# Which 1-Ton Van?



## prees70 (Feb 6, 2019)

I'm looking for help with a decision regarding towing. My hubby and I just upgraded from a pop-up camper to a 28-footer, weighing in at 9,000 lbs. We have been towing with our 2005 E-350 passenger van, super duty xlt, but aren't sure it will handle this heavy load. It has the hitch (obviously), but no extra towing equipment and has 380,000 miles on it.

We also have a 2006 Chevy Express extended van, 3500. The Chevy has 200,000 miles and no hitch We use the Chevy more regularly because of the extra room we often need for the kids' friends and gear.

Both vehicles serve us wel. We got great prices on both and have certainly gotten our money's worth out of them. We are willing to risk ruining the vehicle, though we don't want to purposely ruin either. Neither has anything extra for towing equipment and the Chevy has some rust underneath, so a hitch may not be possible. Mostly, I'm concerned about safety. The question is, which one, if either, should we try to pull this mammoth camper with? What added equipment, upgrades woud you reccomend?

I should add that we typically camp within an hour's drive and the hubby can't take much extra time off during the summer. This means that I often do the towing, set-up, etc., with the kids to make the most out of his time. I've never had a problem driving the pop-up except for backing up, so we will only do pull-through sites. There would be minimal hills, and I have no problem taking it slow. Both of our favorite campgrounds are hilly.


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## Tourdfox (Oct 4, 2012)

Gear ratio and power are only a couple of many things to consider.


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## Dave-Gray (Jul 9, 2012)

I understand. Here is a link to an article I wrote. Hopefully, you can gain some insight and helpful info.

SAFETY IS IN THE NUMBERS | Trailer Towing With a Van or SUV


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## prees70 (Feb 6, 2019)

Dave-Gray said:


> I understand. Here is a link to an article I wrote. Hopefully, you can gain some insight and helpful info.
> SAFETY IS IN THE NUMBERS | Trailer Towing With a Van or SUV


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## prees70 (Feb 6, 2019)

This is great! We had been asking around and doing much research but couldn't nail down any specifics. Unfortunately, we have witnessed 2 different accidents of flipped campers, so we are very leary. Both accidents happened after passing over a hill and the drivers seen to have good equipment. I'm not sure if the downhill had anything to do with the accidents, but I'm thinking that the added speed did. Your article is so informative and we're happy to finally understand what we can do. Thank you!


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## Todd&Regan (Jul 1, 2010)

We're fortunate have Dave as a member on this forum to offer his extensive knowledge on towing and other RV related topics. I had the pleasure of meeting Dave in person once....great guy! Hope all is well Dave!

Todd


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## Dave-Gray (Jul 9, 2012)

Todd&Regan said:


> We're fortunate have Dave as a member on this forum to offer his extensive knowledge on towing and other RV related topics. I had the pleasure of meeting Dave in person once....great guy! Hope all is well Dave!
> 
> Todd


Thank you, Todd. I'm always glad to help. For the most part, I'm doing fairly well. I'm not able to travel far away until I can get a health issue under control.


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## Todd&Regan (Jul 1, 2010)

I'll be praying for you good sir. Hope you can get back out on the road soon! God Bless!

Todd


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