Got a new tow vehicle for my trailer

[dm]

Well its new to me anyway. Its a 2006 dodge with the 5.9 diesel. We have several trips planned and the half ton Chevy had alot of miles on it and it struggled on anything other than the flats. This is more truck than I need, but can you have to much truck? We can plan our trip to Yellowstone now.

 

[REWahoo]

...can you have to much truck?

This is one of life's great mysteries. So many of us spend our lives seeking the answer, but will we ever really know?

 

[brewer12345]

Remind me what you are towing? Must be a monster.

I am wondering if the minivan will cut the mustard towing the 3000# "clown car" trailer we have once we go from sea level to 5000 feet elevation.

 

[REWahoo]

I am wondering if the minivan will cut the mustard towing the 3000# "clown car" trailer we have once we go from sea level to 5000 feet elevation.

I suspect your minivan will be challenged to make it up some of those big hills out in CO without overheating the transmission. Probably even more challenged to not overheat the brakes on the trip down the other side.

 

[cardude]

Yeah, no way I would try to pull a 3000 lb trailer with a FWD minivan. And especially not in CO.

 

[FinanceDude]

Remind me what you are towing? Must be a monster.

I am wondering if the minivan will cut the mustard towing the 3000# "clown car" trailer we have once we go from sea level to 5000 feet elevation.

Make sure you have the towing package with the engine oil and tranny coolers. You may have to up your game when you move to CO. LOTS of diesel trucks there..........

 

[FinanceDude]

Well its new to me anyway. Its a 2006 dodge with the 5.9 diesel. We have several trips planned and the half ton Chevy had alot of miles on it and it struggled on anything other than the flats. This is more truck than I need, but can you have to much truck? We can plan our trip to Yellowstone now.

Is that a 3/4 ton (2500)? Could not see clearly on the sides. Cummins makes an EXCELLENT diesel..........

 

[dm]

Here is our old travel trailer. Its a 1964 Streamline. Its suppose to be a 26 footer. But I measured it the other day as I'm getting a quote for a metal building to house the trailer, truck, lawn mower, ect. And it measured 28' from bumper to end of the hitch.

We are planning many week long trips and possible a month in the winter.

 

[REWahoo]

That old beauty looks really solid - and heavy. Have you put it on the scales while loaded for the road? Just curious as to how much you are actually towing.

 

[brewer12345]

Yeah, no way I would try to pull a 3000 lb trailer with a FWD minivan. And especially not in CO.

We have had zero issues towing with this setup for the last 3 and a half years all over the Northeast. Pulled up to 1500 foot elevations and have towed for 6 or 7 hours at a time.

We will see what the story is when I get out there. If its a problem then I will be looking at a truck of some sort, but very unlikely to be a diesel.

 

[dm]

That old beauty looks really solid - and heavy. Have you put it on the scales while loaded for the road? Just curious as to how much you are actually towing.

It's not as heavy as it looks. I weighed it just after I bought it and it was close to 5000lbs. So I'm guessing it's around 6000lbs loaded. These were pulled with passenger cars back in the day. The frame is steel, but everything else is aluminum. The only wood in the trailer is the floor and the cabinet doors. It even has the lifetime warranty still attached to the back of a door inside. To bad the company didn't last as long.

 

[REWahoo]

We will see what the story is when I get out there. If its a problem then I will be looking at a truck of some sort, but very unlikely to be a diesel.

You won't need a diesel to pull that trailer up (and down) those CO "hills" but I suspect you will need a properly equipped-for-towing truck. The 3,000 lb figure you quote is likely to be considerably underestimated. Weights tend to sneak up on you once you include all the stuff a family loads in the camper - and don't forget the added weight of the stuff you load into the tow vehicle - including the wife, the kids, the dogs, etc.

Not trying to be overly pessimistic, just reflecting my own experience from many years ago when I attempted to haul my family (4) and a pop-up camper to CO and not being able to maintain a speed greater than 15 mph up a very big hill...

 

[Rustward]

I am wondering if the minivan will cut the mustard towing the 3000# "clown car" trailer we have once we go from sea level to 5000 feet elevation.

Sorry, can't help myself. Don't take this personally.

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[brewer12345]

You won't need a diesel to pull that trailer up (and down) those CO "hills" but I suspect you will need a properly equipped-for-towing truck. The 3,000 lb figure you quote is likely to be considerably underestimated. Weights tend to sneak up on you once you include all the stuff a family loads in the camper - and don't forget the added weight of the stuff you load into the tow vehicle - including the wife, the kids, the dogs, etc.

Not trying to be overly pessimistic, just reflecting my own experience from many years ago when I attempted to haul my family (4) and a pop-up camper to CO and not being able to maintain a speed greater than 15 mph up a very big hill...

