Seeking TV recomendation

[traveller16]

Looking to buy a TV to pull a 22' Bullet Premier. Most any manufacturer is OK. Not looking for new, maybe 2007-2009 or so. Prefer a SUV over a pick up. Suggestions welcomed.

[Mike484]

Looks like the dry weight is just under 5,000 pounds. We have a Passport with a dry weight of 5,500 and pull it with a GMC 1500. So, a full size SUV should not be a problem at all. I would make sure it has the towing package though so you will have the right gears, transmission cooing, suspension, etc. to make towing easier.

[Tbos]

I think you might be able to find the Trailer Life towing guide on-line. There may be several years worth out there. It's a good one-stop shop for limits. A friend tows a 5700lbs dry weight with a suburban and said it does well.

[Tbos]

I think you might be able to find the Trailer Life towing guide on-line. There may be several years worth out there. It's a good one-stop shop for limits. A friend tows a 5700lbs dry weight with a suburban and said it does well.

[bsmith0404]

I'm assuming you're talking about the 22 RBPR. The GVWR is 6,500 lbs. Most mid size SUVs such as the Traverse, Durango, and Explorer are going to have a max tow rating around 5,500 WITH the tow package. So you are going to be looking at the larger units such as the Suburban or Expedition. Those will be have tow ratings around 7,000 lbs so they will work, but you'll be close to the upper end of their range. As already mentioned check the tow guide or tow numbers. Make sure the vehicle you select is properly equipped based on manufacturer recommendations for towing equipment and select the one that fits your needs the best.

Now that I've said all of that, I'll go ahead and point out the typical standard answer that you will get from many people. Based on the numbers, the TT and TV combo you are looking at will be at the max limits of the TV and not give you room for TT upgrade down the road. Many of us can tell you from experience that it is typical to want an upgrade after a couple years. The normal recommendation is to get more TV than you need. My recommendation in this case would normally be a 3/4 diesel truck. 2006/07 was some of the best years for the Duramax and you would serve you well.

[Desert185]

I'm assuming you're talking about the 22 RBPR. The GVWR is 6,500 lbs. Most mid size SUVs such as the Traverse, Durango, and Explorer are going to have a max tow rating around 5,500 WITH the tow package. So you are going to be looking at the larger units such as the Suburban or Expedition. Those will be have tow ratings around 7,000 lbs so they will work, but you'll be close to the upper end of their range. As already mentioned check the tow guide or tow numbers. Make sure the vehicle you select is properly equipped based on manufacturer recommendations for towing equipment and select the one that fits your needs the best.

Now that I've said all of that, I'll go ahead and point out the typical standard answer that you will get from many people. Based on the numbers, the TT and TV combo you are looking at will be at the max limits of the TV and not give you room for TT upgrade down the road. Many of us can tell you from experience that it is typical to want an upgrade after a couple years. The normal recommendation is to get more TV than you need. My recommendation in this case would normally be a 3/4 diesel truck. 2006/07 was some of the best years for the Duramax and you would serve you well.

That last paragraph was my thought. A four-door pickup with a shell would do nicely. As much as I like the older 3500 Suburbans, a pickup is so much more practical.

[sourdough]

I agree with the above. If you are only going to have one vehicle, and you intend to tow a RV, the practical choice is a 4 door pickup. Same amount of room except your gear is in the bed vs inside with you. A good bed cover or topper fixes that and you have plenty of vehicle to tow the trailer. A trailer with a GVWR of 6500 lbs is just too big for a normal suv imo.

[Mike484]

Which trailer are you looking at?

If you can afford, it is best to oversize the tow vehicle, then you always have the option to upgrade your trailer. If you end up using your trailer a lot, you will more than likely want to upgrade, most do.

[larry337]

My wife has a 2013 Expedition with HD towing, and auto level. We have towed our daughters 29 foot Jayco with it. It has an empty weight of 4800 lbs and a gross somewhere around 6500 I want to say, (no slides). The truck is rated for 9000 lbs, I'd never try that but I will say it handled the Jayco with ease. I'm very picky about towing and I was very impressed. It was a very nice riding combination and no sway.

