SUV to tow a large TT

I'm interested in a discussion on the capabilities of some SUV's on the market that are capable of towing a large travel trailer.  SUV + TT combo is what I will be pursuing in the next 1-2 years... as cash is saved, we plan to buy a family SUV (around $10k) first and then a large trailer ($10k or less) after that.  My cousin has a 32' roomy late-model bunkhouse TT with multiple slides (I can't remember the make/model) that weighs less than 9000# so I don't imagine I'd ever tow anything over that.

I've researched a fair amount on the SUV's already, and currently my list includes one of the following:

- Chevy Suburban (or GMC Yukon XL) with the 8.1L engine and 4:10 gears
- Ford Excursion with the 6.8L V10 engine
- Ford Excursion with the 6.0L turbo diesel engine
- Anything else with similar capacity?

All of the above are rated to tow 10,000# or more.  I am not as familiar with the Ford platform, and had only considered the Suburban until just recently when I ran across some Ford discussions.  Although it appears that there is not much additional towing capacity (1000# that I probably won't need) with the Ford diesel over the V10.  My towing/camping would be weekend & vacation use, and the vehicle would probably be used more often as a family transporter.

I will obviously be buying used (considering my desired budget of $10k), and it seems that higher miles on these large-engine vehicles should not be a huge problem as long as they have been maintained... although tranny work may be needed.  Similar to buying a used RV on both accounts.

Does this decision come down to the typical Chevy vs. Ford and gas vs. diesel preferences, or are other other factors I should consider?

Not made anymore, but since you are buying used add Ford E-250 or E-350 passenger van.  Not the stretched one.  Dick nvrver

I found this 3-year-old thread which addresses this same topic, but still interested in any updated opinions.

MPG is a factor, but not the most important.  I know any TV will get poor mileage when towing.  Chevy's appear to get worse mpg's than the Ford's when empty, but Ford's sound like they ride rougher and are not as comfortable overall.

nvrver said:

Not made anymore, but since you are buying used add Ford E-250 or E-350 passenger van.  Not the stretched one.  Dick nvrver

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Actually I just ran across that suggestion elsewhere too.  I didn't realize that any of the passenger vans were made for such major towing, but makes sense considering the chassis for a Class C is based on a van.

We used Econolines for work and towing for 20 years before we got the Expeditions.  They are trucks from the ground up and designed to work day in and out. The ride is better than you would think with that long wheel base and weight but it is no SUV. ( mine were cargo vans)  I believe I read that Ford was killing off the Econoline here soon. I wonder if the new Euro version will be as tough.

I don't know Scott, I am a little slanted against a SUV to pull a TT.  Just last week I was on the freeway preparing to take my exit in a few miles. I was driving my Jeep, and was in the #4 lane. I was closing in on a TT being pulled in the #3 lane about 65 mph. As I was gaining on him I could see that the TT was wagging just a little bit. It was about 28-30' long, and was being pulled by a new looking Lincoln Navigator.

The driver was driving with one hand on the bottom of the steering wheel, and had a cell phone in the other. He was wearing an earpiece, so he was apparently talking to someone. I quickly over took and passed him. Just about that time the trailer wag dramatically increased. He shot across 3 lanes of traffic, fortunately not hitting anyone.

He managed to get it stopped on the shoulder of the fast lane. I thought sure it was going to roll. He had sway bars but maybe they were not adjusted right.  It looked level, but maybe there was not enough weight on the ball. 

I have seen 3 crashes with TT, and all were being pulled by a SUV.  Maybe they can make one heavy enough to do the job, but I am skeptical.  I much prefer a truck, long bed quad cab. But that is just me. 

The 2500 Suburban with 8.1 or an Excursion V10 or diesel are both great tow rigs. I had an 05' Excursion V10 that I comfortably towed 11,000 pounds with but I am fairly experienced with towing and sometimes have more guts than brains. If your trailer does stay in the 9000 pounds or under range you will be great. I would say it would have to just come down to personal preference whether you went with Ford or Chevy.

Empty I got around 10-11mpg in town and 13-14 highway with my V10 and that was with a 4" lift and 35" tires. Towing 11,000+ pounds I got 6-8mpg.

And Sarge, I agree with you on the 1/2 ton SUV being overestimated on it's towing capacity but I feel stepping into the 3/4 ton SUV's puts the towing capacities better in check. Although I did trade my Excursion for an F350 dually and am a lot more comfortable towing my 32' tongue pull toyhauler.

Instead of an SUV, get a 2500/3500 diesel crew cab pickup (pick your flavor) and put a camper shell on it.  You'll be much happier.  You can still seat 6 comfortably and haul all of your gear.  But if you're dead set on an SUV, diesel Excursion or E350 van would be the best choice....especially if hauling a lot of people is a priority.

