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Old 10-31-2019, 09:40 PM   #21
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Originally Posted by MacII View Post
Why does nearly everyone under the age of 60 think smaller is better? I have towed for over 45 years now and have always wanted the biggest, strongest and heaviest tow vehicle I could afford. However, I put myself partially through college driving long haul, flat-bedding with semi tractors and trailers. I have always had confidence in my driving ability but always wanted to minimize risk by having as much as I could afford in both tow vehicles and TTs.

I have never wanted to see how little I could use and get away with it. If that made sense, all commercial drivers would be pulling their 54 foot boxes with Subarus or Hondas or Camrys and it would be legal to do so. I wanted the towing experience to be as comfortable and worry free as possible. For me that meant the most capable two vehicle I could swing and not the very least.

Fuel mileage is always a concern but safety was more of a concern. A pain in the wallet was more endurable than a pain in the hospital or at the car dealers replacing an inadequate tow vehicle or the pain of an unenjoyable towing experience .

Unless it also has to be your daily driver, can't you plan ahead and budget for fuel costs of the most capable tow vehicle you can afford?
One illustrative experience was when a friend and I, in our medium duty truck/tow vehicles, were stopped at Brothers, Oregon. A Dodge half ton pulled in and the wife got out and literally kissed the ground. Her husband asked us where we got our trucks. He also said it would be his first and last experience towing his 5'ver with a half ton truck. He was coming off several mountain grades where the 5ver nearly pushed the little truck off the road and scared the daylights out of him and his wife. He just couldn't stop the load, with both trailer brakes and truck brakes on the steep grades. They did not enjoy their trip and did not plan on making another the same way. He also expressed dislike going up the grades at 30 MPH with the Dodge nearly red lining the temperature gauge. The Dodge was new and the owners were more than ready to trade at presumably a sizeable loss.

But, do whatever your want. I did. It is a free country and all about choices. However, while we may not leave as much money to our kids as we spent at the fuel pumps, we had over 45 years of safety and enjoyment towing all over the country. The only times we experienced fear was due to hazardous road conditions or other drivers who did crazy things. We never felt out of control otherwise because our combination was always more than adequate to the situation.
Very simple really......His better half has somewhat of a disability and needs something lower to the ground....Wow now that wasn't too difficult.
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Old 11-01-2019, 04:25 PM   #22
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Problem solved.LOL
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Old 11-09-2019, 08:22 PM   #23
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Thanks all. A lot of good info. I really appreciate it
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Old 11-14-2019, 08:20 PM   #24
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Very simple really......His better half has somewhat of a disability and needs something lower to the ground....Wow now that wasn't too difficult.

Thank you, I would not of been so nice.



Good luck in your search for the right TV. I have mobility issues as well. We have an 08 Dodge that is not overly tall and pretty comfortable during long hauls. Still hard to move around on a long day, but that is any vehicle. Having a running board and a handle to pull myself up is important.
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Old 11-14-2019, 08:31 PM   #25
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I own a 2018 Coachmen Apex Nano (3900 lbs. dry weight) and bought a low mileage 2017 Tahoe LT. 8600 pound towing capacity, comfortable ride, and lots of room for extra cargo.
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Old 11-14-2019, 09:10 PM   #26
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Never pull a travel trailer with an suv, they are generally close to capacity already. Go with an F150 or lessor truck.
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Old 11-14-2019, 10:04 PM   #27
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I will be buying my first travel trailer soon ( Palomino 20 ft. ) dry weight is approximate 3900 lbs. so I need advice on a tow vehicle preferably an suv that won't break the bank. A pick up is not out the question just want something my wife can get in fairly easy since she has limited mobility. We were thinking traverse or grand cherokee. Thanks!

For that size.........lots of choices.


My favorite would be a straight six, lowest mileage you can find, Trailblazer or Envoy from '04.


Cheap, RELIABLE, tough, SAFE tow rating well over 5000 pounds, and great daily driver that nobody is interested in stealing.


Ain't glamorous or trendy, but comfy, and will always get you home.



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Old 11-15-2019, 07:11 AM   #28
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I will be buying my first travel trailer soon ( Palomino 20 ft. ) dry weight is approximate 3900 lbs. so I need advice on a tow vehicle preferably an suv that won't break the bank. A pick up is not out the question just want something my wife can get in fairly easy since she has limited mobility. We were thinking traverse or grand cherokee. Thanks!
Congratulations on asking this question before you buy your tow vehicle! Basically, you need to know a few important numbers about the trailer and the vehicle. For the trailer, they are, gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR, which is empty weight plus all the stuff your trailer can carry) and hitch weight (which is how much of your trailer weight is on the hitch). For the tow vehicle, the numbers are, factory rated towing capacity, maximum allowable hitch weight and payload capacity. Note that vehicles with factory installed towing packages can tow considerably more than the same model without the package. Hitch weight is part of your payload, which is all the stuff you will carry in and on your tow vehicle.

