Picking The Right Vehicle To Tow With

Summer is almost upon us and with that comes the desire for many to go camping or travel. Maybe you are ready to purchase that travel trailer or camper. If so, you are also probably considering whether your vehicle can tow or what it can tow?

The industry states that compact trucks can tow between 3,000 and 7,000 pounds, depending on how they're equipped. Full-size trucks can tow as much as 12,000 pounds with certain engines and suspension configurations, although most range between 8,000- and 10,000-pound capacities. The best way to determine what your vehicle can tow is by calculating the gross vehicle weight or GVW. A GCWR is a gross combination weight rating that takes into consideration the weight of your vehicle and what you are towing. This means you will need to know the gross trailer weight or GTW. Is the trailer fully loaded or empty? There is much to take into consideration when combining all of these values to determine whether you have the right towing capacity.

Finding out your gross trailer weight (GTW) can be as simple as driving your trailer onto a scale. Many communities have public scales and for just a few dollars and a few minutes of your time, you can get the answers you're looking for. There are just a few simple steps that you'll need to follow in order to get an accurate gross trailer weight reading.

When preparing to weigh everything, disconnect the trailer from your tow vehicle. You want to find the weight of the trailer alone. The weight of the trailer will include the trailer tongue. You can weigh your trailer empty or fully loaded - depending on what number you are looking for. By starting empty, you always know the base weight of the trailer and about how much weight you can add to it.

If you don't want to take the time to weigh your trailer, you can contact the manufacturer of the trailer as they should be able to provide you with the weight.

Now for a vehicle that can pull the weight you have. Edmunds put together a list of what it considers the top ten vehicles for towing. Of course most of this list isn't extensive and most of the vehicles on it are large, which means their fuel economy isn't the best - but that is to be expected. Some of the vehicles on the list don't tow large amounts of weight as they are midsized cars, but are durable enough to haul your favorite jet skis or four wheelers. So what is the list?

1. Dodge Ram 3500: This is a big vehicle and has the largest towing capacity of all the vehicles on this list. With more than 16,000 pounds of towing capacity, it tops the list by more than 2,000 pounds. This might not be a vehicle just or cruising around in, but if you are somebody who is towing a lot, you certainly won't have to worry about its capabilities.

2. Nissan Armada: Yes Nissan, they have come up with a SUV that can tow just over 9,000 pounds. The Armada is also a large vehicle, which means it has a ton of interior space. The Armada is the Nissan's first entry in the SUV segment. It was originally called the Pathfinder Armada. The Armada comes with a V8 engine.

3. GMC Sierra 1500: This vehicle has a 9,990-pound rating. To get more capability than the Sierra, you have to step up to a heavy-duty series truck from Dodge, Ford or Chevy.

4. Dodge Durango: The Durango is not a full-size SUV, but can tow up to 8,950 pounds. Its tow rating exceeds that of GM's full-size SUVs. The Durango is also large enough to double as a family car.

5. Ford Expedition: The Expedition, another SUV, is bigger than the Durango but has the same towing capacity. It has a 60/40-split, fold-flat third-row seat, which gives it a lot of room inside.

6. Chevrolet Suburban/GMC Yukon XL: The half-ton Suburban 1500 can pull up to 8,400 pounds. It also has a lot of passenger/cargo space. The three-quarter-ton 2500 model will give you even more towing capacity with a load of up to 12,000 pounds.

7. Land Rover Range Rover: If you are in the market for a luxury vehicle that tows, The Range Rover can tow up to 7,700 pounds. Of course it also has beautiful interior and style to boot.

8. Chrysler Pacifica: When it comes to cars, the towing capacity drops but if you are somebody who doesn't want a truck or SUV, then the Pacifica is worth looking at. This vehicle can tow up to 3,500 pounds and it is a nice luxury sedan for other uses.

9. Hyundai Elantra: Believe it or not, the Elantra offers 3,086 pounds of towing capacity when trailer brakes are used (without the brakes, it tops out at 1,000 pounds). That's not much by truck standards, but for a budget-priced compact sedan, it's exceptional. Note that this is 1,000 pounds more than full-size sedans like the Cadillac DeVille and Mercury Grand Marquis are rated to carry.

10. Subaru Outback: This little car can tow up to 3,000-pounds. Having an all-wheel-drive system also helps to get you back into those remote campsites.

If you still have questions about the towing capacity of your truck or a potential vehicle that you are looking to buy, talk to your dealer. Tell them what your needs are and let them help you measure everything out.

Greg Chapman of Greg Chapman Motors is a knowledgable and leading provider of used cars, trucks, and SUV’s. Since 1959, Chapman motors has supplied reliable used car Austin and the surrounding area. For more information please visit http://www.gregchapmanmotors.com.