Towing suggestions

[Mauigirl]

Aloha,We are NEW owners of a 2014 Jay Flght 19RD and are so wet behind the ears we are clueless. We are now looking for a towing vehicle (used) and have had so many different suggestions that we are dizzy. We have been looking at some SUV's because we have to park our towing vehicle in our garage. (most notably a V8 Toy 4 runner with tow package, but worried about the capacity 7300)The length of our garage parking presents some limitations on what we can use. We only have 17 feet with a bit to spare for parking length . We would be most grateful for suggestions. Mahalo for your help.
Mauigirl & Mauimyk
LasVegas/Lahaina

[Tunce the traveler]

I pull with a VW Touareg and it will tow 7,700 lbs. and tongue weight is 610 lbs.
It's a TDI and I get 33 on the road and 23 with the Hybrid TT.and in the mountains it gets 19. I'm very happy with this SUV and I would buy another one.

[nylyon]

You'll definitely need a Diesel Dually for that camper!

Seriously, I think that Tunce has a great tow vehicle, which has a little extra capacity. The camper you have has a max weight of 6,000 with a tongue of 610. I think that most SUV's with a tow rating > 6000 would likely get the job done. The VW Diesel has the advantage that it'll get it done with better fuel economy.

A Hemi Durango or Grand Cherokee also get you there.

[Mauigirl]

Thanks nylyon! Keeping all options open

[DocBrown]

The Toyo you're considering should be adequate as well. With a 7300# capacity, that still leaves you with a fair amount room even if you pack the trailer up to the full 6k, which isn't likely.

What you need to watch is your payload, and the hitch weight (payload is on a sticker in the driver door). Karl suggests a 610# hitch, but realistically when you're loaded it'll be much closer to 750#. Always plan on a 13% hitch weight when doing your research, then weigh the rig when you have everything packed for a trip to get an accurate number. Rarely is does the tongue of a loaded trailer weigh 10%.

Max towing capacity does not translate into being able to tow a trailer that actually weighs 7700#. That said, SUVs typically have a 900-1100# payload. That sounds like a lot, but subtract the tongue weight, in this case assume a higher payload, 1100# - 750# = 350#. That's what's left for your spouse, kids, dog, and any other "stuff" you put in the tow vehicle.

That's not necessarily bad, but it's a limitation you must work with. The bigger the trailer, the higher the tongue weight, the more of your payload gets eaten up. If it's just you and the spouse, this may not even be an issue.

[Camper_bob]

Something else to consider is the rear suspension of an SUV. Many SUVs do not share their truck counter-part's suspension and are softer. This is great for hauling people as it creates a more comfortable ride, but for hauling a load, it allows the SUV to squat quite a bit more than you would expect under fully loaded conditions.

As long as you're not overweight, air bags or helper springs or whatever can mitigate the squat, but then that's the key, as long as you're not overweight.

[oldmanAZ]

Originally Posted by Mauigirl

Aloha,We are NEW owners of a 2014 Jay Flght 19RD and are so wet behind the ears we are clueless....snip...

Congratulations on the trailer and welcome to the forum.

You'll find lots of 'clues' on this site using the 'search' function.

[fielro]

Mauigirl, welcome to the forum.....I think all the other posts have given you great advice. Happy camping

[Mauigirl]

Mahalo fielro! One of the coolest things about camping is the great community. We are so impressed at how helpful folks are