what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

All about towing and tow vehicles

Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby flboy » Sat Jan 12, 2019 9:09 am

My most recent pics of my 2011 F150 4WD with 5.0L V8 pulling my CTC.


Image


Image

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
Don (Flboy)

YouTube Video of Finished 6x12 Trailer:
https://youtu.be/6_-8cVdWUIA
YouTube Video of 7*18 with 2ft V-nose Trailer:
https://youtu.be/MUcMM86LA2g
User avatar
flboy
Gold Donating Member
 
Posts: 4216
Images: 378
Joined: Tue May 15, 2012 6:13 pm

Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby halfdome, Danny » Sat Jan 12, 2019 8:05 pm

There's at least one vintage trailer & teardrop rallie that wants non vintage vehicles to unhook and move away from the trailer. :?
I'm not too fond of that idea since the tow vehicle can be a support vehicle for some essential gear.
If I don't take my 55 Chevy Belair then I take my 93 Chevy Silverado pick up truck.
I had it totally repainted in the original color, new grill, all new lights, tires and polished up the rims and replaced the chrome caps & lug nuts.
I bought the truck new in 1993 and it only has 126,000 miles on it.
It finally died on me a few months ago and had to have it's first tune up, it's a 350 HP V8. :thumbsup:
Seems to have satisfied the host last year. It's 25 years old but the body style is 30 years old.
Image
I still need to hook up the brake controller I bought last year, great hauler and gets about 15+ mpg hauling the teardrop.
:D Danny
ImageImage
"Conditions are never just right. People who delay action until all factors are favorable do nothing". William Feather
Don't accept "It's Good Enough" build to the best of your abilities.
Image
Teardroppers Of Oregon & WashingtonImage
User avatar
halfdome, Danny
*Happy Camper
 
Posts: 5882
Images: 252
Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2005 11:02 pm
Location: Washington , Pew-al-up

Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby tony.latham » Sun Jan 13, 2019 11:52 am

The grizzled old bugger flashed his blue eyes and mimicked a deep guttural Samurai growl, "TOYOTA!"

Image
Image
Image

:beer:

Tony
User avatar
tony.latham
Gold Donating Member
 
Posts: 6880
Images: 17
Joined: Mon Jul 08, 2013 4:03 pm
Location: Middle of Idaho on the edge of nowhere
Top

Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby Sparksalot » Sun Jan 13, 2019 5:22 pm

slowcowboy wrote:Hey.sparks just mount a light bar on top heee! And watch people hit the brakes as you go down the highway to your next camp spot..slow.


LOL. They already do that Slow.

I just finished mounting ham radio antennas on it. Now for the subtle UFO hunter stickers.
Holy cow, Rose is a teenager now! Done? Surely you jest. A teardrop is never "done".

The Compass Rose build thread: viewtopic.php?t=23213

Inspiration: http://tnttt.com/Design_Library/Trailer%20for%20Two.htm

It's got a cop motor, a 5.3 LS plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. ~ Elwood Blues
User avatar
Sparksalot
Silver Donating Member
 
Posts: 1624
Images: 682
Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2008 9:36 pm
Location: Texas by God
Top

Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby low277 » Sun Jan 13, 2019 5:27 pm

151229

This is mine, Chevy Silverado with my continuing project trailer. :)
NW Minnesota
low277
Donating Member
 
Posts: 191
Images: 5
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 2:11 pm
Location: NW Minnesota
Top

Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby dancam » Sun Jan 20, 2019 9:49 pm

1992 ford festiva. It took the 4 of us and towed this almost 2000 pound trailer from alberta to the west coast (prince rupert), north all through alaska, took the top of the world highway to dawson city, all the way across and down to niagra falls, toured all of nova scotia, most of PEI and made it all the way back home to alberta. Most challenging drive was the cabot trail on cape breton island. The hills were almost too much for my 63hp festiva pulling this trailer. But we made it! I wish i had some photos of the cabot trail on my phone, it was amazing. ImageImageImageImageImageImageImage

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk
dancam
500 Club
 
Posts: 586
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2016 3:27 am
Location: Edmonton Alberta Canada
Top

Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby Mad Cow » Sat Feb 02, 2019 11:35 pm

I use a 2015 Chevy 2500 6.0L gasser. Bit of overkill I suppose, but I need a 3/4 ton for other stuff than any towing that might happen. I am not going to buy another vehicle to tow with.
Mad Cow
Teardrop Inspector
 
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2018 6:13 pm
Top

Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby Gold5one » Mon Jun 10, 2019 8:35 pm

My HHR is being sold, because I now have a 2002 Chevy Avalanche. It was an estate sale- owned for 12 years by a retired mechanic who owned a garage in Binghamton NY, before he retired to Florida about 15 years ago. I got real lucky on this - saw the new Craigslist adv yesterday and bought it today. In this case, the pictures really did not do justice.
I only realized this weekend, when I saw a youtube video, that I could use the Avalanche just like a small teardrop camper- fold the back seats down, take out the midgate and I have room for a foam mattress and sleeping bag, cooler, etc, stretching back into the bed area and can still sit up in the cab. Plus, I can reach between the console and hit the ignition and run the heater or A/C- The rear windows are already tinted for privacy, too.
So-oo, I can hit the road this year and not spend any time or money building a new camper! If I should ever buy another RV, I can pretty much tow anything I want- $4800 was a bargain.

