My tow vehicle impressions

[jklaus]

Bought a 2000 21i recently and a new tow vehicle too. Took a while deciding what tow vehicle to buy so thought i'd give my quick impressions.

Ended up with an '05 Nissan Pathfinder. They come with a 4.0l V6 with 270 hp and I believe 280 torque. I'm located in Calgary Alberta and many of our nearer lakes are a nice ride through the rocky mountains.

Last weekend we towed it across a few mountain ranges and it performed reasonably well. Not sure exactly the weight on the boat and trailer but estimating the boat at ~3500 lbs and trailer at 1000 lbs. So a total likely at 5000 lbs with all the gear and fuel. Tandem axle roadrunner trailer. The pahtfinders are rated at 6000 lbs with a 600 lb tounge weight. Not sure what the tounge weight is exactly but pretty sure under 600 as a buddy and me can lift it relatively easy.

Were at 3500 ft above sealevel and the mountain passes went to likely 5500 ft. Some long steep sections and some very tight curvy sections too. Didnt feel out of control through the tight sections and it climbed nicely through the steeps.

Its a 5spd auto with very tight 4/5 gear. Gears down to 3 for harder spots and down to 2 you can climb pretty much anything with the whole rig at a decent speed.

Gas mileage on highways not towing is around 20 and I averaged around 10-12mpg towing through the mountains.

I could feel the brakes pulse a bit at the end of a long down hill run. Tail end drops more than i'd like so airbag suspension inserts might be a good investment, but not necessary - still want to get tounge weight. And I'd likely add a tranny cooler for those hauls throught the mountains.

Anyways, hopefully this helps someone.

Cheers, Jeff

[Tanner]

I'll tell u that my 06' F150 SCREW is a DOGGGGGGG towing my 24V. But I found a fix... getting a new Duramax

[laketime]

our powerstroke doesnt hardly know that our 21i is back there. with a bully dog chip we get 19 mpg towing and 21 just driving. 415 horse total not sure of torque. our f-140 is pretty much a dog to.

[spharis]

Tow my little 3200 pounder behind my trailblazer. It is also rated at 6000. It tows in 3rd alot better than in Drive though.....and yes GM says you can tow in drive.

I think next time I will be towing behind my tahoe......I didnt like only getting 10 MPG.

Thing you have to watch on the lighter rigs is wind and the GVWR......or the total boat, fuel, bags, and *** that the vehicle is chugging. With a trailer weight of 6000, that Pathfinder is probably about 11000.....so minus the boat and fuel, and some bags, and some Americans....it wouldn't leave much payload; that equates to extreme wear on the rig, and an unhappy next owner.

[Original Wing Nut]

Two years ago I had three different tow rigs, Ford Excursion power stroke, F350 CrewCab power stroke and Chevy Duramax Crew cab. I think the duramax is the bomb. The others towed well, but I think the Allison tranny makes all the difference. The Allison tranny seems to hold rpm better and less shifting. I previously had a Dodge not in the race then no space. Now I only tow with the Duramax. The others were good rigs as well, but for me I think Duramax with the Allison tranny is the way to go. I got pulled over going up Parleys canyon a year ago almost at the top going over 80 with a 10,000 pound trailer. Parleys Canyon is about a ten mile pull going from 4,500 feet to 7,600, it's a big pull especially the top third. Good luck and happy towing.

[Tanner]

And just imagine what the Duramax motors would do

[sparky216]

I think next time I will be towing behind my tahoe......I didnt like only getting 10 MPG.

WOW...at best I get 10mpg towing my 22v with my tahoe....granted that with all the gear and coolers w/ 5 adults but 10mpg is tops for me. We tow to eastern Oregon and Shasta so there are a lot of mountains, I've been looking at the F-350's and Duramax 3500's, I'm leaning more towards the Ford...because of looks and features. Sounds like you guys really like the Chevy, plus the GM has a new 10 year warranty.......I'm so perplexed??

[spharis]

I bought a 2500HD for business last month. I had test driven ford and dodge. They are not even inthe same class as far as the fidelity and overall experience you get out of a Chevy. The Duramax with the Allison is the only way to go if you are going diesel for towing. I bet 5 to 1 it will outrun many sportscars on the road today as well.

Ford and Dodge cannot touch it, and the interior and ride sets it that much farther ahead of the pack.

