Looking for tow vehicle advice

[TRValeri]

I just purchased a Super Air Nautique 220 that weighs approximately 5,000 pounds including the trailer. I'm looking for advice for a tow vehicle. I live in Central California where Summer days are around 100 degrees. I intend to keep the boat in the valley, but would like to tow it to a local mountain lake at approximately 5,000 feet. I need a vehicle has the power to make the tow up and the stability to bring it back down the hill. My wife is willing to let me trade-in her beloved Cadillac SRX for something we can use for towing, provided it is a high-end trim level. My guess is she'd go for an Escolade or Tahoe, but I'm not sure either will do the trick. The other option I'm thinking is to find a used, high mileage vehicle that I use only for pulling the boat up and down the hill. Any and all thoughts/options will be greatly appreciated. I suppose I should have thought about this before I bought the boat... too late now.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Looking for tow vehicle advice

Well, if you want something foofy and price isn't a big deal then I'd go with a VW Toureg Diesel or a BMW x5 so you can get halfway decent milage. Tahoe or Escalade is fine but 5K plus fuel and all your gear is going to become 6K pretty easily and in the end you're driving a chevy

Lexus LX570 will pull the weight fine - my dad drives one. The milage will be terrible while towing but it is a very posh ride.

 

[JB]

Re: Looking for tow vehicle advice

You will want something rated to tow at least 6,000#, maybe even 7,500#.

If you want a luxurious passenger vehicle to do that a Toureg or X5 are too small and light.

A Mercedes G55AMG, the Lexus LX570 or one of the super posh Ford F250 or F350 Lariat double cabs (very popular among Texas ranchers) should do the job. The MB and Lexus carry big price tags but the wife may not want to drive a big pickup, no matter how luxurious the details.

I don't know the ratings on the Expedition or Navigator but both can be fitted out very lux and for a lot less bux.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Looking for tow vehicle advice

Touregs are rated for 7700lbs and tow it with ease.
X5 rating is 6K
LX570 is rated at 7K

F250 or 350 is a bit overkill for 6-7000 lbs and even the new ones ride like lumber wagons. A modern half ton is rated to pull 7-10K depending on the truck. The only pickups that ride worth a crap are the Ram and toyota but neither really has anything you could describe as a luxury package.

Best bet is going to be having her try out a bunch of vehicles, if she is used to an SRX then the list of comparables in terms of ride is going to be pretty short.

 

[angelo1369]

Re: Looking for tow vehicle advice

As far as towing capacity goes there is no such thing as overkill. If your pulling a boat that even comes close to the vehicles tow rating, you might find it very difficult to pull it up the mountian, and even harder to stop the boat from pushing you down the mountian.

 

[Slow Ride]

Re: Looking for tow vehicle advice

This question comes up once a week around here and it will inevitably start a discussion between a couple of guys who like a particular make. So here is the deal. If you buy a vehicle that has a tow rating within a 1000 or so pounds of your total weight, your going to be disappointed in your towing ability, especially if your in the hills our mountains. Just because the sticker on the door says it can tow 7000lbs does not mean it will do it well! 5000 lbs should be no problem for any 1/2 ton pickup. One of you mentioned dodge as the best driving/riding truck. Nonsence, I've owned several dodges and have one now. They are the least "foo-foo" of the bunch and are rougher riding than any of the others, but they come with a cummings and my boat is in the 13-15k range depending on fuel and equipment. In the 1/2 ton trucks Chevy and Ford are far superior to dodge in comfort. There are some really nice trucks out there. Heck, you can get a Cadillac 1/2 ton truck with all the bells and whistles and the wife will love it. On the other hand, your going to the lake to fish and ski and you will be getting back in the vehicle dirty and nasty. In the bigger trucks (3/4 to 1 ton) Ford owns the luxury discussion... hands down, but they are way bigger than you need....... unless you plan on getting a travel trailer later or a bigger boat!

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Looking for tow vehicle advice

One of you mentioned dodge as the best driving/riding truck. Nonsence, I've owned several dodges and have one now. They are the least "foo-foo" of the bunch and are rougher riding than any of the others, but they come with a cummings and my boat is in the 13-15k range depending on fuel and equipment.

The 2009 and up 1/2 tons have a very soft ride - nothing like the old ones and also nothing like the 3/4 and 1 tons.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Looking for tow vehicle advice

the Tahoe and Escolade have towing capacities well over your needs. if that is what the admiral wants, get her that.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Looking for tow vehicle advice

the Tahoe and Escolade have towing capacities well over your needs. if that is what the admiral wants, get her that.

