What’s The Best SUV for Towing A Travel Trailer? [Including Six Recommendations]

Are you considering towing a travel trailer or camper with an SUV? Here's what you need to know about choosing the right SUV (plus, six models reviewed).

The best SUV for towing a travel trailer are the Ford Expedition, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Suburban, Nissan Armada, and Toyota Sequoia, What's the Best SUV for Towing a Travel Trailer? Six top models of full-size SUV's examined, If you're considering getting a travel trailer full-time or just for the weekends, you're probably wondering about the tow vehicle, too. What's the best SUV that can tow a travel trailer? We've done the work to bring you the answer. 

All full-size SUVs have impressive towing capabilities and can pull trailers in the 7,000-8,000 lbs. However, for best in class, Ford offers the best tow vehicle with their Expedition model. With its 3.5-liter Ecoboost engine, the Ford Expedition can tow over 9,300 lbs! That's more than enough for an average travel trailer - with gear and full tanks.

Keep reading as we evaluate the leading full-size SUVs in the market, see what they can pull, and what you need to be looking for when looking for that perfect tow vehicle for your travel trailer.

All numbers and features have been updated to reflect the most current vehicle models.

[toc]

Determining Your Needs - 5th Wheel vs. Travel Trailer

If you're new to RVs, then this may be the first thing we need to lay down. If you're even considering a 5th wheel as your towed RV, SUVs are off the table.

Why?

Because SUVs can't tow 5th wheels.

It's that simple. A 5th wheel is a type of trailer that can only be pulled by a pickup truck. Its shape just calls for that. The front end of the 5th wheel is higher above the ground than the rest of its body. That part needs to be hitched to a bed of a truck, so that it's basically resting on top of the truck, like so -

Pickup truck towing a 5th wheel showing why an SUV can't tow a 5th wheel

There's just no way for you to hitch a 5th wheel to any vehicle other than a pickup truck. This pretty much rules out any SUV, as strong and sleek as it may be.

5th wheels are also larger and heavier than your average travel trailer. Which means you need more horsepower to pull them. In fact, half-ton trucks like the Chevy Silverado 1500, Ram 1500, or Ford F-150 are likely to struggle when pulling anything but a small 5th wheel. Average and above - you're going to need a heavy-duty truck to do so.

While this is another reason why SUVs are not a good match for 5th wheels, it's really all down to the shape of the trailer. 5th wheels are not only larger and more spacious, but they also offer a more stable towing experience since they're less prone to sway.

Read more: How To Prevent Trailer Sway? (14 Steps You Can Take Today!)

And why are we talking about them in a post about SUVs' towing capabilities? Because if you were not aware of the situation with 5th wheels, you may just want to stop here and reconsider if you're even going for the SUV+travel trailer combo. You should probably read this post about towing with SUV vs. towing with a pickup truck first.

Determining Your Needs - How Much Can You Really Tow?

So, you have your mind and heart set on towing a travel trailer with an SUV?

Fair enough - that's a common choice these days. A full-size SUV can be a great family vehicle for everyday use and yet pull a nice-size travel trailer when you leave home for a camping vacation.

It all depends on the size of your travel trailer.

Land Rover towing an RV on the highway

As we mentioned earlier, the average towing range for full-size SUVs is 7,000-8,000 lbs. 

That does not mean you can buy a travel trailer that weighs 7,500 according to the manufacturer, hitch it up to your SUV, and merrily go on the road. Not at all. For two reasons -

  1. The towing capability declared by the manufacturer is the most your vehicle can tow under optimal conditions.
  2. The travel trailer's declared weight is "dry weight." That means with empty tanks and without the hitch or any of your gear.

Since travel trailers are prone to sway, you really should stay well below the maximum towing capacity for your vehicle. Leave some margin for less-than-optimal conditions. Going uphill or downhill, driving over a wet road, or - worst of all - getting significant side-winds, will all hurt your towing capability and thus will need to be taken into account in advance.

Taking Hitch And Tongue Weight Into Account

When towing with an SUV, you're pulling more than the weight of your fully-loaded RV. You're also towing the hitch itself - which can weigh around 100lbs in itself. Don't skim on the hitch either -  a good weight-distribution hitch can literally save your life, as it reduces sway significantly.

You should also learn how to adjust the weight within your trailer to create the right amount of tongue weight.

