Time to Unfold

[Rossue]

Would have to agree with Dave regarding trailer choice. As it turns out we were lucky in a lot of ways buying our 17B used. Thought I wanted tandem axels but Tammy said we couldn't pull the '19 with our Murano. Got the 17B and towed about 3000 miles and decided we wanted a different TV and got a Highlander V6 AWD. Big diff and average 17mpg. We prefer the 17B as it fits us and has great flexibility without its permanent bed. Many make the double dinette a permanent bed, but you can change your mind. Fits in our driveway easily too. Went on a solo trip recently and slept in the single and kept the double open to stretch out on to read. The Santa Fe would probably be OK, but IMHO its probably at the top end of its tow rating as we found out with the Nissan. Does your TV have factory tow package?

[BillM]

Originally Posted by Rossue

The Santa Fe would probably be OK, but IMHO its probably at the top end of its tow rating as we found out with the Nissan. Does your TV have factory tow package?

Depending upon model years the Santa Fe has about the same power and capacity as the Murano.

I agree. "OK" is good enough for a trip or 2 to the local campgrounds but not for extended tours.

The Santa Fe has the factory tow package - a transmission cooler and a bit of wiring , but its rear suspension is soft. I can't see it comfortably towing anywhere close to its rated 3500 lbs. or more importantly close to its rated 350 lb. tongue weight limit.

Thanks for the input.

[gbaglo]

Not saying you should, but my buddy tows his 19 with a 2009 Santa Fe V6 with tow package and uses a WDH. I tow my 17B with a RAV4 V6 with tow package and WDH.
For him to upgrade his tow capacity, he has to move to the larger 7-passenger Santa Fe. For me to upgrade, I would have to move to 7-passenger Highlander.
I'm thankful that I'm not in the market because I don't see anything out there that appeals to me. I want small and fuel-efficient for every day driving, but capable of towing.

[gbaglo]

Here's a photo of our "kitchen".
Counter extension is to left of sink, which has the cover in use.

[Fox hunt]

Is that factory fold up counter or did you customize it?

[gbaglo]

Factory counter. It folds down, but we just leave it up.
PS. don't lean heavily on it. I bent the support arm. Easy to straighten it, but I won't do it again.

[Dave&Kathie]

Agree with Dave. Best advice we ever got when looking for a trailer. 'Don't try and get a trailer to fit your tug. You won't be happy in the long run. Get the trailer you want and then get the vehicle to tow it.'

[holo]

We also had a Chalet before we went to an Escape 17B. Loved the Chalet but the Escape is much more comfortable. We tow with a 6 cyl. Tacoma and find the towing to be very comfortable. Although towing was okay at first I found that a WD hitch just feels better.
We exited Death Valley on a winding, steep (9%) grade, two lane road and the Tacoma did fine. We did have to go down to second gear so the brakes would not overheat.
We have dual 6V batteries and they hold up for 2-3 days, more with portable solar. The dual propane and 6V don't seem to harm the towing capabilities.

[Rossue]

Dave&Kathie have a great TV/trailer combo, and it is striking to compare specs for V6 Highlander to a V8 4Runner. Lots of difference in torque and hp/rpm rating. I don't think I would want to pull another 1000 lbs. with a Highlander. Tow rating is 5000 vs. 7300 as well.

[LeonW]

For what it is worth, we tow our 17b with a Sienna (3500 lbs towing capacity), and have no complaints about the towing experience. We use a WDH. While we haven't been on the road like Jon V, we just returned from a five week, 4000 mile, trip to the south eastern US. Late last summer it was 5 weeks in New England and the Maritime Provinces. Last Spring it was a month in the Southwest. So certainly more than a trip or two to the local campgrounds.

We leave the rear dinette made up as a bed. Since my princess thought she could feel the pea under the mattress, we put a 3" memory foam topper on the cushions. As a result, the factory flip Down shel extension couldn't be raised and lowered easily. So I modified it to work with a couple of Rubbermaid shelf brackets. Now it comes completely off the end of the counter and we store it under the front dinette. The princess likes it better this way,

We haven't had a problem with counter space. We often cook outside, but when cooking inside we are able to get by using the stove cover, sink cover and counter extension. There is only room for one person in the galley, so the other one sits at the table and relaxes during prep time.

