Sebring27

Hi,
I am a Brit and therefore relatively new to towing vehicle possibilities in the USA. I wish to tow my C5 Z06 to the track on an open trailer and looking for any suggestions for a tow vehicle or additionally vehicle to avoid. Car weight approx 3200 and trailer approx 1110. Round trip to track 320 miles. Budget under 20K for the tow vehicle.
If anyone inclined I would be very appreciative of any suggestions or other words of wisdom to a new and first time 'tower' in the US !
Many thanks in advance !

AU N EGL

2500 pick up truck. Ford or Chevy

Supercharged111

A half ton will pull an open deck without killing itself. Don't be one of those asshats who uses a Ford Explorer/Ranger or a damn minivan to pull your car to the track.

moespeeds

If you need an SUV get a Suburban or Excursion. You need towing capacity and wheelbase.

crimlwC6

You don't need a 2500 pickup for the type of weight you are talking about. Is it better for towing? Yes, but not necessary for the occasional track tow vehicle. I've towed with several vehicles and I'm partial to Chevy but any of the american trucks(and many of the SUVs) would work with a decent engine built in the last 10 years. The chevy 5.3 liter I had on my 2011 truck was fine for towing and had integrated electronic brake controller and trailer mode tranny button. I currently tow with a bmw X5d. Cheers! Post up when you narrow the search and people can chime in.

Mike.D

Lol


Buddies got a 2500 suburban, and it tows his trailer and tank 302 mustang. I tow my vet with a new 1500 silverado. MONEY!

RDnomorecobra

Used f150 or Chevy 1500. Less than 10k.

Han Solo

I use a 03 F150 and it works fine for that weight but I am considering a small motor home.

If you decide on a 1/2 ton pickup just make sure it is rated for the weight. It needs a V8 with tow package and at least a 3:50 rear axle ratio. Preferably with limited slip.

Zak77

Another option is a Nissan Titan/Armada. I have an Armada and it's a beast. Very comfortable to drive, easy to maneuver and has a lot of power for towing. Rated at 9100lbs. We have a 7000lb 33' travel trailer and it tows that thing very well so a car trailer with your C5 will be a piece of cake. We recently took our camper up to Maine and back with no issues. 1500 miles of towing that monster camper and a fully loaded car with 2 adults, 3 kids and our dog.

I looked at Suburbans, Expeditions and a few Excursions. I would have preferred a diesel Excursion but could not find one I liked for my budget and after driving the Armada then the suburban's, the Armada won out.

CHJ In Virginia

I tow with a Chevy Silverado 1500 equipped with the 5.3 V8 and tow package. The tow package has the hitch, wiring harness for trailer brakes, HD radiator and transmission oil cooler. It's tow capacity is 8500 lbs, more than enough to haul my Z06 and loaded trailer. I have over 30,000 towing miles on it and still going strong. Driving through the mountains, I sometimes wish for a bigger engine, but overall it's not necessary.

95jersey

For the price an F150 is a great tow vehicle and for $20k you can get a nice one. It is more than capable. Another alternative if you need an SUV is a Dodge Durango with the Hemi. It is a great tow vehicle for your needs and can seat 7-8 people.

c4cruiser

When I first started to tow my '87 autocross car, I had a '99 Silverado 4x4 extended cab. The 5.3 had all of 270HP and something like 350ft-lbs of torque. It did have the optional 4.11 gears and that was a help for towing in hilly areas.

The trailer I used was an all-steel PJ 18' trailer that weighed 2000 lbs empty. The car weighs about 3400. I had not trouble at all towing that setup. Gas mileage was about 9-10 mpg but I expected that given the 4.11 gears.

Either A Silverado 1500 or Ford F-150 should meet your needs. If you can find one that is already setup for towing will be great. Otherwise you would be looking at installing a trans cooler, trailer brake controller and possible a larger radiator. I'll go out on a limb here and say don't look at older/used Dodge trucks. The truck itself is decent, but they have long histories with bad transmissions.

Whatever you go with, make sure you have good brakes on the tow vehicle and good tires. P-metric tires will work fine as long as you don't overload the truck. The truck owner's manual will have tables that show the maximum trailer weight and the max cargo weight for the specific body style and the engine. If you need to install a trailer brake controller, get a Tekonsha Prodigy or P3; best on the market .

