Tow vehicle suggestions

[Fordphanatic]

Better to have a Stablemate with the $300k RV..

Well that's nice but not in my reach or 90% of peoples reach. $300K LOL

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[NightmareMoon]

If you have a place to park it, a class C or class A RV could tow up to 8000 lbs on some models, and they arent much more than a pickup truck. Bonus is you can stay in it instead of hotels etc and also go on other trips unrelated.

My current setup. Cant flat tow the mustang though obviously and that would defeat the point for you, youd need to have it in the trailer. Tow capability of a RV like this is 8000 lbs. And you can find some similar to this or a bit older for 60-70k. Its an E450 chassis. I live in this full time currently.

I almost bought a Class A, but 8000 lbs isn't that much capacity. You can't really flat tow a mustang, so you have to account for the trailer too. Often, Class Cs are like trucks but a lot are already basically overloaded with the weight of the RV build out.

Now, with the right RV, I agree its a good option, assuming you can handle the parking and maintenance of a vehicle/home that's sitting idle and empty most of the time.

I've spent too much time exploring the RV option. The placed I ended up moving to has a big enough driveway I could theoretically park a 35' Class A and a 20'+4' trailer with some room left.

Or, you could just convert a school bus to haul a mustang inside....

 

[Andy13186]

^
If I had land, I would build a solar carport and park the RV and trailer under that. Bonus is , it would probably be enough solar to power your entire house too. If RV's are covered and stored properly out of the sun, there is very little degradation. Just maintain the rubber seals etc. I actually recently used chat GPT to design a house :

Mustang + trailer would probably be 6250-7000 lbs or so. That 4xe rubicon im flat towing is about 6000 lbs with the gear I have in it and the bike etc. Dont even notice its back there. Havent done much mountain driving while towing it yet though. I just think 70k for the motorhome with the capability to tow 8000 lbs is a pretty awesome deal considering its basically the same cost as a pickup truck, and you can find some for much less like 45k if you dont care about how old/used it is. Mines the v10 model, the newer models use the godzilla.

Super C's are nice but overkill, and I would hate to deal with diesel and diesel maintenance etc. Their interiors are usually the same quality as normal C's but smaller for the same length vehicle, since the cab sticks farther forward.

 

[webspoke]

HD truck is the right choice for overall stability, braking capacity, and future upgrades to enclosed trailers with these heavy cars. You can carry more tires and gear, and not have to fuss with tongue weight or trailer weight as much. They are also very refined and comfortable. Leave the 1/2 tons for the miata drivers. HD trucks also hold their value better, especially if you put on high miles/year. 100k mi. HD truck still has decent resale and trade, compared to a gas 1/2 ton or SUV.

HD Ram trucks have tighter turning radius than fords and GMs, and are slightly shorter and more compact feeling, if that matters for your usage. I switched to Fords a few trucks back but had good experiences with Ram 2500s. All brands now have strong engines and 8-10spd transmissions. There is a reason 4 of our TX mustang track guys now use F450s.

 

[kz]

Late to this conversation but towed (open steel trailer, weighs roughly 2,000lb) with '17 F150 Ecoboost, '23 F150 Powerboost (both Lariats) and RAM1500 with 5.7 Hemi.

Out of all these 3, by far - like a light year - least problematic vehicle turned out to be RAM (45k miles currently).

'17 Eco - typical 3.5 Ecoboost engine CAM phasers issue. Bunch of little issues here and there.

'23 Powerboost - absolute trash of a vehicle build quality wise (and this is Ford fanboy speaking). Went through two OEM batteries in a first year (replaced now with Die Hard one from parts store using my own money), had a leaking transfer case seal, replaced trailer brake controller and had random interior rattles. Other than this, it's great, lots of torque and great fuel economy while not driving at highway speeds.

One time power went out and I wanted to use that sweet 7.2kW generator, wife was 50 miles away with it playing voleyball. Great gadget, but cheaper to get Harbor Freight one.

One thing to watch out for is payload. '23 PB Lariat has 1,300lb payload - no way anyone could be within this with an enclosed.

