Advice on a Tow Vehicle

[gregski]

I towed my Sanger ski boat with a GMC Envoy. That boat is around 2500 lbs and the Envoy had enough guts from the V-6 to pull it and the trailers have breaks, so that's not a huge issue. However, I was putting some pretty harsh wear on the rear diff/axle and suspension. My mechanic was practically begging my to get a bigger truck (even though it was making him money).

My wife came with a 4-door Silverado (and a very little, out-board run-about, maybe 1000 lbs wet). This truck pulls soooo much nicer. Now that we have an LSV, which comes in around 3500lbs, I wouldn't even consider pulling it with the Envoy or anything smaller than a Yukon or Suburban built on the larger truck chassis. A pickup truck with a V-6 would probably be just fine too. You can get plenty of power from the smaller engines but that's not the issue.

The 4-door truck works nicely for us with a family. It seats 4-5 comfortably since it is wide, and up to 6 when we need it. We did add a soft tonneau top to keep the cargo dry. The only downside compared to a large SUV is having room for the dog to be without stepping on the back seat passengers. But the 4-door trucks are a bit less money than the large SUVs.