SUV's pulling Elite II's?

[SimonJester]

Most of the Tow Vehicle comments in other forums are from pick up truck owners.  Being a pickup owner, I understand the pride.  However, we need a new tow vehicle, and would live to hear from SUV owners, especially as it relates to pulling an Elite II.  Thank you!

[Commanche]

We are using a 2014 Dodge Durango with a 5.7 V8 hemi, and we are really pleased with it. We have been to MT,CO,AZ,TX, and FL twice. We get about 12-13 MPG, the only downside is, I wish it had a bigger gas tank. We put the back 2 rows of seats down and a piece of fiber board on top with a piece of carpet, so the dog has his space. Of course if we didn't have the dog (German Shepard) we would have a lot more cargo space.

 

The Durango seemed to be about right size for us, it's rated at 7,000 lbs towing and not huge or expensive as a Ford,Chevy, or GMC. And, most importantly, it's fun to drive.

 

Stan

[KarenLukens]

Lot's of us pull with SUV's :)

 

http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/hull-200-in-service/

 

 

[SimonJester]

Thank you, Stan!

 

As a previous German Shepard owner, I understand the room that they can take.

 

What model of Oliver do you all own?

 

Joe Cox

[donthompson]

I tow with a 2015 VW Touareg TDI. I'm waiting for VW to engineer a fix to solve their problem with emissions testing that will satisfy the courts. I towed my Elite II 12,000 miles last year and 4,000 miles in January and February this year. The towing capacity is 7700 lbs. It has 240 h.p. and 406 lb.-ft. of torque. The 8-speed transmission is a plus. I have averaged up to 19 mpg towing in Iowa driving on 2-lane highways with rolling hills. I've averaged 14-15 mpg towing in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, etc. The Touareg is a great tow vehicle. I've driven Ford, Chevy and Dodge Ram pickups and prefer the Touareg because it is more stable, handles better, and is less affected by windy conditions. I wish VW hadn't done what it did with the emissions issue. If I have to part ways with the Touareg, I'll replace it with another SUV--an Audi Q7, another Touareg or a Mercedes GLE350 4Matic.

 

The downside to towing with an SUV like these is the lack of cargo capacity compared to a full-size pickup. Others have commented on the forum about how difficult it would be to find someone to fix a German SUV in the sparsely populated parts of the West. I understand that concern, but there is no perfect tow vehicle. You have to decide on the pros/cons as they relate to what you want in a tow vehicle.

 

I don't want to drive a pickup on a daily basis and I don't want a tow vehicle that sits in storage except when I'm traveling with my Ollie.

[DavidS]

Many use a pickup to tow their Oliver, but an SUV works better for us for our non-trailering needs. Additionally, a pickup would not fit in our garage. I searched the Trailer Life Towing Guides and looked for vehicles with significant towing capacity. After a lot of research we purchased an Audi Q7, which has which has a maximum permissible trailer weight of 7,700 lbs. The car is really nice, and it is a dream in pulling the Oliver. We have pulled the Ollie up steep hills, and the car has plenty of power.

 

Don commented on decreased cargo capacity of an SUV compared to a truck. While the cargo in cubic feet is probably less, the access is better in an SUV, since you can get at stuff from either the rear hatch or the side doors. That is an advantage. On our last trip we got a roof box, which gives us much more cargo room, and the advantage of two distinct storage domains. Certain things are stowed in the roof box, others in the car, making it easier to find things.

 

David

[Overland]

If I weren't getting a truck, and were able to have a dedicated tow vehicle, I'd want to take a look at a Ford Transit, which I guess counts as an SUV.  They have great storage space and decent towing capacity and are reportedly very comfortable.  They're also highly customizable and as a bonus, they look like they were made for an Ollie.

 

 

 

[John E Davies]

If I weren’t getting a truck, and were able to have a dedicated tow vehicle, I’d want to take a look at a Ford Transit, which I guess counts as an SUV. They have great storage space and decent towing capacity and are reportedly very comfortable. They’re also highly customizable and as a bonus, they look like they were made for an Ollie.

Is that a LWB? It looks shorter. Only the LWB with the diesel are rated to tow over 7000 pounds. Most of the other configurations are much much lower. This really isn't a great choice for the tandem Ollie, unless you stay low and flat.....

 

https://www.ford.com/resources/ford/general/pdf/towingguides/17RV&TT_Ford_Transit_Sep7.pdf

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

 

 

[sailorashore]

Simon:  Sheila and I have now made two trips towing our Elite II (hull 217) with our 2017 GMC Yukon.  Small gas V-8 with 6 speed automatic transmission.  In tow-haul mode we get 14-16 mpg in flat country, slightly less in hill country.  Generally do 65 mph +/- 5 on interstates @ 2100 rpm.  Plenty of power & could tow at higher speeds if desired.  Tow rating 8,200 lbs.  We use an Andersen WD hitch and believe it helpful with the softly sprung Yukon.  Best regards, SailorsAshore

[donthompson]

Here's an added benefit to towing with my VW Touareg TDI. I drove from Iowa City to Cleveland yesterday to attend the Tri-C Jazz Festival. I averaged just under 70 mph (lots of construction in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio) and averaged over 32 mpg. Filled with diesel fuel and drove 45 miles the day before on the full tank before leaving yesterday. I've now driven about 600 miles on that tank and still have almost a 1/4 tank of fuel. Of course, towing reduces the mileage but it's nice to have such a fuel efficient tow vehicle for every-day use. Now, if VW hadn't cheated on the emissions testing. . .