Yup - just make sure she drives them first. The ride quality in those 2 is not anywhere near some of the other choices - I've had both as rental vehicles in the last year.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Looking for tow vehicle advice

You can get an Expedition a few years old with not that many miles for much less than you'd pay for a Tahoe the same age and mileage (at least around here). Like any vehicle they're not perfect, but the top of the line Expedition is just as well appointed and has a very nice ride, especially for a truck. Every time we take mine on a trip the admiral and vice admiral comment on how much they love it and how glad they are I got it. I drove Z71s for years, and I'd much rather tow with the Expedition. YMMV. Welcome aboard.

 

[Slide]

Re: Looking for tow vehicle advice

A Tahoe or Expy will do the job just fine. If you want a combination of posh and capability, check out an F-150 Platinum. They have VERY nice interiors, ride great, quieter than a lower trim level, and will pull the hell out of your boat. Get the Ecoboost motor if you can and enjoy getting 20mpg highway when you're not towing.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Looking for tow vehicle advice

Nobody has mentioned axle ratios in this discussion. It takes a bunch of horsepower to make up for a poor choice in gearing. With the right gearing even a smaller motor can tow very well. With six speed tranny's you don't need 4.10's any more but ratios in the mid to high 3's are desireable with loads in that range. Just about every manufacturer has what you need.

 

[TRValeri]

Re: Looking for tow vehicle advice

OK, now that I've discussed this with the Admiral, it looks like we'll take a different approach.... I'm getting a new car! Since my requirements are much less than her's, and I'll take function over form, I'm thinking the V8 Dodge Durango might be the choice for me. The price point is considerably better than the Tahoe of Expedition, and I like the fact that its not as big. Do any of you out there have any experience with the new Durango and its towing capability?

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Looking for tow vehicle advice

Havn't towed with one, but they drive nice. Uses the same 390HP/407ftlb Hemi that I've got in my Ram pickup so it should tow great.

 

[countryboy26047]

Re: Looking for tow vehicle advice

Well, I was going to mention the fact you can get a Tahoe 2500... You mention the durango... While it may have the power you need, if your trailer does not have brakes, make sure you look heavily into that factor... A 5-6klb vessel will really push on your tow rig going down hill. Also, hopefully dodge got their heads outta their butts and beefed up the brake systems on the durangos and dakotas (basically the same platforms). Unlike the Ram 2500 & 3500, the daks and durangos have, for years, been known to eat through rotors in no time.. I have an '01 Dakota 4x4 w/ towing package, and with just under 120k miles, I'm on my 5th set of rotors due to warping. And no, I do not ride my brakes, and up until this year, did not tow very often with it.. when I did, it was a 17' tinny that weighs in around 1800-2klbs. Also know quite a few others with that issue, two of which had durangos.

Again, I'm not saying the new 'rangos have this problem, just something to check into.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Looking for tow vehicle advice

The new durangos are a full sized rather than a mid sized like the old ones. They share more in common with the Ram than dakota.

 

[countryboy26047]

Re: Looking for tow vehicle advice

The new durangos are a full sized rather than a mid sized like the old ones. They share more in common with the Ram than dakota.

There ya have it... Good to know that they beefed up the rest of it to match the power.... well, for the durango's at least lol.. dad has a friend that had a dak just like mine, traded it in for I think an '09 or '10 dak 4x4 slt, he absolutely DESPISES that thing.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Looking for tow vehicle advice

the new durango is unibody. the 1998-2003 and 2004-2010 are body on frame. the 2011 and 2012 Durango has up to 7400 # towing capacity

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Looking for tow vehicle advice

I'm a career "car guy" and retired (young) from one of the major manufacturers. Forget the "little" Durango, as they're very poor selling vehicles--poor resale. The only way to buy any Ram truck is a couple of years old, and you can "steal them" on the used truck market. Unfortunately, the new body style Ram truck is too new on the retail market to be inexpensive.

I would suggest sticking with Ford or Chevy trucks. 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton would be okay. Crew cabs are preferable. Unless you're going to be towing over 10K lbs., stick with a gas engine. Modern diesels have lost their benefits with lower mpg, increased initial costs and a high differential in diesel fuel prices vs. gas prices.

Another option would be to find an older, low mileage Tahoe or Expedition for a part time vehicle (non-daily driver.) They can be bought for a decent price--given the quality of the vehicles and they have a very long life span. Either would do you a great job, and provide room for just about anything you want to haul. Keep your daily driver a smaller more efficient model of vehicle.

I pull a 24' tritoon boat with a 3/4 ton crew cab 2wd diesel short wheelbase single rear wheel high line pickup. 20 mpg empty, 15 mpg towing. With ECM mods, it's good for 700 ft. lbs. of torque and has incredible pulling power. Older low mileage diesels are still expensive, and are extremely fast selling merchandise on the used market. But, they're good for 400K+ miles is properly maintained.

 

[marauder11]

Re: Looking for tow vehicle advice

I would look at a King Ranch Eco Boost. Man they are very nice trucks. Biggest problem will be getting your wife to leave the truck to get in the boat.