Tow Vehicle - Page 2

Ira Ramin · 06-17-2006, 02:19 PM

Don’t get the Yukon or Tahoe with the smaller engine. They have around 275hp if you wan to rev them to 5K, and no bottom end torque. I got rid of the Yukon for a Tundra, and am very happy with it. The Denali and Yukon XL have the larger engine and also toe well.

Ira

Dan J · 06-18-2006, 04:23 AM

Ben,
I have a 04 Sequoia. Tow with it at least once a week-usually a trailex with a variety of 911s but occasionally a 20' Haulmark. Just turned 50k and has not had one thing wrong. Nada,zero,zip not a freaking squeek. Plus it's worth considerably more than the remaing payments. Try that with a Chevy,Cad,Ford,Nissan,Vw etc. I think Toyota has a rebate or special financing on them currently. Bear in mind this comment comes from a 25 year Porsche Mechanic who grew up with Chevy trucks.
Dan J

charleskieffner · 06-18-2006, 04:51 AM

i liked that last statement " a 25 yr porsche mechanic, who likes chevy trucks"! when going down to baja you either drive a chevy/ford/vw and all you will never have a problem getting parts. drive anything else and plan on "parts hell" when something breaks!

over the years of towing and going to races we have adopted the "NAPA MOBILE" mentality. basically when prepping for going down for a race, every component that is needed for a spare or a wear part(belt/hose) is purchased from napa, we then take part # and write # on hood of vehicle w/a sharpie pen. that way if we cannot get part in ensenada or san felipe we can always hitch ride to border get EXACT PART and come back with exact part! generally carry a hell of a lot of spares but we have been stuck for days and had to do the exact drill above w/water pump one year.

Dan J · 06-18-2006, 05:15 AM

Charles,
I totally agree If you drive a Chevy/Ford/vw you will indeed need NAPA
I grew up with Chevies and still like them however when I towed with my 454 equipped K3500 dually ( just like yours) I too could be found in the parking lot of Napa. And you've gotta love that single digit MPG
Regards,
Dan J.

charleskieffner · 06-18-2006, 05:32 AM

when confronted with the gas pump, i just peek into the bed and count how many ice chests full of ice cold CORONAS! plus the fact of just getting the hell out of town softens the impact on my wallet. there is nothing better than a roadtrip anywhere anytime! since we dont use it very often it really is cheap to own. tags are cheap,plates cheap, insurance cheap. like i mentioned having a mongo tow anything tow rig you only use to tow is a luxury. it just sits and has cash thrown at it. after a couple of years of that drill, we are at the point where we cant buy anymore FOO FOO parts for it! all in all having a 1-ton is the only way to tow. reason i bought it 2 yrs ago was to tow a big ass boat that is in my future some day...............38ft formula w/twin 525 injected MERCS and air conditioning! lake powell here i come again!

Chulo · 06-18-2006, 02:19 PM

Update: So I have had the Armada all weekend, and can say it is a nice truck - lots of power . There are a lot of well thought out features (US carmakers - are you listening?) like power folding side mirrors, third seats that fold into the floor, and a power rear tailgate. The interior ergonomics are a bit strange, which is unusual for a Japanese manufacturer. I much prefer the interior layout of my father's 4 year old Suburban. Anyway, I really appreciate the input from everyone, and will probably end up with the Armada or a Denali.

kaisen · 06-18-2006, 07:32 PM

'03-up GM's have power folding side mirrors

Power liftgates came out in 2000 for the '01 Chrysler minivans and you can get them in Navigators since 2004 and the new 2007 GM's.

Good luck

E

SLO-BOB · 06-18-2006, 07:39 PM

Recently bought a Yukon XL as a hauler. It has the "smaller" motor but has plenty of power. I had no problems passing cars or entering the interstate at all. I cruised for 650 miles with the cruise set at 72 mph. Couldn't even tell the car was on back until I looked in the mirror. I kept forgetting and I would look up and get startled that someone would be following so closely!

That said, I've been VERY happy with the Yukon. Very plush and built to tow. Good deals can be had too.

Groesbeck Hurricane · 06-19-2006, 04:36 AM

When reviewing the towing data for vehicles please keep in mind that the companies list the Maximum Towing Capacity for flat surfaces when the vehicle is properly equipped. Some companies list numbers to include when you use overload springs. Just because a vehicle is an suv or a truck does not mean it will automatically be able to tow your trailer.

Also, keep in mind the trailer you tow has an effect on your tow vehicle. I can easily tow three horses, tons of tack, and four people in my three horse trailer. That will be about 9 to 10,000 pounds. The truck does not balk and I have plenty of power. The trailer is a gooseneck and is aerodynamic. I just pulled my father in laws car trailer last night. It has a flat front nose, especially designed to catch all the wind possible and slow you down. Imagine a large rectangular box with wheels and 90 degree corners, nothing round. It weighed in at about 9,000 pounds. Man, what a drag on the back of the truck. I'll always prefer to tow a trailer load of round bales or a trailer load of horses to that schtinkin box!!!!!

Chulo · 07-15-2006, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SLO-BOB
[B]Recently bought a Yukon XL as a hauler. It has the "smaller" motor but has plenty of power. I had no problems passing cars or entering the interstate at all. I cruised for 650 miles with the cruise set at 72 mph. Couldn't even tell the car was on back until I looked in the mirror. I kept forgetting and I would look up and get startled that someone would be following so closely!

That said, I've been VERY happy with the Yukon. Very plush and built to tow. Good deals can be had too.

So.. I ended up with a Yukon XL. I am in the automotive finance industry, so I have access to auctions. I just bought an '05 Yukon XL for really cheap - really nice truck. So far, so good. Anyone have ideas as to what hitch receiver to use, if I intend to rent a trailer from U Haul?

89911 · 07-15-2006, 06:58 PM

I tow my 89 with an aluminum trailer. The biggest question should be " How often are you actually going to be using it to tow"? I usually attend 3-4 DE's a summer, possible 2000 miles of towing at the most. Beyond that, I don't want to be using a heavy duty towing car for my everday needs, since that is what I'm using it for 90% of the time. Find a car you like and that fits your requirements, which isn't much for your car and trailer of that weight. When you join the PCA clubracing circuit and fully enclosed trailer, then get the mega tower.

charleskieffner · 07-16-2006, 04:55 AM

on chevys usually the frame is drilled for a receiver. if not you are in for some fun if you choose to DIY yourself. first you will be on your back looking up and getting a facefull of chips(metal) in your face and eyes. second the pressure needed is ALOT to drill holes in any frame. so hit penske or u-haul they will either put their drill jig underneath and in no time the holes will be drilled. or they will put on lift and wearing full safety mask use an air drill with lots of psi and your holes will be drilled. class III and class IV receivers are all the same w/exception of dimensions for your particular vehicle. if you have a junkyard around you may find a yukon with one from factory and scarf that up cheap. after they bolt to frame with grade 8's its not a bad idea to ask them to place 2-3 tack welds on both sides also.

SLO-BOB · 07-16-2006, 12:54 PM

Chulo-Good for you! You won't be dissapointed. I still have nothing but praise for my Yukon XL. I took it on a trip a few weeks ago and managed 18-19 hwy mpg. Not bad for a big truck.

On hitches-I'm mostly an oem guy so I would go to a GMC dealership first. I know Reese also makes good hitches-maybe even the oem. I would not let U-haul install it. They are far from expert auto mechanics. I've seen some of them have a hard time attaching a trailer to a hitch, let alone a hitch to a truck.