The "Recommended Tow Vehicle" list

Originally Posted by Barb&Tim

I see a new PopBeaver's rule in the making:

No matter how big your TV is, it's never big enough!

Originally Posted by rumbleweed

Actually the amount of stuff necessary to camp comfortably follows Moores Law.

Add to that:

"Nature abhors a vacuum", Baruch Spinoza

On the side of our local transit mixers (aka cement trucks) "Find a need and fill it", Ruth Stafford Peale.

If my truck was a little bigger I could load my daughter's Miata in it. Why have only a spare tire when you can have a spare car.

BTW, as far as I can tell, the fuel economy of both of my trucks is essentially identical.

My fuel economy running empty is not all that good. But the penalty for loading it up isn't bad.

I can tow, fully loaded, up and over Donner Summit, 7056 feet, at the speed limit (55 mph when towing), using cruise control. I wish the small commuter cars would use the truck lane. They have no choice but to drive slower than me, due to vehicle design limitations. and I am required to be in the slow lane because I am towing.

Assume I get 11 mpg towing. Assume a different truck gets 15 mpg towing. Assume 300 miles round trip. Assume regular gas is 3.83 (current price for Chevron).

300/11 = 27 gallons
300/16 = 18 gallons

9 gallon difference

9*3.83 = 34.47 extra that I pay for using a big gasser

Dinner for two at black Angus is more than that.

Dinner for two for two nights at our favorite cafe is 40.

As I mentioned before, my GMC is still worth more than I paid out the door (I got a good deal new).

I am one of those guys that does use 4wd, but not very often. But when I use it, I need it. When we started camping in the TM we had no plans for boon-docking. Now that we have added the toys we routinely boon-dock.

I'll keep my trucks.

Our son got married two years ago. If we ever have grand children I have enough room for them. I have a back seat in the crew cab and my TM 2720 sleeps six. I did plan ahead on that one.

But, by all means, don't buy what I bought. Buy what you need now and in the foreseeable future. Buy what you can afford.

My budget is not the same as your budget.

Happy towing.

Originally Posted by PopBeavers

Assume I get 11 mpg towing. Assume a different truck gets 15 mpg towing. Assume 300 miles round trip. Assume regular gas is 3.83 (current price for Chevron).

300/11 = 27 gallons
300/16 = 18 gallons

Example vehicles I'm very familiar with on a daily basis:
Chevy Astro 4.3L V6: Averages 19mpg daily driving.
TC: 4500 lbs. 110" WB
Chevy Exress 2500 4.8L V8: Averages 16mpg daily driving.
TC: 7400 lbs. 135" WB. Cargo Cap: 3300 lbs.

We pull a 2001 2720SL with a 2011 Ford F150 5.0 V8 and get 15 mpg. I can get 19 mpg on the interstate not pulling a trailer. I am very happy with the set up as I can travel 70 mph with the TM on good interstates.

[Barb&Tim]

Originally Posted by mlive08

We pull a 2001 2720SL with a 2011 Ford F150 5.0 V8 and get 15 mpg. I can get 19 mpg on the interstate not pulling a trailer. I am very happy with the set up as I can travel 70 mph with the TM on good interstates.

On flat freeway traveling, our Gmc with a small v8 has no problem towing at 70Mph but, we choose to stay at 65Mph or below since the Goodyear TM tires have a max speed rating of 65Mph.

Tim

[Mr. Adventure]

Originally Posted by ED-n-KEL

Example vehicles I'm very familiar with on a daily basis:
Chevy Astro 4.3L V6: Averages 19mpg daily driving.
TC: 4500 lbs. 110" WB
Chevy Exress 2500 4.8L V8: Averages 16mpg daily driving.
TC: 7400 lbs. 135" WB. Cargo Cap: 3300 lbs.

Ed,
I always think the experiences of others are very important for RV owners. Have you ever towed a Trailmanor with your Astro or the Chevy Express van?

[SCBillandJane]

I certainly understand why campers with low weight carrying capacity tow vehicles are attracted to Trailmanors. They do promote the light weight, lack of sway, and low frontal area of the Trailmanor. Everyone wants better gas milage. One thing to keep in mind is that a high weight capacity tow vehicle gives you freedom to do the unexpected if you so choose. Several times my type of tow vehicle rated to tow 10,000 pounds has made a difference.
When I was in Alaska there was a side road that was recommended that turned out to be mud and gravel. No way would I have tried it without 4 wheel drive. It turned out to be so smooth that a Corvette could have gone there. I was in Texas at Big Bend National Park in the late spring with temperature above 90 and a 15% grade to the best views in the park. With a high weight capacity tow vehicle I had no trouble. Another time I was in Virginia at a race track watching my son take a drivers lesson in an old BMW. When it broke down, we were able to add them and their stuff to the truck and Trailmanor and drive 7 hours home with no worry. Because the truck and Trailmanor are so stable, my wife asks to drive which makes long trips both possible and desireable. I am the type that worries and would limit my travels with a smaller weight carrying tow vehicle. I could add several more examples in our 50,000 miles of travel towing the Trailmanor where weight capacity made a difference. On 2000 mile trip the difference between towing at 10 mpg versus 15 mpg is $268 at 4 dollars a gallon. I recommend the biggest safety margin possible.

Originally Posted by Mr. Adventure

Ed,
I always think the experiences of others are very important for RV owners. Have you ever towed a Trailmanor with your Astro or the Chevy Express van?

MrA, please keep this at a mature level and not degrade the posts to a childish level again. The fact that I don't yet own a TM certainly doesn't mean that I don't have a full understanding of the differences in types of vehicles, safety margins, towing abilities, future planning, etc. I find your comment very immature, arrogant, and condescending, knowing that you know that I don't yet own a TM. If you're going to make a mature point, make it, instead of singling me out and insinuating a lack of knowledge.
Your behavior reminds me of a politicians in that when the heat is on, immediately throw mud.

[rvcycleguy]

Ed, I think Mr. Adventure was asking a very sincere question with regard to your specific vehicles and whether you had any experience towing a TM...It does not appear to be childish, condescending in anyway. I think you are mis-understanding his reply. Just because you don't own one now, does not mean you have never towed one before.

[scrubjaysnest]

Having owned an Astro van and an S10 with the 4.3L motor and having towed pop-ups with both there is no way I would pull our TM with either. Here in Florida you could get away with it barely but any other state with a minimum interstate speed limit of 50 mph and anything to climb other than our small sand dunes the astro and s10 won't be able to do it. The S10 could not handle the pop-up on I77, I81 and I64 in WV and VA. The S10 had 4.10 gears and a 5200# TC pulling a 2600# pop-up. The Astro had 3.73 gears and made the last long pull into Ashville, NC on I26 at 40mph. We just got back from almost 7 months on the road and pulling the TM with 4.7L v8 was no problem. We did avoid the interstates as much as possible. We spent two months with the TM above 3000 ft which is nothing compared to the 9000 feet plus we towed the pop-up last year.

Just my $.02 worth

I have created a related spin off thread to discuss tow vehicle characteristics instead of a debate comparing one specific vehicle versus another vehicle.

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ad.php?t=12371

If you are on a slow connection it may take awhile to open.