Any help appreciated!

Does anyone know how a Mazda Tribute will handle any of the Trailmanor rig? Really considering a purchase, but need to confirm my vehicle will tow it safely! Thanks Jeff

According to my (often faulty) memory and also the TrailManor information on Tow vehicles, a V-6 Tribute (with towing package) will tow 3500 pounds, which would still be cutting it close as to whether it could tow any of the TM's.

Cliff

My husband and I just purchased a 3023 and are going to New Hampshire to get it. We plan to pull it with a 2005 Pontiac Montana van. It also has a towing weight of 3500 pounds, but the Trailmanor dealership told us the towing weight on the vehicle is always more than what it states. He said they have a cushion built in to cover them. Yours may be the same.

[RockyMtnRay]

Originally Posted by Rose Lynch

My husband and I just purchased a 3023 and are going to New Hampshire to get it. We plan to pull it with a 2005 Pontiac Montana van. It also has a towing weight of 3500 pounds, but the Trailmanor dealership told us the towing weight on the vehicle is always more than what it states. He said they have a cushion built in to cover them. Yours may be the same.

Yes, the engineers at all manufacturers do provide a safety margin above their vehicle's rated limits. The problem is you don't know how large that margin is...it could be 10% or it could be 100%. Furthermore, you don't know in advance how far into that margin even towing the rated weight will take you if (1) you tow at altitudes significantly above sea level, (2) at temperatures over the standard 69 degrees used for those ratings, (3) on long/steep mountain grades, or (4) even on rough roads that put extreme highly dynamic loads on your tow vehicle's chassis. And you absolutely can't use the "dry weight" of a trailer as a reference point since that weight does not consider either factory/dealer options nor your load of personal gear/food/water/propane/clothes/pots/pans/etc.

A 3023 has a lot of storage and is typically loaded to a total weight (including factory/dealer options like AC) of around 4500 lbs. That's a whopping 1000 lbs...half a ton...over your vehicle's "towing capacity"...a number that, by the way, was derived by subtracting the weight of a no options, no passengers, no fuel, no cargo, stripper model from the maximum allowed weight of van plus trailer. Realistically your towing capacity...with a normal load of passengers, fuel, cargo, options, is more like 2800 lbs...which makes a typically loaded 3023 about 1700 lbs or almost a full ton...too heavy. Very few companies...and GM is certainly not one of them...allow their engineers to design in that much safety margin.

The bottom line is that as long as you strictly tow on flat, sea level roads...and do so only when the temperatures are under about 75 degrees, you'll probably do "ok" with your Pontiac. But a few tows even into the mild elevations of the Appalachians or a few tows in 90+ temperatures will greatly reduce the lifespan of either your Pontiac's engine or its transmission, probably both. And please don't even think about going "out west" and trying to tow across either the Rocky or Sierra Nevada Mountains.

If I were you folks, I'd start budgeting right now for a tow vehicle with at least a 5000 lb "tow capacity", ideally one with at least a 6000 lb capacity. Keep in mind that even the TrailManor website says that a vehicle with a 5000 lb capacity is needed for a 3023...and, IMO, they're being awfully loose in their requirements.

When you are towing, you need to look at several things. Obviously, weight is one of them. Also, look at the length of the wheelbase of your TV. And, you need to have a good sway system and have the load balanced in the right places -- both in the TV and the camper. We were about at the limit on weight and our load was balanced. But, our TT was too long and we did not have the BEST sway equipment. Neither of these things did we know. We bought what the dealer said was okay for us as we towed with our SUV. When a huge gust of wind hit us, we totaled it all -- a bit of the tail wagging the dog. My best advice: plan the whole rig and your towing skills for the emergency situation. Towing at or above the limits of any part of the picture is just not safe -- for you or other people on the road. Queeniereads aka Judi

RockyMtnRay is right. There is a rule of thumb, only tow 75 o/o of the rated capacity. If you get into any mountains with an over load neither you or the vechle will make it. Move up to something HD. My tow rating is 9000lbs. I'm towing a loaded 2720SD. My minimum would be 6000lbs.

Good luck...........

Jack

[Bill]

Rose Lynch wrote

My husband and I just purchased a 3023 and are going to New Hampshire to get it. We plan to pull it with a 2005 Pontiac Montana van. It also has a towing weight of 3500 pounds, but the Trailmanor dealership told us the towing weight on the vehicle is always more than what it states. He said they have a cushion built in to cover them. Yours may be the same.

Ray replied

The bottom line is that as long as you strictly tow on flat, sea level roads...and do so only when the temperatures are under about 75 degrees, you'll probably do "ok" with your Pontiac. But a few tows even into the mild elevations of the Appalachians or a few tows in 90+ temperatures will greatly reduce the lifespan of either your Pontiac's engine or its transmission, probably both. And please don't even think about going "out west" and trying to tow across either the Rocky or Sierra Nevada Mountains.

and SenorSedona added

There is a rule of thumb, only tow 75 % of the rated capacity.

I have to concur with both of these gentlemen, though I think Senor's rule of thumb may be too generous in a lot of cases. My personal experience? My Ford Explorer is rated to tow 7300 pounds. My TM weighs about 3500 pounds, packed and ready for the road - about half the rated weight. On the flatlands, it is a great combination, and this is what the car and trailer manufacturers are talking about when they list a "towing capacity". In the Rockies, though - even the "little Rockies" between Phoenix and Flagstaff (7000' elevation gain with a lot of 6% grade) - it works hard. I can maintain 50 mph without trouble, but more would require flogging it pretty hard. In the "real" Rockies or the high Sierras, the Explorer works VERY hard, and the climb is VERY slow. We get there, without overheating or other apparent ill effects - but no way in the world would we make it if the trailer weight was anywhere near the rated towing weight.

As several of us have pointed out before (see for example
http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...kies#post10541 )

the real question is not What will you tow?, but WHERE WILL YOU TOW? You need to decide that before asking if you have an adequate vehicle.

Bill