hauling vehicle 178

As usual, I will put in a plug for the large SUV type of vehicle as being the best.  We use a Ford Expedition EL and love it.  It has the same frame, engine, transmission, tow ratings, gas tank size etc as the pickups.  It has the added advantage of interior storage space that is dry and secure without additional toppers.

The major disadvantage that I see is the lack of ability to carry gasoline, generators or other large, smelly items inside the vehicle.

We use a wdh for sway control and peace of mind.  Our 179 fits perfectly behind our Expedition. We have driven cross country east-west and north/south without any issues.

A lot of  your choice may be whether or not your tow vehicle is also a daily driver and what your budget requires.

good luck-there are a lot of choices

Vann

Greetings:  

Check the tow rating on the TV.  You want to have a good margin.  The other concern is wheelbase.  A longer WB is more stable in crosswinds.  Good luck and safe travels

Crankster78  R-179

The 2010 Nissan Frontier 4WD LE Crew Cab model I have is okay for hauling as long as you understand that you may need to slow down. Don't use cruise control in the mountains. Work it so you keep your RPMs to @3,000 or less if possible for better mileage. Letting it kick down into the 4,500 RPM and up will really kill the mileage.

The one fault I find is that at sea level, the specs for the Frontier sound good but one must remember that any naturally aspirated engine will lose power as altitude increases. If you get a model with a turbocharger, then it maintains power. However that may come at the cost of requiring premium (expensive) gasoline when towing. When we were towing with a 2016 Ford Escape with the towing package and 2L Ecoboost engine, at higher altitudes it was able to maintain power but it was expansive to feed and it only had a small tank which meant we were stopping about every 100 miles for gasoline. With either vehicle, average mileage was between 11 and 13 MPG. The Escape was better in flat territory, gaining a couple of MPG there. Pushing either vehicle above 60 MPH drove the mileage down into the single digits.

Recent vehicles also have transmissions with more available gears than the 2010 Frontier which means that the engine can find a better gear for running as opposed to either too high or too low in a transmission with fewer gears. I would like to find a good used Ford F150 diesel or Chevy Colorado diesel model. Either of those would perform well as both have much more torque available than the gasoline engines. Price is the sticking point with the diesel models though.