Best TV for an Escape 19?

[Art Davis]

I have been lurking here for some time as I am interested in an Escape.

I see that a lot of folks are using Toyota RAV4's for tow vehicles, but my question is: for a

19 footer, what do you think the IDEAL tow vehicle would be? (I don't think I'm ready for a Mahindra yet!)

Thanks.

[gharms]

I can name two really solid mid size SUVs here: Toyota 4Runner, Honda Pilot! Several on this forum have those to tow their 19's and have good experience with them. I believe the Toyota has a higher towing rating now with the 5gen 4Runner. The 3gen 4Runner V6 can tow up to 5000 pounds.

[Hokie Escape]

Of course you could also go with my favorite tow vehicle, the Nissan Frontier 4dr, and add a bed cap. Talking about plenty of room for extra's......you'll have it! It tows much more than you'll need for sure! If I was going to get it for towing a 19, I'd get the 4dr with a short bed. The shorter wheelbase would be easier to get around town, and the shorter distance from the tailgate to the back of the truck would make storage items more accessible.

[GoCougsKev]

I just towed my parents 19' with their 2008 Toyota Highlander, it pulled just fine, plus the Highlander is a really nice vehicle. My TV is a Nissan Titan, I really don’t know the trailer is behind me when I tow; it tows very well and will maintain 70 mph up the steepest grades without much effort with more power on reserve. The frontier is a nice truck, but if you ask me for the extra room and more comfort and V-8, I will sacrifice the 2 mpg difference.

[gharms]

It is OT, I know, but there seems to be a new hatch on the block... GoCougsKev, can we see pictures of the 19'? I remember you took the great videos in Chilliwack last year. How did your parents trailer turn out?

[escape artist]

Hi: All... I think the "Best Escape" requires the "BEST Tug". Whatever tug you like with an adquate amt. of tow rating for the trailer size will be a marriage made in B.C.
Personal preferance will rule the day.
Our tug has enough excess capacity of ratings but a max. pass. cap. of 3 and thats not all bad!!! My elder brother said when we bought the 5.0 "You'll always have to have a pickup" and I said "So". Alf
escape artist N.S. Of Lake Erie

[Art Davis]

We currently own a Tyota Sienna minivan. Does anyont tow a 19 footer with one? We love the van, but want something that will tow the Escape easily. The Sienna has a 3500 pound tow rating.

[escape artist]

Hi: Art Davis...Weight ratings are all listed "Dry". Thats the trailer sitting there empty. Our 5.0 has a max weight rating of 3500lbs. Thats the most the axle is rated to carry. Our pickup is rated to tow 6100lbs. The axles on the 19'er are 2200lbs ea. I think so 3500lb tow cap is to light. You should have at least 5000lbs I would think. IMHO!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Jim Bennett]

Art, that is definitely too low of a tow rating to use with the 19 all loaded up. Our Pilot is rated for 4,500 lbs and we have no issues other then really steep inclines, otherwise we scoot around great. I would not go less, but no need for overkill either. Something up to 5,000 like Alf mentioned would work just great.

[GoCougsKev]

I agree with Jim, dont get a TV rated any lower then 4500, anything less is just not safe plus you will probably shorten the life of the TV. Even 4500 pounds is cutting it too close in my opinion.

My parents and I picked up the 19' a few days ago. I haven't taken any pictures yet due to weather, it has been too wet outside. I will take some photos of all our mods and the trailer once a good day comes around, which might be a week or two.

[gharms]

Congratulations on getting your 19'! I cannot wait getting my Cafe Egg!

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by GoCougsKev

I agree with Jim, dont get a TV rated any lower then 4500, anything less is just not safe plus you will probably shorten the life of the TV. Even 4500 pounds is cutting it too close in my opinion.

The trailer loaded up is less then 3500 lbs, a 4500 towing rating is plenty. I have pulled in all kind of terrain, with most of it being hilly and it pulls like a breeze. On the steeper mountain passes I did drop in down a gear and kept the speed to 90 so I did not rev it too high for too long. I want to go for the best fuel economy when not towing with the vehicle as well, as this is where most of the driving is.