Tongue weight is the amount of pressure your hitch puts on the tow vehicle. Which matters. A lot.

Generally speaking, the tongue weight should be roughly 12% of the total weight you're towing. You can adjust that by distributing the heavy weights inside the trailer. We won't go into too much detail here for the purposes of this post. We just wanted to mention it here before we discuss the weight of the trailer itself.

So, How Much Does A Travel Trailer Actually Weigh?

At this point, you may be wondering what size of travel trailer can you even pull with an SUV. Since we mentioned the 7,000-8,000 lbs weight range, let's see what kind of travel trailers we're even talking about.

Taking a quick look at the travel trailer collection by a company such as Jayco, it's easy to see at a glance what average weights we're talking about -

As you can see, smaller travel trailers can stay under the 4,000 lbs mark but larger ones can get up to the 10,000 lbs and above range. If you're willing to settle for a 22-26ft long travel trailer, you should be able to find one in the 5,000 lbs range.

That's dry weight, remember?

Add the following-

  • Another 100 lbs for full water and propane tanks.
  • 100 lbs for the hitch.
  • The weight of your gear - which can be anything between 100 to 1000 lbs. That part is entirely up to you.

Still, you should have no trouble finding a great camper for four people that will weigh a total of 6,000 lbs - which is nicely under the top figure for the towing capacity of most SUVs.

SUVs - Midsize vs. Full-Size

Before we start reviewing actual vehicles, it's worth mentioning that this post focuses on full-size SUVs as tow vehicles.

That doesn't mean smaller SUVs and even crossovers can't tow travel trailers at all. They can, as long as you stick to small trailers. Just as a general reference point, here are some figures for smaller SUVs' stated towing capacity:

Clearly, the numbers vary significantly between one midsize SUV and another - with the larger ones getting within 1,000 pounds of the towing capacity of full-size SUVs.

This means a Ford Explorer or a Jeep Grand Cherokee could suffice for towing a small travel trailer, with a stated dry weight of under 4,500 or even 5,000 lbs.

Having said that - the size of the tow vehicle plays a part, too. If you want to have a safe and stable towing experience, you should tow a full-size travel trailer with a full-size SUV.

Best Full-Size SUVs For Towing A Travel Trailer Reviewed

Now that we've covered the basics, let's look into some of the more popular full-size SUVs and see how much they can tow. We're going to review the following vehicles -

  1. Ford Expedition
  2. Chevrolet Tahoe
  3. Nissan Armada
  4. GMC Yukon
  5. Chevy Suburban
  6. Toyota Sequoia

Ford Expedition

Ford is indeed serious when they claim that the Expedition has got the Best-in-Class towing. With a towing capacity of 9,300lbs, this one has the largest towing capacity, making it the champion in the full-size SUV category. So if you’re looking for the Best SUV for towing a travel trailer, your search is probably over.

Ford Expedition in an auto show

Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) is a notable Expedition feature that is highly important for towing purposes. The BLIS technology comes with a trailer coverage designed to alert you whenever the system detects a vehicle within your blind spot or alongside your trailer.

All variants of the Expedition feature a staggering 365 horsepower in a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine with an impressive 470 lb.-ft. of torque.

2021 Ford Expedition
Towing Capacity 9,300 lbs.
Type of Engine 3.5L EcoBoost engine; 400 horsepower; 480 lb.-ft. torque; around 23 MPG hwy
Seating Capacity 8
Cargo Volume to Seat 1 104.6 ft3
Cargo Volume to Seat 2 63.6 ft3
Cargo Volume to Seat 3 20.9 ft3
   

Note:

You might also want to check our article on Which Full-Size SUV Has the Most Cargo Space? (Including a Data Table) where we have compared the cargo volume of the top full-size SUVs.

In that article, the 2017 Ford Expedition EL was crowned the champ with having the most cargo space among the class. To avoid confusion, note that the 2021 Ford Expedition has no EL version and it received a major makeover from the ground up.

Check out the full post about what size travel trailer you can pull with a Ford Expedition.

Chevrolet Tahoe

Coming in second is the popular Chevrolet Tahoe, which actually has a higher towing capacity than its big brother, the Suburban. With the Tahoe, you can haul a travel trailer that weighs up to 8,600 lbs. After all, the Tahoe and Suburban (and GMC Yukon, apparently) share the same 355-horsepower V8 engine.

