Tow vehicle

[Bill N]

What is your tow vehicle?

What are your likes and dislikes about it?

 

[BigKahuna]

Ford Expedition......5.4L V8.....9200 lb. towing capacity. Have no complaints.......

 

[Havasu]

I've got a 2006 GMC Sierra Crew Cab 2500HD diesel with the Allison six speed transmission.  6" lift, 35" tires and rear air bags.  Love the truck, will tow a tank.  The heaviest I've routinely towed was my SW boat which was about 10.5K loaded.  I get 15 mpg normal driving and 13 mpg towing.

Likes - tows great and is very comfortable even for long trips.

Dislikes - expensive price tag, interior not terrible but a bit cheap, royal pain to wash.

 

[TomS]

2014 VW Touareg TDi diesel, 7700lb tow rating. It is incredibly stable with a load. Towing on the road, it reminds me of the Suburbans we used to tow horse trailers with. The 3.0l V6 diesel pulls like a freight train and gets great fuel mileage towing or not.

 

[bcpnick]

I tow with a 2013 Toyota Tundra with the 5.7L v8. It does the job. I tow thousands of miles per year through mountain passes. If they offer a diesel option in the 2016, I'll be getting one. I wouldn't want to tow long distances with anything less capable, that's for sure. Pontoons aren't fun to pull. 

But now that we're leaving the boat at the lake, we'll probably use the wife's 4 Runner. Tow capacity is right at where the boat weight is, but it's only 10 miles on a lonely desert highway to the ramp. 

 

[clrd]

Ford F250  Crew Cab Lariat 6.7 Diesel. Use this to tow my Fifth Wheel and then the Benny behind that.

No shortage of power.  

 

[fastmnstealth]

I've got a 2008 3/4 ton Duramax Suburban.  It had the 6.0l engine and 6spd transmission.  I had a shop (Duraburb) swap in the duramax and allison.  

Perfect family tow vehicle!  Great power, comfortable and even gets great mileage.

 

[Bamaman]

2003 Ford F250 Lariat crewcab 2x4 7.3 Diesel with D-P tuner with 80 hp econo and 60 hp tow tunes.  15 mpg towing pontoon/20 mpg on open road unloaded.

After 13 years and 126K miles, my truck looks and runs like new.  At this pace, the engine will be worn out when I'm 97 years old.  Diesels are actually a long term value in transportation.

It tows a pontoon boat like it's not even back there.  It's also used to tow a 11K pound fifth wheel trailer.

 

[Bill N]

I run an ecoboost.

I was skeptical about a tiny 3.5 engine 'til I drove one.

I would prefer this engine over any other offering in a half ton.

What I really like is it's ability to hold a gear at low rpm without downshifting.

It will lug along at 1700 RPM with a load all day long.

Don't buy into the high mpg numbers.

Unless you are driving like grandpa it gets normal mileage.

But when you kick'er in the ass, it will really haul the mail!

 

[lakeliving]

14 silverado w 5.3. Does a real good job.

 

[BulldogsCadillac]

2010 Escalade 6.2L, love the vehicle, even though I think my rear air ride is starting to act up. Hopefully it's just a compressor, but I'm thinking I have a leaky bladder in the shock . It doesn't mind towing the toon, but when I took it to storage (160kms, half hills, half hwy) my computer said I got 7.7mpg! I got 18.8 on the way home without it. I always think about a diesel, but when I only tow it 6 times a year, it's a little harder to justify. I would be tempted if some would put a diesel back in an SUV to go that route, but would be probably be better off just investing in a big garage at my parents place then I'd only have to tow about 5-10 miles ever.

 

[Wild and Free]

2005 Dodge 2500 cummins 4x4 and a 2010 Dodge 1500 5.7 hemi 4x4, both awesome rigs.

 

[StevL]

I have a 2015 Ford F150 Lariat 4x4, 3.5 EcoBoost, with Max Tow Package, that little 3.5 EcoBoost is a beast!

Tow my Benny, a Sea Hunt Game Fish 30 (6,000 lbs dry), and a 18 foot cargo trailer.... all with ease.

Steve

 

[mbhenry1955]

We have a 2005 Chevy Avalanche that we love.

Wish they still made them!

Mike

 

[Bill N]

We have a 2005 Chevy Avalanche that we love.

Wish they still made them!

Mike

Had an '03 and loved it for a car, hated it for towing.

Coil spring rear sagged too much & 5.3 could use more torque.

Always wanted to try a 3/4 ton Avy, the 8.1 is a pulling mutha!

Still keep my eyes open for a nice clean one.

 

[TomS]

Had an '03 and loved it for a car, hated it for towing.

Coil spring rear sagged too much & 5.3 could use more torque.

Always wanted to try a 3/4 ton Avy, the 8.1 is a pulling mutha!

Still keep my eyes open for a nice clean one.

We had both a 1/2t and 3/4t Avalanche. They were both great vehicles, but as you said, for towing the 1/2t with coil springs was not good for our 2 horse trailer. The 3/4t with 8.1 4.11 rear end was terrific, but, oh my, the fuel mileage was brutal. It did its primary job very well though ;-)

 

[ssc]

My tow rig was my 2012 tundra. Someone made me an offer I couldn't refuse and I sold it. Now, if I need to move the boat I use my 4th gen 4runner with a V8. I'm looking for another tow vehicle. I will probably buy another tundra. It has never left me stranded. I can't say the same for my Chrysler or ford vehicles.

Cheers, Steve

 

[Spoiledrotten]

My towing vehicle for the road is the Ford F-250 Crew Cab with the 7.3 Powerstroke. The vehicle for the local Rez area is my Jeep Wrangler. No complaints with either.

 

[Bamaman]

You think the 3.5 Ecoboost is strong?  You can add a Hypertec tuner and get another 80 hp or so--just plug in.

I have a 2015 Ford F150 Lariat 4x4, 3.5 EcoBoost, with Max Tow Package, that little 3.5 EcoBoost is a beast!

Tow my Benny, a Sea Hunt Game Fish 30 (6,000 lbs dry), and a 18 foot cargo trailer.... all with ease.

Steve

 

[Bamaman]

When someone lives almost at the North Pole, keeping diesel fuel liquid in Winter is just so difficult.  You're right to stick with a gasoline product.  Do you also have PADS when it comes to automobiles?

2010 Escalade 6.2L, love the vehicle. . . . I always think about a diesel, but when I only tow it 6 times a year, it's a little harder to justify. I would be tempted if some would put a diesel back in an SUV to go that route, but would be probably be better off just investing in a big garage at my parents place then I'd only have to tow about 5-10 miles ever.