thoughts on DD tow rigs?

[Hoodoo Man]

the last run down to Rausch helped me in convincing the boss that her tired old min-van is due for a replacement. What are the general thoughts on the Commander with a hemi option or Grand Cherokee with a hemi? Both seem to have 7400 lbs towing capacity. I know the GC was just redesigned and the Commander is dead. Any other family friendly commuter vehicles worth looking at? Kris doesn't do too many miles commute wise so its not essential to get great milage although its a plus... we found a used 2010 commander with low miles and a third row that caught our eye and may take a peek at that soon.. It doesn't need to be shinny new but reliability is key....

thanks
Jeff

[Northshore Jeeper]

My "boss" and I are discussing the same thing. She is leaning towards the Grand (or a toyota sequia), I am leaning towards a full size pickup. We will see. We are hoping to pick something up in the spring/early summer. Let me know what you think after you test drive them

[DOUG]

If your going to tow, go diesel. Better economy, more reliable power. The Grand can be had used with a diesel option, talk with Jon W. he has one and has towed cross country with it.
When we went to Moab, most of the diesel rigs were getting around 12-14 MPG, my GCVW was almost 14K lbs (truck, trailer w/Jeep, loaded with gear, tools, parts, camping supplies, extra fuel, etc...
The gas trucks were no where near this MPG, usually around 9 MPG. In fact, our fuel stops were based on when the gassers needed to stop.

Joe O has mentioned a new tow rig, I'm looking to replace the truck I sold sometime next summer. Both of us will be looking for full size trucks.

Good luck with your search, keep us posted as to what you buy.

Disclaimer...going by memory, if the numbers I've posted here are wrong please post yours.

[Scott]

I've had a Chevy crew cab w/ a Duramax diesel. Very nice, roomy and awesome MPG towing a 30' camper. Maybe to big for your wife to drive daily though.

Looking at sport utes, We also had a Commander. The third row seats are cool BUT can only really be comfortably used by little kids and maybe Meg. anyone taller thank 4' is going to be uncomfortable pretty quick and if your like us and go on long Sunday drives or to Rouch with the kids, they'll get sick of it fast.
Another note on the Commander, their transmissions SUCK and IMO wont hold up to a lot of towing.

The 2011 Grand is pretty sweet!

My $.02 is go the truck route.

[Hoodoo Man]

The third row seats are cool BUT can only really be comfortably used by little kids and maybe Meg. anyone taller thank 4' is going to be uncomfortable pretty quick and if your like us and go on long Sunday drives or to Rouch with the kids, The 2011 Grand is pretty sweet!

My $.02 is go the truck route.

Oh that is so wrong but so funny. (Sorry Meg we kid because we love) We really cant consider full size pickups as this is a DD for my wife and I cant see her driving a full sized rig. I do 30K miles a year for work so my JK is borderline a gas hog for me and I cant do a FS pickup with that kind of miles due to my reimbursement rate. Kris wants the third row for play dates for the lil ones and our kids are still small. in a few years my oldest will be able to sit in front so it wont be as needed. I like the new GC but Kris is partial to the commander due to the 3rd row. Anyone know why Jeep killed the commander?

I would love a FS pup but as it will go to Raush a couple of times a year we need it more as a DD than a tow rig. Dave's Kia seems undersized and I suspect even with a tow rig in the drivway I would prefer not to trailer cross country. I am liking the look of the new GC but Kris does not want a diesel for a few reasons... Going to test drive a Commander this morning and will ceartinly take a close look at the hemi GC.. 2010 or 2011 but doubt we have the cake for that payment...

[ZAEDOCK]

Yep, go full size truck. The wheelbase and stability alone are well worth it. I had a loose bleeder screw on my trailer's hydro brakes which decided to pee pee fluid going down the Rockies. I dropped a gear and a periodic brake of the truck kept us nice and smooth. My truck has about a 140" wheelbase and IMO, a smaller SUV tow rig would have been pushed a lot easier.

