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Recommendations for Tow Vehicles

Yahoo Message Number: 10482
We will be heading out as full timers sometime this month. We are in the process of shopping for a small SUV tow vehicle with an automatic transmission. We notice that not many automatic transmissions are on the "recommended" list, even though all dealers we have talked with say their vehicles can be adapted for towing.
Any recommendations?

Bobbi & Tom
2005 Inspire

Re: Recommendations for Tow Vehicles

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10484
Dear Bobbi and Tom,

You might want to check the FMCA and also the Motorhome Mag web site for the current and past articles that list the vehicles that the manufactures say are able to be towed.I will list both automatic and standard transmissions. A new listing comes out around January each year but you can get the old articles in the archive section. Looking at past years articles could help if you are looking at a used car. Some manufactures have added cars in later years and others have dropped cars.

I would not recommend that you listen to a car sales person unless you really feel they are very current on RV issues...generally they do not have a clue and you could be in real mess on a manufacture warantiy.

If you were looking at a car that the manufacture dones not recomentd you may wish to check on the web for the Towing world web site[sorry dont have the actual site] as they can give you info on what solutions they offer for may cars that the manufacture does not approve. I have found that trying to make a car "tow able" when the original design did not set it up for towing can be very expensive.

I tow a Jeep Wrangler but also have a Honda Accord which I am considering setting up for towing. In each case the only significant expense is the face plate and installation labor[plus the hitch on the MH].

I have also considered a Saturn Wagon but my wife did not share the same view...

Good luck

Dean Ansley
04 Allure

--- bobbicox1 bobbicox1@...> wrote:

Quote
We will be heading out as full timers sometime this
month. We are

in the process of shopping for a small SUV tow
vehicle with an

automatic transmission. We notice that not many
automatic

transmissions are on the "recommended" list, even
though all dealers

we have talked with say their vehicles can be
adapted for towing.
Any recommendations?

Bobbi & Tom
2005 Inspire

=====

Dean Ansley

Home Office 949-733-3232

E-Mail ansleyd2001@...

Re: Recommendations for Tow Vehicles

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10486
We have been towing our 2000 Honda CRV for a little over three years and have no complaints. It is an automatic. It is quite roomy, gets fair gas mileage and has had no issues. We have 60,000 operating miles on the Honda and have towed it aproximately 20,000 miles.
Good luck.

Mike and Marg Keogh
98 36' Intrigue Tiara

Re: Recommendations for Tow Vehicles

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10487
Bobbi and Tom:

My toad is a Jeep Liberty 4X4 V6. Easy to tow and will follow you everywhere. A bit on the heavy side (about 4000 lb), but just put the transfer case in neutral and the transmission in Park and your good to go.

Chuck

03 Intrigue 11673

Re: Recommendations for Tow Vehicles

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10489
Any towing question can be answered professionally by the Remco folks. They make the pumps and other towing equipment.
As a former car dealer, the others are right. They don't have a clue as to which vehicle is towable. Remco will give you the right answers, as will the folks that make the Roadmaster tow bars.
I have hooked up and towed about 6 or 7 vehicles and have some recommendations (opinion).

Go light, such as any Honda, particularly the CRV.
All Jeeps are easily towable, just put the transfer case in neutral and away you go. The full-size ones are a bit heavy.
Whatever you tow, stop every two or three hundred miles and fire it up. It keeps the battery charged and lets the oil circulate in the transmission. Also gives you a chance to check things out.
When towing, turn the A/C in the towed vehicle to "recirculate" mode just before shutting it down, thus shutting off the outside air and avoiding odors from the diesel engine, tires, dust, etc.
I've used the "tow car shield" on my past two Hondas. It eliminates the bitsy gravel and junk from accumulating in the windshield wiper housings and scratching the windshield inadvertently if you don't get it washed out first. It's also a life saver in adverse weather; snow and yuck on the road.

Larry
Intrigue
10762

Re: Recommendations for Tow Vehicles

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10490
GMC Envoy is a good tow vehicle. We traded our Jeep on this vehicle and we like it better then the Jeep. You need to get the 4 wheel drive model in order to tow with no modifications. Then you just set the computer knob to nuetral, shift the gear lever to park, take out the key and go. Does not have a locking steering wheel so you do not leave the key on. This vehice has side air bags and On Star. It is quieter then the Jeep, but it is also a little heavier, close to 5000 pounds so you need to go to a !0,000 pound hitch if you are using a Blue Ox that attachs to the coach and not the vehicle. That puts us right near the GVWR limits of our coach.