If I were looking to buy:
pre 1995ish models: Ford
1996-2005 Dodge
now- Duramax mated to the Allison

I know Ford has an entire propaganda campaign right now about its frame, and its drivetrain, but if you notice, many of the things they compare are from last Gen HDs.

One other thing that makes towing nice are the tow modes. You can set it for interstate type driving, and also around town where you need the extra torque and the shifting will not bother the ride.

BTW I only get about 12-14mpg in my tahoe while towing. It is also a 2 door with a 5.7, so it probably wieghs much less than what you have. I get 19-20 otherwise.

[jklaus]

yep, dont think you can beat a nice big diesel for towing moderate to heavy loads. The torque advantage over the gas engines just makes it night and day. Too bad they are just such beasts in the city...

Do any of you know what tounge weight you guys are at?

Cheers, Jeff

[Tequilasun]

I've Towed our 22V with:

03 Ford Exploder Sport trac (Tow cap 5K)
03 Ford F-350 PSD
04 Chevy Avalanche
03 Chevy Burban


We don't tow too far, 10 miles at the most, but there a lot of steep hills between me and the ramp.

Each of those did well xcept the Exploder, and I wouldn't hesitate to pull the boat with any of them.

If I have to long haul it, I use the F-350, better gas mileage.

[NICKYPOO]

jk- Your tongue weight should be right about 10% of your total load (boat & trailer, stuff) if it's set up right. My '00 22i w/ Sport Boats tandem comes in at 575lbs. which is just about right with the thing loaded for the road.

That being said, Duramax/Allison baby! My '04 was state of the art when I bought it and surely improved sinse. It has been the best truck I've ever owned or known. The Allison works awesome, especially during braking. At 65k mi., I've yet to put brakes on it. I know I should, but I've got tons of pedal left and I can take my hands off the wheel, mash the brakes and the thing stops on a dime, straight as an arrow. I dunno. All I do is put fuel in it and change the oil and it never gives me any gruff.

It has been my experience that the ride in a Chevy/GMC is far superior to a Ford. It's an Apples to Oranges comparison though. There's no way in hell a straight axel (Ford) is ever going to ride as well and an independent (GM) front end. Not really fair the the Ford guys.

Problem is, they ain't cheap. However, mine has been worth every payment. Only two more years!

[talltigeguy]

I use a Ford Excursion with 6.0L diesel. It does very well. I am pleased as peaches with it.

One weekend my wife needed the Excursion and I had to take the boat to Lake Powell (170 miles). A friend of mine was kind to let me take his Chevy with Duramax (do they all come with the Allison?). I was impressed. It did pull slightly better than the Ford, IMO, but both are terrific.

It is just too sad that the same company that makes the Duramax made my 1999 chevy suburban - BIG LEMON! I still need to find forgiveness in my heart, but...Plus I am concerned about buying from a company that spends 1/3 or more of its revenue on people who no longer work for them...not a sustainable business model. Now back to the subject at hand:

I have towed my 24V with a 2003 Toyota Sequioa and it did very well, other than the mileage went to about 9 mpg. With a 24 gallon tank, it was hard to go very far. They have improved since then on the power, so should be even better now.

[Razzman]

So i tow mine with our '03 Dodge Durango / 4.7L V8 and it does ok, lacks a bit in the mountains but it'll do. Here's the kicker, it gets the same mileage it seems towing as it does without! Now granted i haven't officially checked it but i don't use anymore gas when towing!

[NICKYPOO]

Originally posted by talltigeguy
It is just too sad that the same company that makes the Duramax made my 1999 chevy suburban - BIG LEMON! I still need to find forgiveness in my heart,

I had the same concerns coming from a '96 3/4 ton B/Block 'Burb. What a POS! Drove like a wet sponge, needed brakes every 12,000 miles like clockwork and at 101,000 mi. the motor let go. I put a brand new B/Block in it and ended up totalling the thing a month later. I took that money and put it down on White Power (my Duramax) and have since forgiven GM for the 'Burb.

I will say that the 'Burb took one hell of a shot and protected us quite well.

[spharis]

Originally posted by talltigeguy
It is just too sad that the same company that makes the Duramax made my 1999 chevy suburban - BIG LEMON!

Actually Isuzu makes the new Duramax engine. Thanks Globalization.