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Old 03-19-2022, 08:09 AM   #21
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Originally Posted by FLascent View Post
Our conclusion was to buy the best vehicle we could for what we were going to do 98% of the time, haul our family around. So then we found the trailer we could tow even if it meant going slower and packing lighter than the people with their 5th wheels and f450s. And I am glad we did since it takes us about 15 min to park and setup, and with our rig there's no sway bars to worry about, built in sway control in the ascent works wonderfully.

So, figure out exactly how much towing you want to do and plan your vehicle accordingly. For us a truck didn't make sense financially, even if we wanted a bigger rig later a motorhome would make more sense with my car being towable.
What trailer are you towing? The Ascent does have a sway react system but it detects, does not prevent sway. A physical WDH prevents sway from starting. If you have a lighter trailer you may be able to get away with none. We did for five years in our 195. We had an electronic sway sense system but it was on the trailer and actually would activate the brakes.

When we upped to a 4000 lb trailer we got a lot more conscious of a bigger box back there and use a WDH.
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Old 03-19-2022, 08:44 AM   #22
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We have a jayfeather 7 22bhm totally loaded with full tanks we are at max capacity 4960lbs, ready for camping we sit at about 4400 lbs. And the ascent tows it just fine, with a hitch weight of 450-500 lbs we have no use for a weight distribution hitch which the ascent can't use anyway.

Sway hasn't been an issue for us, and we have towed all the way up through the panhandle from Central Florida. If we have to we can easily keep up with traffic. I've learned packing the trailer correctly matters more than anything. One time making a mistake with weight distribution was enough, lol.
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Old 03-19-2022, 09:03 AM   #23
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We have a jayfeather 7 22bhm totally loaded with full tanks we are at max capacity 4960lbs, ready for camping we sit at about 4400 lbs. And the ascent tows it just fine, with a hitch weight of 450-500 lbs we have no use for a weight distribution hitch which the ascent can't use anyway.

Sway hasn't been an issue for us, and we have towed all the way up through the panhandle from Central Florida. If we have to we can easily keep up with traffic. I've learned packing the trailer correctly matters more than anything. One time making a mistake with weight distribution was enough, lol.
Thanks. We have towed with a Ridgeline with 5000 lb capacity but our trailer filled was 3500 lbs. That was enough.. We could not have a WDH either according to Honda.

But when we moved up to a 212 we moved up in tow vehicle just a little. Why; for braking and for better hill climbing in New England and mostly the Rockies..

If you stay flatland you ought to be fine. We just got back from a tour de Florida from Pensacola down to Everglades City and back up the ridge in Central FL and over to Titusville on up..
We tend to wander all over the US( in six years have logged about 120,000 miles on trailers) and having a transmission that won't burn out nor underpowered brakes on mountains and hills is paramount. Our neighbors have an Ascent and they say towing a 4000 lb boat over the hill and back down to the boat launch is an "interesting" experience. The hill is 600 foot vertical over about a mile. Up one side. Down the other.

We are off to Newfoundland come August.. Have to be conservative.. NL is extraordinarily hard on transmissions and brakes even on vehicles not towing anything.

This is all a rather longwinded way of saying..topography matters where you go. I am not a fan of overbloated vehicles either. One of the highlights of our FL trip was watching someone park a fifth wheel in Ochlocknee State Park with its wonderful overhanging live oaks.
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Old 03-19-2022, 09:21 AM   #24
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Topography and time on the road absolutely matter. Which is why we decided we had enough as is. If we were going farther we would get a motorhome. No vehicle is big enough after a few hours, lol.
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Old 03-19-2022, 12:07 PM   #25
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We have been towing an X20E with our 2011 Expedition with a V8. Max tow is 9200 lbs. TT comes in around 5200. We mainly stick to the midwest so not much in elevation change & it has been a great set up for us. Probably have another 2 to 3 years before we start looking to upgrade.
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Old 03-19-2022, 01:15 PM   #26
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Our 5.3 Tahoe tows our 3500# trailer very well in head-winds, at high elevation, and controls it on long steep descends. Our Trailblazer I6 couldn't do that. One of the simplest but truest statements I've read on this forum is, You can't have too-big of a tow vehicle.
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Old 03-19-2022, 02:03 PM   #27
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Ford Expedition 2016

I have a 2016 Ford Expedition 4WD. The SUV cam with trailer haul accessories which included brake controller, trailer setup and special gearing in the Trailer/Haul Mode. I picked the Ford primarily due to the TORQUE reaches it peak at a lower RPM than GMC, or CHEVY, The Expedition pulls like nothing attached. The peak torque is 480 lbs at only 2500 rpms.

The max towing capacity of a 4wd is 9200 lbs. I pull a 2019 White Hawk 26RK. GVW is 7,750lbs.