Bill G. 2001 Magna #5998

Re: Recommendations for Tow Vehicles

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10492
I tow a '97 Suburban because I have young boys. It is NOT the vehicle you want as a toad. From the voice of experience.....stay on the light side. Oh it goes down a flat piece of highway okay, but in the hills (more than 5%), it gets real heavy. I have a M&G air brake system on it, but it is still heavy to stop in a hurry.
Some friends of my folks tow a CRV and has nothing but praise for it.

Mike

'95 Intrigue 10061

Quote from: bobbicox1
We will be heading out as full timers sometime this month. We are > in the process of shopping for a small SUV tow vehicle with an > automatic transmission. We notice that not many automatic > transmissions are on the "recommended" list, even though all

dealers

Re: Recommendations for Tow Vehicles

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10494
I tow a 2002 Toyota 4Runner with an automatic trans. I have a driveshaft disconnect. I have heard of too many people having to buy a new trans or transfer case on a vehicle that is supposed to be towable.
From what I hear and have read, the only foolproof way to tow a SUV is either buy a standard trans or get a drive shaft disconnect. Then you know nothing can happen.

Larry Bolander
92 36' Magna

Re: Recommendations for Tow Vehicles

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10518
Larry,

Have you had any experience with the Honda Element. It has the same engine and running gear as the CRV.
Thanks

Gary Bettig

2002 INtrigue 11451

Re: Recommendations for Tow Vehicles

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10519
For those who would be interested the Jan2004 issue of MOTORHOME has done an excellent article on dinghy's. They call it 2004 DINGHY TOW GUIDE. It is a great artical.
Gary

2002 INtrigue 11451

Re: Recommendations for Tow Vehicles

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10521
We have been towing a Honda Element for about 3 months. I realize this is a limited history but so far it has performed admirably. It gets good gas mileage, is fairly light weight, and you can haul lots of extra stuff in it. The rear seats fold up sideways or come out which makes storing bikes, etc. a breeze. It is a little homely looking on its own but is kind of cute behind the coach. The owners manual gives specific, easy to follow instructions for towing behind a motorhome.

Diana Powell

2004 Intrigue 11705

Re: Recommendations for Tow Vehicles

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10522
When I installed my Roadmaster base plate in my CRV, the installation instructions were for both CRV and Element. Probably the same platform, drivetrain, etc.
I have never heard any problems towing the Element. It's a little more "narly" looking than the CRV. "Narly" is a western term for rugged, I suppose.
Personally, I think they should have painted the fenders, but that seems to be the trend is modern SUV's these days. They didn't ask me...Figgers.

Larry
Intrigue
10762

Non-Narly 03 CRV Toad

Re: Recommendations for Tow Vehicles

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10523
From: gdbettig@...>

Quote
For those who would be interested the Jan2004 issue of MOTORHOME has done

an

Quote
excellent article on dinghy's. They call it 2004 DINGHY TOW GUIDE. It

is a

Quote
great artical.
Clickon http://www.motorhomemagazine.com/dinghytowingguide/index.cfm for the article.

Dick (& Geri) Campagna
'98 36' Intrigue #10571
Mfd: 11/97

Re: Recommendations for Tow Vehicles

Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10539
Larry,

Thanks for the info. Is the roadmaster better the the blue ox base plate and tow bar./

Gary Bettig

2002 INtrigue 11451

Re: Recommendations for Tow Vehicles

Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10540
Diana,

Thanks for the info.

What kind of base plate did you guyes use.
Your right about the Element there is a lot of space in the back.
I think it looks neat I quess you either love it or don't like it.
Gary Bettig 2002 Intrigue 11451

Re: Recommendations for Tow Vehicles

Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 10550
Hi Gary,

We're using one of the Roadmaster units - don't know exactly which it is but I know my husband called them after we bought the Element and asked them which they would recommend (we already had a couple of their set ups from previous tows). My husband loves the Element. I rolled my eyes when he first started talking about buying one but it has grown on me. It seems to cover all the bases and didn't cost an arm and a leg. We were in JC recently doing some "debugging" on the coach and ran into another couple who have been towing an Element for about a year. They loved it and hadn't had any trouble.

Happy Trails,
Diana