Advice on buying a new minivan to tow pop up

[Hundleby]

Hi all,
We are ditching our 1995 Plymouth Voyager shortly. and have started researching our next van.  We have actually weighed in once, fully loaded, and have discovered that we are 240 lbs overweight when we tow.  This helped us decide NOT to invest in bike racks and just rent bikes when we need them.  And, of course, hubby and I could lose a few pounds...but the kids will still grow, so there you have it.

We have three kids and a golden retriever, but don't want to go with an huge SUV for a variety of reasons, including the parking garage at work.  This leaves us with minivans.

  So with the current selection of new minivans on the market, which one or ones have a better transmission?  We are leaning toward the Honda Odyssey and are very impressed with the crash safety results and the side curtain airbags.  Thoughts?

Many thanks everyone!!!

[wynot]

Hi all,
We are ditching our 1995 Plymouth Voyager shortly. and have started researching our next van. We have actually weighed in once, fully loaded, and have discovered that we are 240 lbs overweight when we tow. This helped us decide NOT to invest in bike racks and just rent bikes when we need them. And, of course, hubby and I could lose a few pounds...but the kids will still grow, so there you have it.
 
We have three kids and a golden retriever, but don't want to go with an huge SUV for a variety of reasons, including the parking garage at work. This leaves us with minivans.
 
So with the current selection of new minivans on the market, which one or ones have a better transmission? We are leaning toward the Honda Odyssey and are very impressed with the crash safety results and the side curtain airbags. Thoughts?
 

I personally would suggest that you look up the past threads on here regarding tow vehicles, because there is a lot of good information and opinions out in the past threads.  It also lets you review a lot of info on reliability.
 
We departed from the minivans and got the large SUV (6'6" height).  We get the same gas mileage and room as the minivan, and a whole lot more capability and comfort.  But that's a personal choice.
 
Only as a very general note, the Chrysler products have a reputation for having weak transmissions.  Ford Windstars did as well in the early years.  Having two Windstars as tow vehicles, I never encountered the problem, and so, I guess, caveat emptor.  Whether this is still the case, don't know.
 
What I will tell you is that with 3 kids, 2 adults, and a large dog, you have reduced your towing capacity in a minivan significantly.
 
Good luck, sounds like you are looking at it logically, and don't apologize for what you finally decide on.

[SpeakEasy]

The biggest thing I dislike about the idea of towing with a minivan is the fact that minivans today are almost exclusively front-wheel drive. This makes towing a bit tricky, requiring a weight-distributing hitch to do it well. If it were me, and money were no object, I'd look for a 4-wheel drive or all-wheel drive minivan. The drawback to this would be that the mechanicals of a 4-wheel drive or all-wheel drive system add to your vehicle's weight and therefore reduce the amount of cargo weight you can carry. I think the advantage of 4-wheel or all-wheel drive warrant this, however.

-Speak

[zamboni]

I've read various posts about people towing with Astro minivans (they are rear-wheel drive).  A quick check, the Astro and GMC Safari both tow 5400 (assuming nothing in the TV, I presume).  This compares to 3500 for the Town & Country (which my parents used to tow their Niagara, and now their TrailManor).

With regards to not wanting to go to a "huge" SUV...  The Ford Explorer V8 is not really all that large -- it fits in our house's narrower 1-car garage, and is only 17 feet long.  However, it can tow 7,300 lbs.  Sure, when towing a load, our economy drops - but we still got 14+ towing our loaded Niagara.  My wife did NOT want the bigger Expedition... she was comfortable with the Explorer as it is really about the same dimensions as most minivans.

If you want to make a jump...

Full size minivans are quite capable.  The GMC Savana can tow 9800 lbs.  It is similar sized to an SUV, but has the vast open interior of a (mini) van.