You'll need tie down straps if you don't have them already. Look for straps with a 10K lbs rating. Straps have a "Working Load Limit (or WLL) that is about 1/3 of the gross rating. Look here for good strap sets

bsalie99

I have been doing a ton of research on SUV's that can tow 7000# trailers
I Have not been looking at the pick-ups due to my need for a SUV to transport my 3 large dogs in A/C.
I currently have a 2002 Tahoe Z71 with the 5.3 and the tow pack and 4.10 gears. It tows fine, but it is getting time to replace it.
The current tahoe is nice but looks a bit dated inside, This is its last year, an redesigned one is out for the 2015 model year,
The same is true of the suburban and esclade,and the other Fullsize GM's
Be aware that the Tahoe hybrid has a very low tow rating, and is not recommended for any towing . the smaller GM SUV's don't have anywhere near the tow rating
The ford SUV's you are limited to the expedition. the excursion is gone replaced with the expedition EL. The Ford are cheaper than the GM products, and it shows. the design feels even more dated than the GM that is being replaced and seems to be quite a bit behind their Pick-up's ( Also found out that only the 4 door Raptor F150 can tow the 7000# trailer, not the extra cab)
The Toyota Sequoia SUV is rated for exactly 7000#. It seemed low for the size of that SUV. it is nice and feels solid, but is pricy.
Jeep Grand Cherokee can tow 7300# with the V8 and tow package, but is a Very small car. It is very nice inside, at the higher trim levels. it is very limited in interior space esp height with only 29in floor to roof in the back.
The Dodge Durango is exactly the same car as the Jeep , with a different body on it. It is configured more as a Soccor Mom Kid transport than an SUV.
The Land Rover in its most recent form can tow the weight. It is very nice, the negatives are that it is British, it is short wheelbase, and although it can be had near the same price as the others, the option lists are long and can add up to a very pricy car
If you have deep pockets the Mercedes ML SUV can just make the towing, and is outstanding, but the 70k base price is hard to swallow
I did not like the Nissan Armada as it was very cramped in the drivers seat ( I am 6'4" 280#) way more so than a SUV of its size should be. But It can tow a lot, I have a friend that tow a enclosed trailer all over the country with his 240SX autox SM car with no issues. but He is a much smaller person than I am

TedDBere

I tow the open trailer and C5Z with a 2001 Yukon XL Denali with the tow package. 6.0L gas engine does the work just fine and I now have over 240,000 miles on it. New brake lines, new transfer case, replaced altenator...that's it. Vehicle is starting to get tired and I'm starting to look for a new tow vehicle, but this one has done the job you're looking for. If you can find a low mileage deal you could consider the XL Denali too.

Sebring27

Many Thanks to everyone for such valuable advice - Much appreciated !

moespeeds

Just one more thing to throw in since so many guys are recommending the smaller SUVs. I towed my 26' enclosed, 7500# loaded (I have a truck scale), with both a Tahoe and an Escalade. The engines pulled just fine, but at highway speeds I had scary sway issues, especially if the trailer was not loaded exactly right. I have an Equalizer 10k anti-sway setup and a tongue scale and still it was dicey over 60mph. I also burned out 2 compressors on the Escalade's air ride. If you ever plan on towing a long enclosed, make sure you get something with a Suburban sized wheelbase, the Tahoe body is too short. I switched to a 2007 Suburban 2500 with the nice interior and I love it. I looked at 03-05 Excursion Diesels but the maintenance records I pulled showed horror stories on every one I looked at. Nissan just came out with a diesel pickup, so I bet they throw one into that Armada soon...

Sebring27

Many thanks ! Much Appreciated !

Zak77

That's odd to hear about the Armada being cramped as I find the drivers seat to be the best out there. I'm 6' and 260 and have WAY more room than I need. my wife is 5' and 110 and it works for her as well. My onnly issue with the Armada is that they put so much thought on occupants that they did not leave much room behind the 3rd row. But not to much of a big deal as you can fold that row down and my girls can sit 3 across in the second row.

ltborg

+1 for the half tons. I tow my trailer (4600 combined weight) with one and it does great. I would recommend trailer brakes on both axles and a good trailer brake controller. Like some others have mentioned.

geerookie

Same here. I tow a 20' enclosed trailer.