Full-time traveling family looking for ideal tow vehicle for small camper

[dnorrell]

Hello fellow adventurers!

Quite a lot has changed since I've last posted on this forum. In that time, we've left our traditional home behind to live in a Class A diesel pusher and travel. I've gone from living alone to married with a 16mo old daughter. We currently travel with our two dogs, an Irish Wolfhound and a Chihuahua. Life has been pretty good. Our big dog is quite long in the tooth (almost 9!) and so now we are planning the next phase: downsizing from a 42ft coach to a 17ft Casita travel trailer.

In the time we've lived in our coach we've learned that it is much too big for what we want to do. It's size, as you can imagine, is terribly limiting. When we left behind a modest-sized home, we thought it would be a challenge to live in an RV. Nope, the coach has made it easy. The slides are great for giving the big dog some floor space and walking room for the new kiddo, but we won't have George (the wolfhound) with us much longer, and we'd rather make do with a much smaller footprint and spend more of our time outdoors. With a 17ft Casita, we'll be able to drag it farther off the beaten path for the prime boondocking spots. Choosing the Casita for our next home was a no-brainer. Choosing the tow vehicle is proving to be more of a challenge.

My own vehicle history has included an LR D2, Tacoma regular cab with topper, Tundra with topper, 4-door Wrangler on 37s, Ram 2500 Cummins, etc. We currently pull a Subaru Forester manual behind the coach and, like the Toyotas, has been an easy ownership experience. I've had less luck with the Chrysler products though they were all purchased new. The LR D2 was a joy when I wasn't dealing with coil packs or the three amigos

Above all, I want something reliable. Our coach has been anything but reliable lately, and when you live on the road, dealing with long shop times is a pain in the rear. Given the rather modest size of the travel trailer, we need something that can accommodate storing the following: small set of tools, air compressor, basic backpacking gear, extra water (at least 25 gallons), camp chairs, CLAM screen shelter, off-season clothing, portable solar panels, etc. The back seat should comfortably fit a rear-facing child seat. We don't plan on doing technical Jeep trails, but we do want the freedom to park the trailer and comfortably navigate simple trails like the Alpine Loop in Colorado. Tow capacity of at least 5k. Would prefer to buy new with warranty with a budget of around 50k. Also, would prefer a gas vehicle over current diesels since we want the freedom of traveling south of the border. Crash performance is also a consideration - the drivers out there aren't getting any better

I've been looking at almost everything, from Toyota products like the 4Runner Trail and TRD O/R Tacoma to Ford products like a simple F250 XL or a Transit with Quigley 4wd. I'd love to think we could get by with the cargo space of the 4Runner, but it would definitely be tight. I also love the idea of a van and have always lusted after 4wd conversions, but I'm not certain I absolutely require 4wd in a van, if we go that route. I'm still a believer in that it would be best to have 4wd when it is needed than not, but I suppose chains and a come-along could go a long way for what we want.

Please, I need to hear some opinions and input from folks that have looked for similar traits in a vehicle. I look forward to your thoughts! :sombrero:

Happy day,
Adam

 

[kojackJKU]

Anytime I see family, and exploring I see a expedition or excursion. I would vote suburban as well. Lots of room, capable and fairly good on gas.

 

[JHa6av8r]

9 is long in the tooth? Our 11 and 13 year old dogs still travel dirt roads with us. The 13 year old prefers lounging around camp to serious exploring but the 11 year old is still curious.

 

[ExplorerTom]

If you're going to be towing full time, I'd go with a full size vehicle (Expedition/Suburban/etc). Taxing a mid-size like a 4Runner by towing 5000 lbs all the time probably won't be good for it long term.

 

[armymgdude]

Hello fellow adventurers!

Quite a lot has changed since I've last posted on this forum. In that time, we've left our traditional home behind to live in a Class A diesel pusher and travel. I've gone from living alone to married with a 16mo old daughter. We currently travel with our two dogs, an Irish Wolfhound and a Chihuahua. Life has been pretty good. Our big dog is quite long in the tooth (almost 9!) and so now we are planning the next phase: downsizing from a 42ft coach to a 17ft Casita travel trailer.

In the time we've lived in our coach we've learned that it is much too big for what we want to do. It's size, as you can imagine, is terribly limiting. When we left behind a modest-sized home, we thought it would be a challenge to live in an RV. Nope, the coach has made it easy. The slides are great for giving the big dog some floor space and walking room for the new kiddo, but we won't have George (the wolfhound) with us much longer, and we'd rather make do with a much smaller footprint and spend more of our time outdoors. With a 17ft Casita, we'll be able to drag it farther off the beaten path for the prime boondocking spots. Choosing the Casita for our next home was a no-brainer. Choosing the tow vehicle is proving to be more of a challenge.

