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Old 08-05-2018, 03:50 AM   #1
Jonny85
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8 passenger tow vehicle for passport 2400bh

Hello all,
I’m looking into the passport 2400bh. My wife and I have 5 kids with another on the way. My tow vehicle right now is a Honda Pilot but with only a 4500# limit this trailer is a little to much. Any suggestions on a tow vehicle that would work good for my situation?
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Old 08-05-2018, 04:25 AM   #2
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Hi and welcome, Lots of good people here, with a great deal of experience.

I'm sure you will get lots of ideas, but someone has to be first. Due to the size of your crew, and the amount of gear and supplies you will need to haul, I would definitely consider a 1 ton, passenger van. Although the one ton might be slight overkill, the price difference between a 3/4 ton and a one tone is not that substantial, and will save you having to upgrade the tow vehicle, should you choose to upsize your trailer.

Good Luck,
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Old 08-05-2018, 04:53 AM   #3
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In that Miss Brenda and I have had five Ford vans, mostly Super-vans, in our married life, I believe Steve has the right idea. They were always Brenda's daily drivers and she loved every one of them. I'll bet if you were to shop around a little that you could find a nice used van (any of the big three) for a reasonable price.
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Old 08-05-2018, 10:48 AM   #4
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We have a Passport 2910bh and tow with a 2015 Chevy express, 1 ton, 15 passenger van. It's my husband and I and 5 kids. We were towing with a 3/4 ton suburban which did great, but it was getting older and we made it my husband's daily driver.

I LOVE my van! It's also my daily driver. It seems like overkill but it works out so well. We removed the very back row of seats and keep them tucked away in the garage. But removing them gives us plenty of cargo space in the back...as we speak we have a 42 gallon waste tote, 4 inflatable kayaks (deflated), 7 lifejackets, 2 cases of water, and more back there. It leaves 3 rows of seats so there are only at most 2 kids in any row so they have space. There's plenty of room under the benches for the kids gear, backpacks, etc. It drives great and tows like a dream. I love having a front short end, it makes maneuvering with a long (33') trailer much easier.

My only complaint is manufacturers not making bench headrests standard in passenger vans. We installed our own headrests, although it involves hunting down appropriate headrests, removing the benches and welding in anchors for the headrest posts. Worth it for the safety though. You could hold off on that of your kids are still in car seats or high back boosters. Although I'm glad every seat does have a lap/shoulder belt. It also has latch and rear tether anchors for your car seats.

After long trips, we often remove all the benches to make it easier to vacuum out and clean all the windows.
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Old 08-05-2018, 11:05 AM   #5
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With that crew i am afraid your options are going to be an older 3/4 ton suburban (newest model year is 2013) or, for something newer, a 1 ton passenger van. Several manufacturers make 1 ton vans that would meet your cargo needs while being capable of towing that trailer.
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Old 08-05-2018, 11:13 AM   #6
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Another option is if you have another 8 passenger vehicle ( a minivan can hold 8 when equipped), have the wife follow you with the kids while you tow the trailer with a truck. You could even get a single cab pickup if that is the case and you already have another 8 passenger vehicle in the fleet.
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Old 08-05-2018, 02:08 PM   #7
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Back in the old days when 99% of pickups were a standard cab, bench seat. I knew of some neighbors who had the wife and most kids follow along in the family car to their camp areas. In my family I and my brother rode in a truck bed that had an inclosed canopy. With I know now, that was not and is not a good idea.
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Old 08-07-2018, 11:07 AM   #8
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My neighbor is pulling a huge, heavy boat with a Ford Expedition so I looked them up. The Expedition is available with 8 passenger seating, and has a tow capacity of 9,000-9,300 lbs. depending on configuration.
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Old 08-07-2018, 12:34 PM   #9
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Agree on the 1 ton van. 2007 Chevy Express 3500 here, we have anywhere from 6-9 kids (depending on if the foster kids are with us). With the back bench out I can fit 6 bikes and 6 inflatable kayaks in the back, and still seat 11. We're pulling a Passport 3290bh with it.

Think about the trailer you're buying in terms of future use too. If the kids are small now, they will get bigger, their bikes will get bigger, they will take more space and need more stuff. When we only had 5 kids we had a small 3 bunk hybrid that did the job, but now some are teens and we needed more space. We can't double and triple up on those queen beds when they can't sleep sideways on the bed anymore.
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Old 08-07-2018, 12:54 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bisjoe View Post
My neighbor is pulling a huge, heavy boat with a Ford Expedition so I looked them up. The Expedition is available with 8 passenger seating, and has a tow capacity of 9,000-9,300 lbs. depending on configuration.
Problem is the Expedition will have nowhere NEAR the payload capacity to haul the hitch weight of that trailer plus the entire 8 person family. I feel comfortable saying they could easily be 1000 lbs over payload with that trailer and family configuration.
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Old 08-07-2018, 01:36 PM   #11
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We have a 2015 Nissan Armada and it also has a 9300lbs towing capacity. But payload is what is going to get you. Depending on how old the kids are and of course weights the Armada or Sequoia or of course the Chevy or GMC full size SUV would do it while the kids are young. Mine has a 1380lbs payload and is at its max with the four of us. This is a backup tow vehicle to our F-150 so it serves that purpose.
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Old 08-07-2018, 02:04 PM   #12
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Same with your F150! You'll exceed the payload long before you'll ever tow the 10-12k rv they claim it can haul.
Vehicle manufacturer should leave that "able to tow" section completely out of the manual, but as reading these forums they would miss a lot of sales to folks that don't know.
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Old 08-07-2018, 02:14 PM   #13
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If you're willing to buy "used" for 16 passenger vans, check your local "Ride Share" sites.

Here in Connecticut, they're state sponsored., and they dump them cheap! May be high mileage, but well maintained. If you buy a new "used" one every year, you're still ahead of the game!

Good Luck,
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Old 08-07-2018, 02:21 PM   #14
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I agree I would not go any bigger with my F-150 although I have more payload capacity than my Armada. I have put it on the scales and I am within the limits of my truck. Most of the time it is just the wife and I. Occasionally our kids will tag along. I agree they brag about these great towing capacities but you cant actually pull that safely. Although Ford in their latest advertisements have been talking payload which they never used to.
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Old 08-07-2018, 02:29 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pull Toy View Post
If you're willing to buy "used" for 16 passenger vans, check your local "Ride Share" sites.

Here in Connecticut, they're state sponsored., and they dump them cheap! May be high mileage, but well maintained. If you buy a new "used" one every year, you're still ahead of the game!

Good Luck,
I got ours from a dealership who got it at auction. Funny story, it turns out our van was previously a department of corrections vehicle, aka a prison transport van. It still has the brackets where they attached the cage that separated the prisoners from the driver. Those brackets, by the way, make excellent mounts for our 2 dvd system
We also discovered after taking the van home that not only could you not lock or unlock the side or rear doors from inside, but you could not open them from inside either! A little detail the dealer missed and they quickly corrected
My kids affectionately refer to it still as "The Prison Van".

But it's a 1 ton passenger van, I'm pulling a whole lot of trailer with it and checked it out on the scales last time out, I'm well within my limits. It's hard to find something that fits a lot of people and can be pulled by a tow vehicle that also fits a lot of people.
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Old 08-21-2018, 08:49 AM   #16
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Not sure on your budget,but don't rule out a Sprinter Van Freightliner or Mercedes. They max out at a 7500# tow capacity though
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