Heading out to Moab, our group averaged about 70 MPH and I averaged 10-11 MPG during the trip with my '03 F150 5.4L. I was also pushing a LOT of weight as I brought my welder, steel, an extra T-case, leaf springs, saw, grinders, and 4 spares for the trailer. My little half ton did pretty well considering. The only hills I had any trouble on (despite having the smallest N/A gas motor out of the tow rigs) was I70 in the Rockies. She still did pretty well though. Even towing locally, I usually get a solid 11MPG. Not bad, IMO, for a 7 year old and less "advanced" truck.

I think Mark was getting about 9 MPG in his TJ pulling that Mil trailer. Pat and I would sometimes hear a "noise" going up hills and I would say "what the hell is that?" As the trip progressed, we realized it was the auto in Mark's TJ downshifting to make the hill. "bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz"

As my family's trips and adventures go beyond the confines of New England, a diesel truck simply makes more sense for me. There are downsides to owning a diesel though, such as the initial added investment and added maintenance costs. The plus side, however, is that a diesel will outlast a gas motor hands down. Heck, my old C10 with a 6.2L N/A diesel had 485,000 miles on it before I sold it (and the motor still ran well).
I plan to stick with Ford and really like the new in-house designed 6.7L. Ford just released the info for the 2011 (and you can get your 2010 reprogrammed for free) 6.7L and it's pushing 400HP and 800 lb/ft of torque. That's insane. If Ford didn't have it's new motor, I would be getting a Dodge. I won't buy another GM for other reasons (we had to sue them), so while a D-Max is nice too, I won't be giving GM my money any time soon.

As I stand now, Mama is in line to get the next new car. She plans to get a 4-door Wrangler. I'll be up for my new truck after that. Michaela will be graduated and in college in a couple years though, so I think my truck purchase will have to depend on what school she goes too. $$$$ ....damn kids....

[ChrisD]

Jeff please let me know the location of your $$ tree.... lol

I love the look of the Comander and had no clue until reading this post that it got hacked.

[Hoodoo Man]

Jeff please let me know the location of your $$ tree.... lol

I love the look of the Comander and had no clue until reading this post that it got hacked.

The so called money tree sprouted with both girls are now in public school. Im no longer paying 800 a month for each of them to be watched by "strangers" while Kris and I work. Its like we are suddenly making another 20K a year.... Don't get me wrong the pre-school care they got was good and the people were nice but Its a pile of money for the two of them and I have no idea how we did it. I?m looking at used and want a payment of no more than 300-350 a month without a huge down payment. We may not pull the trigger on this one, but I have the added benefit of my neighbors construction business and I?m planning on stealing his trailer when needed.

I would love a diesel for all the reasons Joe and Doug site, but its my wifes daily driver and we can live with eh mileage to and from Rausch. Again I don't see myself going cross country with my tow rig, PA or TN are likely as far as Id go to the south. Ive done straight shot rides to Montreal only stoppling for gas for work and as much as I love the local convoys to the trial head and the ride with the group to Rausch Id rather not spend 6 days driving for a week of wheeling.... I really think an 18 wheeler can do the job at a reasonable cost per rig and flying would be a better use of my time... but thats me and I haven't done the BIG trip as yet...

[Northshore Jeeper]

I dont understand why my "boss has so much say in this new vehicle. She will probably pick it out and call it her own. (even though she only drives the daily driver about once a week. LOL)

About the trip to Moab I have a friend in PA who owns a small trucking company. He has a 4 car hauler and a one ton, and he just purchased a semi and is in the process of buying a big trailer for that. He might be interested in taking a group of jeeps to Moab next year......

[Carl McFly]

About the trip to Moab I have a friend in PA who owns a small trucking company. He has a 4 car hauler and a one ton, and he just purchased a semi and is in the process of buying a big trailer for that. He might be interested in taking a group of jeeps to Moab next year......

