Towing Vehicle for 07 Mobius XLV ?

[Richard Peabody]

Hello Forum, I am new to the forum and also a soon to be new Mobius XLV owner with the 340 engine. Now that I've ordered this boat which is due in Feb. I now need a new vehicle to tow it with. My wife will not stand for a pickup truck and will not drive the bigger SUV's i.e. Suburban. So I am look at the following. A Dodge 4x4 Durango with the 5.7 liter HEMI V8 which will tow 7250 lbs. or the Toyota Sequoia 4x4 with a 4.7 leter V8 and it will tow 6200 lbs. My fear is that the boat and trailer are 4700 lbs empty. Add five people to ride in the vehicle at say 200 lbs each for 1000 lbs. which brings us to 5700 lbs. and the Toyota is only rated at 6200 lbs. Then add in gas and other boating equipment which could bring it up to the liimits of these two vehicles.

The bottom line is will either of the above vehicle tow the Mobius safely or what vehicle would you recommend I look at.

Thanks Richard

[qb12]

richard, congrats on the boat.

Now to your question, I used to have a 02 Outback and now have a 05 SSV 22. I towed both with my previous 04 Sequoia with no problems what so ever.

I now have a 07 Tahoe and can tell you there there is very little difference in the capiblity of towing between the two vehicles. We generally tow about 1500 miles a year, both on the flats and hilly roads.

If it were me I would take the Sequoia way over the Durango. Much better quality and resale down the road.

db

[Smrtz]

I use Jeep grand cherokee, and it is rated @ 7700. I have no issues at all!

[tarkus70]

My thing with towing is not just pulling power but also stopping. I know everyone is going to say the trailer has brakes but it may not things do happen. I have a story about it turned out ok no one hurt. My point is talk to people who have them and see how they like them not just overall but really ask. Given the choice between the two go for the Toyota Sequoia. Just my $0.02

[jlandis]

I'd go with the Sequoia. I pull my '06 Mobius LSV with a 2005 Tundra 4x4 and haven't had any problems (including braking). The Sequoia is basically the same vehicle as the Tundra so should handle your XLV just fine. I also believe the Sequoia is a much nicer ride than the Durango. Congrats on the new boat.

[JoeTechie]

For mid sized suvs in that price range with the highest tow capacity -

Jeep Grand Cherokee limited 4.7 or overland 5.7
Ford Explorer 4x4 4.6
Land Rover LR3

My ML 500 is rated at 7842lbs and pulls the 06 LSV like it's not there - I agree w/ Ed, get more for safety if you are pulling any long distances and with larger loads (like 5 200lb friends) ;)

-Joe

[Double D]

Personally, I would look at the Chevy Suburban. I know it is a monster, but 5 of my buddies have all put our wives in subs. First they complained and complained and now they won't go to anything else and won't go to anything smaller....which hurt when gas was $3/gal last summer!!

I can pull the boat everywhere with all of our gear and still sit 8 people comforatably in the sub on the way down the road.

They aren't as big as everyone thinks they are.

That is just my humble opinion but based on your post, I agree with everyone else on this one....go with the Toyota. Better gas mileage, dependibility, reliability, and re-sale.

[Double D]

Mine is a strawberry blonde. Would give you the measurements, but don't want to make you druel. :p

We don't do soccer stickers. We have two stickers on our sub. One is HO SPORTS and the other is Browning guns. If we aren't waterskiing, we are hunting/shooting.

In North Dakota you want a bigger vehicle with the snow/ice and the higher percentage of driving on gravel roads. We aren't conjested with people/traffic like many other states, so bigger vehicles aren't a hassle.

[tarkus70]

I will say do not get a Expedition my wife drives one and when I tow with it I always say why did we buy this? More of a car than a tow rig. Now I'm not saying it's a bad truck just not made out for towing even with the tow package.