[Billy Bob]

I tow a Fleetwood Santa Fe with my Ford Escape very well but it's too small for your needs. Most mini-vans are also too small in towing capacity and horse power for you needs. The Astro / Safari has the pulling power and room you need but is too soft in the rear end with out making suspension changes. Also the Astro / Safari vans are not reliable at all. I know I had one for six years. Bought it new and was always putting money into it. If I were you I would steer clear of this TV.

The Ford Explorer is somewhat OK if you can find a V-8 but the newer ones with the 4.0 V-6 have a towing capacity of only 3500 lbs, NOT enough for your needs.

So here is what I would recommend with your tribe. Either a crew cap pick up truck or the Chevy Trail Blazer. Both with fit your passenger needs and your towing capacity. My vote would look long and hard at the Trail Blazer. It already has a class 3 hitch and 7 pin plug for towing. And believe it not the Trail Blazer gets better gas mileage than the Ford Explorer with a smaller engine and towing capacity.

[tlhdoc]

The Ford Explorer is somewhat OK if you can find a V-8 but the newer ones with the 4.0 V-6 have a towing capacity of only 3500 lbs, NOT enough for your needs.

I am not sure why you are saying the Explorer with the V8 is somewhat ok as a tow vehicle.  With the tow package you can tow over 7000 pounds.  I have towed with 2 different Explorers and have not had any problem towing with them.  I tow several thousand miles each year.  The V6 with the tow package will also meet Hundleby's needs, although they said they were not interested in a SUV, but want information on minivans.  The V6 is rated to tow over 5000 pounds with the tow package.

[Kelly]

The Astro / Safari has the pulling power and room you need but is too soft in the rear end with out making suspension changes. Also the Astro / Safari vans are not reliable at all. I know I had one for six years. Bought it new and was always putting money into it. If I were you I would steer clear of this TV.

I don't know the specs on the PU that the OP is towing.  I tow a 12' Jayco with my Astro and it's an awesome combination.  This is the second season towing and it handles the PU plus the 5 of us and all our gear very well.  I have made no modifications to the van ~ I bought it used 2 years ago and the only money I've put into it is for routine maintenance ~ oil changes, tranny flush/fill, tires, brakes, etc.  All normal wear and tear items.

I'm not sure it would work for the original poster, though.  They mentioned new mini-vans.  The Astro was last produced in the 2005 model year and is technically a mid-size van.

I just wanted to stick up for my TV.    Works for my family.  I wanted a RWD vehicle (or AWD) with enough room for the kids and enough towing power for me to not have to worry about weighing things every time we went out.  The Astro fit the bill.  I have an AWD with the 3.42 rear, so my tow rating is about 4700 lbs.

I'll second what wynot said, too.  Do a search ~ there have been several discussion on towing with a minivan.  IIRC both the Honda Odyssey and the Toyota Sienna got great reviews from people.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

[Hundleby]

Thanks for all of your posts everyone.  We really appreciate your help.  Here's a bit more information:

We have a 12 ft Coleman Sunvalley.  We have just about every gadget there is, so fully loaded, we are heavy.  We have weighed in fully loaded at a truck depot.  PS.  If anyone wants to know about Paha Que products, let us know!

My concerns with going the SUV route are:
- we live in Toronto, a major city, not a place that would really warrant a heavy duty vehicle
- I have to park in a scary underground parking garage at work, with low ceilings - sometimes my luggage rack on the Chrysler minivan hits the pipes already
- gas mileage of course.

We have thought about the full sized van options too, but just weren't sure it was necessary.  We only camp about 3 - 4 times a season.

Looking forward to hearing more from y'all!  When you're on the verge on spending 10s of thousands of dollars, you need all of the help you can get!

thanks again,
Hundleby

[Billy Bob]

I am NOT here to defend "my TV" when giving advice on what is a good TV for Hundleby but rather give him good advice on his towing needs. Most mini vans can't tow the Sun Valley SAFELY because of it's weight. He mentioned the Honda's safety features so I am sure that is a big concern to him.
 

