FINDING THE RIGHT TOW VEHICLE FOR YOUR OFFROAD CAMPER

Choosing a tow vehicle when considering a Boreas Camper (or any camper trailer) is a big step. Or you may be evaluating your current vehicle to see if it has the right qualifications. Here are some factors you’ll want to take into account while doing your research.

Towing Capacity of Your Vehicle

When assessing your needs in a tow vehicle, towing capacity is the biggest one. The Boreas XT weighs just over 2000 lbs DRY. That means as soon as you add 30 gallons of water (250 lbs), fill up your fridge, load up the bikes or even put a roof top tent on, you could easily add 600 or more pounds. So we recommend you don’t come anywhere near the tow rating of the vehicle with the dry weight of the Boreas.

We tend to see Toyota Tacomas and 4-door Jeeps pulling the Boreas, but even if you have one of those make sure you check your specific vehicle’s towing capacity. Each model has different levels of build out and specs, and the engine and towing capacity on your vehicle could be very different from an identical-looking truck or SUV.

Hitch Receiver Height

This is one that many folks don’t think of right away, but we promise you will think about it every time you go to hook up the trailer. We’ve found that 21” from the ground is an ideal receiver height. This keeps the trailer level, which provides the optimal towing experience both on and off paved roads.

If your hitch is too high, you will have to huck your tongue onto the hitch receiver on your vehicle. If it’s too low you risk scraping the ground with the tongue while traversing variable terrain.

There are hitch adaptors to help lower or raise your hitch from your vehicle’s receiver. But consider that the more you raise or lower the hitch from the tube the more stress that puts on your vehicle’s frame.

Clearance of Your Tow Vehicle

The ground clearance of your vehicle is another important consideration. If you take the Boreas offroad one of the biggest inhibitors to where you can take it is the clearance of your tow vehicle and the camper.

The Boreas has 19” of clearance, so check the clearance of a vehicle if you plan on taking the Boreas further into the backcountry. 

7-pin vs 4-pin Hookup

The electric connection to your tow vehicle provides the power and direction for the trailer’s brake lights and turn signals. All Boreas Campers come with electric brakes, but these can only be utilized if your tow vehicle has a 7-pin connection (vs. a 4-pin). Adaptors can be added to vehicles to employ the electric brakes of the trailer separately.

Boreas Campers all come with a camper battery. With a 7-pin, this battery receives a charge while being towed, from the tow vehicle. This does not occur if you are utilizing a 4-pin hookup.

You can update a 4-pin to a 7-pin hookup with an adaptor, and this can be done at most auto shops.

Matching Tires (sorry, that’s a no go)

A quick note to say that we do not match tires on the Boreas to your tow vehicle. The Cruisemaster suspension is specifically tied to both the chassis design and the relation to tire size. That being said, the reason people like to match tires is so they have an extra in case one fails on either their tow vehicle or the camper, and all Boreas Campers come with a full size spare standard, so you’re covered there.

Those are the basics to consider when you're looking for a tow vehicle to haul your Boreas Campers camper trailer. Other factors that will be more based on your setup include # of passenger seats, amount of storage space and the look that you like. Get the basics down and you'll be ready to hit the road! 

Check out the XT