White Chevrolet Tahoe

This Chevy has got a lot of bells and whistles that improve not just your driving experience, but also your passengers' comfort and luxury. Tahoe features Rear-Seat Entertainment with Blu-ray playback; now backseat passengers will never get bored even for the longest rides.

2021 Chevrolet Tahoe
Towing Capacity 8,600 lbs.
Type of Engine 5.3L or 6.2L V8 Engine; 355 horsepower; 383 lb.-ft. torque; around 20 MPG hwy
Seating Capacity 8
Cargo Volume to Seat 1 122.9 ft3
Cargo Volume to Seat 2 72.6 ft3
Cargo Volume to Seat 3 25.5 ft3
   

Stunning black Chevrolet Tahoe shot at the back

Check out our post about what size of travel trailer you can tow with a Chevy Tahoe.

Nissan Armada

The Nissan Armada is the cheapest full-size SUV, yet its crowning glory is being the most powerful in the class in terms of horsepower – an astounding 400HP.

Armada packs an impressive towing prowess, capable of hauling up to 8,500 lbs so this can easily drag a conventional family travel trailer with efficiency. This Nissan features an independent rear suspension and a full-length boxed frame that adds rigidity.

Stunning white Nissan Armada hauling a full size boat

At its core is a 5.6-liter V8 engine that can deliver 413 lb.-ft. of torque and the best-in-class horsepower. You can expect a decent fuel economy and enhanced throttle response. And with the Tow/Haul mode, Armada makes itself the ideal solution for pulling your biggest toys.

2021 Nissan Armada
Towing Capacity 8,500 lbs.
Type of Engine 5.6L Endurance V8 Engine; 400 horsepower; 413 lb.-ft. torque
Seating Capacity 8
Cargo Volume to Seat 1 95.4 ft3
Cargo Volume to Seat 2 49.9 ft3
Cargo Volume to Seat 3 16.5 ft3
   

GMC Yukon

The corporate-looking GMC Yukon has the same towing capacity as the Nissan Armada at 8,500 lbs. One thing you’ll always notice is the distinguished presence of the Yukon that makes a lasting impact. It’s sleek, looks premium, and performs impressively.

GMC Yukon at an autoshow

Every Yukon model features a standard heavy-duty trailering equipment. This includes a hitch platform, as well as a 7-wire harness equipped with independent fused trailering circuits, and paired to a 2” trailering receiver and a 7-way sealed connector.

Camping with GMC Yukon

Note that the 8,500lb-capacity is exclusive to the Yukon standard length; while the Yukon XL has a lesser towing capacity at 8,300 lbs. You can notice a similar relation between the Tahoe and the Suburban.

  2021 GMC Yukon 2021 GMC Yukon XL
Towing Capacity 8,500 lbs. 8,300 lbs.
Type of Engine 5.3L V8 Engine; 355 horsepower; 383 lb.-ft. torque 5.3L Engine; 355 horsepower; 383 lb.-ft. torque
Seating Capacity 9 9
Cargo Volume to Seat 1 122.9 ft3 144.7 ft3
Cargo Volume to Seat 2 72.6 ft3 93.8 ft3
Cargo Volume to Seat 3 25.5 ft3 41.5 ft3
Max Payload 2,044 lbs. 2,025 lbs.

Chevrolet Suburban

Coming in fourth is the large Chevrolet Suburban with a competitive 8,300lbs of maximum towing capacity. Run by either the 6.2L Ecotec3 V8 engine with 420 horsepower and 460 lb.-ft. of torque or the 5.3L Ecotec3 V8 engine with 355 horsepower and 383 lb.-ft of torque.

Stunning black Chevrolet Suburban parking

Apart from power, this Chevy boasts luxury and functionality in one. For starters, you get a lot of USB ports. Now you can expect zero complaints from your family members about dying phones. You also get to have large screens in both second and third rows; plus HDMI to connect and project your devices.

This full-size SUV can easily become the best wagon for your family on the road. It comes with an embedded 4G LTE Wi-Fi (that you can also find in the Tahoe); now you can seamlessly connect to the internet and keep yourselves entertained even during camping (as long as there’s coverage in the area of course).

