Most fuel efficient TV?

[Padgett]

Great analysis but just a minor quibble: a good factory towing package (5,000 lbs or so) will include a class III or IV (at least 2") receiver but my '92 TranSport had the "factory towing package" that was rated at 3500 lbs and came with a class II (1 1/4") receiver so make sure.

[gonzo628]

Originally Posted by Padgett

Great analysis but just a minor quibble: a good factory towing package (5,000 lbs or so) will include a class III or IV (at least 2") receiver but my '92 TranSport had the "factory towing package" that was rated at 3500 lbs and came with a class II (1 1/4") receiver so make sure.

A Class 2 can do 3500lb, with a 1 1/4, but that is at the limits of it's stated capacity:

https://www.reese-hitches.com/learni...towing-classes

[Padgett]

Thought I said that. Bottom line you want a factory towing package with a 2" receiver.

BTW one way to find out the capacity is to go to Uhaul.com and see if it will tow a tandem axle (think 6x12) enclosed cargo trailer.

[Pele2048]

Everyone's suggesting SUVs and trucks...

If you're looking to go old school, the Buick Roadmaster wagon was available with a towing package that made it capable of pulling 5000 lbs.

It's lower and therefore on its own (unladen/not towing) should get good highway MPG where wind resistance is a factor.



Other than that, for fuel efficiency while towing, Diesel is the way to go.
I had a Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel that got 18-20 MPG towing or not. And I have a lead foot.

I never put it a full capacity, but it didn't seem to notice a 1500 lb tandem axle with 2500 lbs of car on it and another several hundred pounds of car parts in the bed.

[rickst29]

I have owned and towed my heavily-loaded 2619 with both the V8 and the V6.(Our V8 was rear-ended and totaled at a stop light, by a heavy van traveling at high speed. The van driver had a medical problem and slumped onto the gas pedal as he died.)

For the replacement, I did not and would not buy a V8 version again, because the mileage is almost 25% worse, and the performance is not much better for TM towing in Mountains. On steep grades, you can simply downshift the V6 by one gear, and let the RPMs rev up a little higher. The V6 makes more noise than the V8, but responds beatifully. (BTW, I live in the Sierra Mountain foothills, and exceed 10% going to and from my house.) With the V6, we average about 19 MPG; with the V8, we got around 15 MPG. Towing the TM gets about 17 MPG, but we typically drive a lot of highway miles in towing - along with a few miles of really drastic grades.

For safety and control, they're generally excellent - but be aware that they have some rollover risk if you take corners too fast. Slow down for switchbacks and turns, because the presence of the trailer (which "wants to go straight") increases that risk.

For a family, the back seats are pretty comfortable - which might not be true in other vehicles. But you get only two rows of seats, the rear is strictly storage space.

The only BIG problem with the 4R is the prices: Both new and used, everybody wants them, and you pay a BIG premium to acquire this vehicle.
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For garage storage: Measure both your garage depth and the height at the open door, to assure that the top of the air conditioner won't hit the garage door or door frame top joist when backing it in or puling it out. Most garage doors can fit the TM, but some can't - and others need to have the lift motor adjusted to raise the door higher.

[Padgett]

Just an observation but Rick is correct about a 3-4 liter V6, modern ones can turn 6500 rpm and be making 90% of the torque peak there. Able to drop a gear lower than a V8 or Diesel makes up for a lot of the apparent power difference.

ps if you work at it a new 2WD Grand Cherokee Laredo with V6 and towing package can be had for a touch under $30k. With the older 5-speed I get 22-24 mpg on the Interstate, 19 around town, and 17-18 towing the TM @ 65ish.

[Gapopper]

Just for comparison, a full size truck pulling a conventional travel trailer only gets about 9 miles to the gallon. The TM excels in getting great mpg . You are not pulling a parachute down the road like you are with a travel trailer. I tow with a 5.7 v-8. I get about 14 mpg towing.