the future.

In my case the V8 Hemi is the most economical choice for me because I got a 2 year-old 2500 with the remainder of it's warranty for $14K... In a few years I will consider trading it in on newer "Eco" technology that gives me better gas mileage on my commute.

AquaMan · 08-12-2014, 06:59 AM

The Toureg TDI I think would make a good tow vehicle and daily driver, costs a little more up front but will retain value better than the smaller SUVs. My wife has a Yukon XL(suburban) and gets 18 mpg at best on interstate. It does have the larger 6.2L engine and AWD though.

tanddc · 08-12-2014, 11:10 AM

The new Ford Explorer is an excellent tow vehicle. It has a V-6 with the power of the V8's of a few years ago. I am towing a 4500 Lbs SP-220 with it and have not had any problems.

vinmaker · 08-12-2014, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tanddc

The new Ford Explorer is an excellent tow vehicle. It has a V-6 with the power of the V8's of a few years ago. I am towing a 4500 Lbs SP-220 with it and have not had any problems.

Are you speaking of the Eco boost engine? There is a lot of talk of that engine here on the forum. That I believe only comes in the Explorer sport. As that is close to $45K if I remember correctly. Right around the price of a V8 Tahoe I think.

I was looking at the standard Explorer engine (V6 - non turbocharged). The tow package is rated up to 5,000 lbs.

Vin.

thebrakeman · 08-12-2014, 12:41 PM

Dry weight of that popup is 3135lbs. Standard estimate for loaded weight over dry is 600-800 lbs for a popup. So keeping this at 4000 lbs loaded should not be a problem. An Explorer with tow package (5000lbs max tow rating) will have 1000 lbs capacity for passengers and cargo in the TV.

I think this would be a good match. If this is the wife's daily driver, she will love it, it will pull the popup just fine, and get good mileage when not towing.

If you want more capacity in a similar layout, I'd look at the Durango:
V6 w/o tow package = 5000
V6 with tow package = 6200 (6500?)
V8 w/o tow package = ?
V8 with tow package = 7400

keith_h · 08-12-2014, 01:21 PM

From the viewpoint of how infrequently you camp. If it were me I and I was satisfied with the Trailblazer I would give it a try before buying a new TV. You appear to be within the capacity of the TV and have experience with towing a PUP so should be able to tell pretty quickly how the rig is handling. If you can defer buy a new TV you will have time to look for it's replacement down the road which should let some of the newer technology settle down and make it easier to determine which will better suit your needs. Being in a similar spot to this my wife and I plan to replace our current TV with something that will handle a larger TT when the time comes a few years down the road. That way we have something with the capacity we need when replace the TT a few years after that.

thebrakeman · 08-12-2014, 01:37 PM

"Love the one you're with"??
Good point!

beerjay · 08-12-2014, 01:50 PM

Sounds familiar to my situation. Had a 2002 Trailblazer I6 for 4 years pulling a Coleman Mesa (3000 lbs). Pulled ok but the Trailblazer is underpowered for towing and doesn't have a big gas tank. Worked ok for lots of short trips though.

Then I got a 2005 Suburban 4.3L 4 speed. Much improved room and towing. And better gas mileage overall towing or not towing than the Trailblazer, since the engine is sized correctly for the size of the vehicle. Then I got the 2009 Suburban 4.3 L 6 speed. Really like the 6 speed. With a TT is struggles with wind loading but likely no cure for that.

At his point I am considering a small diesel SUV or truck as the next TV. My brother has the new Grand Cherokee 3L diesel and it is nice. 42 mpg CDN highway, and 7200 LB tow rating, rated at 24 mpg CDN towing. I think there will be a few new diesels out shortly as well.

So I'd go for something like the Yukon/Tahoe used or wait to see the new crop of small diesels.

vinmaker · 08-12-2014, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebrakeman

Dry weight of that popup is 3135lbs. Standard estimate for loaded weight over dry is 600-800 lbs for a popup. So keeping this at 4000 lbs loaded should not be a problem. An Explorer with tow package (5000lbs max tow rating) will have 1000 lbs capacity for passengers and cargo in the TV.

I think this would be a good match. If this is the wife's daily driver, she will love it, it will pull the popup just fine, and get good mileage when not towing.

If you want more capacity in a similar layout, I'd look at the Durango:
V6 w/o tow package = 5000
V6 with tow package = 6200 (6500?)
V8 w/o tow package = ?
V8 with tow package = 7400

That is what I was thinking but wanted to throw the question out to others to make sure I was not out in left field or just having wishful thinking or trying to convince myself I am right.

Yes. the Pup has a published dry weight of 1,335lbs and cargo carrying capacity of 1,217 lbs which equals 4,352. Throw in variations to actual weight and I felt using a 4,500lbs figure is best without a scale.

Conservatively that would give me 500lbs of people and gear in the TV. Not all that much. Good thing I only weigh 160lbs. They give that to the driver when arriving at numbers.

Vin.

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