RAM ('22) - zero problems so far. None. Not as great for towing as the turbo/hybrids from Ford, but ZF 8 speed transmission is way way smoother than 10R80.

If I was buying today, I'd buy a RAM with Hurricane for open trailer and 2500 with 6.4 for an enclosed. (can't believe I wrote that).

 

[Bossdog]

After multiple half ton tow rigs, I bought a '22 F250 with the 7.3 gas and It would be hard to buy a half ton for towing after that!

For Sure! I borrowed my buddies F250 diesel turbo for towing my car to the track, WOW, that is an amazing tow vehicle. Its like you are not towing anything at all.

 

[Bugs]

Ram: Beautiful truck, but it depreciates quickly and Stellantis reliability............Also, I don't like how the Hurricane I-6 doesn't have an oil dipstick.

If you think the Ram depreciates, use that to your advantage. Find a used 2014 - 2018 Ram 2500 diesel. Can't beat proven Cummins reliability and at 50K miles, the engine is just getting broken in.

 

[Bumzo1]

I'm going to go against the grain and say that a large SUV or turbo midsize truck is perfectly fine for towing the typical open trailer. This is assuming that you are all within the rated payload and tow ratings and using a weight distributing hitch. This would also mean that half tons are well suited but you have to be aware that higher trim levels can have poor payload numbers as well. I do think that enclosed trailers warrant a 3/4 ton, I have done it with a half ton and it did not instill confidence. I would not want to tow this with an NA V6, they just don't have enough torque.

I towed with this setup for a good 4 years and it always felt very stable. 2009 Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi, I did add a trans cooler, brake controller, and rear airbags. Trailer + car + tools weighs about 6200lbs and I do use a recurve r3 weight distribution hitch. The hitch is the magic sauce to make this all work. I probably towed over 5k miles with this setup and would get 10-12mpg.

Now I tow with a 2023 Colorado and have been very happy with it. Power is adequate for this load although the V8 Jeep was a little quicker. Stability is great with the same WDH and the built in brake controller is super smooth compared to the aftermarket unit I used in the Jeep. The bed is convenient for extra tires and fuel jugs although I still put most of my tools in the tongue box. I've towed over 3k miles with this setup, including a few out of state trips, and total average is 12.1mpg. On some stretches I can touch 14mpg at 70mph.

 

[WItoTX]

After multiple half ton tow rigs, I bought a '22 F250 with the 7.3 gas and It would be hard to buy a half ton for towing after that!

This. Don't mess with diesel if any daily dusty is in the picture. The new diesel trucks still have dpf and def issues. And I guess I'm to the point that I'm not deleting any more trucks.

The gasser is phenomenal. Just don't pretend it's a light duty truck or engine and think you'll get 15 with it.

 

[drunkenup]

The 10R80 in my 2021 F150 has been just fine, and the 14th gen F150 forums aren't littered with cam phaser problems that every 17-20 3.5L ends up with. Works great for the 8hr trip to VIR. Lane centering while towing does cut down fatigue for me on the big open stretches of road. I get 12-14 mpg.

 

[WItoTX]

Just to add to this. If you go to a half ton, get the longest one you can. The reason is stability. The longer wheelbase means the truck is less easily affected by trailer sway because of the longer wheel base. Now if you add 3/4 ton into the mix, you add 1500-2000 lbs of weight to that longer wheelbase, meaning the trailer has even less impact, physics wise, on the truck.

I've towed all kinds of weight and trailers all across this country. I've white knuckled a 26' enclosed snowmobile trailer lightly loaded across the Texas and Oklahoma panhandle in a half ton. After that experience, I went straight to a 3/4 ton. The same trip, same weight, same trailer, was a relaxing cruise in a 3/4 ton.

Half tons and even the smaller trucks, or SUVs have all the power and brake you need. They simply don't have the mass or length needed to have a comfortable drive. You can mitigate some of the trailers influence over a vehicle by going to a load hitch. But it's just more crap to own that id avoid for something as light as a car trailer and car. More stuff to store 75% of the year. More weight that goes against your payload.

