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MH Olson

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Everything posted by MH Olson

  1. Hi, TooGars. Thanks for writing. I wound up getting a great car loan (3.85%) on a used Jeep GC, and just yesterday paid cash for a used trailer ('17 Forest River Flagstaff 23'). People on this forum were enormously helpful. If there was to be a loan (and there definitely was!) it made sense from a bunch of angles to make it a car loan only. Regards, Madeline
  2. Thanks again to everyone for your terrific advice! I just bought a 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland V-8, and financed a little over half of the cost. I shopped around in advance for a great rate (Alaska USA CU was the best that day of all the CUs I researched), and the dealer got a CA bank to match the rate. Next week, I'm buying the travel trailer with cash (thanks for the advice on that) since loan rates for RVs are nearly twice that of cars and trucks. Now I just have to get my house ready for sale ! 😉 Hope to meet some of you at my first Escapade in June!
  3. Just wanted to let everyone know that--thanks to your great advice and links--I just bought a 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland V-8 4x4 with tow package, which tows 7400 pounds. (I came close to buying a 2018 Chevy Tahoe V-8, but the cost with the same mileage was $10K higher. Ack!) With the weight distribution option for my trailer, I think I'll be all set. Cheers, and I hope to run into you at my first-ever Escapade! Madeline
  4. Hi and thanks so much for your post. My head is spinning with all the things I ought to consider, as well as all the options available for a TV. I hadn't considered the wind factor so much since it's not generally an issue where I currently live (WA), but I will definitely be driving the SW within the next 6 months or so, so need to think about it. I'm inclined to go with a mid-size SUV with tow capacity of 6-7,000 since it's cheaper than a bigger TV, will get better MPG (probably), and will fit more easily in my garage (!). I'm paying close attention to all the weight and capacity statistics of the trailer, and won't exceed 80% of the tow capacity of the TV, fully loaded. If/when I buy a bigger rig, I'll go with one of the full-size SUVs, I think I'll trade the mid-size one for a Toyota Sequoia, Chevy Tahoe, etc. I really appreciate how everyone contributed to my education!
  5. Thanks, ARGO. There are so many considerations! I've decided to go with a used 2017 or 2018 with relatively low mileage, and am using Consumer Reports and this article https://autowise.com/best-suv-for-towing/ as a guide. I'm inclined to buy something with far more tow capacity than I need, both for safety and in case I decide to up-size the trailer in a year or two. I'm definitely keeping in mind all the great feedback I've received from this forum!
  6. Will do. I'm interested in the best rate! Thanks for writing.
  7. Thanks for your message! After talking with my financial guy, I've decided to pay cash for the trailer (it's a smaller, used one) and finance the SUV. I shared a lot of the input I received on this board, which was all very helpful. A great bunch of people!
  8. Great info; thanks. A new friend in my local Escapees chapter suggested I add another 2/3 to the GVW of the trailer to estimate its weight fully loaded. How does that sound to you?
  9. This link is enormously helpful; thanks. Right now I'm in touch with several area car dealers who have SUVs that might fit the bill. All have 8-cyl engines, and I'm having them check whether or not they have the factory tow package. I'll ask to see the sticker or that door-panel label before I trust what they tell me. No point driving 50 miles to be disappointed! I'll check Carfax before buying, as well. (Also reading articles on Consumer Reports; as you can see, I'm a research-aholic!)
  10. I didn't know that. I'll definitely do some online research before I settle on anything. Thanks!
  11. Thanks, Dutch. It says it must be towed on a dolly. I imagine that's a little tricky, but I've towed a tent trailer before so it should be manageable. I really appreciate your sharing this link!
  12. Thanks, ND. Thanks to your note on my other post string, I'm looking again at used Class C's that could tow my 4-cyl compact. And yes, I figured that RV dealer was a little full of it. I could already tell by the way he kept pointing out obvious things as we toured various trailers ("the dinette is a SOFA when you REMOVE the table!" "Just LOOK at all this STORAGE!" "The SHOWER has a TUB!") I just nodded my head and had a good laugh when I returned to my car!
  13. It's a 4-cyl automatic, front wheel drive. And I like your suggestion re: pull-through sites, but they're not always available. And are sometimes more expensive. I'll do a search of the Forums for advice re: towing a toad. Thanks again for your help!
  14. The link you provided was enormously helpful--thank you! And I appreciate your suggestion about considering a Class C and making my compact (a Hyundai Elantra @ 2,661 pounds) the toad. I guess I'm a little nervous about towing an actual car (LOL)...since my only towing experience was towing a Jayco pop-up with our Ford Explorer back in the day. I rented a Class C last summer and found it easy to drive, with minimal set-up at the campground. I'll do some research on Class C's within my combined SUV-and-TT budget and see if there's something that'll tow my compact without difficulty. I've read a bit about the different ways to tow a toad and the pros and cons of each, but I'll want to revisit that. The biggest worry I had was about backing it into the campsite...but of course I'd detach the toad first and *then* back the RV in. Easy peasy, right? Thanks so much for your response to my question, and happy RVing!
  15. That's a really good point. I'd figured it made more sense to finance at 6% or so than to withdraw money from investments that have been earning 8-10%. But finance isn't my strong suit, so I'm going to look further into that trade-off. Putting down 35% or so would make it unlikely I'd ever be underwater on the loan, which I understand is a big concern for those who finance. Great food for thought, and I thank you for responding!
  16. Hi, all. In the next 2-4 weeks, I'll be trading my compact car (2012 Hyundai Elantra, low miles) for a late-model used SUV with a tow package, as well as buying a late-model used travel trailer. Should I obtain the car loan first, and the RV loan second, or the other way around? My credit is excellent and I have no debt except my mortgage. I'll be putting down 33-40% on each (including my trade-in). My hope, of course, is to get the best possible rate on each loan. An RV dealer advised me to get the RV loan first, but I'm suspicious that that's simply self-serving on his part. What do you think? (Thanks in advance for your feedback and advice!)
  17. Hello! I'm about to purchase a used travel trailer (roughly 3800 GVW, 23') and will need to trade in my compact car for a used SUV that can easily tow the TT. Research has led me to consider these two mid-sized SUVs: Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee, with factory-installed tow packages. Here's my question. How do you find the tow capacity of a specific model and year? I've done many internet searches, but can't find anything definitive. A few searches suggest 6,200 pounds for a car I'm really interested in--a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4x4...but there have been search results that point to a much lower tow capacity for a gas engine. HELP! Here's the sticker from Carfax to give you the particulars. If anyone can point me to a really good, reliable reference, I'd be so grateful! https://www.carfax.com/phoenix/sticker/v3/JEEP/TVkD-WngX2mdnlO1hljcZfEsmxH81avwFMjYKW1G8BA.cfx (Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I'm a recently-retired widow making her first RV-and-TV purchase, and I'm trying to cover all the bases!)
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