Tow Vehicle

[Greg Gay]

I've towed about 120,000 miles with a '99 Ford E-350 van and diesel. I spec'd it myself and it was the most heavy duty van I could buy. It does a great job, and I plan to use it for some time to come. However, a tractor trailer does affect you when it goes by. Over the years, I have gotten used to the feeling that it will move a bit, but it was uncomfortable initially. I don't think that a pickup or Suburban, with single rear wheels, would be any different. I am 15,300 lbs. rolling down the road, and I don't think I would want to try to pull much more. That being said, I hooked this same trailer to the back of a tractor trailer bobtail, and I swear I could feel the trailer going around corners. Not that it actually moved me, but I could feel it.

I think the best setup would be something where the pivot point was ahead of the rear wheels. In other words a fifth wheel. I think a single rear wheel pickup with a fifth wheel would be plenty adequate.