Poll - Your Favorite Towing Vehicle

[LGC]

In your experience, what is the most reliable, safe, and high performing vehicle for towing the Oliver Legacy Elite II? I am a newby, and hoping to buy a vehicle in the next month, then drive from MI to TN to get a tour and either buy one on the spot or order an Elite II. Thank you in advance for any and all feedback!

[TexasGuy]

How much will you travel and/or carry? Most 1/2 tons can easily tow LEII but you can hit payload limit depending on how you travel.   If  I did not have TV I’d buy F350 with 7.3 to max out payload.   You do not need a diesel to tow an Oliver.   Nothing wrong with them but it will take a lot of miles to cover cost delta.   BTBRV is great channel for towing.   He even suggests gasser when under 10,000 pounds.  Whatever you get absolutely get tow package 
 

I have F150 with max tow.  Tows my LEII easily.  I do not really like having to use WDH but it is needed per Ford.   I have truck camper on order so actually upgrading to F350 for payload. If I wasn’t getting truck camper I’d stick with my F150.   

[Frank C]

There’s no definitive ideal tow vehicle, but there are definitely wrong choices.  As an example, the Ford F-150 can either be a great tow vehicle or a poor choice, depending on the specific engine configuration, options package, etc.  The payload rating and towing capacity rating vary widely depending on how the truck is equipped.  Depending on how it’s configured, an F-150 can have a payload as low as 1,100 pounds or as high as 3,300 pounds, and a towing capacity rating as low as 8,000 pounds or as high as 12,000 pounds.   And it’s a similar situation for the other vehicles you mentioned.  You need to look at the details for the exact truck / vehicle you are considering.

And yes, a vehicle equipped with a trailer tow package (including a trailer brake controller) is highly recommended and pretty much required.  The factory trailer tow package offered on most suitable vehicles typically includes the trailer hitch receiver, the 7 pin electrical connector, and a trailer brake controller.   

We had previously towed with a Ford Expedition (with factory tow package and trailer brake controller) and a Nissan Armada (with factory trailer hitch and wire harness but aftermarket trailer brake controller added).  Both were large full size body on frame SUVs, but we found them both to be “less than ideal” for towing our Elite II and hauling all of our camping gear.  Now towing with an F-250 with factory trailer towing package including trailer brake controller, no more worries about payload or towing capacity issues. 

[topgun2]

As TexasGuy points out - there are many more factors involved in the purchase of a new tow vehicle than just its towing capacity.  While I use only my 2023 F-150 to tow my Elite II I also use it as a daily driver AND it must actually fit in my garage.

All of the vehicles you mention in you survey above are decent vehicles and equipped properly they can be fine tow vehicles for the right trailer.  I suggest that you drive them, look at the features on each that are of the most interest to YOU and then make your choice.

Good luck!

Bill

[MAX Burner]

Ditto @topgun2's comments - 100%.  

FYI: We used a 2015 RAM 3500 turbo diesel crew cab, 8' bed for 6 years as our TV, but....  it lived outside, wouldn't fit in the garage, and nowadays diesel fuel is fairly "spendy."  We never had an issue with maxing out payload, tongue weight - ever.  The TV basically never even "knew" the Airstream was back there.  Overkill?  Not in my world.  I came from a field where there was no such thing as, "too much power" (or too many missiles...) That said, we did a TV downsize last year when making the Oliver transition.  Now we're easily pulling our rig with a gasser and must be mindful of payload, tongue weight, and overall GVW.  Oh, and the TV fits in the garage - YES!

Regarding whether or not an OEM tow package is worth it?  Seems to me to be a "must have" feature, if only for the factory brake controller and 7-pin receptacle, IMHO.

Best of luck in your searching efforts, brother!

Art

 

[Ollie-Haus]

If you're going to tow, then obviously get a vehicle equipped to tow. It's all about the numbers, tow capacity, cargo capacity (payload), gross combined weigh capacity, and even tongue weight capacity. Point being many vehicles are well within their overall capacities or ratings to haul an LE2 around the country. Like others have said it needs to fit all your needs and requirements.

If you are getting a tow vehicle to primarily serve that purpose and the other needs are secondary, get plenty of truck. Ease of towing and handling the weight of the trailer will make the overall experience more enjoyable. Also with plenty of extra capacity the truck doesn't work as hard and will last longer between service intervals. The harder your tow vehicle works, the more you will have to attend to service needs. Lastly, once you are into a full size truck, the size of the vehicle becomes a moot point. A short bed crew cab half ton sits in essentially the same space as a short bed crew cab 1ton. The half ton will be a little more nimble driving around, but the 3/4 or 1 ton will be more nimble with the trailer attached, and won't require WD hitch system. And the heavier trucks will not work as hard and will have much more cargo capacity, something you will realize at a point is very much needed for most folks. 

