Smallest but most effective tow vehicle

B

bshillam

Member
Ok Brats - I'd love to hear from some of you that tow with a smaller rig. Of course anything is smaller than what I have been using. The wife says the 1 ton has got to go. It sits in our driveway all but a few days in a month. So we have decided to consolidate two cars into one. I am looking for,
as good as mileage that can be expected from a vehicle capable of towing our cd22
something that can fit a family of four into it
reliable
These are a few of the vehicles we are considering so please way in if you have one, have had one, etc.
Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota Double Cab, Toyota Four Runner, Honda Pilot, F-150 Crew, Ford Explorer, I think that completes the list. If you have any other that you think would do the job please give a plug as we are open.
 
bshillam":375gyqvc said:
Ok Brats - I'd love to hear from some of you that tow with a smaller rig. Of course anything is smaller than what I have been using. The wife says the 1 ton has got to go. It sits in our driveway all but a few days in a month. So we have decided to consolidate two cars into one. I am looking for,
as good as mileage that can be expected from a vehicle capable of towing our cd22
something that can fit a family of four into it
reliable
These are a few of the vehicles we are considering so please way in if you have one, have had one, etc.
Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota Double Cab, Toyota Four Runner, Honda Pilot, F-150 Crew, Ford Explorer, I think that completes the list. If you have any other that you think would do the job please give a plug as we are open.
Click to expand...

I'm in similar situation. I'm looking for something to tow the CD22 but also able to BE towed four down by the RV when I'm not using the RV to tow the CD. So far, 2003-2006 Pilot is on top of the list.

Roger
 
We own a 2004 Tacoma Double Cab. It is a great tow vehicle for my 16' but I think it wouldn't be suffice for the 22'. Granted the newer models have a little more hp then mine. When we are fully loaded for camping(truck & boat) I think the truck is maxed out climbing hills and stopping.
The gas mileage isn't the best but the reliability has been superb. I think a small V8 would be best for your situation.

Good luck

Brandon
 
We use a 2001 F150 SuperCrew 5.8L (w/200,000 miles) to tow our CD22. Doesn't even feel like your towing anything.

But, we also get around 14 mpg with the boat on the back and 17 mpg without the boat.

The F150 has been a GREAT vehicle and hopefully it'll run for many years as I have no plans on replacing it -- but once I do, I'll look for something with a bit better gas mileage.

Good luck.
 
When I had the CD22 I towed it all over with a Jeep Grand Cherokee with V8, auto and 6500 tow package. Towed great and we loved the Jeep. I even towed the CD25 with it a few times, although nervously.
 
I like the Tundra Crewmax for the huge backseat. Tons of room.
The 5.7L tows effortlessly. Smaller bed than the doublecab--but big enough.

Bought the truck in April and I love it (fuel economy isnt the greatest) But I don't mind the small difference.

My current and previous work trucks were F250's and my previous personal truck was a 1500 Dodge Ram (all gasoline).
In my opinion, the Tundra wins hands-down for a gasoline powered truck--the price wasn't that bad either.

Tundra_002.sized.jpg
Tundra007.sized.jpg
 
I would suggest the 4-door Tacoma. The new models have a 6500lb tow capacity.

My 2004 6cyl Tacoma will tow my Tomcat (10,500 lbs with trailer) up a steep ramp with no problem in low-range 4WD. It does not have the power to tow on the highway in regular (high range) plus the weight difference would be dangerous but it is surprisingly powerful. The current Tacoma would be more than adequate to tow your C-22.

I owned a 6 cyl Grand Cherokee and it was a great vehicle but they were notorious for their front brake problems and rear end's. I would check on Jeep owners sites to verify if the new models have fixed these issues.

I don't have any experience with the others you mentioned.
 
We tow our 16' Cruiser with either a 4x4 Ford Ranger extended cab or a Jeep Liberty. Both vehicles have 22+ MPG & 5000 lb tow capacity.

I prefer to buy American. For veterans, Jeep offers a $500 military incentive on a new vehicle purchase.
 
I’m also in a similar situation; my current tow vehicle is an F250 4x4 diesel extended cab long box. Granted this is an awesome tow vehicle but with diesel now a buck more than gas I’m motivated to down size. We were thinking of putting a camper on the F250 but our summers are short and boat camping has replaced RVing as we sold the 5th wheel the truck was initially used for. I’m seriously looking at the F150 4x4 super crew short bed with the smaller V8; don’t think I’d go smaller than that. EPA rating for these trucks is close to 19mpg hwy and that’s better then my diesel, so the switch is a no brainier for me, plus the F150 super crew will fit in my garage.
Our launch ramps are steep and often slippery so staying with a full size 4x4 is a must.
Remember everyone’s towing requirements are unique.
 
We keep the boats at a dry stack marina and don't even have a trailer for the C-Dory, so we don't need a tow vehicle. We do however have a 2007 Honda Pilot which has been great. So far over 50,000 miles and not a single problem. It is rated to tow 3,500 pounds or 4,500 pounds if it is a boat. Personally I wouldn't tow a 22 with it for long distances or over mountain passes. It's suspension is too soft in the back and since it is essentially a front wheel drive vehicle it can get a little squirrelly.

We just got a new 4runner with the V8 which would probably tow just fine, but it's mileage leaves quite a bit to be desired around town.