You can put me on the list of people who are interested in jumping on that

[nostaw]

FWIW -

The diesel WK is a great all around DD and occasional tow rig. The 3.0L CRD tows really well and, unless you're on a 6% grade in CO, can keep up with the 3/4 ton pick ups with a 6.5k - 7k lb trailer in tow. The WK's wheel base is fairly long (~114", I think), but if you use a weight-distributing hitch it is very stable. On the spring trip to Rausch I had to slow down on the hills a little in PA to keep from overheating the engine, not because I was out of gas pedal. On the trips I've taken I'd get 11-14 mpg w/ the trailer + XJ. When I've towed a friend's 18' Sea Ray ski boat (a couple times a year) I usually get ~17 mpg w/ a fully loaded vehicle (luggage) and a 17 cu-ft Thule box on the roof. The best I've done is ~22-23 mpg on a highway trip to my parents in CT (nothing in tow or on the roof).


Unfortunately the WK diesel is a somewhat rare and hard to find beast. They went out of production in '08, and there just aren't a ton of them out there. The dealerships don't see many of them -- mine is the only one they see at 1400 Motors in Nashua -- so I do most of the maintenance myself. For a DD SUV the fuel economy is OK... We usually avg ~19 MPG, but that is 90% short trips / city driving around town -- which is better than you'll get with a 4.7L or 5.7L V8 WK. Overall, I have been very satisfied with the purchase, though I would recommend getting an extension on the factory warranty.

The Commander is basically the WK platform, but with different body panels and some slightly different options (e.g. 3rd row seating).

I would say it is worth spending a little time looking for a CRD WK, if you think you'd be interested -- who knows what you may find.

If I had the option I'd buy a full-size diesel pickup w/ a quad cab. Maybe something to consider -- could Kris take the JK as her DD and you get the pickup?

JW

[DOUG]

Not that it's set in stone, but the plan was to go to Georgetown, California and run the Rubicon Trail, then hit Moab on the way back. You may need to factor that in with your shipping plans.

Back to your regulary scheduled thread...LOL

[nhdcoye]

The third row seats are cool BUT can only really be comfortably used by little kids and maybe Meg. anyone taller thank 4' is going to be uncomfortable pretty quick and if your like us and go on long Sunday drives or to Rouch with the kids, The 2011 Grand is pretty sweet!

My $.02 is go the truck route.

Oh that is so wrong but so funny. (Sorry Meg we kid because we love) We really cant consider full size pickups as this is a DD for my wife and I cant see her driving a full sized rig. I do 30K miles a year for work so my JK is borderline a gas hog for me and I cant do a FS pickup with that kind of miles due to my reimbursement rate. Kris wants the third row for play dates for the lil ones and our kids are still small. in a few years my oldest will be able to sit in front so it wont be as needed. I like the new GC but Kris is partial to the commander due to the 3rd row. Anyone know why Jeep killed the commander?

I would love a FS pup but as it will go to Raush a couple of times a year we need it more as a DD than a tow rig. Dave's Kia seems undersized and I suspect even with a tow rig in the drivway I would prefer not to trailer cross country. I am liking the look of the new GC but Kris does not want a diesel for a few reasons... Going to test drive a Commander this morning and will ceartinly take a close look at the hemi GC.. 2010 or 2011 but doubt we have the cake for that payment...