[Foy_Mirna]

We just picked up our Oliver and having a 2007 Dodge Durango with 5.7 Hemi, I wondered how it would fair.  Up until the Oliver we only towed 2 jetskis weighing in at 2,000 pounds. We took the long way home to Florida and racked up 1,350 miles with no problems. Good power from the Hemi and the Andersen hitch made it feel like there was nothing behind us. We got about 13.5 miles to the gal. and drove 65 MPH most of the way.  Storage was not a problem as our 2007 is the older model which, is much bigger than the newer ones.  We too have a dog that travels with us but she is a small Yorkie named "Martini" and the rear driver seat became her thrown to look out at the world.

[KarenLukens]

Here’s an added benefit to towing with my VW Touareg TDI. I drove from Iowa City to Cleveland yesterday to attend the Tri-C Jazz Festival. I averaged just under 70 mph (lots of construction in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio) and averaged over 32 mpg. Filled with diesel fuel and drove 45 miles the day before on the full tank before leaving yesterday. I’ve now driven about 600 miles on that tank and still have almost a 1/4 tank of fuel. Of course, towing reduces the mileage but it’s nice to have such a fuel efficient tow vehicle for every-day use. Now, if VW hadn’t cheated on the emissions testing. . .

 

That's how we feel also, when towing Goldilocks with our ML350, we're getting between 19 & 20 mpg here in the 55 saves lives state of California... And that coupled with the 27 gallon tank let's us fill up generally once a day when we are racking up the miles between stops. I like topping it off in the morning, then we can drive as long as we want for the day, usually stopping between 3 or 4 in the afternoon so we get some decent rest also. We've been in Goldilocks for over 4 months full time now and gave our house to our niece. We're moving into our old Grandma cottage ourselves before next winter sometime here in the 100 acre wood :)

[stlipa]

We tow our Elite II with a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee (Overland model.).  It has the diesel with 240 hp and 420 lb.-ft.  of torque.  We've put ~ 4,700 miles on the Ollie since picking it up on 5/31/16, and have averaged ~18 mpg towing over a variety of roads, including one trip to Sanibel Island from St. Louis, and back.  We don't use a WDH.  In a nutshell, the JPG tows the Ollie wonderfully.  An added benefit is that the it carries Jeep's "Trail Rated" badge, and the off road capability that comes with it.  Have never had an issue with storage  (no pets), although we have considered a car top carrier as someone mentioned earlier in this thread.  Happy travels!

 

Russ & Mary Caslin

 

 

[SimonJester]

Russ and Mary,

 

Thank you for your note about your Jeep Grand Cherokee.  Have you towed your Elite II in the mountains yet?  If so, please comment on how well it did.  Thank you!

 

Joe

[stlipa]

We have not, although we have trips planned in the fall to Great Smoky Mountain National Park, and to the Canadian Rockies next summer.  The closest we've come to mountains are the Ozarks in Missouri, and along Highway 40 through portions of Tennessee.  No problem with either of those, although I don't know whether the higher altitude in the Rockies would affect performance, or not.  There are others on this forum who pull with diesel SUV's who may be better able to comment.

 

Russ & Mary Caslin

 

 

[SimonJester]

Thank you to all who replied to this post.

 

After much deliberation and checking out of vehicles, large and small, we decided to go with a Ford F-150 to replace our Tacoma.  We opted for a four wheel drive F-150 with a 5.0 liter V-8.  We hauled our Elite II for 1100 miles.  We covered the mountains from North Carolina to Southern Pennsylvania along Interstate 81 and then east to Delaware.  We averaged 13.5 miles to the gallon.  With the Tacoma we averaged 12.9 covering flatter ground.  The ride of the F-150 is much smoother and hence the comfort is a couple of orders of magnitude better than the Tacoma, not to mention the additional room in the F-150.

 

Thank you for your consideration!

 

Joe Cox

[rideandfly]

Joe,

 

Nice looking rig! Your F-150 makes a fine TV for the Ollie! Like the colors, too!

[discus277]

I know you posted this a long time ago but we are in the same boat...garage too small etc and love idea the luxury of the Audi.

 

if you get this post could you give us an update on towing mileage and your later expdriences with the Audi Q7....

 

My big concern with anything but the small diesel is the range for a tank of fuel......can you enlighten us

 

thanks,

 

Jim

[DavidS]

I know you posted this a long time ago but we are in the same boat…garage too small etc and love idea the luxury of the Audi. if you get this post could you give us an update on towing mileage and your later expdriences with the Audi Q7…. My big concern with anything but the small diesel is the range for a tank of fuel……can you enlighten us

I guess your query is addressed to me, Discus277. (Note: It is helpful to readers if you select text from the post you are referring to, and then click the Quote button.)