My own vehicle history has included an LR D2, Tacoma regular cab with topper, Tundra with topper, 4-door Wrangler on 37s, Ram 2500 Cummins, etc. We currently pull a Subaru Forester manual behind the coach and, like the Toyotas, has been an easy ownership experience. I've had less luck with the Chrysler products though they were all purchased new. The LR D2 was a joy when I wasn't dealing with coil packs or the three amigos

Above all, I want something reliable. Our coach has been anything but reliable lately, and when you live on the road, dealing with long shop times is a pain in the rear. Given the rather modest size of the travel trailer, we need something that can accommodate storing the following: small set of tools, air compressor, basic backpacking gear, extra water (at least 25 gallons), camp chairs, CLAM screen shelter, off-season clothing, portable solar panels, etc. The back seat should comfortably fit a rear-facing child seat. We don't plan on doing technical Jeep trails, but we do want the freedom to park the trailer and comfortably navigate simple trails like the Alpine Loop in Colorado. Tow capacity of at least 5k. Would prefer to buy new with warranty with a budget of around 50k. Also, would prefer a gas vehicle over current diesels since we want the freedom of traveling south of the border. Crash performance is also a consideration - the drivers out there aren't getting any better

I've been looking at almost everything, from Toyota products like the 4Runner Trail and TRD O/R Tacoma to Ford products like a simple F250 XL or a Transit with Quigley 4wd. I'd love to think we could get by with the cargo space of the 4Runner, but it would definitely be tight. I also love the idea of a van and have always lusted after 4wd conversions, but I'm not certain I absolutely require 4wd in a van, if we go that route. I'm still a believer in that it would be best to have 4wd when it is needed than not, but I suppose chains and a come-along could go a long way for what we want.

Please, I need to hear some opinions and input from folks that have looked for similar traits in a vehicle. I look forward to your thoughts! :sombrero:

Happy day,
Adam

We are going to start fulltiming in this when I retire in 2017. The Ram 1500 is the same width as the Casita, so basically if the truck fits the trailer fits. I would NOT go smaller for a tow vehicle, regardless of what the Casita forum says. FWIW, I am setting up the rig for boondocking. We have solar, custom storage box in the truck, and the rack carries our canoe. We plan on lots of gravel roads, and if the road is too gnarly we are set up to camp comfortably in the truck or out of our backpacks. My truck is not a jeep, but it gets to some pretty good places.

 

[dnorrell]

9 is long in the tooth? Our 11 and 13 year old dogs still travel dirt roads with us. The 13 year old prefers lounging around camp to serious exploring but the 11 year old is still curious.

Sadly, for giant dog breeds like Irish Wolfhounds, 4-7 years is the average lifespan. We nearly had to put the guy down last November when he had blood dribbling from one nostril and refused to get up. The vet thought it was most likely a sinus tumor. We tried steroids as a last-ditch effort and he sprang back to life, so to speak. He has rough days, but the steroids keep him happy and mostly mobile. I always planned on a short life so I'm so thankful to have had him this long. What breed are your pups? If they are wolfhounds, you have been truly blessed! My last one was a GSD, but he had to be put down around 10 for osteosarcoma. It's a hard thing to say goodbye to our furry family friends. I hope you have many miles of dirt roads left with yours.

 

[dnorrell]

If you're going to be towing full time, I'd go with a full size vehicle (Expedition/Suburban/etc). Taxing a mid-size like a 4Runner by towing 5000 lbs all the time probably won't be good for it long term.

The trailer weight will be closer to 2800-3000, but I'm leaning more toward full-size.

 

[dnorrell]

We are going to start fulltiming in this when I retire in 2017. The Ram 1500 is the same width as the Casita, so basically if the truck fits the trailer fits. I would NOT go smaller for a tow vehicle, regardless of what the Casita forum says. FWIW, I am setting up the rig for boondocking. We have solar, custom storage box in the truck, and the rack carries our canoe. We plan on lots of gravel roads, and if the road is too gnarly we are set up to camp comfortably in the truck or out of our backpacks. My truck is not a jeep, but it gets to some pretty good places.

That's a great looking setup you've got! Did you get your Casita new? Have you been happy with it so far? Hopefully we will cross paths out there some day! My last truck was the 2500 Cummins and golly was it nice and comfortable. I keep thinking of the Power Wagon Tradesman and how it would be just about perfect, but I've had issues with nearly every Chrysler product I've owned in the past and I'm a bit gun-shy now. There's no doubt that it would tick all the boxes for us, so I haven't ruled it out. I hadn't thought about width before so you raise a very good point. Have you been pleased with your truck so far? How close do you think you are to reaching its payload? Thank you for posting that photo! It's great to hear that other folks are going to be out there full-timing in their Casita. Is that a gray bedliner rock guard? Looks sharp!