[Escapist]

Bill

Go with the 17B, we have had ours since 2006, been to the Baha, across Canada and South to the Gulf Coast. Bed permanantly set up, memory foam topper was a great improvement. I built a cover for the 3 burner stove & with sink cover there is plenty of room. Washing dishes, we just put a piece of plastic on the bed to protect the bedding. We camp in national or provincial/state parks for up to 6-7 days with 6V dual batteries, no LED's, no generator or solar cells. Keep it simple, use battery powered LED reading lights. It's all good in a 17B, we pull it with an older Nissan Pathfinder and WDH (mostly to get weight off the rear springs)

[BillM]

@Escapist - Like your style. We have gone with LEDs and two series 31 12 volts which in retrospect are more than we need. We beefed up the charging wire so we can recharge while driving only a few hours. We're good for at least 10 days and also have solars which are largely redundant. Fresh water is our weakest link.

The thinking du jour is to suck it up, buy a light truck and go with the 5th wheel. The mileage numbers are as good or better than our '09 Santa Fe.

BTW LEDs on amazon are really affordable.

[BillM]

I have been comparing these vehicles as prospective tow vehicles: Buick Enclave (4500#), Chevrolet Traverse (5200#), Nissan Pathfinder(5000#) and Hyundai Santa Fe XL (5000#). I rejected the Grand Cherokee, Highlander, Explorer and Pilot based on experience and reviews. I am leaning towards the XL as I have found the 09 model to be reliable, I like the dealership, it has a long warranty and it appears to offer the best bang for the buck. It has a maximum tongue weight of 500# (750 with wd)

I don't get any results when I search the forum for the XL. I would be interested in any experiences with this vehicle and a 17B or 19. I believe the XL model was introduced in the 2013 model year and replaced the Veracruz model. The earlier Santa Fe model (which I currently own) is rated at only 3500#.

[MyronL]

I saw the listed tow stats and was liking the Hyundai Santa Fe at first blush, and the good price. Went to a dealership to look it over and ask questions on towing. Got an X-Nay impression. Best to double-check on towing claims vs real world.

Jumped then to the Traverse/Acadia platform because of generous interior room.
In fact I bought a used Acadia but the dealer gave me a loaner truck while they prepped it. When they made me an offer I couldn't refuse I took the Silverado.

[BillM]

Thank you Myron.

I spoke with a salesperson at the dealership and he didn't know much about the vehicle so I talked to the service manager who I have gotten to know of the past few years and got a good impression of the towing capacity from him. In fact he said the manufacturers low ball the numbers.

There is this real world experience posted on a Hyundai forum. First Tow of the Boat Complete! ~4300lbs - Hyundai Forums : Hyundai Forum This guy is pulling a 4300# boat trailer with dual axles. I can't tell if he is using wd.

[Rossue]

Had a Buick Enclave. Didn't trust the sound of the trans at 55k and traded to a new Murano, which is 3500 tow rated. Ck out buick trans problems on web. traverse of course is same. Bought a 17B, and after a few months realized it wasn't really built to do extended towing. Bought a 2013 Highlander SE AWD w/oem hitch and its great. Average 17 mpg, and feels solid. Don't know anything about Hyundai except I don't see many being used to tow. See a lot of Toyotas and some Honda ridgelines. Good luck choosing.

[Dave Walter]

Originally Posted by BillM

... I rejected the Grand Cherokee, Highlander, Explorer and Pilot based on experience and reviews...

Your rejection of these vehicles as candidates for towing seems at odds with real life experience of many people on this site and elsewhere who have had very positive towing experiences with the GC, Highlander, and Pilot (don't know much about the Explorer).

I personally would not consider a Hyundai for towing, as there have been some very dissatisfied owners complaining about the poor performance and service of those vehicles.

[Catchlight]

Reading the posts on that Hyundai forum makes me appreciate even more the quality of information posted on this forum, especially for the Escape posters' reliance on facts and best towing practices rather than rumour, wishful thinking, and "advice" from car dealers.

Here's a sample post on the Hyundai board from a fellow asked about the tow vehicle rear end sag that was evident in a photo of his rig: "Not real sure. The boat is pretty balanced on the trailer so I do not believe it to be too terrible."

The Toyota 4Runner forum I look at occasionally can be even worse when it comes to "advice" about towing. Over there, several posters believe that their personally assessed testosterone level somehow increases the towing capacity of their tugs.

I hope they all work out the physics of towing safely before someone's dream trip becomes a nightmare.

[gbaglo]

Here is previous discussion of Hyundai Santa Fe ( not XL, but basically the same ).
http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f1...icle-2760.html

[MyronL]

I remember reading that post, gb. The "not able to get parts" part is really what got my attention. Will never have that issue with my Silverado, even if it was made in Mexico.