My tow vehicle of choice is in my signature line. It was purchased specifically for our LE2 adventures. 

[taylor.coyote]

If your truck is used for only towing, a 3/4 ton diesel does an amazing job and you don't need to mess with a weight distribution hitch. A 3/4 ton diesel is expensive to purchase / operate, and less than nimble beast as a daily driver. We just tow with our 3/4 ton truck and have other vehicles for daily drivers. If you need your truck as a daily driver and for towing, a well equipped 1/2 ton + WD hitch will do a good job. You will not have to park a beast while running errands around town with a 1/2 ton as a daily driver.

We love towing with our F250 6.7 Diesel.  

[Guest]

I'm a novice when it comes to towing, but here are my $0.02 cents and the priorities I used when searching for a replacement for my Tundra.  Given the choices in your survey, I'm assuning you don't want a heavy/super duty truck.  An F250 gasser was on my short list, but I ultimately settled on the truck in my signature because the truck is also my daily driver and MPG is important to my wallet.  My truck has a max payload capacity of 2,571 lbs,  a max tow rating of 12,921 lbs., and a max tongue weight of 1,300 lbs.  We don't plan to come close to maxing out any of those numbers, but the cushion is comforting and the truck will handle better when not maxed out.  You are in a great position of knowing the trailer you'll be pulling before you purchase your TV.  Make sure you know all of the above numbers for the specific instance of the TV you choose before you buy it.  Max payload will be on a VIN specific sticker on the door jam of the truck.  You may have to dig for the other two; e.g., you can find an Ford's max towing rating and max tongue weight at https://www.ford.com/support/towing-calculator by typing in the VIN when you're at the dealership.   I think GM is putting the max tow rating on the door sticker, but I've heard it not VIN specific and will most likely be unreliable.  This number on RAM's website is also not VIN specific.  Good luck with your search and let us know what you decide on.

[Mike and Carol]

I have towed our Elite II almost 100K miles with 4 different trucks, all with tow package.  A 2012 Tacoma, 2016 Ram 1500, 2020 Ram Rebel and now a 2020 Ram 2500 Diesel.  The Tacoma was marginal.  The half tons were perfectly adequate.  The 2500 is by far the best - effortless towing.  I also use it as my daily driver, not unusual at all here in Texas.  If I didn’t have a tow vehicle I would go with the 3/4 ton.  The gas engines do fine, diesels are more capable.  Also, with a 3/4 ton you generally don’t need to be too concerned with payload.  Mike

[Galway Girl]

A while back I was trying to understand one key factor in towing, that is Vehicle Payload.  

For Ford Truck's I went around to dealers lots and looked at stickers on the door for various configurations.  
The ones shown below are all 4x4's but notice how starting at the Left, the F150 King Ranch has much lower payload than a more stripped down F150 XLT.   This payload decreased with increasing luxury happens in all truck lines. 

When we started with our new Oliver Elite II , we had a 2018 F150 3.5 Ecoboost King Ranch Crew Cab 4x4... and it had a payload of 1557 lbs.  What we found was after loading bikes, BBQ, camp gear and then added on the trailer tongue weight,  we were always at  or slightly above the payload limit .  We would go to the scales often to double check weights.

On one rather interesting 10% downhill grade in the mountains of Idaho, my wife turned to me and said...do we need a bigger truck.  It feels like we're getting pushed by the trailer. Indeed the trailer and truck weights were very close to each other.

That fall we moved forward in search of heavier diesel truck, and in our case chose an F350 with the 3440 Lb payload.

I love the downhill compression braking capabilities and the stability of this truck and trailer in mountains.   We don't get pushed around on the freeways either.  We have all the payload and tongue capacity so we no longer need the Anderson hitch. (Which is sometimes difficult to get re-attached when at odd angles.)

In any case...good luck making a choice.   Pay particular attention to your style of driving, regions you'll cover (mountains in particular) and how much gear you want to take along as you make a truck selection.

It's important to look at truck Payload as a key indicator of how comfortable your drive will be while towing the Oliver.

 

CS

 

[Patriot]

12 hours ago, Mike and Carol said:

I have towed our Elite II almost 100K miles with 4 different trucks, all with tow package.  A 2012 Tacoma, 2016 Ram 1500, 2020 Ram Rebel and now a 2020 Ram 2500 Diesel.  The Tacoma was marginal.  The half tons were perfectly adequate.  The 2500 is by far the best - effortless towing.  I also use it as my daily driver, not unusual at all here in Texas.  If I didn’t have a tow vehicle I would go with the 3/4 ton.  The gas engines do fine, diesels are more capable.  Also, with a 3/4 ton you generally don’t need to be too concerned with payload.  Mike

No need for me to repeat my thoughts in a post. I 💯 agree with Mike and Galway Girl, YES the diesels are much more capable. In the end roll with what brings a big smile to your face, and your budget! 😄
 

[MAX Burner]

On 4/11/2023 at 7:24 AM, Ollie-Haus said:

...get plenty of truck. Ease of towing and handling the weight of the trailer will make the overall experience more enjoyable.