2021 Chevrolet Suburban
Towing Capacity 8,300 lbs.
Type of Engine 5.3L EcoTec3 V8 Engine, 420 horsepower, 383 lb.-ft. torque, 20 MPG hwy OR 6.2L Ecotec3 V8 engine; 420 horsepower, and 460 lb.-ft. of torque, 20 MPG hwy
Seating Capacity 9
Cargo Volume to Seat 1 144.7 ft3
Cargo Volume to Seat 2 93.8 ft3
Cargo Volume to Seat 3 41.5 ft3
   

Toyota Sequoia

Representing Asian automotive technology, the Toyota Sequoia certainly does not disappoint. It can haul a travel trailer up to 7,400 lbs – enough for most family-size demands. It has that eye-catching look that is distinctly beautiful and can standout against any standard American beaut.

Driving a Toyota Sequoia in the snow

While the Toyota Sequoia does not make it on top of the highest towing capacity, it took horsepower to the next level. At its core is a 381HP 5.7L V8 engine with a multi-mode 4WD system. The nearest competitor next to that number can only boast 365HP.

The brand new Toyota Sequoia offers a spacious interior with an 8-person seating capacity. You’ll also get impressed by how the third-row seat can recline. Moreover, the vehicle also has a multi-function center console to give your passengers the entertainment they deserve.

2021 Toyota Sequoia
Towing Capacity 7,400 lbs.
Type of Engine 5.7L i-FORCE V8 engine; 381 horsepower; 401 lb.-ft. torque
Seating Capacity 8
Cargo Volume to Seat 1 120.1 ft3
Cargo Volume to Seat 2 66.6 ft3
Cargo Volume to Seat 3 18.9 ft3
   

Keep An Eye On The Numbers

Remember - that maximum towing capacity figure can be misleading.

If you own one of these vehicles, you need to make sure you have the appropriate towing package to even get to that number. And even then, remember we're talking about the capacity under optimal driving/towing conditions. You'll be towing your travel trailer in the real world and not in the realm of fantasy, so make sure to leave some margin for that as well.

If you have any experience with towing a travel trailer with an SUV, we'd love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment to let everyone know what your own experience was like.

We think you'll find these related posts useful -

How Big Is An SUV?

Which Full-Size SUV Has The Most Cargo Space? 

15 Travel Trailer Towing Tips Every Driver Should Know

Share this article

6 Comments

  1. Most 30 foot trailers are 10,000 lbs. iI Ford or any of the car manufactures can’t make a SUV that can haul 10,000 they are WIMPS. You won’t have poor performance, you are going to burn up your SUB on the first hill. Overheating will be a huge problem and handling will make you feel like you wearing a full diaper. Don’t do it until FORD, CHEVY or DODGE get some balls.

  2. We towed a 33ft Rockwood ultra lite around the country (30 states, 9500) with our 2000 3/4 ton suburban. The suburban is rated at 10,000 lbs towing capacity and our trailer is 6,600 lbs dry, 800lb tongue with an 8,800 max. The burb worked amazing. We climbed some pretty sleep slopes without any trouble. I’m disappointed Chevy got rid of the 2500 model burb…. It’s the best suv they ever made

  3. You should look up the payload capacity of theToyota Sequoia before you recommend it for towing a larger travel trailer.
    I bought a SUV because I wanted to tow the travel trailer and take the family in one vehicle. Having 1,600 lbs payload to tow a trailer with a 1,000 lbs tongue weight does not leave much capacity to add the wife, kids, dog, luggage, food, outdoor chairs, etc.
    I ended up getting a Suburban HD with it’s larger brakes, engine, frame, and over 2,000 lbs payload. Towing my 30′ camper with the family is smooth sailing because I’m not maxed out or over the limit. Sadly, used Suburban HD are rarely sold and the ones you do find are bought quickly. New ones are marked up beyond reason on GM fleet website.

  4. Yukon denali 2013 para jalar un camper de 24 ” es necesario poner control de frenos o ya viene incluido, el signo de + y – que esta en los cambios es para que ??

    • Hi Alfonso,
      Unfortunately, I don’t speak Spanish. Google translates your question like this: Yukon Denali 2013 to pull a 24 ”camper is necessary to put brake control or is already included, the sign of + and – what is in the changes is for what?.
      I don’t know whether a 2013 Denali requires additional systems to tow, but if I were you, I’d shoot GMC an email with that question. Keep in mind that the length of the camper isn’t the crucial number here. It’s the overall weight you’ll be pulling (camper dry weight + tanks + your gear).

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *