Ideal tow vehicle?

Some more thoughts:

The Tacoma with tow package can tow 6500# so that's no problem.

But it's payload is only about 1150#. Our Elkmont has a tongue weight of 550-600# leaving about 500-600# for me, my wife, truck cap, kayaks, bikes and other gear. The WDH may be pushing 100-200# back on the trailer axle, giving us a bit more room for gear in the truck, but less for storage in the trailer.

So with all our gear I think we are right at the limits with respect to trailer and truck payload capacity.

Some people would prefer a truck that would effortlessly handle the Elkmont, where you hardly notice you are hauling a trailer. That's *not* the case with the Elkmont and Tacoma combination. But the configuration handles well, and the engine and transmission seem capable. You can tell they are doing their job, however.

Time will tell I guess. We plan to do a lot of traveling with this pair (sorry, Wayne) and will find out how it holds up.

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by brulaz

Time will tell I guess. We plan to do a lot of traveling with this pair (sorry, Wayne) and will find out how it holds up.

Just drive carefully........

We went camping last Thursday. The last 3.7 miles of road were unpaved. It took about an hour to drive that 3.7 miles.

At times I was in 4wd low range first gear driving through mud and muck that was 6 inches deep.

At times the TM was slipping sideways. I lowered the mirrors on both sides so that I could see both TM wheels. That way I could keep at least one TM wheel the the tire track that the truck had made.

I wish I had either aggressive mud and snow tires or chains on the TM.

Thursday night the pitter patter of rain stopped. I thought it meant that the rain had stopped. No, it meant that it was snowing. By dawn there was an inch or two of powder.

By (9:00 AM the snow was gone and we were able to see the ground to rive the ATVs.

There were very few mud puddles on the way out, so it only took 35 minutes to drive out the 3.7 miles of dirt road.

I bent the angle iron that holds up the pair of batteries on the front. I had to put planks down to get over a small water diversion pile of dirt.

Anyone that does not have 4wd can not go camping with me. I suspect very few people go where I go.

I'll go.....:-)

Sounds like my kind of trip. I ride a CanAm 800, and love getting as far in as possible to camp.

Thanks for the post...I enjoy that kind of write up.

Hi,

I am so confused. After reading "Weights and Balance for RV'ers" by Peter M. Greig, I learned that if you add the combined GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) for both the tow vehicle and the trailer, it must not exceed the GCWR (gross combined weight rating) of the tow vehicle. I looked at the 2008 Dodge Durango as a possible tow vehicle and it says it tows 7300 pounds and I thought "great". Its GCWR is 8600 lbs. I then added the GVWR for the SUV which is 6400 lbs. and the Trailmanor 2619, which I think is 4023. It adds up to much more than the GCWR for the SUV! I can't understand why the manufacturer says it can tow 7300 pounds but when you do the figuring, it can't. I also used the calculator at http://changingears.com/rv-sec-calc-...eight-tt.shtml and it says it can't tow the TM. The Honda Pilot (2008) does better but I am still over the GCWR by 200 pounds. The Pilot info says it tows 4500 pounds but the calculator says closer to 3700 pounds. Does anyone know why all the differences and deceptive advertising. Is TM being honest when it shows midsize SUV's towing their products? I see many people who post in this forum have trucks or huge SUVs. I don't like either of those options. Do you think I can make it work with a Honda Pilot with 4WD that supposedly tows 4500 pounds? Thanks for your time, Kathy Paris

[Wavery]

It must be understood that all of the MAXIMUM ratings on the vehicle are stand-alone ratings. All of the vehicles ratings must be considered individually and none of them should be exceeded.

Everyone uses their vehicles differently and have different requirements. Just because your TV has a tow-rating of 7300# doesn't mean that it can tow 7300# @ the maximum GVWR (however some vehicles can). However, it does mean that the vehicle can tow 7300# with no cargo or passengers. This may not be relevant to your situation but it may be relevant to some single guy that just wants to tow his 7000# boat to the river for the day with no passengers or cargo.

TM is sorta doing the same thing and they even explain the conditions of their rating in their website now. That's a lot more than most manufacturers do. All manufacturers quote the "Dry weigh" of a totally basic trailer with no accessories . As the owner adds accessories, that will increase the dry weight accordingly. It's only logical to do it that way.

Originally Posted by KParis

I looked at the 2008 Dodge Durango as a possible tow vehicle and it says it tows 7300 pounds and I thought "great". Its GCWR is 8600 lbs. I then added the GVWR for the SUV which is 6400 lbs.
...

Those numbers for the Durango seem way off. Are you sure the GCWR is correct? Or maybe the towing capacity is wrong? Like you, I would expect that the GCWR should be closer to the combined GVWR and claimed towing capacity. It is with our Tacoma.

Chevy Astro vans are very popular but I'd also seriously consider a full size, even a 2500 or 3500. A van is great because it has vast storage, is very useful for extra sleeping and excellent if have pets. And vans are out there for exceptional deals! I have a Dodge Quad Cab with Diesel and I would not hesitate to recommend one (they are out there in your price range!) but while it seats 6, it's really comfortable for 4. The Megacab is better for more peeps. If you get a truck, a shell is probably the best thing you can add - keeps your stuff safe from flying away and walking away :-) Have fun.

Very interesting thread, I'm starting to do research on a new TV for our 2720SL, so this is very helpful to me.
Popbeavers, I see you camp off road. I just started a thread asking for feedback on that subject. Would you mind adding your insights there? I would much appreciate it!

Originally Posted by Pierak706

Very interesting thread, I'm starting to do research on a new TV for our 2720SL, so this is very helpful to me.
Popbeavers, I see you camp off road. I just started a thread asking for feedback on that subject. Would you mind adding your insights there? I would much appreciate it!

For Memorial weekend I was driving the GMC 2500HD towing the TM 2720. My wife was behind me in the Chevy 1500HD towing the ATV trailer.

The last 3.7 miles took over an hour to drive. We were in first gear, low range, 4WD. The mud was nearly a foot deep in places. In the 3.7 miles of single lane road, there was only about 4 places where I could pass an on coming vehicle.

That evening we could here the pitter-patter of rain of the roof. An hour or so later the sound stopped. We assumed that it had stopped raining. Our daughter was going to go outside to get something, but changed her mind when she saw the snow on the ground. We learned that when the pitter-patter stops, it could be that it is now snowing. By morning we had about 2 inches of snow.

The snow had melted by 9:00 AM and because of the type of dirt in the area it was not very muddy, except in the low spots where it puddled.

Riding conditions were excellent for the 3 motorcycles and the 2 ATVs.

If you don't have 4wd, then you can't go where I go.

If you want to stay in RV parks, then it would be hard to justify 4WD. I go camping to get away from people. RV parks do not allow that. I prefer my camping spot to be at least a half acre in size and I expect to not see any other camper, though I might hear them in the distance.

There is a reason it is called "self contained".

BTW, I did a presentation at the Spring 2010 West Coast TM rally in Petaluma, California at the KOA RV park (I will go to RV parks for a rally) entitled "Introduction to Dry Camping, Cutting the Umbilical Cord". My presentation was recorded and is available on a DVD. I am too lazy to look it up, but is is not hard to find around here. I believe the cost is five buck, which covers the cost of production plus shipping. I have no other details, other than to say I did not know I could stand up and speak for an hour and a half non stop. Apparently I am a bit passionate about dry camping.