Age of tow vehicle

[azjack]

before Escapes, a 1932 ford.

[cpaharley2008]

I used to attend rallies near Hohenwald with my various Escapes and Jim Oliver toured mine to "check out the competition" and asked me for suggestions. I remember specifically saying the bath area needs heat. Not sure if the Olivers did that!

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I used to attend rallies near Hohenwald with my various Escapes and Jim Oliver toured mine to "check out the competition" and asked me for suggestions. I remember specifically saying the bath area needs heat. Not sure if the Olivers did that!

Yes Jim heat vented in the bathroom for quite sometime now . Pat

[rubicon327]

We tow with 2005 and 2007 V6 4Runners. My 2005 has 205,000 miles and the 2007 around 160,000. Never any trouble but one does happen to be in the shop today. A transmission fluid cooler line up near the radiator rusted through. Engine and trans are great. Frame and component rust underneath is the biggest issue.

[Weluvcamping]

Originally Posted by RBRV

Just curious about how many here tow with older vehicles? 10-20 years old, or more?

We pull our 19 ft with a 1971 Pontiac Catalina Convertible. We did a coast-to-coast antique car tour in 2017, starting in Victoria, BC & ending in St. John's, NL - then had to drive home to Alberta. We are joining up with this year's tour in Alberta next week and driving to Victoria as we didn't want to commit to starting in June. But usually we use our 2000 3/4 T chev.....

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by Weluvcamping

We pull our 19 ft with a 1971 Pontiac Catalina Convertible. We did a coast-to-coast antique car tour in 2017, starting in Victoria, BC & ending in St. John's, NL - then had to drive home to Alberta. We are joining up with this year's tour in Alberta next week and driving to Victoria as we didn't want to commit to starting in June. But usually we use our 2000 3/4 T chev.....

Photo?

[DeanCHS1980]

Hi All,

Laura and I tow our 2005 Casita 17 Freedom Deluxe with a bit of a unicorn. It is a 2009 Kia Borrego Limited V8 with 335 horsepower and 325 lb ft of torque and rated to tow 7,500 lbs. It was designed to compete with the Toyota Forerunner. Umm, poor timing for Kia in 2009 in terms of $4 per gallon gas, a bad economy, and people buying crossovers rather than body on frame SUVs at the time.

We purchased it in December, 2015 after purchasing our 2005 Casita in November, 2015. It had 83,000 miles on it when we purchased it. It currently has 149,000 miles on it. Of the 66,000 miles we have put on the Borg, about 30,000 miles have been towing the Casita to 11 states and just over 300 nights of camping.

We have been very pleased with the Borg and plan to keep it for at least a couple of more years.

Interesting thread!

Take care,

Dean

[emers382]

Originally Posted by Weluvcamping

We pull our 19 ft with a 1971 Pontiac Catalina Convertible. We did a coast-to-coast antique car tour in 2017, starting in Victoria, BC & ending in St. John's, NL - then had to drive home to Alberta. We are joining up with this year's tour in Alberta next week and driving to Victoria as we didn't want to commit to starting in June. But usually we use our 2000 3/4 T chev.....

Your profile says you're in Coaldale Alabama, don't you mean Alberta?

[SouthernCamper]

Hi from Lafayette! We're towing with a 2013 5.7L tundra crewmax with 136k miles and trying to decide if we want to keep relying on a high mileage truck taking us to Timbuktu with no cell service. I think we've talked before but I just had to say hello when I saw Lafayette!

[SouthernCamper]

What size escape do you have? Looking at a GX460 for our 21' and worry about porpoising and sway

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by SouthernCamper

Hi from Lafayette! We're towing with a 2013 5.7L tundra crewmax with 136k miles and trying to decide if we want to keep relying on a high mileage truck taking us to Timbuktu with no cell service. I think we've talked before but I just had to say hello when I saw Lafayette!

thats not very high mileage or very old. I'm towing my Escape 21 with a 2002 F250 diesel that has 260,000 miles, and I'm planning a 6000 mile 3 month journey in Mexico next year.