I live in the Phoenix area, so leaving in any direction is UP HILL. The truck has never struggled. The back of the SUV is loaded with full coolers of food, tools and miscellaneous essentials.
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Old 03-19-2022, 02:22 PM   #28
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Touareg Towing 168VRB

I know our trailer is lighter than what you are looking for. We have a 2016 Touareg VR6 gasser towing a Sonic 168VRB (approx. 3900-4000lbs loaded up). The Touareg tows and stops it easily it easily. Handling with the trailer is very good.
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Old 03-19-2022, 03:38 PM   #29
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SUV Towing

For many years we towed our Jayflight 25RKS with a Jeep Grand Cherokee Diesel and found it often towed better than the Ram 1500 pickups on either side. We used to pass pickups towing trailers up the Rockies as they were loosing more and more speed. The diesel can really make a HUGE difference. We even had a guy stop by our campsite after one of the situations to ask us about our Jeep since we’d passed him on an 8% grade.
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Old 03-19-2022, 05:03 PM   #30
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I have a 2016 Ford Expedition 4WD. The SUV cam with trailer haul accessories which included brake controller, trailer setup and special gearing in the Trailer/Haul Mode. I picked the Ford primarily due to the TORQUE reaches it peak at a lower RPM than GMC, or CHEVY, The Expedition pulls like nothing attached. The peak torque is 480 lbs at only 2500 rpms.

The max towing capacity of a 4wd is 9200 lbs. I pull a 2019 White Hawk 26RK. GVW is 7,750lbs.

I live in the Phoenix area, so leaving in any direction is UP HILL. The truck has never struggled. The back of the SUV is loaded with full coolers of food, tools and miscellaneous essentials.

I tow a 24MBH with a 2016 Ford Expedition. I can confirm the ease of towing. The trailer is 5400 lb empty and the Expedition is supposed to pull 9600 lb. I also have the towing package, which I recommend. It includes Tow/Haul mode as well as auto leveling, which is great. While I do have sway control bars, the Expedition also has sway control built in, which will automatically apply the trailer brakes and take you out of cruise control. Any sway we have encountered is dampened out very quickly. We have ended up using the Expedition for day to day use as well, even with gas prices what they are. We don't use the third row seat much these days, but otherwise the vehicle has been great.
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Old 03-19-2022, 05:07 PM   #31
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I currently tow my Jayco Jayfeather 25bh with 2008 Expedition. 9200# tow capacity. Trailer weight fully loaded about 6500#. Blue Ox Sway Pro WDH helps alot. Sometimes a struggle through mountains and steep inclines, but I get there. Would like to check out the Expedition Max with heavy duty tow package and twin turbo charged engine, since I am partial to the SUV vs a truck. Hesitant about the v6 since I now have the v8.
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Old 03-19-2022, 05:15 PM   #32
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For what it's worth, my wife too was not a fan of PU's however after she rode in and drove what is now our truck, a 21 RAM Bighorn Quad cab she drives it more than her SUV! Does a great job of towing our 212 QB. We have a Husky Centerline TS hitch and sometimes I forget I'm even towing. Good luck and have fun out there!
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Old 03-19-2022, 06:53 PM   #33
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I have a 2013 Expedition towing an X23B at ~5000 lbs. payload is 1437 (I have the “EL” and 4x4 version, so that eats into the payload a bit).

One thing you always want to ask is the type of terrain you’re towing in…the “my suv toes a 6k trailer fine” comments are fine in FL, Kansas, Oklahoma, but for those in Nevada/Colorado/Utah, you definitely need to cushion your tow rating by quite a bit, I’d say about 3k if you want to tow up Yosemite’s Eastern Entrance(10,000’ and 5-6 percent grade), for example. My Expy hangs out at 4K-5k in second gear trying to get it up the passes and mountain roads around here.

Also, payload is a big deal as the kids grow up and you add tongue weight, WD hitch, etc. I have 1437 payload, an 80-lb tow hitch, 645 tongue weight, four kids, two adults, and a dog, plus cargo, which means I have enough left over for an ice chest.

Oh and a WD hitch is required out west. It gets windy out here, there are two-lane roads where 18-wheelers pass going the other way, and it just makes for a safer and more pleasant towing experience.

Remember that your tongue weight (say 600lbs for argument) is making the rear axle into a fulcrum that lifts the front end by some amount depending on wheel base (longer is better), so that weight is actually making your front end lighter. This affect steering, handling and breaking. I wouldn’t think of towing my 5k trailer without it. Hope this all helps as you (and others) consider what to buy.
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Old 03-19-2022, 07:16 PM   #34
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I have a 2013 Expedition towing an X23B at ~5000 lbs. payload is 1437 (I have the “EL” and 4x4 version, so that eats into the payload a bit).

