[Mr. Adventure]

- I've had several different kinds of RV's over a lot of years besides the TM (3 popups, a 29' TT, and a 37' Winnebago). I like towables because I don't have to maintain an extra motorhome (truck) powertrain that spends most of it's life parked in a storage yard.

- If you want to drive a vehicle that's reasonably competent at towing 4000 pounds, for me it has to be competently on the road weighing more than that. Driving a lighter vehicle therefore means towing a lighter trailer. Does this mean I wouldn't tow an 8,000 pound trailer with a less than 8,000 pound tow vehicle? Yeah, it probably does. Would I consider towing my TrailManor with a Volvo XC60 (GVWR 5300#)? Probably, but I'd want to know all about why the tow rating is only 3300# (transmission issue?). The tongue weight question is not getting the right answers, because you'd want 350# of tongue weight for towing 3300# (perhaps the hitch receiver attach points aren't solid enough to support a 500# tongue).

- For the purpose of travelling, there is a major diseconomy of scale in large RVs. Large RVs are great for parking somewhere for long periods of time, but that ambitious grand voyage of discovery is less expensive, more fun, and less hassle in a smaller RV.

- Driving slower helps everything about towing (safety, powertrain stress, horsepower requirements, fuel economy, and the shock loads from hitting bumps in the road). Driving faster makes everything worse in an exponential way.