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[larry337]

On a side note, we chose the Expedition over the Tahoe/Suburban for 2 reasons. One the independent rear suspension was a better ride in our opinion and two the power folding rear seat is a no brainer. With the GM model you had to lift the rear seat out, which is pretty heavy, then find someplace to store it. No way was I gonna mess with that.

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[busterbrown]

On a side note, we chose the Expedition over the Tahoe/Suburban for 2 reasons. One the independent rear suspension was a better ride in our opinion and two the power folding rear seat is a no brainer. With the GM model you had to lift the rear seat out, which is pretty heavy, then find someplace to store it. No way was I gonna mess with that.

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Some truck guys prefer the GM full size SUVs over the Ford's just for their solid rear axle. That's kind of why I bought my Yukon XL Denali over the Expy.

[larry337]

Some truck guys prefer the GM full size SUVs over the Ford's just for their solid rear axle. That's kind of why I bought my Yukon XL Denali over the Expy.

I totally understand. I like my F350 for the solid front axle vs GM's IFS. The Expy is my wife's daily driver mostly. I really don't care what rear end it has but it does ride nice. She also uses it for grandkids, nieces, dogs, groceries or whatever. We use the folding rear seat option ALOT! For that reason alone I wouldn't buy another Tahoe. I say that because we've owned two Tahoes and also had a behemoth Excursion with a V10. My last 2 trucks have been an F250 and my current F350 but I've also had Silverados so I'm not being brand loyal when I say we enjoy this Expy more than any other full size SUV we've ever had. It wasn't purchased to tow a camper but it does tow our 4 wheelers. When we had to tow our daughter's camper I was truly amazed how well it did.

[bsmith0404]

The Tahoe has a power folding rear seat now too. I was not happy to see that. I've always felt that was just an added expense that wasn't worth it. There isn't one vehicle or option that is perfect for every customer, that's why they're all different.

[Desert185]

I have thought that there was a market for a 3/4 or one ton Suburban with a DMax/Allison combination...with a tow package including a limited slip diff, of course. But then, I have never been a marketing guy...:D

[bsmith0404]

I have thought that there was a market for a 3/4 or one ton Suburban with a DMax/Allison combination...with a tow package including a limited slip diff, of course. But then, I have never been a marketing guy...:D

I've always felt the same way, but I think GM has even gone away from the 3/4 ton suburban. I have to admit, I don't see many of them on the roads. Ford had the Excursion 3/4 ton diesel, but that wasn't a big seller either. I think crew cab trucks have hurt that market.

[JRTJH]

I've always felt the same way, but I think GM has even gone away from the 3/4 ton suburban. I have to admit, I don't see many of them on the roads. Ford had the Excursion 3/4 ton diesel, but that wasn't a big seller either. I think crew cab trucks have hurt that market.

The Excursion was truly a dinosaur. It was only available in the 3/4 ton version, probably because in those years, the "rough ride" noted in the one ton trucks. When the 7.3L diesel was added, along with the extra weight of the "upper trim levels", there wasn't much payload left. In some of the King Ranch models, there wasn't even enough payload to put a passenger in each seat position (at the 150 pound rating) without surpassing the payload. If I remember correctly, the Excursion with the Limited package and "all the options" had a payload of around 1100 pounds. Add a hitch receiver, brake control and air bags to the rear axle and you're down to less than 1000 pounds for all the passengers, cargo and tongue weight of a trailer. That "mismatch" of size and payload capacity meant that even though the diesel Excursion could easily "pull" a 34' Holiday Rambler, it was "overloaded" with a 20' trailer and 3 teenage kids, even when they left the bicycles at home.

Add that to the "fleet average fuel requirements" that were "mandating the size of vehicles produced" in those days, along with the fact that the Excursion was produced on the same assembly line as the SuperDuty trucks, which Ford couldn't build fast enough to keep up with sales, and I'd guess the reason the Excursion was discontinued was not only it's limitations in payload but also the popularity of its "competitor", the SuperDuty. Ford made a choice to go with what they could sell more of at the time.