[VAC] Re: what will I need to pull it?

[Jim Dunmyer <jdunmyer@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jamie,
 You cannot have too much tow vehicle, period.

While you'll see folks telling you that "I tow with a [insert name of
favorite SUV here] and it works fine", you'll also see others tell you
of scary experiences with a too-small/light puller. I can't think of a
single post in the 3 years on this list where someone said that they
were sorry that they bought a big ol' 3/4-ton truck and wished they'd
have gone with a 1/2-ton vehicle.

Look at the GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) and GCWR (gross combined
weight rating) of any vehicle you're looking at. Don't underestimate
what you're going to carry, and don't forget the passengers. As a point
of reference, a 25' trailer will run about 5000# empty and you'll add AT
LEAST 750# of "stuff" in the trailer. Add to that the 2 or 3 people in
the vehicle (in addition to the driver) and more "stuff" in the back,
and it really adds up fast.

A 3/4-ton truck (van, Suburban, whatever) is a far more capable vehicle
than a 1/2-ton outfit. Most manufacturers use heavier axles,
transmissions, springs, brakes (you do want to stop, don't you?),
radiators, tires & wheels, etc. on their 3/4-ton trucks as opposed to
their 1/2-ton line.

>From personal experience: We started out with a 1/2-ton Dodge p/u,
pulling a 4000# (loaded weight) GlobeTrotter. It worked great, and I
hardly knew the trailer was back there. Then, we decided that we needed
"more trailer" and I found a 25' Avion that weighs nearly 6000# when
ready for a trip. Although that was still within the rating of the
Dodge, it just didn't feel so great. Pulling a long hill in hot weather
would cause the temperature guage to start climbing, and when I couldn't
find a bigger radiator, I decided to look for what I really wanted and
needed. My wife found a 1994 Dodge w/Cummins Diesel on AutoTrader.Com,
and I bought it. Yes, I had to rebuilt the transmission and repair the
A/C, but I now have a truck that hardly knows the trailer is back there.
I load my electric golf cart in the bed, add a bit of pressure to the
air bags, and still run away with the trailer. And, I'm still well
within the GCWR of the truck. Long hills don't make the guage rise at
all, the transmission stays cool, and it stops well. Besides, I get
about 15MPG while towing. Total cost of that truck, with all the work
I've done to it, is still well under $15K, and I should be able to
easily get another 150,000 miles out of it without too much major work.

It isn't any worse around town than the 1/2-ton truck was, maybe a bit
better.

                                    <<Jim>>