 

We get 14 MPG while towing Ollie. Without the trailer we get 18-20 around the city, and 26 MPG on the highway. Our range for tank of fuel is about 275 miles when towing, and 550 miles on the highway without the trailer. Our vehicle is not a diesel.

 

We like the Audi Q7. Comfortable vehicle, and plenty of power for towing.

[Alison]

We bought a 2018 Ford Expedition Max with the tow package specifically to tow our new Oliver. We could not be happier. We live in the foothills of Colorado and usually camp above 9,000 feet. It has handled so well and is just a great tow vehicle so far. We have no problems keeping speed on mountain passes and the tow features on the Expedition make it a comfortable and easy ride.

[Rumline]

We have a Jeep Grand Cherokee Ecodiesel and with the Andersen hitch (WDH required) it tows the Ollie great.  We average 16.5 mpg (hand-calculated) towing the Ollie, and with the 24 gallon fuel tank that gives us just shy of 400 miles of range.  Ours has the air suspension and it is really nice for getting the vehicle level.  Sure the WDH helps but you can't level it out completely with that.  Towing in the mountains here in CO has been no problem.  It has an 8-speed ZF transmission and using the paddle shifters makes it easy to hold a grade without drama.  The car is comfortable and has all the bells and whistles other than Android Auto / Apple CarPlay, but those come standard now on the 2018+.

 

The main downside of this vehicle is its payload capacity...only 1200 lbs.  We can barely carry any cargo in the vehicle when we have my wife and I, kid, and dogs.  If we take grandma too we'd be over weight, and she's only 110 lbs wet.  Also some other owners have reported issues with the cooling system being able to keep up when towing up a long grade.  We haven't had a problem with that yet but I don't try to tow at 70+ mph up a hill.

 

With that said we just traded the Jeep for a 2018 Expedition to get additional payload capacity.  From what I've found the large SUVs (Tahoe, Yukon, Expedition) have higher payload capacities (at highest trim levels) than equivalently-equipped half ton trucks.  Haven't towed with the new car yet, they say we need to wait 1000 miles to get it broken in first.

 

Alison, does yours have the CCD suspension or the regular suspension?  How do you like how it rides with the trailer?  I understand that neither suspension option has auto-leveling.  How much does it squat for you?

[Alison]

Rumline,

 

I will have to confess that I have no idea if we have CCD suspension or not! We got the 2018 Limited Max, if that helps. Neither Ross or I have noticed any sag at all, but we got the Andersen hitch in part to help redistribute some of the weight off the softer suspension system of the Expedition. We don’t have a single complaint about the Expedition’s tow performance, it’s been great! And you’ll love all the room and payload. You can take grandma even wet!

 

Alison

[Grotegut]

Thanks David S.  I'm a newbie.  Just bought Hull #204 from Malcolm and Ursala.  I do feel fortunate.  They live in Longmont CO. I live in Boulder a half hour away. Malcolm has graciously agreed to be my OTT mentor.  And . .. I have a Audi Q7, 2017.  We went down the road towing it a couple of miles and all went well.  As sone as spring is clear we will begin our Oliver travels.  Just registered for the May rally in Alabama.  May see you and other Q7 drivers there. All the best.  Stan Grotegut

[Mike and Carol]

Thanks David S. I’m a newbie. Just bought Hull #204 from Malcolm and Ursala. I do feel fortunate. They live in Longmont CO. I live in Boulder a half hour away. Malcolm has graciously agreed to be my OTT mentor. And . .. I have a Audi Q7, 2017. We went down the road towing it a couple of miles and all went well. As sone as spring is clear we will begin our Oliver travels. Just registered for the May rally in Alabama. May see you and other Q7 drivers there. All the best. Stan Grotegut

Stan, welcome! You got a good trailer and have a good mentor in Malcolm. You’ve also got a bunch of owners on this forum to help mentor you too! Mike

 

[Travelerstoo]

We are using a 2014 Dodge Durango with a 5.7 V8 hemi, and we are really pleased with it. We have been to MT,CO,AZ,TX, and FL twice. We get about 12-13 MPG, the only downside is, I wish it had a bigger gas tank. We put the back 2 rows of seats down and a piece of fiber board on top with a piece of carpet, so the dog has his space. Of course if we didn’t have the dog (German Shepard) we would have a lot more cargo space.

 

The Durango seemed to be about right size for us, it’s rated at 7,000 lbs towing and not huge or expensive as a Ford,Chevy, or GMC. And, most importantly, it’s fun to drive.

 

Stan

 

Thanks Stan for your post...

 

We are preparing to order an Elite II but need to consider if our Jeep Grand Cherokee will be adequate! I believe it would be similar to your Dodge Durango. We tow a Casita (our third fiberglass trailer) with a JGC 4X4, 5.7 Hemi, trailer towing pkg. rated at 7,200 lbs. towing. With load leveling hitch and anti sway it tows 4600 lbs. very well under all conditions.

 

Will we have enough overhead to provide for a [continued] durable tow vehicle for the Elite II in your opinion?

 

Thank you members of the forum.

 

Rob Reighter