FYI
Midsize SUV Specification Comparison
Vehicle Wheel-base, in. Curb Weight, lb. Cargo Volume, cu. ft. Max. Towing, lb. Fuel Capacity, gal. Front Head Room, in. Front Leg Room, in. Rear Head Room, in. Rear Leg Room, in.
Buick Rendezvous 112.2 4250 108.9 3500 18 40.9 40.5 40.1 39
Chevrolet Equinox 112.5 3776 68.6 3500 17 40.9 41.2 40.1 40.2
Chevrolet TrailBlazer 113 4594 80.1 5800 22 40.2 41.4 39.6 37
Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT 129 4954 107 6400 25 40.2 41.4 39.6 37
Chrysler Pacifica 116.3 4337 92.7 3500 23 39.2 40.9 40 39.9
Dodge Durango 119.2 5024 102.4 8850 27 40.8 41.4 39.3 37.4
Ford Explorer 113.7 4615 85.8 7300 22.5 39.8 42.4 38.7 36.9
Ford Freestyle 112.9 3825 86.5 2000 19 39.4 41.2 38.6 41.9
GMC Envoy 113 4612 80.1 5800 22 40.2 41.4 39.6 37
GMC Envoy XL 129 4954 107.4 6400 25 40.2 41.4 39.6 37
Honda Pilot 106.3 4453 87.6 4500 20.4 41.9 41.4 40.1 37.4
Hummer H3 111.9 4700 55.7 4500 23 40.6 41.9 39.9 35
Isuzu Ascender 5-pass. 113 4594 80.1 5800 21.7 40.2 41.4 39.6 37
Isuzu Ascender 7-pass. 129 4954 107.4 6400 25 40.2 41.4 39.6 37
Jeep Commander 109.5 4783 68.9 7200 20.5 42.1 41.7 40.3 36.1
Jeep Grand Cherokee 109.5 4441 67.4 6500 20.8 39.7 41.7 39.3 35.5
Kia Sorento 106.7 4387 66.4 3500 21.1 9.7 41.6 39.5 36.1
Mercury Mountaineer 113.7 4562 84.7 7300 22.5 39.8 42.4 38.7 36.9
Mistubishi Endeavor 108.3 4079 76.4 3500 21.4 39.6 41.4 38.7 38.5
Mitsubishi Montero 109.7 4718 91.7 5000 23.8 41.5 42.3 40.6 35.2
Nissan Murano 111.2 3983 81.6 3500 21.7 40.7 43.4 39.7 36.1
Nissan Pathfinder 112.2 4629 79.2 6000 21.1 40 42.4 39 34.2
Nissan Xterra 106.3 4347 65.7 5000 21.1 39.9 42.4 39.3 34.4
Pontiac Torrent 112.5 3776 68.6 3500 16.6 40.9 41.2 40.1 40.2
Subaru B9 Tribeca 108.2 4155 74.4 3500 16.9 38.9 42.3 38.2 34.3
Suzuki XL-7 110.2 3759 72 3000 16.9 40 41.4 39.2 31.4
Toyota 4Runner 109.8 4300 75.1 7300 23 39.7 41.8 39.1 34.6
'07 Toyota FJ Cruiser 105.9 4290 66.8 5000 19 41.3 41.9 40.3 31.3
Toyota Highlander 106.9 3748 80.6 3500 19.2 40 40.7 39.8 36.4
Curb weight listed for 4WD or AWD models.

[ZAEDOCK]

Not that it's set in stone, but the plan was to go to Georgetown, California and run the Rubicon Trail, then hit Moab on the way back. You may need to factor that in with your shipping plans.

Back to your regulary scheduled thread...LOL

That's why the freedom of a tow rig is nice compared to shipping. Shipping would offer more wheeling time, but you'd miss out on the "adventure" of gettin' there. It's give and take, I guess.
Having driven the trip entirely myself, I had no problem pulling 17-18 hr driving days. To me it was part of the adventure.

At any rate, getting back to DD tow rigs, any of the new gas rigs with >300 HP should be fine pulling your junk. Obviously the bigger trucks would have an easier time pulling than a 1/2 ton, but it still isn't too bad. I would avoid a 4.6L Ford, 4.7L Dodge, 4.8L Chevy, or 4.7L Toy for rig trailering duty. The optional bigger engines in the 1/2 tons make it much easier.

[Hoodoo Man]

Doug my understanding of having the rigs delivered is the guy isn't likely to stick around, so I think that we can arrange for it to be dropped in CA and picked up in UT... Im thinking ecomomy of scale and if we have 6-10 rigs towed out even if they are tall they still stick 1ton pickups on them so we can likely get a truck load of heeps out west for cheaper than if we stuff 4 of them on a 1 ton... I get real cranky if I dont get enough sleep (Ask my wife and kids poor bastids.
I also understand if timing isnt exact its sometimes easier to ship freight and my TJ isnt my DD so I can be without it for a week before the trip and after Mooab... know there are a few people out there with trail rigs as well...

Now I'll stop hijacking my own thread.... Did not make it to the stealership today to check out any new tow rigs too busy with family stuff and play dates for the girls.. I may try to stop by one day during the week....