We Found Our Tow Vehicle

Finally Selected Our Tow Vehicle…..

Selecting the right tow vehicle has been a difficult process. Almost as complicated as selecting the trailer itself. We’re not able to invest unlimited amounts of money into the tow vehicle either, which made selecting wisely rather critical. This is a high-pressure purchase because there’s little margin for error. We really need to avoid costly repairs and a heavy initial investment in a truck is not in our cards.

From tow capacity to reliability – we’ve scoured the internet in search of every detail. Slowly uncovering bits of information regarding the various trucks and SUVs we’ve been interested in. We’ve had various makes and models pop onto our radar only to learn that each had a defect here or there. Whether it be transmission issues, or otherwise, every truck seems to have it’s own “quirk.”

Research is critical. I encourage anyone to do a lot of homework before investing in a tow vehicle. Avoid those engines with poor history and reviews. Same can be said for the transmissions.

Several hour-long trips later, to seemingly every reputable dealer in LA, and we’ve finally found our tow vehicle. We settled with a 2006 Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum Edition.

06 Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum Edition - Great Tow Vehicle

Surprisingly, we were able to get a very good deal on this SUV thanks to our friends at Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge Huntington Beach. The Escalade has a little over 100,000 miles on it, which is pretty much what we expected with our budget. It tows over 7,000 lbs. which is perfect for us. It’s mechanically sound and weighs several tons which is also ideal for towing stability. There is a ton of cargo space, which is nice. It comes standard with gauges to monitor the transmission temperatures, tow/hauling mode, and plenty of ridiculous features (due to the Platinum package) that my newer model sedan wished it had. The icing on the cake: it’s all wheel drive, which will come in handy when we unhitch and hit the trails in this truck.

All-in-all a very good bargain. The true question, however, how well will this thing tow. I know it drives well – smooth as ice, in fact. This true test will come shortly. We’re leaving the truck at the dealer until we head back down in a few days to retrieve the trailer.




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Post Author: Nema