Tow with an SUV?

[Murphybed]

Hi,

I have a 2011 Forest River mini lite 2304. No sliders or extra weight.
Opinions/advice about whether it could be towed with an SUV? If so, which one do you recommend?
Presently have a 2007 Ford F150 long bed. Need to replace it.
Thanks

[raspivey]

According to specs, I'm roughly the same weight as you and pull with a 4.2L (285 hp 6 cyl) Trailblazer with no problems. Doesn't really like steep inclines and speeds over 60 with a headwind, but does fine for the most part. Anything like a V8 Tahoe or Explorer should be more than enough. Make sure it's properly equipped with trans cooler and the right hitch / sway control. I'd also suggest putting a little heavier duty tire on the rear. I still run passenger tires, but switched to XL rated and put about 45 psi while towing. Feels more solid.

[dcarver1987]

I previously pulled a 25ft TT weighing about 4500lbs loaded with a V8 buick rainier (trailblazer). If your F150 has the 5.4 V8 I think you'll be disappointed in the v6. The buick had the power but the sway was out of control with a strong sidewind. Upgraded to a suburban. Same motor but the extra length of the suburban is what made it superior to the buick. Looks like the mini lite is similar in length to our old TT but with a less aerodynamic front. So this will increase your drag and I think a midsized SUV will be a little light on performance and stability.
What kind of SUV did you have in mind?

[Murphybed]

I don't have a certain suv in mind, it is that I can't drive the the truck.
I am unable to overcome maneuvering it, parking it, and generally dealing with it.
Wondering if an SUV would be capable of towing as my husband has to do all the driving now.

[DDC]

I have a VW Touareg it has a six cyl diesel and tows very well.

[vinmaker]

Originally Posted by Murphybed

Hi,

I have a 2011 Forest River mini lite 2304. No sliders or extra weight.
Opinions/advice about whether it could be towed with an SUV? If so, which one do you recommend?
Presently have a 2007 Ford F150 long bed. Need to replace it.
Thanks

Can you tell us the weight of the unit?

[Murphybed]

Weight is 3000 lbs.

[Terier]

Not trying to change your mind about considering an SUV but I am wondering if the size of the truck is part of the problem of not be comfortable. I have size issues which means I need more space between me & other stuff than more people do.

[huizarr]

We pull our Roo 23IKSS with a 2004 Ford Expedition. It had taken us on two long trips. (from San Antonio, TX to Pigeon Forge, TN and also from San Antonio, TX to Orlando, FL.) Plus all our local South Texas camping trips.

If you don't mind the bigger SUV, I would recommend the Expedition.

[raspivey]

Originally Posted by Murphybed

Weight is 3000 lbs.

Not even close. Probably closer to 4500 loaded. I know it's not a 2015, but the specs on the FR website list it as a little over 3700 dry. That's about 100 lbs. lighter than mine is listed as and my yellow sticker shows almost 3900 lbs.

[LandJ]

I pull a 2502 mini light with a Toyota highlander.

The highlander has the towing package and claims to be able to handle 5000lbs. The sticker on my trailer says 4184 lbs. It's just my wife and I, so we don't pack too much "stuff ".

The SUV seems to control the trailer fairly well, but is lacking power. I feel I can safely tow my trailer up to about. 60 MPH, but 55 makes my motor happier.

I have to lock out 5th gear, so the tranny doesn't hunt back and forth for the right gear. I'm getting about 10 MPG... all that said, I'll be upgrading as soon as possible.

Your trailer is lighter, you should be able to find a vehicle that will work for you.

Best of luck!

[dcarver1987]

So if the truck is too cumberson for your everyday driving, I'd say look into a Chevy tahoe/GMC Yukon or a Trailblazer ext/GMC Envoy XL/ Isuzu Ascender XL all with the 5.3 V8. The midsize SUVs are a bit narrower than the full sized tahoe/yukon and have an excellent turning radius so parking is a breeze. When we did tow the one time with the shorter buick rainer we averaged about 11-12mpg at 60mph and not towing was somewhere between 18-21 depending on speed. Those numbers should be comparable to your F150, so you won't be losing anything there

[rschoono289]

If the 2304 has the murphy bed option the hitch weight is in excess of 560lbs dry. You need to ensure the payload is adequate on the selected SUV. Defintely need a Weight Distribution Hitch (WDH) like the Equalizer. Good luck in your search.

[rockfordroo]

I have a 2012 Roo 19 hybrid. Dry wt is 3383lbs. GVWR is 4770. My actual wt (just wife and I) is 4000 lbs or less. I towed it my first season with a 2011 Chevy Traverse, 3.6L V6, 281 hp, 266lb-ft torque, 6spd automatic. (5200 lb tow capacity.)

I wasn't happy. It ran in 4th gear on flat and level most of the time, ~3100 rpm at 60 mph. Any slight increase in in incline would drop it into 3rd. Declines would let it go to 5th, but I don't think I ever saw it in 6th. Got 10 mpg. But I really wasn't happy running in 4th gear all the time, and dropping to 3rd lots of times. I don't think the issue is the weight so much as the drag.

I bought at 2009 Silverado (7500 lb tow capacity), see stats below. Still getting 10 mpg, but I'm MUCH happier.

My 2012 brochure says the 2012 Mini Lite 2304 is 3717 lb dry, GVWR 4951 lbs. That's just a bit heavier than mine. If I were you, I'd make sure whatever you buy has a V8.

[keith_h]

I think if you went with a full size SUV or a midsize with a V8 you would be ok. However if you have problems due to size keep in mind that a full size SUV is as long or longer than your current truck and even the midsize SUV's come in around the same length as some pickup models.

[davel1971]

You are in need of a full size SUV, and that isn't going to solve your issue. I think you just need to practice and get more comfortable with towing

[rsscully]

Jeep Grand Cherokee with the Hemi V8 or Ecodiesel both have a towing capacity of over 7000 pounds. They would be much easier to maneuver then your truck.

If you are not comfortable maneuvering a full sized truck then you probably should not try the tow vehicle/trailer combo. Just a thought.

[Canadiancrew]

Originally Posted by davel1971

You are in need of a full size SUV, and that isn't going to solve your issue. I think you just need to practice and get more comfortable with towing

Agreed. I notice you have a long box. maybe a short box would help? We currently tow our Salem cruise lite with a GMC Envoy and did 6000 miles this summer. So it works but I was much happier towing 7000 lbs and 31 feet behind an F150 than I am with 4000 lbs and 24 feet behind the Envoy.

[davel1971]

any SUV that is going to be a good safe towing vehicle won't be much smaller or shorter. Maybe a class B or C RV is better suited for you?

[00buck]

I towed a 24 ft Sunline with a Toyota 4Runner (V8) with no problem. Some people think the wheelbase on an SUV is too short for safe towing. A short rear overhang will mitigate the problem as will a good hitch. I bought an Equal-I-Zer and never had a hint of sway.

One thing you should look at closely is the hitch weight. It's pretty hefty on a 2304. You'll probably exceed the max weight of many SUVs.

Another consideration is towing mirrors. I used McKesh mirrors. They worked well, but were kind of a pain in the butt to put on and off every time we went out. If your vehicle has body side moulding, the straps on the Mckesh mirrors may whistle as you drive down the road.