What are people using to tow a 2720 Trailmanor(3100 lb. dry)

[Philip]

Hello folks,

I am in the process of purchasing a Trailmanor 2720 model(approx. 3100 lb. dry). I will also be purchasing a tow vehicle, with the factory tow package, for this unit.

Since I have no practical experience selecting a tow vehicle, I wonder if owners of 2720 models could give me an idea of what they use to tow their 2720 models and how satisfied they are with the tow vehicle performance. I will be towing the unit out west while traveling through the National Parks. We will be spending extended time in the parks - perhaps the better part of a summer season.

My quandry is that I would really like to get a tow vehicle that is the most fuel efficient as possible that can also handle the job. Most of the fuel efficient tow vehicles are V6's (SUV's & Vans) and generally are rated at 3500 lb. tow capacity(empty). These tow vehicles would put me on the edge or slightly over the capacity.

Does anyone have experience towing a TM with a Toyota 4-runner(V6 or V8)?

I would appreciate any experienced user towing a 2720 model giving me there comments.

Thank you for the help,

Phil

I tow with a Jeep Liberty with the diesel engine. This gives me good mileage towing. My brother has a Dodge diesel pickup. Generally diesels get better mileage. In the past I used a Dodge Minivan with the 3.8 engine. It was close to maxed out. Check some other posts regarding GVW ratings and tow ratings. Make sure you have plenty of extra tow capacity for all the stuff you will haul inside the trailer and tow vehicle, don't forget the passenger weight! Best to be over capacity for safety.

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by Philip

Hello folks,

I am in the process of purchasing a Trailmanor 2720 model(approx. 3100 lb. dry). I will also be purchasing a tow vehicle, with the factory tow package, for this unit.

Since I have no practical experience selecting a tow vehicle, I wonder if owners of 2720 models could give me an idea of what they use to tow their 2720 models and how satisfied they are with the tow vehicle performance. I will be towing the unit out west while traveling through the National Parks. We will be spending extended time in the parks - perhaps the better part of a summer season.

My quandry is that I would really like to get a tow vehicle that is the most fuel efficient as possible that can also handle the job. Most of the fuel efficient tow vehicles are V6's (SUV's & Vans) and generally are rated at 3500 lb. tow capacity(empty). These tow vehicles would put me on the edge or slightly over the capacity.

I would appreciate any experienced user towing a 2720 model giving me there comments.

Thank you for the help,

Phil

I think that you will find that a 2720 ready for camping will weigh in at over 4000#.

Tow ratings don't tell the whole story but I would recommend a tow vehicle with a minimum of 5000# and a GCWR that is capable of handling the tow vehicle, the fully loaded trailer, all your passengers and gear, thus the "Gross COMBINED Weight Rating".

There have been lots of threads on towing lately. You may want to do a "Search" on "GCWR".

[ThePair]

Towing a 2720SL with a Toyota Sienna, having no troubles so far.

Then again, I try to keep weight to a minimum, no water, etc. I haven't found a local scale, yet, that I can weigh the TM on, but I'm pretty sure I'm close to the 3500# limit, +WDH, so I'm comfortable.

There's quite a few Sienna/TM combos out there, and all reports to date are that it's a good match, for the 26-27 series. I'm not convinced about the larger TMs.

[Philip]

Originally Posted by ThePair

Towing a 2720SL with a Toyota Sienna, having no troubles so far.

Then again, I try to keep weight to a minimum, no water, etc. I haven't found a local scale, yet, that I can weigh the TM on, but I'm pretty sure I'm close to the 3500# limit, +WDH, so I'm comfortable.

There's quite a few Sienna/TM combos out there, and all reports to date are that it's a good match, for the 26-27 series. I'm not convinced about the larger TMs.

Thank you for the reply. How many miles have you towed the TM with the Sienna? Have you done much mountain travel? Do you have any idea of gas consumption while towing?

Thank you all again,

Phil

Since there are only two of us, I find that towing with a pickup suits us just fine. V-6 has plenty of power and gets 16-17 mpg. The best thing is that you can put quite a bit of misc. stuff in the bed...everything from barbecues to bicycles. Most of this stuff would not fit in the TM and putting it in the truck reduces the weight of the trailer. The TV is a very personal choice, but this works very well for us.

[ThePair]

We've taken three trips so far, ~150 mi one way each time, more or less, so 300 mi RT, on average. No mountains here in the Midwest (Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana), which is a big part of why I'm totally comfortable with the Sienna as TV, with my personal set-up. I don't know how we'd do in mountains, but I've never driven the Sienna in mountains without a TM attached, either, so I have no frame of reference for that.

Gas didn't seem to be consumed at a greater rate than usual. I tend to get 18.5 mpg in mixed commuter driving, and probably got a bit less than that towing, but on virtually all highway roads. I didn't bother to calculate how I was doing with gas, because I had enough on my mind with twin 2.5 year olds... Maybe sometime I'll get around to paying attention to the mileage, right around when I get to weighing the TM, probably!

I can say that it tows quite well. The only time I'm really aware of it back there is when I'm driving on concrete roads, there's a little "porpoising" I can feel from the WDH, but it's not at all bad, just different than when not towing. That, and braking when moving slowly (like in city driving)--the P3 tends to kick in a little harder when coming to rest on the B1 setting then I'd like, not smooth, if I'm not careful with the brake pressure. But at faster speeds, I prefer the feel of B1 braking over no boost--seems smoother then. So, depending on what's going on, I may switch the boost on or off. It's a matter of adjusting the system to my driving style, more a preference thing than anything else, it seems. Never had a situation (yet) that I felt at all out of control or unable to stop in time. Then again, I'm fairly defensive as a driver when towing, so that may contribute as well.

[Bill]

If you are going into the mountains, I suggest that you not try to do it with a 3500-pound-rated vehicle. A couple years ago, this board seemed to reach a concensus that a 5000-rated vehicle was the minimum for your situation, and more would be better. That concensus seems to have been forgotten, but it was based on a series of experiences such as are being related here.

Let me suggest that you listen to HarveryRV's discussion GCWR. It is the proper way to address the question. But if the alphabet soup of acronyms just seems to be too much to work through, then at very least you should get a vehicle whose tow rating is well above the expected loaded weight (not dry weight!) of your trailer.

For what it's worth, I tow my 2720SL with a Ford Explorer 4.6L (small) V-8, tow rating about 6800 pounds. Not surprisingly, it is overkill in Indiana and Illinois. But climbing steeply at 8000 feet in the Rockies, it is barely adequate. On the other hand, even after being repeatedly and severely challenged out west, my previous Explorer (2002) with the same rating, lasted 160,000 miles before I traded it. A less strong vehicle might have given up at far fewer miles. Gas mileage is not the only consideration.

Bill

[Philip]

Bill,

Thank you for the information. I agree that MPG is not the only consideration. I am just trying to determine if it would be safe with some type of fairly efficient TV.

Do you have any idea of the mileage you get with your Ford Explorer when towing the TM.

Again, thank you for the help,

Phil

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Philip

Bill

Do you have any idea of the mileage you get with your Ford Explorer when towing the TM.

As you should expect, it varies wildly with terrain and altitude, and that's why I avoid giving one single number to anyone. On our cross-country trips, we expect about 18 mpg in the midwest, which isn't far from our non-towing mileage. Running up and down on I-25 from Albuquerque to Denver, for example, we expect about 16. That road has some long climbs in places (Raton Pass, for example, or Castle Rock to Monument, CO), and some altitude in a lot of places. Naturally, snaking up I-70 west of Denver, it is much lower.

Bill