[lowdrag]

Depends on the year of the Explorer. The new Sport Tracs are supposed to be pretty stout and well built vehicles for a mid sized SUV. The newer 3V heads on the 4.6 have it running at 290hp and the tow rating if equipped properly is 7200lbs. The biggest thing I'd worry about is the independent rear suspension and how it will hold up in the long run if you do a lot of towing. I've already decided that before I purchase my next tow vehicle, I'm taking my boat with me. I'll test drive it with and without pulling the boat before I purchase it. If they don't like that then I'll just take my business elsewhere.

[gotmyboat]

I would have to disagree with Tarkus about the Expedition. I have a 2000 Expedition that has served me very well towing a 26' travel trailer, and now my Outback. The nice thing is that it is heavy enough that the boat doesn't push it around at all. The road to my favorite lake is 2 lane and windy with a big climb at the end. I have never had a problem with power or handling. I also have 105K trouble free miles on it. I'll definitely buy another one.

Dave

[Double D]

My buddy (who I can't believe hasn't posted yet here) pulls his Moomba with a newer Expedition. He says the towing isn't as bad as the gas guzzling is.

I think he said pulling the boat, he is around 10m/gal. With my sub I hover around 12 m/gal. when I drag the boat around. I would guess the Sequoia will be pretty similar to the suburban.

Fords have usually been good for towing, but always had a reputation of being gas guzzlers. That is pretty much all we run at the farm is Fords. Nothing else really holds up to the abuse...except a little 85 Toyota 4x4 that we have tried to kill. That thing just keeps going and going.

[qb12]

Doubled, pulling my ssv22 with my old 04 Sequoia I avg about 13-14 mpg. With my 07 Tahoe (suppose to be the best mpg full size suv) i avg 10.

I can't wait till the 08 Sequoia's come out. Bigger in size and bigger engine and more towing.

[Ian Brantford]

Have you considered the 4Runner? It can be had with the same 4.7L V8 as the Sequoia, but it's only a (largish) mid-size SUV. Plus, the tow package brings it up to a 7,000 lb capacity.

I tow my 2005 XLV (same weight) with a 1998 4Runner, with a 3.4L V6. I can say that this truck is just acceptable for my needs -- maximum 1 hour trips with no long hills. It really wouldn't take a lot more power and weight to make it completely comfortable in all conditions, and I would consider the current-year 4Runner to be ideal if I needed to upgrade right away. Um, I'm waiting for a hybrid engine, for better non-towing efficiency. The current V8 is still more efficient than most of the competition though.

I assume that the trailer hasn't changed since 2005. Its handling is MUCH better than I anticipated. I got the stock brakes, just on the one axle. I was concerned about the brakes locking and wheels not tracking (i.e. jackknife) in rain or on gravel if I got brakes on both axles. It's been great so far. It tracks straight, and the brakes are correctly calibrated so that I've never found it pushing the rear of the truck around when decelerating or going downhill.

I've had a chance to chat with many family, friends, and even a bunch of British Columbian lumberjacks! From those experiences with light trucks, Ford indeed is preferred in the long term over GM and Dodge when there's hard work to be done. However, now that Toyota finally makes trucks/SUVs that are big and powerful enough for the task, there isn't any need to consider other brands anymore, for me. If there is a premium in price (depends on your local market), it is more than worth it in superior long-term reliability and efficiency.

Sorry if that sounded snobby, but it's really my experience. Hey, I used to drive a Camaro. 250ci straight 6 with a 3-speed automatic that habitually skipped 2nd gear. I've come a long way. :-)

[tarkus70]

My buddy (who I can't believe hasn't posted yet here) pulls his Moomba with a newer Expedition. He says the towing isn't as bad as the gas guzzling is.

I think he said pulling the boat, he is around 10m/gal. With my sub I hover around 12 m/gal. when I drag the boat around. I would guess the Sequoia will be pretty similar to the suburban.

