Minivan or not?

Please forgive me ahead of time. I am green when it comes to forums and green when it comes to campers. Wy wife and I and 4 kids (not all "little", one is 5'5&quot are looking at Trailmanors. The dealer says that we can pull ANY size Trailmanor with our car (Windstar). We are looking at the 2720 and from what I can read I do not see many entries in these forums specific to Windstars. The posts I do read about minivans, more often than not I am seeing recommendations to NOT use a minivan. I want to do this right and do not want to have to worry about driving in the mountains etc.. So the big question that I am trying to resolve is, will a Windstar work or will I be worrying all the time?. Second, if the Windstar will work with modifications, are these typically big expenses? Because I have 4 kids I will need all benches in the minivan. With a tow capacity of 3500lbs (not sure how many people they calculated this with), this weight limit does not leave much room for people, LP, etc...I am sold on the Trailmanor for it's low profile, but I need real world advice on whether or not I should look at a different tow vehicle. I had heard that this is a big debate issue so I do not want to re-open an old thread, however I could not find anything on this. Thanks in advance.
Mike

If I read this correctly then you want to use a minivan to pull a trailer and 6 people. Your dealer is technically correct that a Windstar can pull any size Trailmanor but this is without options and without people in the vehicle.

I pull a 3023 with a minivan and my wife and two kids (ages 2&4) inside. I am absolutely at the weight limit although the van pulls just fine. But we are picky about how many clothers we take and we don't take things like bicycles, etc all because of the weight.

I hate to say this but with your situation I just wouldn't recommend it. I think with your family size you need the capability to tow at least 5000 lbs and a larger GCWR. ( weight of tow vehicle and trailer together).

Of course if the wife and kids followed along in a car then you would be all set!

[Bill]

My 2720SL has a standard group of options (roof air conditioner, spare tire, awning, TV antenna). Ready for the road, with propane, but without water in the fresh water tank, water heater, toilet, or grey water tank, it weighs 3350 pounds. Yours will weigh as much or more. If your Windstar's tow capacity is 3500 pounds, please don't do it - even if the wife and kids DO follow in a car! And by the way, the 3500 pound rating applies ONLY if you bought the optional factory towing package. Since you are asking about mods, I assume you don't have it, so your rating is only 2000 pounds. Although you can make some of the mods yourself (tranny cooler), you probably won't change to a high-ratio rear end, for example. In addition, the Windstar won't accept a Class III hitch, which is needed for anything over 3500 pounds.

Ford has a pretty good web page for each of its models regarding towing. It is worth checking out. You didn't specify the year of your Windstar, but the web address will be something like

https://web.msslib.dealerconnection....000c588035d7a7

Sorry, but I don't think your Windstar would be a good tow vehicle.

Bill

I know you don't want to hear this and that there are a lot of folks here that will not agree but I have found that I am, and sure you will be too, happier with the largest truck/van/SUV you can swing to pull any trailer with.

The reasons for this are simple. First, camping takes gear and the more you camp the more gear you will get (I think that is some kind of law). Second, your family is growing and if you are like most of us, you and your wife are also (not that I would ever notice if my wife were are not). Third, when driving we all have a duty to the safety of all others on the road as well as our loved ones (therefore if is there is any question, I wouldn't).

Now for the kicker. Keep the windstar for running around town (less fuel - better for the environment and pocket book). But when you get the big van (with your size family I would suggest the van) don't let it set for more than a week at a time with driving it a little, all those seals and things have to be kept wet or they break under the first pressure. (I found that out by letting a old truck set over the winter - every seal in it blew within the first 100 miles after starting to drive it again in the spring.)

I know we are talking big bucks here but in the long run, if you can swing it, you will not be sorry.

The Windstar, or most any of the current minivan crop for that matter, are not up to the challenge which you have. Even the minivans which had 5000# + tow ratings might not be enough considering the people and cargo load.

Gotta agree that a full size van w/ V8 or a full size SUV (Subrurban?) is going to be the way to go. It's not worth the safety and well being of your family to use a undersized TV.

With that said, I have read about someone towing a 3023 with a Windstar. Only 2 people in the van and they were maxed out. Said it towed "fine". I wouldn't do it.

One last thing. The brakes are critical and you don't want to overload them. I lost the trailer brakes on our TM coming down Wolf Creek Pass in CO a couple years ago. I had to rely on engine braking and the truck brakes to get us down safe. If we had a smaller truck or larger TM...

Camperboy

I would like to thank everyone for their input. I appreciate real world answers and based on the responses, I have to look around for other vehicles. It's one thing to purchase a trailmanor for an existing vehicle, quite another when you have to purchase both. I have to re-think how much I want to invest. I think it will be another summer of tenting. Again, thanks for the respones.

[B_and_D]

While we love our 2720, with 2 adults, 1 teenage girl and soon to be teenage boy, we were feeling a bit cramped during our recent winter trips. I can't imagine having two more kids in there!

Sounds like you need something with bunkbeds...?

[barker_djb]

Well...in a nutshell, I've been towing a 2720 with a Dodge Grand Caravan for 2 years, and we're now buying a Ford F150.

The Caravan worked "OK" for me, my wife, and 7 year old son. We tried hard to keep it light (not too much extra stuff). Generally, here in Puget Sound, it worked okay because most destinations were relatively flat. But the few times we took it to Mt. Rainier, or over the pass, not so much fun. Nothing in particular happened, just the van "complained", and the engine got a hot. I have been worried that at some point the transmission would blow up.

And, I've never towed before, so I'm really not sure if the "feel" is right. Certainly, at times, it feels uneasy. I'll be really curious to see the difference with the new truck.

[B_and_D]

I've been thinking a lot about buying another (used) vehicle that we could tow the TM with, besides our Chevy truck. Would like to get a minivan, or something of the sorts, but I've come to the conclusion that it probably wouldn't really cut it for us. Don't want an SUV either. H doesn't want another truck, so ?? what's left?

We've got an 89 Dodge Spirit sitting out in the driveway, waiting for my daughter to start driving it when she gets her license. Despite all our care & oil changing, the transmission went out at 110k and the camshaft bearings went out at 135k. The guy who rebuilt our transmission told us that they were built to go about 100-125K. We got it rebuilt each time because we thought it was basically a good car and it was cheaper than buying something used, and unknown, in that price bracket. Haven't driven it much in the last 2 years, but have battled an overheating problem even after the engine rebuild. I loved driving that car, though, it has great visibility and a lot of pickup (turbo).

I don't think I'd buy another Dodge after this experience. Don't know much about the trucks.

The one thing that is wonderful about our 2001 Chevy truck is that the temperature gauge never moves one bit up or down, no matter what the outside temperature is or if we're going uphill or down. It's amazing.

Just wish we could find something else to pull the TM with. Would really like to replace H's car with a hybrid (and mine too, for that matter).

Maybe it's amazing but explainable, perhaps the gauge is broken.