Momof6....aka Marty 769 Posted July 5, 2015 Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 Now that we have a camper, as first mentioned in the "what did you do to your camper today" thread, we need to find a vehicle to tow it with. We also want one that will fit all 8 of us. God has providentially provided some money - should be about $2,500 - 3,000. At first, my husband was looking at older (70's or 80's), full-sized vans or Suburbans. Our neighbor works at a local camper dealer and told Li'L John that a diesel from about the same time period would be best. The rational, as I understand it, is that a diesel will get better gas mileage. So I come to you - my experts. What do you think? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted July 5, 2015 Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 Marty, we started out towing our TT with a 1986 gas-powered Suburban. Our next tow vehicle was a 1996 F-350 diesel. We did get significantly better gas mileage with the diesel. IMHO if we were to buy another older diesel, we would stick with Ford. The Chevy/GMC diesels during that time period didn't have great reputations. Having said that, we recently ran into the gentleman who purchased our '86 Suburban from us. He's still towing his TT with it and still loves it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rtguy007 74 Posted July 6, 2015 Report Share Posted July 6, 2015 What is the dry weight and length of your new camper? It would help for us to make some recommendations. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bhall 115 Posted July 6, 2015 Report Share Posted July 6, 2015 What is the dry weight and length of your new camper? It would help for us to make some recommendations.Actually the GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) Rating would be the best to know. Every camper out there will weigh more then the dry weight. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
twiceblessed....nacole 433 Posted July 6, 2015 Report Share Posted July 6, 2015 I just saw pics of the new camper... love it! :) Our Nissan Armada pulled our hybrid GREAT. Our hybrid weighed about 4400# loaded. We're learning that diesels are not only (typically) more expensive to purchase, but more expensive to maintain so... if we were in your shoes, we would purchase an older (gas) Suburban or a Ford E350 van. Good luck on the search!! :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
keith_h 420 Posted July 6, 2015 Report Share Posted July 6, 2015 I can't help a lot with numbers but the diesel even with better mileage could cost more to operate than a gas model. It all depends upon how much you will be driving it. You need to consider that it takes a lot of miles to before the lower fuel costs offset the higher maintenance costs and typically higher purchase price. Personally I would rationalize purchasing a diesel less for the better mileage than the better torque and ability to tow heavy loads through hill and mountains. So I'm with Nacole on keeping gas models in your acceptable vehicles to consider. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BigTom 76 Posted July 6, 2015 Report Share Posted July 6, 2015 I agree, it takes a lot of driving to justify a diesel. Would consider a 3500 van, V8 gas for the size of family you have. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Millermouseketeers MaryAnn 150 Posted July 8, 2015 Report Share Posted July 8, 2015 It seems like there are a lot of used suburbans which seem to be great tow vehicles. Good luck & hoping you have lots of happy camping in the near future. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Momof6....aka Marty 769 Posted July 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2015 What is the dry weight and length of your new camper? It would help for us to make some recommendations. Actually the GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) Rating would be the best to know. Every camper out there will weigh more then the dry weight.It is a 2002 Aero Cub 236. The GVWR is 4720. I found the GVWR here: http://dutchmen.com/media/5212/2002-aeroliteaerocub.pdf Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Momof6....aka Marty 769 Posted July 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2015 I should also mention that my oldest has moved out, so I only need it to transport 7. My dh is now thinking a conversion van. I am still leaning toward a Suburban, but Li'L John says they are more expensive. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
parrothead7368 aka Norm 101 Posted July 19, 2015 Report Share Posted July 19, 2015 Conversion vans can't tow as much as a standard passenger van because of all the extras put on them with the conversion. Just something to be aware of. There was a 2005 Suburban on sale near me in great condition with 75,000 miles on it for $13,000. Sold quickly. Best Regards,NormSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LONE-STAR 370 Posted July 19, 2015 Report Share Posted July 19, 2015 If you get a ford van stay away from the extended ones they are not as stable for towing. If you need a extended van look for a 97 or newer Chevrolet or GMC. They do very well for towing. And I am talking about 3/4 and 1 ton vans. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LONE-STAR 370 Posted July 19, 2015 Report Share Posted July 19, 2015 If you get a ford van stay away from the extended ones they are not as stable for towing. If you need a extended van look for a 97 or newer Chevrolet or GMC. They do very well for towing. And I am talking about 3/4 and 1 ton vans. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bhall 115 Posted July 19, 2015 Report Share Posted July 19, 2015 It is a 2002 Aero Cub 236. The GVWR is 4720. I found the GVWR here: http://dutchmen.com/media/5212/2002-aeroliteaerocub.pdfI would be searching for a tow vehicle that could tow at the very least 7.5k You will have to factor in the weight of the trailer plus everyone in your vehicle. There should be a sticker on the camper unless it got blown off by a pressure washer (I don't know what that's like) that lists your particular GVW. If it isn't on the outside there should be on inside a cabinet somewhere. That one looks just like this: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
keith_h 420 Posted July 19, 2015 Report Share Posted July 19, 2015 I like to use the GVWR for determining the size of tow vehicle to get. While I run under that number it gives me the worst case scenario and let's me build additional head room into the TV. You can go with what you think will be the real weight of the trailer but I feel that is a lot of work just to try and get/use a slightly smaller TV. It also means you have to calculate and weigh everytime you go out to be sure you are not exceeding your towing capacity. In picking the tow vehicle you now need to start looking at the Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR). This will be the weight of the trailer (GVWR), the curb weight of the tow vehicle, weight of all passengers and weight of any cargo in the TV. I expect the Suburban to have a higher GCWR than a van. You should be able to find the vehicle GCWR in the towing section of the owners manual or on the manufacturers site. You might also want to consider a properly equipped Expedition or Tahoe. Both have 7 and 8 seat options and might be easier to find. Another thing to keep in mind about the TV GCWR is it decreases as you go up in altitude. As an example my Explorer loses 200 lbs per thousand feet above sea level. For me that drops my 10K lbs GCWR to 9.2K lbs when I visit the Asheville. It might not be of concern if you don't do much mountainous driving but just thought I would bring it up. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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