Fords have usually been good for towing, but always had a reputation of being gas guzzlers. That is pretty much all we run at the farm is Fords. Nothing else really holds up to the abuse...except a little 85 Toyota 4x4 that we have tried to kill. That thing just keeps going and going.
My normal tow rig is a F250 Super Duty with a 5.4ltr.So I guess I should have said that in an earlier post so I'm Comparing everything to that. As far as gas mileage I get 12mph weather I'm towing the boat the off road truck or the snowmobiles. Still given the choice of the trucks mentioned I would still say the Toyota. Sorry did not mean to highjack the thread

[Adsterterder4]

That doesn't matter.
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[tarkus70]

This is getting annoying^^^^^^^^

[ABUCKOTOMAMBO]

I'll throw my two cents in. Since DoubleD brought me into the discussion. I run an 03 Ford Expedition V8 5.4 L Triton Eddie Bauer Edition. 70,000 miles as of last weekend. (We don't spend many weekends's at home) I affectionately refer to it as my Ford "Exploder". I bought it new and I must say the first six months of ownership were very frustrating. Once the buggs were worked out things have been OK.

It is a great family vehicle. With Two Billy Lids and two Lab's there are many weekends when you couldn't squeeze a fart into the rig once we hit the road.

When towing a 3,000+ Outback V you certanly know you've got somthing behind ya. You quickly learn that highway speed is 55-60mph. Even at those speeds you are LUCKY to get 10mpg's Probably closer to 8.5-9mpg. Stopping is good and handling is good. One concern that I have noticed with my "Expoder" is this summer after towing Moomba around, a rear clutch in the back differential went out so anytime I took a corner things would make a grinding/growling noise. I brought it in to my Dealer and it was replaced and repaired as a warranty issue. (Thank you extended warranty).

Since "Exploder" is paid for we will run her till the wheel's fall off but I have been eyeing Toyota Sequioa, and Nissan Armada. We'll see what 2008-9 has to offer

[Dannad]

I really like this thread. I was wondering how my 1998 Ford 5.0L V8 "exploder" (explorer) would be able to handle a LS. It appears as though the boat is about 4,000 lbs and my towing capability is around 6,500 lbs. I assume I will be ok?
I also have the grinding noise while turning corners. Sounds like maybe I should have the rear differential looked at. Thanks ABUCKOASDFASJ.

[Double D]

ABUCKOTOMAMBO: I thought you said something about going to the H1 Hummer wagon next spring?? :wink:

See you on the 2nd and 3rd for our pheasant hunt!

Dannad: You will definitely feel the boat behind you but the motor should be OK for the pull. Personally the 5.0 in a 5 speed version was Ford's best pulling motor back in 1998, but if you keep the OD (overdrive) off and keep the speeds down you shouldn't see any problems.

Back when I was in high school, I pulled a 19 foot Larson deep V bowrider around with a 1985 Toyota with only a 4 cylinder motor. I believe that boat came in right around 2800 lbs. It was like hooking a great dane on leash to a 6 year and telling him to take the dog for a walk. Never had issues other than stopping. Kept the speeds down and never ran it past 4th gear.

Sincerely,

Double D

[schwartzman]

I would not be too concerned with gas milage, but I would be concerned about stopping. Any 3/4 or 1 ton will have bigger brakes than a 1/2 ton. My old 95 Astro van was rated to pull 3500 lbs or more, and it could do it but it was not very good at stopping it at 100 KM ( I had a 12' enclosed trailer full of constuction material and had to make a panic stop for an elk that came out of the bush and even with the trailer brakes it was'nt going to stop in time and I hit the ditch). With my new 3/4 ton truck and camper and bike trailer (no trailer brakes) stopping like that is not an issue.

[Buttafewcoe]

He's right. The is more to dragging a trailer behind you besides raw horsepower. Brakes, transmission cooler, and an oversize cooling system on the motor, and pulling power all contribute to a well rounded tow vehicle.
.
B

[schwartzman]

If it were me, I would try to sell me wife on a deisel truck. A load down deisel will get better milage than a loaded down 1/2 ton. I already made the mistake of getting a gaser, and for how big the truck is it is'nt bad on gas (03 Dodge 3/4 ton, fie speed auto, 3:73 gears, 4x4, long box, quad cab) pulling just our boat will go for about 600-800 KM on 132 leters. My dads deisel will easily do 1000KM.