Personally, I believe it is easier on the vehicle and the driver if your tow vehicle is rated to tow 30 -50% more weight than the loaded weight of your trailer.

Best wishes.
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Old 11-15-2019, 07:44 AM   #29
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My trailer has a 4,200lb dry weight. I have a Grand Cherokee Limited with a 6,200lb towing capacity and a V6. I LOVE the Grand Cherokee and was very pleasantly surprised at how well it has towed. I definitely recommend the E2 hitch it makes a HUGE difference. I have done a ton of research comparing the GC to a Canyon or Colorado and have found that you get the same or less from them capability wise than you do with the GC. Another huge thing for me is that you get a MUCH better turning radius with the GC. The only upgrade I wish I had was the V8, but even with the V6 we are sitting between 2-3000 rpms with the trailer.
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Old 11-15-2019, 07:54 AM   #30
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My trailer has a 4,200lb dry weight. I have a Grand Cherokee Limited with a 6,200lb towing capacity and a V6. I LOVE the Grand Cherokee and was very pleasantly surprised at how well it has towed. I definitely recommend the E2 hitch it makes a HUGE difference. I have done a ton of research comparing the GC to a Canyon or Colorado and have found that you get the same or less from them capability wise than you do with the GC. Another huge thing for me is that you get a MUCH better turning radius with the GC. The only upgrade I wish I had was the V8, but even with the V6 we are sitting between 2-3000 rpms with the trailer.
7300 lb capacity on my 2019 Colorado. 6200 on your GC. That's 1100 lbs. I'd call that a substantial difference. My son tows with GC and loves the hell out it. I rode with them on a short distance and it really does do a great job.
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Old 11-15-2019, 10:05 AM   #31
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GMC Canyon or Chevy Colorado may be worth looking into. They tow in the 7000+ range, Vehicle height is comparable to an SUV. I own a 2019 Colorado Crew cab and it's a nice truck.

Source: I owned a 2017 GMC Canyon SLT and still own a Geo Pro 19FBS (3380lbs dry). Based upon numbers (7k towing capacity), this setup should have been ideal for the truck. The 19FBS is also a single axle so keep that in mind.


It took quite a bit to get the truck and trailer dialed in. I dealt with a lot of porpoising at the beginning (most of that was an undersized Equalizer hitch setup) and I fixed the rest with a set of SumoSprings. In any wind over 10 mph, the tail was able to wag the dog a lot more than I was comfortable with. Overall, once I got everything dialed in, towing wasn't a terrible experience but suffice it to say I knew when there was anything more than a breeze. I also preferred to tow with a full tank of water. On the 19FBS the water tank sits in front of the axle, so it felt like it helped stabilize the trailer a bit.



Ultimately, we chose to move to a 3.5 EB F-150 after driving in the Colorado mountains. The Canyon got the job done, but it worked really hard to do it. Foot to the floor, 35-40 mph was the best it could do. Since it was our first summer we spent a lot of time going east of Denver, but we plan to spend more and more time heading west and I knew I was going to be shortening the lifespan of the truck if we continued to work it as hard as we were.



I truly loved the GMC Canyon, but despite the 7k tow rating I wouldn't go any bigger than the 19FBS, especially in a single axle, and especially if you're planning to tow through the mountains regularly or in areas subject to regularly windy conditions.
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Old 11-15-2019, 10:45 AM   #32
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Source: I owned a 2017 GMC Canyon SLT and still own a Geo Pro 19FBS (3380lbs dry). Based upon numbers (7k towing capacity), this setup should have been ideal for the truck. The 19FBS is also a single axle so keep that in mind.


It took quite a bit to get the truck and trailer dialed in. I dealt with a lot of porpoising at the beginning (most of that was an undersized Equalizer hitch setup) and I fixed the rest with a set of SumoSprings. In any wind over 10 mph, the tail was able to wag the dog a lot more than I was comfortable with. Overall, once I got everything dialed in, towing wasn't a terrible experience but suffice it to say I knew when there was anything more than a breeze. I also preferred to tow with a full tank of water. On the 19FBS the water tank sits in front of the axle, so it felt like it helped stabilize the trailer a bit.



Ultimately, we chose to move to a 3.5 EB F-150 after driving in the Colorado mountains. The Canyon got the job done, but it worked really hard to do it. Foot to the floor, 35-40 mph was the best it could do. Since it was our first summer we spent a lot of time going east of Denver, but we plan to spend more and more time heading west and I knew I was going to be shortening the lifespan of the truck if we continued to work it as hard as we were.