One thing you always want to ask is the type of terrain you’re towing in…the “my suv toes a 6k trailer fine” comments are fine in FL, Kansas, Oklahoma, but for those in Nevada/Colorado/Utah, you definitely need to cushion your tow rating by quite a bit, I’d say about 3k if you want to tow up Yosemite’s Eastern Entrance(10,000’ and 5-6 percent grade), for example. My Expy hangs out at 4K-5k in second gear trying to get it up the passes and mountain roads around here.

Also, payload is a big deal as the kids grow up and you add tongue weight, WD hitch, etc. I have 1437 payload, an 80-lb tow hitch, 645 tongue weight, four kids, two adults, and a dog, plus cargo, which means I have enough left over for an ice chest.

Oh and a WD hitch is required out west. It gets windy out here, there are two-lane roads where 18-wheelers pass going the other way, and it just makes for a safer and more pleasant towing experience.

Remember that your tongue weight (say 600lbs for argument) is making the rear axle into a fulcrum that lifts the front end by some amount depending on wheel base (longer is better), so that weight is actually making your front end lighter. This affect steering, handling and breaking. I wouldn’t think of towing my 5k trailer without it. Hope this all helps as you (and others) consider what to buy.
Couldn't agree more regarding a WD hitch. On our trip out west into Utah, Montana, Colorado etc we had no issues with sway even in some pretty stiff winds. Keeping the proper weight on the steer wheels is so very important.
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Old 03-20-2022, 09:52 AM   #35
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I have a 2019 X17Z rated to 4000lbs

I had a Rav4 v6 276hp, 245ft lbs with weight distribution hitch and towing was slow if I loaded the trailer. I was maxed out for the vehicle.

I checked around and a mechanic suggested a GMC Canyon v6. I bought one. Still waiting for the snow to melt but I am pretty sure my towing issues will be resolved. Yet to see if I will use the weight distribution hitch if there is too much sway.

A neighbor had suggested getting a vehicle that had twice the capacity of what you want to tow, so… if you upgrade to something larger you still have wiggle room.
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Old 03-20-2022, 10:24 AM   #36
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I have a 2019 X17Z rated to 4000lbs

I had a Rav4 v6 276hp, 245ft lbs with weight distribution hitch and towing was slow if I loaded the trailer. I was maxed out for the vehicle.

I checked around and a mechanic suggested a GMC Canyon v6. I bought one. Still waiting for the snow to melt but I am pretty sure my towing issues will be resolved. Yet to see if I will use the weight distribution hitch if there is too much sway.

A neighbor had suggested getting a vehicle that had twice the capacity of what you want to tow, so… if you upgrade to something larger you still have wiggle room.
Keep in mind that a WD hitch insures that not all the weight of your trailer is borne by your rear axel. Not distributing some of that weight forward to the steerage axel is a major contributor to trailer sway.
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Old 03-20-2022, 08:11 PM   #37
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Going back to the Audi Q7. I have one, and did a lot of homework on towing our 19H. Turns out, we just ended up at a seasonal site and I haven't towed it once!

BUT, when I did my research - a couple things that I recall. The manual specifically states that you shouldn't or can't use a WD thing. I forget why. The Q7 also offers an adaptive suspension kinda thing that might be worth it (I don't have it). IIRC, 7700 lbs is the towing capacity for modern Q7s.
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Old 03-20-2022, 09:23 PM   #38
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I tow with a Touareg TDI and am very happy with it. My towing capacity in the states is 7,700 lbs ...
Man, I miss our Touareg TDI. The biggest trailer I ever pulled was the motorcycle trailer, but it weighed 2500 lbs with 4 bikes on it. Pulled it like there was nothing back. The mileage sucked pulling that trailer though. Down to a miserable 17MPG. We put 100K miles on that vehicle, and averaged 26 MPG over the life of the vehicle. It was a beast!!
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Old 03-20-2022, 09:30 PM   #39
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I had the same issue when I was doing the research. What I found was that by purchasing a full sized van (Chevy 2500) the payload was triple what I could get in a pick-up that would meet the specs I needed for my TT. We also are a "family" and I made my decision based upon the extra payload because I knew we would need it. 6 people and 3 dogs on one of our trips proved that the "safety bias" of my decision was correct. I also weigh my rig set-up when I do something out of the normal to assure we will be safe. Do not listen to the dealers, there are great people here who will help you. I suggest you set up all the weights you know you will have vs. all the weights you might encounter and then add at least 20% for a safety factor on payload. It will be worth the money and piece of mind.
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Old 03-21-2022, 07:15 AM   #40
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Reply to JBagNall. - We have a Touareg. If you have air suspension they do not recommend using weight distribution. Regular suspension, it is OK.
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