Concur, 100%!  There's a saying: "There's no such thing as too much ammo, too much power, or too much truck!"

Edited July 28, 2023 by MAX Burner
added a saying...

[2008RN]

F250 diesel. Have a longbed with a 50gallon auxiliary tank. Tows great up and down hills.   I can be picky when and where I fill up With an 1100 mile range.

[Eric.]

Hi 

I don’t have an Oliver yet, but I wanted to share my experience towing my airstream 25fb with both a 2022 F350 tremor and a Dodge Durango Hellcat. 
 

Both vehicles have their pros and cons. For us the Durango is our go to tow vehicle for comfort and roominess. 

The only drawback to the Durango is the small fuel tank and inability to tow in the snow (summer performance tires)

[ScubaRx]

On 4/10/2023 at 10:58 PM, LGC said:

In your experience, what is the most reliable, safe, and high performing vehicle for towing the Oliver Legacy Elite II? I am a newby, and hoping to buy a vehicle in the next month, then drive from MI to TN to get a tour and either buy one on the spot or order an Elite II. Thank you in advance for any and all feedback!

Silverado Diesel 3500 HD, in MY experience with two different Oliver TT's and five different tow vehicles over a 15+ year span traveling over 150K miles.

Also, you need to edit your poll selection to include all HD trucks (3/4 ton and 1 ton) of any brand. Everybody here knows (or should know) that anything smaller is a compromise when it comes to payload, fuel capacity and the requirement to use a WDH like the Andersen.

I can't think of a single reason to NOT have a vehicle without a tow package.

[SeaDawg]

43 minutes ago, ScubaRx said:

I can't think of a single reason to NOT have a vehicle without a tow package.

Me, either. In fact, I wouldn't tow with a vehicle WITHOUT a tow package.

Probably good to leave it in the poll as a reminder of its importance?

[SeaDawg]

30 minutes ago, ScubaRx said:

Also, you need to edit your poll selection to include all HD trucks (3/4 ton and 1 ton) of any brand. Everybody here knows (or should know) that anything smaller is a compromise when it comes to payload, fuel capacity and the requirement to use a WDH like the Andersen.

Agreed that 3/4 and 1 ton should be added, if he can still edit.

There are many of us who use our tvs as a daily driver, and it IS a compromise (payload/fuel capacity, and wdh), but I wouldn't want to drive around my town in a 3/4 ton truck, every day, nor would it fit in my spot in the garage.  We don't require the Andersen with our smaller Elite I, but we still need to be cognizant of payload and fuel capacity. (Payload, more than fuel. My bladder, and my stiff knees,  usually need a filling station stop and walk-around before we're dangerously low on fuel. 😀 )

And, my 87 year-old mom can barely make it up and into my 2005 Silverado. Bigger truck would be impossible for her.

Life is full of choices, and compromises. We all have to live with them.

 

[Boudicca908]

On 4/11/2023 at 6:55 PM, Mike and Carol said:

I have towed our Elite II almost 100K miles with 4 different trucks, all with tow package.  A 2012 Tacoma, 2016 Ram 1500, 2020 Ram Rebel and now a 2020 Ram 2500 Diesel.  The Tacoma was marginal.  The half tons were perfectly adequate.  The 2500 is by far the best - effortless towing.  I also use it as my daily driver, not unusual at all here in Texas.  If I didn’t have a tow vehicle I would go with the 3/4 ton.  The gas engines do fine, diesels are more capable.  Also, with a 3/4 ton you generally don’t need to be too concerned with payload.  Mike

I'm new at towing (bought my Oliver last spring) but I will say that my Chevy Silverado 2500 HD tows like a dream. I was advised by Oliver TT that with this vehicle, I didn't need to add an anti-sway hitch. As Mike mentions above, I don't worry about payload (but I've made a spreadsheet, so that I have a very clear idea of what I'm doing, in my demands on the TT and the TV both) and it's been a wonderful experience so far. My TV is never straining. I did not want to find myself on the side of the road with a TV that has been pushed beyond its limits. My vehicle is a diesel; diesel costs a bit more at the pump, but I expect my engine to last a lot longer than a gas-powered vehicle (hopefully that holds true) and I'm averaging between 13 and 15 mpg towing, so far. I've towed approximately 4,000 miles this summer, and approximately 4,000 last year. I recommend driving every vehicle that you can (if possible) and make sure you pay attention to the creature comforts that might make a difference to you (heated seats, lumbar support, center console, etc). 

Good luck. It's exciting! 

Edited July 31, 2023 by Boudicca908