158472

158471
"the slow road has the most adventure"
Mark

2022- Trek Freedom camper- journal
viewtopic.php?f=50&t=74522

Weekender-XL build journal
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=61445
sold-2018
User avatar
Gold5one
Donating Member
 
Posts: 441
Images: 153
Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2014 3:28 am
Location: Cape Coral, FL
Top

Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby PCO6 » Tue Jun 11, 2019 5:22 am

I only own Jeeps … so that's what I tow with. Mostly with my LJ & XJ but I also own a TJ & MJ.

Image

Image
User avatar
PCO6
Teardrop Master
 
Posts: 133
Images: 3
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2015 5:08 pm
Location: Newmarket, Ontario
Top

Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby Aguyfromohio » Tue Jun 11, 2019 11:51 am

2016 Mazda CX5. Adequate, but just barely. On a flat freeway it can do 70+ MPH in top gear. On a slight grade it shifts down one gear. On a steep freeway grade it shifts down 2 gears and screams its little heart out, but it does indeed pull the trailer at 65 up the hill.

I notice most folks posting above with 6 cylinders get 15 MPG or so. My little Mazda gets the same when towing, without the teardrop it does 30 MPG.
Seems it requires about that much fuel to pull a small trailer rig down the highway. Bigger engine loafing along easy, or smaller engine screaming and working hard, it takes a half gallon of gasoline to go 8 miles either way.

Image
User avatar
Aguyfromohio
Gold Donating Member
 
Posts: 392
Images: 76
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2017 5:02 am
Top

Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby AllenS » Fri Jun 14, 2019 2:04 pm

Last year, we pulled our teardrop with a 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan, with a 3.3L V6. It could be a little sluggish going up a long incline but it did fairly well.

Image

Last month, we bought a 2015 Nissan Titan, with a 5.6L V8. We'll be taking the teardrop out with it for the first time tomorrow, and then on a 3600 mile trek in July.

Image

We're getting down to crunch time for the July trip, and the topper still hasn't arrived for it. So we're beginning to sweat a little bit. :frightened:
User avatar
AllenS
Teardrop Builder
 
Posts: 28
Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2016 5:53 pm
Location: Missoula, MT USA
Top

Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby RTAMidwest » Fri Jun 14, 2019 9:18 pm

Aguyfromohio wrote:2016 Mazda CX5. Adequate, but just barely. On a flat freeway it can do 70+ MPH in top gear. On a slight grade it shifts down one gear. On a steep freeway grade it shifts down 2 gears and screams its little heart out, but it does indeed pull the trailer at 65 up the hill.


How heavy is your trailer? I'm towing about 1,300 lbs with a CX-5 and it tows it without any difficulty. I'm also usually getting 19-22 mpg while towing. Even driving through the mountains of Montana last year, I never saw mileage below the high teens, and was quite happy with how it performed.

158491
RTAMidwest
Teardrop Inspector
 
Posts: 12
Images: 1
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2018 4:06 pm
Top

Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby Aguyfromohio » Sat Jun 15, 2019 8:26 pm

RTAMidwest wrote:How heavy is your trailer? I'm towing about 1,300 lbs with a CX-5 and it tows it without any difficulty. I'm also usually getting 19-22 mpg while towing. Even driving through the mountains of Montana last year, I never saw mileage below the high teens, and was quite happy with how it performed.


I think you found the difference. I weighed in at 1485 but without several heavy items installed - stove, bed, battery, ...
When I add all that in I get 1727 empty, plus and extra heavy load of gear.

Your trailer is beautiful and is smaller than mine. Your roof is about level with your CX5 roof, mine is a foot or so above. I can't see your width but mine is wider than my CX5.

So mine is substantially heavier with a lot more aerodynamic drag. More weight, more drag, it makes sense my Mazda struggles while yours doesn't.
User avatar
Aguyfromohio
Gold Donating Member
 
Posts: 392
Images: 76
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2017 5:02 am
Top

Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby McGuffin » Tue Jun 18, 2019 6:06 pm

Hi from Ireland,

I use a 2017 Toyota Prius. On a four week trip around France 3,500 kilometres it worked at 39 MPG (US). Very comfortable too.... kept the speed down to about 50 MPH though :roll:

Image

Regards,

Larry
User avatar
McGuffin
Teardrop Advisor
 
Posts: 90
Images: 211
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2014 6:04 am
Location: Ireland
Top

Re: what does everyone use for a tow vehicle.

Postby pchast » Tue Jun 18, 2019 8:01 pm

That's quite good Larry. Was it mostly level driving or just your
speed that kept it so high?
pchast
Platinum Donating Member
 
Posts: 2023
Images: 97
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2013 5:47 pm
Location: Athens, NY
Top

PreviousNext

Return to Towing and Tow Vehicles

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests