What’s a reliable truck to tow my Airstream?
We get quite a few towing questions at ask@tfltruck.com, and this one relates to a tow rig. Since it’s more of an open-ended question, we wanted to share it with the TFL community and get your feedback.
Michael, an engineer in Alberta, Canada, wrote in with the following question:
I’m an engineer with a penchant for long fast hauls to the far corners of our continent. I’ve destroyed the last two tow vehicles (below) whilst en route. I’ve followed every best practice other than driving 60 mph. Both bought new. Both died on the road under @ under 75,000 miles.Long distances at high speeds killed the turbo on the [Volkswagen Touareg] TDI (right, above) and phasers and EFI on the F-150 (left, above).
I’ve been towing this 4500 pound Airstream around for six years, putting on 80,000 miles (based on the hubometer I installed way back). Alaska to Newfoundland in one summer. 7,000 mile round trip from Alberta to Texas in four weeks. Bad weather? Headwinds? Yep, been there.
Please help me find a reliable truck with decent mileage while towing. Do I really have to buy a Super Duty for the long haul?
What do you think?
With a 4,500 pound Airstream, we’re not talking about a massive amount of weight. That does open up the available options, though everyone has varying experiences across brands and size classes. Michael expressed issues after high-speed, long-distance towing with his Ford F-150. That said, a full-size truck is still the most common way to go when towing that sort of weight.
What do you say, TFLtruck community? What are some solid options for Michael? Let us know in the comments!