 

[Hack]

I went through this recently. I'm really cheap, so I spent $2,000 on a 2003 Excursion with the 6.8 gas V10. It needed quite a bit of maintenance and repair, which had the bonus of being fun. All in, I think I have about 6k in it including new tires, shocks, some steering components, switchgear, stereo, fluids, etc., but I foolishly let a local shop replace some of the suspension parts rather than doing it myself. You could do it for less, for sure. I have a F250 SD with the same drivetrain and I've had really good luck with it.

Both of them have ~250,000 miles on them. The Excursion had one popped spark plug, but the insert was fairly easy to do. I bought a bore scope to make sure I got all the shavings out of the cylinder after drilling and tapping. I looked at all the threads and all the cylinders. They still have the cross hatching on them.

I've been driving the Excursion occasionally on bad weather days instead of the Camaro. I've found I kind of miss 90s Fords. It's pretty peppy without a trailer. I'm sure it wouldn't keep up with a modern 7.3 gas engine. My neighbor has 3 of the Excursions with the 7.3 Power Stroke and a handful of the super duty pickups with the 7.3 PS. He tows all the time, and I would recommend that setup for heavier or longer towing.

 

[80FoxCoupe]

Just to add to this. If you go to a half ton, get the longest one you can. The reason is stability. The longer wheelbase means the truck is less easily affected by trailer sway because of the longer wheel base. Now if you add 3/4 ton into the mix, you add 1500-2000 lbs of weight to that longer wheelbase, meaning the trailer has even less impact, physics wise, on the truck.

I've towed all kinds of weight and trailers all across this country. I've white knuckled a 26' enclosed snowmobile trailer lightly loaded across the Texas and Oklahoma panhandle in a half ton. After that experience, I went straight to a 3/4 ton. The same trip, same weight, same trailer, was a relaxing cruise in a 3/4 ton.

Half tons and even the smaller trucks, or SUVs have all the power and brake you need. They simply don't have the mass or length needed to have a comfortable drive. You can mitigate some of the trailers influence over a vehicle by going to a load hitch. But it's just more crap to own that id avoid for something as light as a car trailer and car. More stuff to store 75% of the year. More weight that goes against your payload.

I agree with the above but properly loaded trailer makes a difference. Standard cab short bed f150 here with 20ft aluminum open with load E tites. Never had any stability issues.

 

[kz]

All true above but probably 95% half ton trucks made are super crew cab and 5.5 foot bed.
Also both here stay in the garage, anything longer wouldn't fit.

For an enclos

I agree with the above but properly loaded trailer makes a difference. Standard cab short bed f150 here with 20ft aluminum open with load E tites. Never had any stability issues.

YEah - friend tower Miata on a steel open trailer from Cincinnati to Lincoln, NE and back with Toyota Highlander and back with zero issues. Twice.
Open trailer with a car on it - it's really hard to do it wrong, plenty of people tow with mid-size trucks. Also 90% of trucks on the market are crew cabs with 5.5" bed (both of mine are, both stay in the garage and had they been longer, would have to stay outside).

Enclosed trailer is a different story, but open one you can tow with just about anything.
Americans get their minds blown seeing what Europeans tow their campers with (at much lower speeds though).

 

[RobZ71LM7]

Just to add to this. If you go to a half ton, get the longest one you can. The reason is stability. The longer wheelbase means the truck is less easily affected by trailer sway because of the longer wheel base. Now if you add 3/4 ton into the mix, you add 1500-2000 lbs of weight to that longer wheelbase, meaning the trailer has even less impact, physics wise, on the truck.

Spot on. The engine, transmission and rear end of modern 1/2 tons is way beyond what 1/2 tons of years ago and more in line with 3/4 and 1 ton trucks, let alone what we had in the 90's. It wasn't that long ago that people towed pony cars on open trailers with GM (sorry I'm more of a GM guy or was) trucks that had TBI 350's (all of 200-210hp) and ~12" rotors and single piston brakes. The biggest thing newer half tons lack is mass and suspension. A co-worker tows quite a bit with an F-150 crew cab 6.5' bed that he special ordered with max tow and I believe the heavy payload package.

That being said a 3/4 ton with a simpler, gasoline, large displacement, pushrod V8 leaves a lot less to fail.

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