A pickup may be best for TT towing, and I won't dispute that... however a pickup would not work as well for my family makeup.  Three rows of interior seats are preferred for any extended traveling with two adults, three growing boys (one now a teen), a dog, and all the related stuff that we doesn't go in a truck bed.  "Seating 6 comfortably" is a different story with 5-6 people headed out for dinner vs. 5-6 people (including 3 wild boys) are traveling for an entire day or more.  Also the vehicle will be a family transporter more often than a TV, so SUV seems to make more sense.  Another issue is the vehicle fitting in our garage (in the event that a long bed quad cab is longer than a Suburban, etc... I'm actually not sure on those stats, I'll have to look them up.  All that said, a pickup is out completely out of the question but just not my first choice.

SargeW said:

I don't know Scott, I am a little slanted against a SUV to pull a TT.  Just last week I was on the freeway preparing to take my exit in a few miles. I was driving my Jeep, and was in the #4 lane. I was closing in on a TT being pulled in the #3 lane about 65 mph. As I was gaining on him I could see that the TT was wagging just a little bit. It was about 28-30' long, and was being pulled by a new looking Lincoln Navigator.

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I believe a Navigator (sister to Ford Expedition) would be a 1/2 ton series with a shorter wheelbase than the 3/4 ton Suburban/Excursion I'm considering, so I'm hoping that would make a difference.  I have read several accounts of problems towing straight with Excursions, unless a few thousand dollars worth of suspension/hitch/steering upgrades are performed.  But that might just be the problems being reported, with no word from the many others who tow with no issues...

We towed my 28ft bumper pull TT with a 1/2 ton 2003 Suburban. I have access to a lot of 1/2 ton SUVs and pickups and I feel the Suburbans do the best job balancing towing vs family needs and rear cargo space. We also have 3 kids (13,11,9) and a dog so I know what you mean

All of the vehicles we're talking about are too big for my garage. So you'll want to check it. 

My TT was about 7000lbs empty and you could tell it was there but It never felt overloaded, brakes were fine etc.

Wakeboarder, did you ever need to install any supplemental suspension upgrades to your Suburban and/or use any equalizing hitch add-ons?  I'm still learning the basics of heavy trailer towing, so some of that stuff might be inevitable.

scottydl said:

A pickup may be best for TT towing, and I won't dispute that... however a pickup would not work as well for my family makeup.  Three rows of interior seats are preferred for any extended traveling with two adults, three growing boys (one now a teen), a dog, and all the related stuff that we doesn't go in a truck bed.  "Seating 6 comfortably" is a different story with 5-6 people headed out for dinner vs. 5-6 people (including 3 wild boys) are traveling for an entire day or more.  Also the vehicle will be a family transporter more often than a TV, so SUV seems to make more sense.  Another issue is the vehicle fitting in our garage (in the event that a long bed quad cab is longer than a Suburban, etc... I'm actually not sure on those stats, I'll have to look them up.  All that said, a pickup is out completely out of the question but just not my first choice.

I believe a Navigator (sister to Ford Expedition) would be a 1/2 ton series with a shorter wheelbase than the 3/4 ton Suburban/Excursion I'm considering, so I'm hoping that would make a difference.  I have read several accounts of problems towing straight with Excursions, unless a few thousand dollars worth of suspension/hitch/steering upgrades are performed.  But that might just be the problems being reported, with no word from the many others who tow with no issues...

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Expeditions are limited by tongue weight due to the independent rear suspension. It is my belief that 5500-6000 lb dry. 7000 lb gross for a max tongue weight of 900 lbs  is the limits for travel trailer towing. Be pushing the limit and it helps to use a decent WDH and sway control, replace the tires with LT's and a tranny temp gauge and extra cooler would be good too. Without the tongue weight limits, some Expys have payloads over 1800 lbs even if they don't carry a 3/4 ton rating.

I had a chance to get the Excursion when we bought the first Expys. A neighbor had one he called Ferdinand the castrated F 250. It wasn't quite the truck they took it from and didn't have the comfort or ride of the Expy. 

I had a GMC 2500 HD with the 8.1 and Allison transmission. Excellent combo. My current motorhome has the 8.1 and Allison transmission and works great.
I think you will have a tough time finding a Suburban with the 8.1 engine. I also think they don't have the Allison transmission, although I'm not positive about that. 

The problem that I continually see with SUV or van towing is the owner wants to have 6-8 people in the vehicle (thus the demand for 3 rows of seats) and all the gear that entails. That puts a lot of pressure on the payload capacity of the vehicle.

Typically, the owner also wants a large TT to accommodate all of the people involved so he may be looking at a 10K# trailer that has a tongue wt of ~ 1300#.... all the passengers, cargo and fuel can easily add up to 1200# so he could be looking at a payload of maybe 2500#.

Vans and SUVs make great people movers..... they also make good tow vehicles in some cases..... trying to make them do double duty can sometimes be a problem.

My point is, trailer towing capacity is only part of the picture. One needs look at ALL of the limitations on the TV and be sure that NONE of them are exceeded. Remember, vehicle capacities are designed around the "Weakest link" theory. Exceed that weakest link (no matter what it is) and you could be asking for trouble. Sometimes it's just plain safer to drive 2 vehicles with a large family. You know what they say about having all your eggs in one basket..... 