[SouthernCamper]

Thanks! I know embarrassingly little about engines, but isn't wear and tear from mileage different with diesels?

[ghosthunter]

I have 2012 Nissan Frontier with 139 K. Not worried at all my service guy says 300K or more if I keep up with service. And I do.
Given the crazy amounts they want for new trucks I am driving mine till it drops than I will fix it.
If you are worried about cell service get a InReach. Cheaper than a new truck. And good peace of mind for a number of reasons.

[SouthernCamper]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

thats not very high mileage or very old. I'm towing my Escape 21 with a 2002 F250 diesel that has 260,000 miles, and I'm planning a 6000 mile 3 month journey in Mexico next year.

Thanks! I know embarrassingly little about engines, but isn't wear and tear from mileage different with diesels?

[SouthernCamper]

Originally Posted by ghosthunter

I have 2012 Nissan Frontier with 139 K. Not worried at all my service guy says 300K or more if I keep up with service. And I do.
Given the crazy amounts they want for new trucks I am driving mine till it drops than I will fix it.
If you are worried about cell service get a InReach. Cheaper than a new truck. And good peace of mind for a number of reasons.

Thanks. I'll look at the inreach. We've been wanting to look at a cell extender. You've used it? What's your experience been?

I guess we're just nervous bc we're towing kids across the country, one of them will be a newborn come this summer. I don't have a concern about long term longevity if that makes sense, I would drive it in town until well past 200k I bet, but I get nervous that one little old hose or belt or gasket could strand us. I wish I had a service guy I could trust!!

[MrLynn]

Our 2013 Expedition has low mileage (in the 80s), but I just noticed the passenger-door bodywork has rusted out underneath. Think I'd better have a body shop look it over; the damn salt up here kills the cars. I had a '98 Chevy 1500 van that after 15 years had the frame rust out to the point it wasn't safe to drive (everything above was in great shape).

Would hate to have to get another tow vehicle. With my 2013 I can still rest my arm on the window sill. Can you do that with any of the newer trucks? The cars all have high waists.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by SouthernCamper

We're towing with a 2013 5.7L tundra crewmax with 136k miles and trying to decide if we want to keep relying on a high mileage truck taking us to Timbuktu with no cell service.

Everyone has different comfort levels but that’s nothing for a properly maintained 5.7L V8. One of Toyota’s most reliable engines. I just bought a 2004 4Runner that has the 4.7L V8. Also known to be a great engine and I’m all about tried and true. Many trucks with these engines will have frame and body issues before the engine and transmission have any major problems. Read up on million mile Tundras. Small (and big) things can and will happen on any vehicle regardless of age/miles. Newer isn’t always better.

[oldwave]

Originally Posted by SouthernCamper

Hi from Lafayette! We're towing with a 2013 5.7L tundra crewmax with 136k miles and trying to decide if we want to keep relying on a high mileage truck taking us to Timbuktu with no cell service. I think we've talked before but I just had to say hello when I saw Lafayette!

The important question is how it’s been maintained. Regular oil changes? Transmission fluid changed at 70,000? Coolant system flushed a couple of times? Brake fluid changed out?

Even the best engines will be killed by neglect.

If it’s been maintained I’d see no reason not to be confident.

[Chasing Trials]

I tow an E19 with a 2014 Tacoma PreRunner(6 cly). I bought it 1 1/2 yrs ago at 92K, I put at least 12K the last year towing(not a hic-up). Carfax said, it was a FL truck for 5 yrs, then SC. So I hope that keeps the famed frame rot a bay. Tacomas are known for running forever 300K+. So just might be the only TV for me. Had a F250 Superduty for 14 yrs. & E250, & a few F150s(horse trailers) Tired of climbing in BIG trucks.

[Randy in Maine]

We tow our 21NE with our 2002 Tundra (4.7L V8) and it does quite well. 213K miles but it is well maintained (good tires, brakes, suspension, cooling, & lights).