[GoCougsKev]

I think folks need to keep in mind that tow ratings are not just based off of what a vehicles engine can pull. You don’t see corvettes pulling trailers, they have the power to pull a trailer, but they are lacking in other areas. Tow ratings on vehicles is based off a ton of variables besides the engines power ratings like the strength of the frame, wheel base and track, suspension, brakes, transmission, axels, cooling capabilities, vehicles weight and stability and so forth. The weakest link or links determines the tow ratings. So your TV may pull a trailer just fine, but how quickly and safely can you stop? Can you perform an emergency maneuver on the highway safely? Are you quickly wearing out TV parts that are not designed to be under high loads or stress? Just keep that in mind when looking for a TV. When it comes to trucks and SUVs, a lot of manufactures are competing for towing bragging rights, so they sometimes stretch their ratings as far as they can. I think if you are going to be towing more then 80-85% of your vehicles tow capacity; you might want to consider a TV that is more capable. When people flirt with their vehicles maximum tow ratings, they also start to flirt with disaster. I sure wouldn’t want to be in or near a TV that is pulling its maximum load when a tires on the TV or trialer blows out or when that TV needs to do an emergency stop or turn on the freeway!

[GoCougsKev]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

The trailer loaded up is less then 3500 lbs, a 4500 towing rating is plenty. I have pulled in all kind of terrain, with most of it being hilly and it pulls like a breeze. On the steeper mountain passes I did drop in down a gear and kept the speed to 90 so I did not rev it too high for too long. I want to go for the best fuel economy when not towing with the vehicle as well, as this is where most of the driving is.

I think you might be surprised how much that 19' weighs when fully loaded, plus you need to take into account what all you have loaded in your TV, including yourself.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by GoCougsKev

I think you might be surprised how much that 19' weighs when fully loaded, plus you need to take into account what all you have loaded in your TV, including yourself.

Actually, despite my youthful looks, I was not born yesterday.
I am not sure what your experience towing trailers is, but mine is fairly extensive, all the way up to tractor trailer units. So, I do have a bit of an idea what I am talking about.

BTW, emergency stopping has WAY more to do with the trailer brakes being set up properly, then the towing capacity of the vehicle. An undersized tow vehicle would still be hazardous though.

My Pilot was set up right from the factory with a complete towing package. Actually, even the lower model Pilots now are fairly ready to tow. When Honda came out with the revised model in 2009 they recognized that half their customers were setting them up for towing anyway, so they were proactive and included that in the new model.

I think the trend of 'Bigger is Better' in North America is finally subsiding somewhat. Energy efficiency is finally being considered by more consumers. Heck, if I wanted lots of power, I would use my F250 with a Powerstroke diesel in it. Lots of towing and carrying capacity, but I want a vehicle that is more economical to drive though. I will leave the F250 for pulling my construction trailers and equipment.

[GoCougsKev]

Jim, my post was not targeting you or questioning your statements. I made the post because after reading a lot on this forum, it is clear to me that there are a lot folks on here that are very new to towing or have never done it before and are going to get into the 'hobby'. When I see folks thinking about towing the 19' Escape with a mini van rated for only #3500, I picture a mini van full of family members, full of luggage, has a full roof rack and a packed 19' trailer behind it being driven by someone who has never towed before. Not good.

The Escape trailers are great trailers for the in-experienced and for smaller economical cars, which is probably a dominating reason why folks buy them. Just as you say, bigger is not always better and with high gas prices and the 'green' movement, most folks want to have a practical TV that will be able to tow an Escape, but also be able to be a good economical commuting vehicle. When folks choose a 19' Escape over the smaller Escape models, you start to get at the tipping point that a TV like the Toyota Rav4 is just not suitable to tow such a rig and you will have to step up to a more capable TV. TV like the Honda Pilot or Toyota Highlander would be a step up from the Rav4 and are good economical TV for the 19' Escape. But folks who have TV in the Rav4 category should not be considering their TV for towing a 19' Escape, they either need to upgrade their TV or look at a smaller Escape.

It seems like some folks try to convince themselves that their under rated vehicle can handle a larger trailer by crunching the numbers to see if they come under #3500 rating. Even if you truly manage to keep the gross weight under #3500, say #3300, I think those folks are just fooling themselves into thinking that their TV can handle it. Can it really handle it, most likely under normal driving circumstances. But like I keep saying, can that maxed out vehicle be kept under control while breaking hard and performing an emergency maneuver, I am not willing to bet my life on it. Your trailer brakes and overall hitching setup do play critical rolls in emergency braking, but I am just pointing out that your TV also has to be able to control the trailer, as you know, you never want the trailer to control your TV like many folks in their under rated TV discover after they find themselves in a accident. Do you need a heavy duty TV to tow an Escape, absolutely not. Do you need a TV that is adequately rated to tow the Escape, yes. So the question is what is an adequate rating?