 

[armymgdude]

That's a great looking setup you've got! Did you get your Casita new? Have you been happy with it so far? Hopefully we will cross paths out there some day! My last truck was the 2500 Cummins and golly was it nice and comfortable. I keep thinking of the Power Wagon Tradesman and how it would be just about perfect, but I've had issues with nearly every Chrysler product I've owned in the past and I'm a bit gun-shy now. There's no doubt that it would tick all the boxes for us, so I haven't ruled it out. I hadn't thought about width before so you raise a very good point. Have you been pleased with your truck so far? How close do you think you are to reaching its payload? Thank you for posting that photo! It's great to hear that other folks are going to be out there full-timing in their Casita. Is that a gray bedliner rock guard? Looks sharp!

If we were to do it again, I would get a 2500. We are skating the edge of payload capacity with all of our offroad stuff. I do have upgraded suspension, so it handles it fine. It would be nice to not worry about how much stuff weighs. But, it is paid for and I get 14mpg loaded. So until the wheels fall off or we move to a bigger trailer, it works great. Best truck I have ever owned in fact. I have skidplates, a factory LSD with 3.92 gears and a winch big enough to pull truck AND trailer. Its my half ton Powerwagon. As for the trailer, we just got it in April. It is a 2007 that was barely used. We have the factory hilift axle, but we added a 3in lift with shocks and LT235 75 15 tires. It now has as much clearance as my truck. The rock guard is rhinolining. We did the wheelwells too. I also put in a Propex furnace instead of the factory monster. I have done a whole bunch more mods all focused on liveability and far off grid camping. We absolutely love this thing. First place we ever camped we drove it across a creek. And all the Casita folks we have met have been great.

 

[tonkaman]

A friend of mine was debating your same situation recently. He opted to find a big Ford can and set it up for off-road. He made a few videos of the decision and build process. Check them out at themoreweexplore.com

 

[dnorrell]

A friend of mine was debating your same situation recently. He opted to find a big Ford can and set it up for off-road. He made a few videos of the decision and build process. Check them out at themoreweexplore.com

Thanks for the link. I've come across them on YouTube before, but haven't seen their van. Jeez, that thing is beefy. Much too built for anything I'd want to do; I can't imagine pulling a camper all over the country with a setup like that. I hope it works for them! It's certainly a sweet looking van.

 

[Martinjmpr]

For that kind of weight I'd go with Tahoe/Suburban or Expedition. Possibly Sequoia although subjectively I'm not crazy about their looks.
.
FWIW I spent the last year pulling a ~2000lb T@B Clamshell with my V6 4runner (which is rated to pull 5k) and at the end of the year the 4runner went up for sale and I replaced it with an older Suburban. I would rate the 4runner as adequate - but only that. This was with just the wife and I traveling, only rarely taking the dog and no kids. Add a kid and I would definitely go full sized, it's just going to give you a better margin of safety as well as additional space.
.
You could also consider the Nissan Armada. Like the Expedition it has independent rear suspension but that's not really going to be a limiting factor for trails like the Alpine Loop. I've heard reliability can be spotty on those (someone called Nissan the "Japanese Chrysler") but I know people who have had good experiences with them.
.
The Tahoe is exactly the same as a Suburban except 2' shorter - same engine, drivetrain, etc. If you don't need the extra length it could be a good choice. I was a little put off by the new 2015 styling of the Suburban/Tahoe/Yukon/Yukon XL but they've started to grow on me. They're not cheap but I think you can probably get one within your 50k budget if you shop around.

 

[p nut]

As much as I loved my past Tacomas, 4Runners, Jeep Grand Cherokees, etc, I would most definitely go full size. I couldn't imagine 10hr drives on the rear end torture devices Toyota calls seats (in Tacoma/4Runners. Land cruisers are nice). Plus, no MPG advantage for the smaller vehicles with less towing capacity kills it for me.

I think you'll get proponents for every make. I think it's a hit/miss, as you've already found out with Chrysler. Good thing is, nothing wrong with Chevy 5.3L or Ford 5.0L (if you'll just be towing a 3k trailer). I did prefer the larger back seat of the Ford vs Chevy, but preferred the ride of the Chevy on-road. Felt like it bounced a bit too much off road though. Eventually settled on the Ford as I've got 2 kids and rear seat space trumps most of other things. It also had the biggest gas tank (36 gal). I'd support the Suburban suggestions as well, but for me, I like the versatility of trucks better.

 

[dnorrell]

Thank you! I came here seeking input and have moved several steps in the right direction by learning that full size seems like the most comfortable and safe solution for our needs. I'm more of a truck guy and prefer the idea of a full size truck with camper shell over a large SUV, but I think it would be smart to take a look at everything. I can't believe how pricey the new Tahoes/Suburbans are these days. They put so much luxury in new cars now, but I still have a preference for basic features and rubber floors. I can still get that in base model full size trucks

 

[p nut]

Take these vids with a grain of salt, but still entertaining.

http://youtu.be/rgMzyKqsps0

http://youtu.be/us6d5R1q23U