kdbell wrote:
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We are interested in your TV thoughts. My wife and I are just in the market for a TM (2027SL, 3023, or 3124KS) and I am collecting various owners thoughts about various TVs. I want to have adequate power to negotiate reasonable grades (6-8%) safely since we live in Virginia and camp in Western NC, VA, and WVA, but I don't want to over buy the TV and end up with one that is too thirsty to afford to feed when I'm not towing. By the way, what model TM do you have?
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I am towing a 2720SL. Important difference between my situation and yours: I not only have the 6 to 8% grades (or more) but I also am encountering them at fairly high altitudes (often well above 10,000 feet). A normally aspirated engine (i.e. one that doesn't have a supercharger/turbocharger) only has about 50% of its rated horsepower at those elevations because of the thinness of the the atmosphere. So I&'m going to have to start with about twice as much rated power to still have bearable performance as you would.
All that being said, I would suggest you not go much below a 4.0 liter engine with around 200 hp or so. You can get away with good V6 (or other 6 cylinder). Or putting it another way, don't buy any TV that has less than a 5000 lb tow rating. From all my studies, the goal is to keep your trailer's weight below 80% of the the TV's rating...or about 4000 lbs. And a loaded 3023 is going to be pretty close to 4000 lbs.
An important, but often overlooked issue (especially if mountain towing will be common) is the axle ratio of the TV. Optimum for mountain towing is around 3.9 to 4.1...but those ratios produce notably higher engine RPM in daily driving and nick the gas mileage by 10 to 20 percent over the more common 3.07 to 3.5 ratios. Another important consideration is making sure the TV has the factory tow package (or all of its components)....specifically heavy duty engine coolant parts (radiator, radiator fans, etc.) and particularly a heavy duty transmission cooler. Towing really heats up automatic transmissions and if they're not properly cooled, they will fry and then die in just a few thousand miles.