^^ I don't disagree... but my family of 5 seems to be a good blend.  Just a little too big (and still growing) to make pickup travel comfortable, but should fit nicely in a large SUV with heavy-duty towing capabilities.  I do not plan on shopping for a triple-axle toyhauler or any TT's that will push to 10,000# and beyond.

I'm not sure if this is really comparable or not, but a few years ago when I weighed our fully loaded 35' Class A gas motorhome (GVWR of 17,000#), it came in at 16,300#.    I should be able to come in under the wire just fine with a TV + TT.

scottydl said:

  My cousin has a 32' roomy late-model bunkhouse TT with multiple slides (I can't remember the make/model) that weighs less than 9000# so I don't imagine I'd ever tow anything over that.

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Scott do yourself a favor. Ask your cousin if he has ever taken his rig to the scales, fully loaded, on the way to a camp-out. My guess would be that he hasn't. Offer to pay the $9 (or whatever) to have the trailer weighed. You (and he) may be in for a reality check. I may be wrong (hope I am) but my bet is that his rig weighs substantially more than he thinks.

scottydl said:

Wakeboarder, did you ever need to install any supplemental suspension upgrades to your Suburban and/or use any equalizing hitch add-ons?  I'm still learning the basics of heavy trailer towing, so some of that stuff might be inevitable.

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We did tow with a WDH, nothing else no suspension mods etc. My situation is a little different, We have a few independent car dealerships so I try to use inventory (tow vehicle) that fits the demographic we sell to. I try not to keep a TV for longer than 4 months so it doesn't lend to many TV upgrades. The Suburbans 1/2 ton with the 5.3L and the 4.10 rear end have a tow rating of 8400lbs and that's what I'd use. IIRC the 3/4 ton with the 6.0L and the 4.1 rear end is 12000lbs.

We never towed further that 120 miles but I never thought we needed additional add ons like a trans cooler etc.

Wakeboarder said:

We did tow with a WDH, nothing else no suspension mods etc. My situation is a little different, We have a few independent car dealerships so I try to use inventory (tow vehicle) that fits the demographic we sell to. I try not to keep a TV for longer than 4 months so it doesn't lend to many TV upgrades. The Suburbans 1/2 ton with the 5.3L and the 4.10 rear end have a tow rating of 8400lbs and that's what I'd use. IIRC the 3/4 ton with the 6.0L and the 4.1 rear end is 12000lbs.

We never towed further that 120 miles but I never thought we needed additional add ons like a trans cooler etc.

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As far as SUVs are concerned, the Suburban would be my top choice with the Ford Expedition coming in a close 2nd..... I guess that boils down to whether you are a ford guy or Chevy guy.

If I were towing a trailer in the 30' range, I would want the longest wheel base vehicle that I could get to prevent the "tail wagging the dog" effect and having the largest payload. That would be a crew cab 3/4T pick up truck. It will seat 5 comfortably, have a WB of nearly 160" (the longest WB SUV is around 130") and have a payload capacity of around 3500#..... You can get huge trailer weight ratings and GCWR of up to 24,000# (diesel), 20,000# (gas). You just can't get any of that in any SUV........

RVing is all about compromises..... we all know that. When it comes down to SUV vs crew-cab pick up the compromise is safety vs comfort. Only the buyer can choose. There is absolutely no doubt that the PU is safer and there is no doubt that the SUV will carry more passengers in more comfort......

One other thing to consider (if you have a lot of passengers) is that passengers can ride in a 5th wheel while under way in most (if not all)  States. So, there is another consideration for comfort.

Wavery said:

One other thing to consider (if you have a lot of passengers) is that passengers can ride in a 5th wheel while under way in most (if not all)  States. So, there is another consideration for comfort.

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Really? I'm not questioning it. I've just never heard that before, but I'm new to this game sooo. . .wild.

Wakeboarder said:

Really? I'm not questioning it. I've just never heard that before, but I'm new to this game sooo. . .wild.

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Legal or not, I wouldn't recommend it.  I've never seen a travel trailer with seatbelts in it, and there are a lot of heavy things that aren't cinched down that will become missiles in an accident.  In a rollover scenario, the result would be gruesome.

Wavery said:

Scott do yourself a favor. Ask your cousin if he has ever taken his rig to the scales, fully loaded, on the way to a camp-out. My guess would be that he hasn't.

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I asked him today, and you're right... he hasn't weighed before a camping run.  But I learned his trailer is a Cougar 31SQB with an empty weight of 7200#.  It's very roomy and probably the style of trailer I'll be considering.  Even adding in another 1000# for loaded gear, he said he's nowhere near the 10,500# towing capacity of his Suburban (it's actually a '99 with the 454, not the newer 6.0L or 8.1L) and said he barely knows the trailer is back there when he does tow it.

Wavery said:

One other thing to consider (if you have a lot of passengers) is that passengers can ride in a 5th wheel while under way in most (if not all)  States. So, there is another consideration for comfort.

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It might be legal in some states (although I think it's also illegal in many others), but this is not a consideration for me.  I can't imagine the discomfort & safety concerns of carrying passengers in a trailer with no seatbelts or other safety features, no passenger suspension, and no climate control.