Anyone tow with Buick Enclave or GMC Acadia?

[buvens]

Just curious how it tows you trailer?

[travelin texans]

Just curious how it tows you trailer?

I checked about a year ago,on the Acadia, it had to have the towing package & was still only rated to tow around 5000 lbs if I recall correctly.
Funny thing is my neighbor has a Ford Escape with a factory 1 1/2 - 2" receiver mounted on it???? Maybe it has the all powerful 2.7 EgoBoost & able to haul a 30' TT.

[busterbrown]

This is a canned response but very true. Midsize SUV's are meant for popup trailers and Scamps. Anything traditional like a full frontal 11' tall, 8' wide coach has so much surface area to battle against that a relatively light unibody platform isn't an ideal or safe choice. It almost always works out that a mid-sized SUV owner will upgrade to a more significant TV after a short time towing with it.

[buvens]

Thanks for the responses
I was just curious if anyone had any real experiences with them.

I know the curb weight and power is more than the 2001 Pickup we tow with today and it does fine.

[66joej]

I think the Achilles heel with the Buick is the wheelbase. Had an '05 Explorer 4.6 V8 factory tow package. Towed a 14' TT max loaded to about 4000#. No problem on a straight dry road. When I encountered 18 wheelers, wind, hills, curves, etc. I really had a handful. Good thing we had the big Ford and 5er. That was the last time for the Explorer as a TV. Both that and the TT were sold shortly after. Great grocery getter.

[Smartin108]

I tow with a 2014 Chevrolet Traverse, the same vehicle as the GMC. Depending on the year, the Buick has a lower tow rating than the Chevy/GMC because it doesn't have a transmission cooler. I have the factory tow package and it's rated at 5200 pounds. I have towed a Bullet 1800RB with a dry weight of 3400 all over the country. No problems.

[buvens]

Interesting

Thanks for the insights.

[David Brewer]

I keep seeing where people are saying you can't tow or use a WDH on a unibody TV. I tow my 30 ft Passport with my 2006 Chevy Avalanche 2500 with a 8.1L gas engine. Tows that trailer and stops it like it isn't even back there. I've also towed smaller trailers like a 17 ft with a GMC Envoy and Blazer. They did struggle a bit going up hill. Been towing different campers with different vehicles for 30+ years and could tell some stories. Don't believe anything a salesman tells you do your research (but not on Facebook) 👍

[JRTJH]

I keep seeing where people are saying you can't tow or use a WDH on a unibody TV. I tow my 30 ft Passport with my 2006 Chevy Avalanche 2500 with a 8.1L gas engine. Tows that trailer and stops it like it isn't even back there. I've also towed smaller trailers like a 17 ft with a GMC Envoy and Blazer. They did struggle a bit going up hill. Been towing different campers with different vehicles for 30+ years and could tell some stories. Don't believe anything a salesman tells you do your research (but not on Facebook) ��

The 2006 Chevy Avalanche is not a uni-body vehicle. Some vehicle manufacturers provide for towing with weight distribution hitches on uni-body vehicles, many restrict weight distribution hitches on their uni-body models. It's best to rely on the vehicle manufacturer's recommendations (and limitations) when making decisions on appropriate towing limits for any specific vehicle.

[Javi]

Nothing more than a pop-up if they're in their right mind. ��

[sourdough]

I don't ever recall seeing a unibody mid sized SUV that allowed the use of a wdh. The strength is just not there in the body like a body on frame. An excellent example, although graphic, is illustrated in the link below. A body on frame vehicle in the scenario below would have "bent" in the middle, the Mercedes did not.

https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/CarAccident_1626612152953_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg

[flybouy]

Nothing more than a pop-up if they're in their right mind. ��

When I was young my father would look at used cars seemingly forever before buying. I'll never forget telling him "that's a pretty '63 Ford Galaxy over there" pointing at a white 2 door with red interior and a 352 badge. Dad said "son, see that trailer hitch on the back, that means it's probably had the guts pulled out of it". I think of that every time I see a little SUV or small truck with a hitch ball.

The only SUV I ever towed with was a 1999 Durrango R/T with 5.9 L and full time AWD. That Durango was a unibody on a full box frame. It pulled the 21' Keystone Cabana hybrid we had at the time. Pulled great hut LOVED premium fuel.

With today's unibody? No way! Pull a 30' camper with one? Rediculouse, JMHO. And for ALL YOU PO, POers don't start spouting todays HP ratings and number of gears as you'll not be addressing the frame, axle, and spring differences. If you want an eye opener go to a salvage yard and find a modern SUV thats been cut in half. Look it over and see what little bit of tin is between the front end and the rear end. Its typically the same peice of tin thats under the carpet that you rest your feet on.

[notanlines]

David, I believe most of us know where you're coming from, but we're just not willing to promote our past transgressions to newbies looking for advice.
Just a little nostalgia: My dad drove a 1947 Diamond T (in the years 1948 and 1949) from the canning factories in Minnesota to southern California distribution spots hauling 32K pounds of Minnesota's finest veggies. His rig? Powered by a Hercules 185 HP diesel. Five speed with 2 speed rear-end. Can you make those mountains with 185 HP? Sure.... but should you is the question.
All you old fart pick-up truck fans will enjoy this read: https://www.mervbergman.net/1940-diamond-t-model-201/a-history-of-the-diamond-t-truck/

[foldbak]

I don't ever recall seeing a unibody mid sized SUV that allowed the use of a wdh. The strength is just not there in the body like a body on frame. An excellent example, although graphic, is illustrated in the link below. A body on frame vehicle in the scenario below would have "bent" in the middle, the Mercedes did not.

https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/CarAccident_1626612152953_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg


FUNNY but NOT!:ermm:

[sourdough]

FUNNY but NOT!:ermm:


No, I don't see any humor in it. I find it amazing that so many folks (not particularly this forum) have no idea of the difference between body on frame and unibody construction. There is a tremendous loss of strength is this kind of situation or when used for towing anything very large. The picture was of a situation that ended very badly for several folks.

[travelin texans]

I tow with a 2014 Chevrolet Traverse, the same vehicle as the GMC. Depending on the year, the Buick has a lower tow rating than the Chevy/GMC because it doesn't have a transmission cooler. I have the factory tow package and it's rated at 5200 pounds. I have towed a Bullet 1800RB with a dry weight of 3400 all over the country. No problems.

You've listed both the most popular 2 numbers for sales people to quote to get folks to buy something & the 2 most useless 2 numbers to use for pairing a rv to a tow vehicle.
You nor anyone else will ever tow a rv at or near the dry weight! That's what it weighed as it rolled out the factory door with no batteries, no propane, possibly no spare, no liquids or any dealer added options.
The max tow rating of vehicles was arrived at by the manufacturer towing low profile utility trailers with the load directly over the axles considerably lowering the tongue weight, which in no way compares to a tall wind catching box that the weight is fixed wherever they built it. You WILL most likely, towing a rv, exceed the payload posted on YOUR vehicle long before you're able to tow the max weight.
Most of the numbers printed in brochures or websites are also useless, most are extremely light compared to real world rv numbers.
Use the payload posted on YOUR trucks door jamb & use the appropriate percentage (13% average tongue weight for a TT) of the GVWR of the chosen rv, found on the drivers front corner.