Which model tow vehicle should I buy to haul my caravan or camper trailer?
It's a question we're regularly asked at caravancampingsales, and really comes down to a host of factors; most importantly the weight and type of camper or caravan you need to tow.
It’s easy if you’re shopping for an RV and already own a vehicle that you're happy to tow with: just choose a caravan or camper trailer that's within the tow ratings of the tow vehicle.
However, it gets trickier if you want to tow a particular RV and are shopping around for a suitable tow tug…
To make it easier, we’ve categorized a number of tow test reviews from recent years; all current- (or near current) generation models, from smaller SUVs with sub-2000kg tow capacities all the way to the big American trucks with 4500kg plus tow ratings.
Of course, you need to dig deeper and make sure the respective tow ball rating for each tow vehicle is up to the task, as often the smaller SUVs are quite limited by how much you can place on the tow ball (as little as 100kg in some cases).
And don't forget the 'golden rules': you can't beat plenty of grunt (lots of diesel-generated torque preferably), and tow vehicle weight and wheelbase (to counteract trailer sway) in any towing situation...
Light duty towing (up to 2000kg)
• Holden Equinox
• Hyundai Tucson
• Hyundai Santa Fe
• Subaru Forester
• Mazda CX-8
• Subaru Outback
• Nissan X-Trail
Medium duty (2000kg-3000kg)
• Holden Acadia
• Land Rover Discovery Sport
• Volkswagen Tiguan
• Range Rover Velar
• Jeep Cherokee
• Tesla Model X
• Isuzu MU-X
• Toyota LandCruiser Prado
• Ford Everest
• Holden Trailblazer
• Toyota Fortuner
• LDV T60 Trailrider
Heavy-duty (3000kg -3500kg)
• Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
• Ford Everest Bi-Turbo
• Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series
• Mercedes-Benz X-Class
• Mercedes-Benz X-Class V6
• Ssangyong Musso
• Volkswagen Amarok V6
• Lexus LX
• Jeep Grand Cherokee
• Isuzu D-MAX
• Nissan Navara
• Nissan Patrol V8
• Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series
• Land Rover Discovery 5
• Mazda BT-50
• Ford Ranger
• Volkswagen Amarok V6
Super heavy duty (3500kg-plus)
• RAM 1500
• Ford F350
• Chevrolet Silverado
• Nissan Titan
• RAM 2500
• GMC Sierra
Further reading
• Top-10 dual-cab utes for towing 2019
• RAM 2500 vs Ford F-250
• Top-10 tow vehicles 2019
• Top-10 tow vehicles 2018
• Ford Ranger 3.2 vs 2.0 Bi-Turbo
• Is your next tow vehicle electric?
• Why 3500kg tow ratings are misleading