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Old 08-18-2014, 05:01 PM   #1
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Towing vehicle

I am new to all this camper stuff so I have a question that I hope someone can answer. I currently have a SV261T surveyor ultra lite bunkhouse hybrid. I am looking to get a new vehicle to haul it with. Was going to get a truck but having a family and all, we'll leaning towards a large SUV. We're thinking about a Chevy suburban, Yukon XL or a Chevy Tahoe. Just curious if these vehicles are sufficient enough to pull the camper I have. Any info would be appreicated! Thanks!
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Old 08-19-2014, 11:08 AM   #2
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I have an Avalanche. Its rated to 7900 lbs. towing and pulls my SP240RBS easily. I added a transmission cooler to be on the safe side. Pulling steep hills I turn the AC off if the temp starts to get up there but otherwise its not a problem. Just take it a bit easy.
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Old 08-19-2014, 05:11 PM   #3
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Thanks for the info I appreciate it. Now if a vehicle has a trailer/tow package does it come with a tranny cooler or not necessarily. Just trying to get all my info straight before isle a big investment to haul my camper with. I definitely plan on getting a te weight distribution with sway control also.
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Old 08-19-2014, 05:46 PM   #4
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How much does camper weigh?
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Old 08-19-2014, 07:34 PM   #5
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Haven't weighed it yet but the title says 3900. It's an ultra lite. I've tried looking it up online but can't seem to find the exact weight. I've seen someone that has one says theirs weighs like 3650 or something like that. So I'm pretty sure one of those vehicles is more than enough to haul it.
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Old 08-19-2014, 07:41 PM   #6
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VW Touareg TDI. Not sure what your budget is or if you are looking at new vs used, but we bought our 2013 Touareg TDI almost a year ago and it is the best of both worlds. It is a towing beast but still has all of the comforts and luxuries as a high end car. We tow an XLR 24' with 2 bikes... roughly 6000#. We just got back from our yearly trip to Indianapolis Motor Speedway and averaged 15.6 mpg while towing. Without towing we get around 30 mpg (mostly city). Driving this thing around feels no different than driving it's Audi or Porsche counter-parts but at a fraction of the price. The Touareg is built on the Porsche Cayenne platform and many have gone from the Audi Q7 to the Touareg and said that they prefer the comfort of the Touareg. TONS of interior room as well. 3 adults can sit in the back seat comfortably (not sure how long I would want to, but being back there myself, it really wasn't bad at all).

Just my .02
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Old 08-19-2014, 07:44 PM   #7
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You will definitely want to get it weighted to make sure.

I think the SUV's you mentioned above all tow 5,000 out of the box with WDH. More with a special towing package. You will want to confirm just in case.
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Old 08-19-2014, 07:49 PM   #8
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Thanks guys all the info helps!
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Old 08-19-2014, 07:50 PM   #9
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And I'm definitely making sure it has the special towing package with whatever I decide to get
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Old 08-19-2014, 07:52 PM   #10
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The Touareg has a 7700# tow capacity and 680# tongue weight (I believe). The tow package includes the trans. cooler and all of the normal towing goodies as far as I remember. Definitely something to check out.
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Old 08-19-2014, 07:55 PM   #11
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I have looked at the Tahoe and I believe that can tow 8,200lbs with the factory tow package. I too am considering that SUV.
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Old 08-19-2014, 08:14 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pgarza0910 View Post
Haven't weighed it yet but the title says 3900. It's an ultra lite. I've tried looking it up online but can't seem to find the exact weight.
Mine is 3965 (give or take about 50 lbs....can't remember exactly) on the sticker. I pull it with a 4.2 Trailblazer rated at 5400 lbs. with no problems. Steep inclines and wind drag over about 60 mph make it work a little, but it doesn't get hot or labor. A Tahoe or anything similar shouldn't give you any problems at all at that weight.
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Old 08-20-2014, 04:16 PM   #13
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What kind of weight distribution set up do u have
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Old 08-20-2014, 04:26 PM   #14
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F150 Super Crew gives you a large cab and pickup bed in the same vehicle.
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Old 08-20-2014, 08:34 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pgarza0910 View Post
What kind of weight distribution set up do u have
Pro Series RB3 Weight Distribution System with Shank - Round Bar - 10,000 lbs GTW, 750 lbs TW Pro Series Weight Distribution PS49582

I've got pretty much this hitch (I believe mine is 600 lb., but almost identical ). I run a single friction sway bar on it.
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Old 08-20-2014, 08:55 PM   #16
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Thanks I'll look into that one
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Old 08-29-2014, 01:31 PM   #17
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Towing Vehicle

I prefer truck as you can put all your wet and dirty things in back when leaving camp ground. It is also easier to haul bikes, etc.

Whatever you decide on make sure it has towing package. Transmission is critical when pulling camper and you want transmission cooler on vehicle designed for towing to keep transmission fluid from getting very hot. Most with towing package have temp gage inside to monitor transmission temp, just like for coolant.

Change transmission fluid regularly when towing; I am over caution and do this every 30,000 miles; far cheaper than new transmission.
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Old 08-29-2014, 06:22 PM   #18
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Some things I have found helpful....take it easy!! Take your time. Don't be afraid to slow down, especially on hills. If your vehicle has it, use Tow/Haul Mode. It makes a big difference!! Turn off the AC on hills. I find that doing that drops my engine temp 10 degrees very quickly. Watch your engine and tranny temps, and be proactive in managing them. If they start to get too high, slow down and turn off the AC. I have the alarms on my Edge programmer set to go off at 220. That way I can start doing something about the temps before they get too high. A tranny cooler is a must if you are towing over 4000 lbs or so in my opinion.
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Old 08-29-2014, 06:46 PM   #19
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Will give my .02 also.
I have a 3/4 ton Chevy extended cab, so I have no problems pulling my 25' cruise light.
The reason i have the 3/4 ton is my 1/2 ton scared me to death about 3 times and the 4th time, I got a 3/4 ton.
GET the factory integrated brake controller, INSIST on it, you will never be happier.
As others stated, get the towing package also. On the Chevy's that normally includes the extra tranny cooler.
NEVER try to pull it when not in tow/haul mode. On the Chevy's that will have it stay in the lower gear longer (less gas milage) but will keep the tranny temps down.
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Old 08-29-2014, 07:05 PM   #20
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I discovered full size vans also make great tow vehicles. Plenty of room for the kids and gear. We bought our chevy express from Hertz for way less than what dealers wanted for used SUV's. Brought the van home two weeks before our vacation to California towing our 8000lb grey wolf. Had just enough time to install the brake controller and hitch before heading across the Rocky's and the Sierra Nevada mountains. Even with the AC running crossing the desert the van never complained about the summer heat or the mountain passes. It was much more capable of towing in the mountains than our 2002 Suburban. Kids also found the van much roomier than the Suburban. BTW the van is rated to tow just shy of 10000 lbs and with the one ton chassis I didn't worry about exceeding the rear axle weight weighting like I did more than once with the Suburban.
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