The reason I am pointing towards the Chevy Trailblazer is because it is only 72.5 inches high, has a towing capacity of 5,200 lbs with it's stock 3.42 rear end which gives you 16/21 miles per gallon.

The Ford Explorer is stock equipped with a tow rating of only 3110 lbs (4X2) or 3220 lbs (4X4) with it's 3.55 rear end gears.  Take notice on MOST Ford Explorers that are OEM equipped with only a class 2 hitch and a four pin plug unlike the Chevy Trailblazer that has a class 3 hitch and a seven pin plug ready to pull the PU. If you special order a Ford Explorer you can increase the towing capacity to 5390 lbs (4X2) or 5210 lbs (4X4) with 3.73 rear end gears but there goes your gas mileage. Bottom line the Trailblazer is a overall much better TV than the Explorer in towing capacity and overall mileage.

The Honda Odyssey has a tow rating of ONLY 3500 lbs when equipped with a weight-distributing hitch and an additional transmission oil cooler. This is marginal at best because your Fleetwood Sun Valley weighs over 2100 lbs EMPTY. My guess is that the Odyssey will be over loaded when your fully packed and ready to go camping. For safety's sake you should really only figure on 80% of your TV capacity. However, if your only going to tow a SHORT distance and never take any trips with it, it MIGHT fill your needs. But in the long run I feel it will let you down, down the road.

And that my .02 worth.

Good Luck on your decision. At least your doing it right and weighing all your options.

[jakelaw]

I will go with my standard recommendation for an Astro/Safari.  We love ours, but do not use it as a daily driver due to mileage issues.  Even though it was discontinued after last year, you can still find them new as '05's or even better, gently used and not paying full sticker.  Being partial to the Chevy products, I would second the Trailblazer.  It tows what the Astro does, with better mileage and the option of 4 wheel drive.  You can get the Astro as a AWD, but it reduces the tow capacity a little (300lbs. or so).  Good luck and let us know what you get.

[Camper Ron]

Hi Hundleby,  I have towed with a 1995 Dodge Caravan and most recently with a 2005 T&C with just my wife and I in the vehicle. These vehicles do an "okay" job but not great.  The bottom line: minivans are not good TVs. If I had it to do over again, I would have bought a Chevy Trailblazer.  I've test drove these vehicles and they have the room and power that you need to just load up and go...no worries.  Everytime I go camping I end up packing very carefully and making sure the weight is distributed just so.  And I'm not carrying all that you are.  Then the drive itself, I'm on high alert every second.  Here's my .02, get an adequate TV....you'll be glad you did.

[astropunk]

We just got back from a trip this weekend, using our brand new 2006 Grand Caravan to tow our 1992 Jayco 1008.  The caravan is rated to tow 3600#, and our pup is rated 2205# max.  It was our first time towing with it.  The pup was practically empty, but the van had 4 adults, 6 coolers full of ice and beer and food, grill, chairs, canopy, and a bunch of other tailgating stuff.  (What can I say...it was a Jimmy Buffett concert!)

Anyway, the van towed the pup like a dream, much better than I would have expected.  At times I almost forgot it was there.  While I would not want to use it for towing across the mountains, I would not hesitate to use it in the flatlands.

We plan to take it on a 2 week trip later in the summer, through the badlands and black hills area of SD.

Tim

[wynot]

I personally like the TrailBlazer and we looked hard at them prior to buying the Tahoe when we abandoned the minivan.
 
Since the poster mentions 3 kids, 2 adults, and a dog, I understand their desire to pursue the minivan-type vehicle.  Our look at the TrailBlazer made me aware with 2 adults, one child, and two dogs, that we couldn't fit everything in.  In a TB, they would find themselves with three kids tight across the back seat and a dog behind that.  Not much room left for "stuff".
 
One problem that I had forgotten was noted by others, that FWD minvans are not really good tow vehicles as far as traction.  I had to be super careful accelerating with the Windstars, as I could light those front tires easily when towing.