New Owner. 2014 17b

[GG&SM]

Gotta get something to tow it with. Any suggestions?

 

[Bill and Earline]

That’s a bit of a wide open question.
Do you have any brand preferences?
How many people and pets are there to accommodate?
Do you like SUVs, or truck-type vehicles?
How much do you care about fuel mileage?
How far do you anticipate driving, and therefore what mountains will you be going up and down?
Remember it’s not just the vehicle’s ability to pull the trailer that you should be concerned with, but the ability to stop and to control the whole rig going down grades, and when the unexpected deer, moose or tire problem occurs.

This forum has people who love to comment on tow vehicles, so any of your thoughts will help narrow the search.

 

[escape artist]

Gotta get something to tow it with. Any suggestions?

Hi: GG&SM... Need more INFO!!! Con Grats any way. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

 

[vermilye]

I've towed a 17B with both a Toyota RAV4 (2010 V6 with tow package) and a 2016 Tacoma Off Road. While the RAV4 worked, the small gas tank & low clearance were problems. The Tacoma was great, however if you ever plan to upsize to a 21, I don't recommend it.

 

[Dave & Penny Smith]

Towing a 17B

GG&SM:

We tow our 2015 17B with a 2008 Toyota 4Runner (V6). Toyota's tow ratings for it are 5,000 lb. with 500 lb. tongue weight. Thus the 17B is well within it's limits. Our gas mileage (towing) has averaged 14.5 mpg for some 9,200 miles since we got the trailer (in Aug.) of 2015. We are very happy with the way the 4Runner handles towing the 17B. Good luck with your decision making regarding your choice of tow vehicles and have fun with your trailer.

Dave

 

[deange]

Such a loaded question but understandable. I have a half ton chevy. I don't notice my 17b and will never need a sway bar etc... I live in the country, so having a half ton or yukon or suburban isn't ridiculous. Our 2011 Subaru won't tow our masterpiece.
Make sure that you are 500-1,000 lbs under the towing capacity of whatever you buy (that being a fully weighted down trailer with black, grey and water full), that includes the vehicle and the tow hitch weight. What i mean is don't get fooled by the Ford dealership and end up buying the low end 2.7 Turbo. I just mean to make sure you are well above the loaded capacity to tow no matter what you buy (not a knock against Ford, just the dealer I dealt with). Finally, that being said; it's hard to make an informed decision.
2nd, if your dealer can't tell you the holy quaternity of towing (ie. towing capacity, GVW and GVW with trailer and trailer weight capacity) go to somebody who will in writing. Saves a lot in warranty issues

 

[Mike G]

If you like an SUV with a relatively carlike ride and handling, shoot for something like Toyota Highlander, Chevy Traverse, Ford Explorer, etc.

 

[Rossue]

We're kicking tires to replace a 2001 Avalon. We thought we might like another Highlander as we had a 2013 SE for towing our 17B which was great. Test drive one and liked it, however it was more car than we need. Drove a Lexus RX 350 and really liked it. With 3500 # tow rating that could be a very good option for a 17 and they are not as much $ as I thought for a clean low mileage 2013-2015.

 

[dfandrews]

We have a 17A, and tow w/ a 2011 Honda Pilot 2WD. With no bathroom, our 17A is lighter than the 17B by a couple of hundred pounds. We are typically at 2500-2600 lbs. with our gear. With your 17B, I would expect you to be approaching 3000 lbs., with tongue weight at 350 lbs.
Our Pilot is fine for towing, with good power. We camp a lot at 8000-9500 ft. elevation, so high altitude and the mt. grades slow us down some, but that's true of any V6 in the 250 HP, 250 ft.lb. torque range. If considering a front-wheel drive vehicle (SUV's, typically) we would recommend AWD/4WD rather than our front-wheel 2WD, for the traction advantages, particularly for slippery conditions or unpaved roads.
The 17 model is 12 feet from ball to axle, so it is a very stable tow. I've never been able to even induce sway. You might want to use a weight distribution hitch (WDH) for its weight distribution advantages, but with our Pilot we don't.