I truly loved the GMC Canyon, but despite the 7k tow rating I wouldn't go any bigger than the 19FBS, especially in a single axle, and especially if you're planning to tow through the mountains regularly or in areas subject to regularly windy conditions.
We decided to "downsize" this summer and put the 36' Cherokee up for sale...(still is...darn it) Sold the 2014 GMC 2500HD Duramax and picked up a 2019 Colorado. Only pulling a 10' trailer now with 4x4 and other gear and running around 2500 to 3000 lbs when fully loaded with stuff. Colo does a great job with it and I can still get 15-16mpg in Tow/Haul mode. Doubt I would ever take it up to it's 7300lb max, but in pinch...you never know.
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Old 11-15-2019, 01:12 PM   #33
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Figure your loaded weight.. say 5000 lbs, find a rig your wife likes that's 75-80% of tow rating is at least the 5000lbs. For example 7000lbs tow rating times 75% is 5250lbs. You won't be pushing (pulling) the limits, you have hills and heat ya know. Framed vehicle would be preffered. Set up a good hitch properly, maybe airbags too, make sure you have a tranny cooler and enjoy. I had a 4500 lbs boat on a 5.3 Tahoe, pulled and handled with a tight turning radius like a dream. The airbags will really help the ride (rough road rebounding) and level you out, not needed for such a light load but makes it more comfortable. No need for a 3/4 or bigger rig, it'll just beat you up when empty. Without knowing budget or your brand favorites that's my .02
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Old 11-15-2019, 03:23 PM   #34
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Ultimately, we chose to move to a 3.5 EB F-150 after driving in the Colorado mountains. The Canyon got the job done, but it worked really hard to do it. Foot to the floor, 35-40 mph was the best it could do. Since it was our first summer we spent a lot of time going east of Denver, but we plan to spend more and more time heading west and I knew I was going to be shortening the lifespan of the truck if we continued to work it as hard as we were.



I truly loved the GMC Canyon, but despite the 7k tow rating I wouldn't go any bigger than the 19FBS, especially in a single axle, and especially if you're planning to tow through the mountains regularly or in areas subject to regularly windy conditions.
This is why you DON'T focus on towing capacity numbers, as many newbies do.
Almost no tow vehicle will ever reach that number, without running out of Payload Capacity first.
And also factor wheelbase when picking a tow vehicle.
And single axle trailers are more prone to heavier tongue weights and sway, than comparable tandem axle trailers.
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Old 11-15-2019, 03:27 PM   #35
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Colo does a great job with it and I can still get 15-16mpg in Tow/Haul mode. Doubt I would ever take it up to it's 7300lb max, but in pinch...you never know.
I'm assuming that 10' trailer is not a travel trailer correct?
If so, that 15-16mpg wouldn't be accurate for those towing a travel trailer.
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Old 11-15-2019, 03:56 PM   #36
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Having been a former owner of the Canyon and Colorado's predicessor (the S10) I can't imagine towing anything larger than a small pop-up with that truck. The S10 was rated at 5500lbs but it was a real struggle pulling my 12' Flagstaff PUP. We did it once in flat land and never again.
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Old 11-15-2019, 04:05 PM   #37
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If mobility issues are a concern, there are really 2 issues.



1) is the seat height important - does she need to be able to stand flat and sit on the seat to swivel into the vehicle.

2) could a step be used if #1 is not so much an issue. This opens up a lot more tow vehicle options. There are both permanent 2 step running boards and 2 step automatic running boards available. If she can us that (not unlike using the step into the trailer) and then pivot to sit, you can go with a much broader range of tow vehicle and potentially upgrade to a larger trailer with the same tow vehicle later.

Either way, I would recommend the wider flat topped running boards over a round one.

If I get a 3500 GMC truck, I will likely put these on it. Aires Action-Trac automatic running boards (2 step). I've got nerve issues that give me problems on steps and tall trucks. In the video below some of the trucks are very high (higher than stock).

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Old 11-16-2019, 09:42 AM   #38
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Doesn’t anybody look at GCVWR anymore?

To be safe, a good guideline to use is the Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating (GCVWR) of the tow vehicle (TV). Make sure that the GCVWR of your tow vehicle (TV) is high enough to safely haul the fully loaded trailer and all passengers fuel gear etc that you will be hauling with you.
The formula looks like this, GCVWR (TV) = GVWR (TV) + GVWR (trailer)
This is a good guideline to follow but still won’t prevent you from overloading either the TV or the trailer.
Welcome to the forum and safe travels 😀
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Old 11-16-2019, 10:13 AM   #39
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Am I right?? My truck can haul about 13000 lbs. My truck weighs 6000 lbs loaded with everything going camping. My TT comes in at 5700 lbs loaded ready to camp. Total 11700 lbs. Looks like I am about 1300 lbs under weight?
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Old 11-16-2019, 10:16 AM   #40
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Am I right?? My truck can haul about 13000 lbs. My truck weighs 6000 lbs loaded with everything going camping. My TT comes in at 5700 lbs loaded ready to camp. Total 11700 lbs. Looks like I am about 1300 lbs under weight?
Mike
Passengers, cargo and everything on a 1500 I'm gonna bet you're trying to punch above your weight class.
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