If I were choosing one vehicle for towing and everyday use I would get the VW Touareg V6 TDI. Over 20 miles per gallon overall, 7700 pound tow rating, and lots of off road capability along with a really nice interior. Of course, this is dependent on having a good dealer nearby since I've heard varied reports on reliability. All my experience with VW has been good with 35k on a 2007 Passat 4motion.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD would also be in the running, along with the Tacoma. The Tacoma would be the most reliable and still get decent fuel economy and would cost a whole lot less than the others. Good luck!
 
Please keep in mind through all of these considerations that the bottom line, no matter where you're towing or what, is the ability to stop, period.

Lots of vehicles will tow your boat, some more efficiently than others, and your towing requirements in distance, heat, and steepness of terrain may vary, but most vehicles will tow more than they will stop, which is the bottom line.

You can also help this situation out by having brakes on all axles of the trailer, by going to a more sophisticated load equalizing hitch, by using electric over hydraulic brakes, and by having a more sophisticated trailer brake controlling system in your vehicle.

(Ya' might also try unloading some of the crap that accumulates in your boat over the years!!!:lol:)

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
We tow our Ranger R21-EC with a 2008 Honda Pilot and think it is a great compromise between an everyday vehicle and the occasional tow vehicle. I noticed that the 09 Pilots now have the variable cylinder management system on the 4 wheel drive version. That takes towing capacity to 4,500 pounds. I regret having not gone for the 4X4... not because I'm unhappy with the current rig, but because I know there will come a day at a ramp or in bad weather where I'll wish I had four wheel drive. You will also find that your local Honda dealer is very anxious to make a deal right now. MTCW...

Texas Steve
 
I bought a Nissan Frontier last Feb (2008) and couldn't be happier. The listed towing capacity is 6100lbs for the 4WD model. I bought the crew cab and it sits 2 adults in the back very comfortably. We took my in-laws to Spokane and back last May and it was very comfortable for them. BTW, it's a 6-cylinder.

While towing the boat, it's not like my 8-cyl Dodge Durango where you would hardly notice it was back there but it still has plenty of towing power, actually rated higher than the Durango and it has proven to stop the rig and boat quickly when needed.

An added bonus just came to light recently. The frontier is GREAT in the snow. I took it all over during our recent bout with snow, ice and slush and it handled all conditions perfectly, hills, ice, whatever. My son had the perfect description, it handled "nimbly". The 4WD works great and I love shifting on the fly. It just digs right in immediately.

Lastly, the gas mileage is much better than the Durango, I'd say at least 15 in the City and 20 on the Hwy. Love my new Frontier!!!
 
Although we have a Chevy Silverado 2500 with the Duramax/Allison combo, I found our 4Runner quite capable of towing the C-22. The only catch is that if you're gonna tow the 4Runner with an RV, you must add the cost of a driveline disconnect system over and above the baseplate cost. Not a cheap add on.

Don
 
We have a 2001 Pathfinder with 100,000 plus on it which we used to pick up our 22 in Maine and towed it back to Michigan. Also towed it to southern Georgian Bay and back. MPG was 18/11 with/without the C-Dory. Sweet spot for towing was about 63 mph.

Rick
 
There's a similiar discussion somewhere else but as far as towing with the Jeep Cherokee I have two a 2000 with a 6 cylinder and a 2005 with a hemi both 4 wheel drive. Either of them will tow a 22. The Hemi in hilly country will get less than 10 mpg towing and around 12 mpg on flat land not towing it gets around 19 mpg. The question Matt asked about the brakes is one I'm familiar with. I had a lot of trouble with my 2000 front calipers but haven't experienced any problem with the 2005 with 65,000 miles. Jeep is now offering a diesel in the Grand Cherokee. Jeeps have always been a vehicle that can be towed on all four wheels but I recently read in a RV magazine that one of the newer models can't be towed. The Cherokee's are a very comfortable four passenger vehicle but definatley not the most economical.
 
We have the 06 Honda Pilot 4whl drive We have had no problem towing a cd-22 cruiser on a single axcel trailer .The weight for towing was about 3800lb's .We live in florida so no problem towing or stopping . We decided on the Pilot because it gets about 15-19 mpg in town about 19-23 highway When towing it gets about 12-13 mpg. It's the perfect compromise tow vehicle . Also the Honda ridgeline is another truck for you it tows 5000lb .

We sold our cd-22 and now we have been towing a cc-23 at least 4500lb without fuel or water .It still tows pretty good with a new tandem alum trl with 4whl disc brakes . YOu can't go wrong with the Honda and they are built in the USA
 
We have towed our 22' C-Dory and double axle trailer with a 1998 Explorer (5200# tow capacity), a 2004 Ranger Supercab 2wd (5200# tow capacity) and now use a 2008 Toyota Tacoma Double cab 4x4 with the short bed (6500# tow capacity). It is by far the best of these three. We also towed our travel trailer (about 3500#) from Port Angeles WA to South Carolina and back (9,200 miles) in February and March this year. The Tacoma never complains about the weight of the C-Dory or the travel trailer, but with a 50 mph headwind towing the travel trailer we got 10 mpg. Otherwise we get 15-16 towing the C-Dory, 12-14 with the travel trailer, 21 mpg with no tow on the highway and 17 around town.

We were also in Seattle during the big snow at Christmas 2008, and in 4wd we went wherever we wanted to, up and down the unplowed streets.

We like the Tacoma, and it's comfortable and quiet.
 
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