Like you point out, a minimum of #4500 rating for the 19’ Escape is probably about the lowest you can go while being safe, which I would agree. Anything with a higher towing rating is most likely better. Better meaning you can probably do it safer and with less effort. However you then get into the balance of economics and overall practicality of the TV. That should be determined by the overall use/need for your TV for towing and everyday use.

This is just my 2 cents, I am just sharing my advice to others that are trying to determine their TV and not see them upside down on the side of the road with all of their gear littered over ¼ mile of the highway. I have seen this many times. One of these yahoos unsafely passed me a few years ago towing a 30’+ trailer on I-90. I passed him again going about 5 mph in bumper to bumper traffic jam because his TV and trailer were in a million pieces on I-90. Don't let this happin to you...

[Art Davis]

Originally Posted by GoCougsKev

Jim, my post was not targeting you or questioning your statements. I made the post because after reading a lot on this forum, it is clear to me that there are a lot folks on here that are very new to towing or have never done it before and are going to get into the 'hobby'. When I see folks thinking about towing the 19' Escape with a mini van rated for only #3500, I picture a mini van full of family members, full of luggage, has a full roof rack and a packed 19' trailer behind it being driven by someone who has never towed before. Not good.

The Escape trailers are great trailers for the in-experienced and for smaller economical cars, which is probably a dominating reason why folks buy them. Just as you say, bigger is not always better and with high gas prices and the 'green' movement, most folks want to have a practical TV that will be able to tow an Escape, but also be able to be a good economical commuting vehicle. When folks choose a 19' Escape over the smaller Escape models, you start to get at the tipping point that a TV like the Toyota Rav4 is just not suitable to tow such a rig and you will have to step up to a more capable TV. TV like the Honda Pilot or Toyota Highlander would be a step up from the Rav4 and are good economical TV for the 19' Escape. But folks who have TV in the Rav4 category should not be considering their TV for towing a 19' Escape, they either need to upgrade their TV or look at a smaller Escape.

It seems like some folks try to convince themselves that their under rated vehicle can handle a larger trailer by crunching the numbers to see if they come under #3500 rating. Even if you truly manage to keep the gross weight under #3500, say #3300, I think those folks are just fooling themselves into thinking that their TV can handle it. Can it really handle it, most likely under normal driving circumstances. But like I keep saying, can that maxed out vehicle be kept under control while breaking hard and performing an emergency maneuver, I am not willing to bet my life on it. Your trailer brakes and overall hitching setup do play critical rolls in emergency braking, but I am just pointing out that your TV also has to be able to control the trailer, as you know, you never want the trailer to control your TV like many folks in their under rated TV discover after they find themselves in a accident. Do you need a heavy duty TV to tow an Escape, absolutely not. Do you need a TV that is adequately rated to tow the Escape, yes. So the question is what is an adequate rating?

Like you point out, a minimum of #4500 rating for the 19’ Escape is probably about the lowest you can go while being safe, which I would agree. Anything with a higher towing rating is most likely better. Better meaning you can probably do it safer and with less effort. However you then get into the balance of economics and overall practicality of the TV. That should be determined by the overall use/need for your TV for towing and everyday use.

This is just my 2 cents, I am just sharing my advice to others that are trying to determine their TV and not see them upside down on the side of the road with all of their gear littered over ¼ mile of the highway. I have seen this many times. One of these yahoos unsafely passed me a few years ago towing a 30’+ trailer on I-90. I passed him again going about 5 mph in bumper to bumper traffic jam because his TV and trailer were in a million pieces on I-90. Don't let this happin to you...

Kev,

Thanks for the response. I think, though, that you will find that the Toyota Highlander has a tow rating the same as the Sienna: 3500 p;ounts.
Art

[JeffZ]

FYI - My 2008 Highlander Sport w/Tow Package (an option on the Sport) has a towing capacity of 5000.

[RickM]

Yep, Jeff has it right. Highlanders,from 2008 onwards, are rated for 5,000 lbs with the towing package and 3.500 lbs without the towing package.