Trailer dry weight is 2500 pounds, van is rated to tow 3500. Payload capacity for the van is over 1000 pounds. We have wiggle room, but perhaps not enough when we get out there. Time will tell.

 

[HFWR]

Make sure you have the towing package with the engine oil and tranny coolers. You may have to up your game when you move to CO. LOTS of diesel trucks there..........

Yeah, nothing worse than a hot tranny...

 

[JakeBrake]

You won't need a diesel to pull that trailer up (and down) those CO "hills" but I suspect you will need a properly equipped-for-towing truck. The 3,000 lb figure you quote is likely to be considerably underestimated. Weights tend to sneak up on you once you include all the stuff a family loads in the camper - and don't forget the added weight of the stuff you load into the tow vehicle - including the wife, the kids, the dogs, etc.

Not trying to be overly pessimistic, just reflecting my own experience from many years ago when I attempted to haul my family (4) and a pop-up camper to CO and not being able to maintain a speed greater than 15 mph up a very big hill...

That sounds like us. We thought we would never make it to Sugar Loafing CG at Leadville, CO (elevation about 10,000 ft). We had a Coleman pop-up camper. We were towing it with a Chevrolet Caprice station wagon with the 305 CI V8 and 4BBL carb. Of course, modern vehicles with computers & fuel injection do much better in the mountains.

A few weeks ago we drove through West Texas on I10 where the speed limit is 80 MPH. I set the cruise on 80 and people passed us like we were standing still. Fortunately, we were not towing anything.

 

[packrat44]

Well its new to me anyway. Its a 2006 dodge with the 5.9 diesel. We have several trips planned and the half ton Chevy had alot of miles on it and it struggled on anything other than the flats. This is more truck than I need, but can you have to much truck? We can plan our trip to Yellowstone now.

Your Cummins will pull with ease. I bought a new Dodge with the Cummins w/ 6 speed manual at time of retirement. Even with a heavy tractor in tow, it will accelerate with ease on even the steepest of grades. My older gas truck is a total wimp under similar conditions.

 

[packrat44]

We have had zero issues towing with this setup for the last 3 and a half years all over the Northeast. Pulled up to 1500 foot elevations and have towed for 6 or 7 hours at a time..

The western mountains, especially towing in the Rockies, are going to be a new game. Transmission overheating; engine overheating; low engine torque; inadequate brakes on the down hill side. Be VERY CAREFUL!

 

[brewer12345]

The western mountains, especially towing in the Rockies, are going to be a new game. Transmission overheating; engine overheating; low engine torque; inadequate brakes on the down hill side. Be VERY CAREFUL!

We will be very careful. I expect to go slow until I see how things go.

 

[haha]

We will be very careful. I expect to go slow until I see how things go.

It's been a while, so my memory might be faulty, but as I remember getting to Denver is a long steady but fairly easy pull from St. Louis. It's going anywhere once you get there that will be obviously beyond your minivan's abilities. One thing to remember is that not only are you dragging a big weight uphill, that puny engine is breathing thinner and thinner air, and just won't have the oomph it had before you hit Kansas. Think brakes and trans too, altitude and grades are a big deal.

Ha

 

[brewer12345]

It's been a while, so my memory might be faulty, but as I remember getting to Denver is a long steady but fairly easy pull from St. Louis. It's going anywhere once you get there that will be obviously beyond your minivan's abilities. One thing to remember is that not only are you dragging a big weight uphill, that puny engine is breathing thinner and thinner air, and just won't have the oomph it had before you hit Kansas. Think brakes and trans too, altitude and grades are a big deal.

Ha

I know. I suspect our camping trips will be relatively few this year as we'll be settling in a new to us house and I will be dealing with a new job with a certain amount of travel. The first couple trips will not be into the rockies. If the van is gasping or the brakes are an issue even on the high plains, we will do something about a tow vehicle. But until the dust settles on the move I do not want to make any major expenditures.

Longer term, I know I need a beefier tow vehicle. A full size pickup (F150, Silverado, Avalanche) or truck based SUV (Yukon, Pathfinder, etc.) with a V8 and 5000+ of curb weight will be on the list. Not sure if it will replace the Subaru or the van (like the former).

 

[Walt34]

... but can you have too much truck?

No.

If this one won't do it you have a problem:

Truck maker unveils a monster pickup - Business - Autos - msnbc.com

 

[REWahoo]

But does anybody really need a vehicle that is nine feet tall, eight feet wide, 21 1/2 feet long and gets about seven miles on a gallon of diesel?

If you have to ask, you just don't get it...