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Proper SUV for 21' SLX & 115hp motor

We tow our 21 SLX with a Yammie 150 with a Tahoe with the 5.3. Tows great. Never an issue
 
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Reactions: Dho
PartyBarge said:
You should be plenty good if you went with some version of LT rated tires (Light Truck). One of our knock-around vehicles is a Dodge Journey that I will likely never use of towing for a couple reasons, not the least of which are the car oriented touring tires. They are good for MPG, but not so great for sidewall stability. If you have time, grab one of these:

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When our son moved up in boat size (towed weight up about 1500-2000# to ~5500), it prompted a new hitch and up grade to no nonsense tires. As of today, he also has a cushion hitch ball on the way too....
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I ended up with the Michelin Defenders LTX, which is light truck rated, so glad I hit that mark. I'll jump on that cushion hitch ball too, thanks for the tip!
 
For towing reference, I had our 22' SXF with Merc 150 to the Cat scale to check tongue weight when I first got it. I just looked at the ticket this morning and it weighs 4910lbs, trailer and boat. I am sure we have added several hundreds of lbs since then. You need a full size truck to stop these boats.
 
Dho said:
After all the research I've done at this point I've got my target set on a use / offlease Yukon or a Tahoe with a 5.3 l V8 with 4wd and the max trailering package. The boat dealer told me the pontoon plus engine and trailer dry weight is just over 2,900 lb so I feel like with this size of vehicle I'm setting myself up for a comfortable driving and towing experience.
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That's a great choice. You don't need the max trailering package for your setup though. Tahoe's are made for towing the way they are. The max trailering packages on half ton vehicles are for people who tow heavy loads a lot, or in the mountains, but won't buy a 3/4 ton pickup like they should.

I own 5 auto repair shops in the Minneapolis suburbs and am a former automotive engineer. All vehicles have problems. And pretty much any full size truck or SUV will be among the most reliable vehicles you can buy regardless of brand. I would only avoid Nissan specifically. Always use full synthetic engine oil, change it every 5k miles, and rotate your tires with every oil change. This will drastically reduce the number of problems you will encounter with your vehicles and avoid the most costly repairs.
 
claustralia said:
I ended up with the Michelin Defenders LTX, which is light truck rated, so glad I hit that mark. I'll jump on that cushion hitch ball too, thanks for the tip!
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We have the Premier LTX on an Acadia. IF you notice high road noise on some surfaces, it will likely quiet after a few thousand miles and/or a rotation. Initially, I was very disappointed that Michelin was putting out a high-end road tire with that much noise, but it's fine now. Good to read that you may never know what it's like to tow without a cushioned hitch.
 
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