is there a minivan out there that can safely/comfortable tow an integra (assume 2600lbs car + 1500-2000lbs trailer)?

i'm looking at the realm of tow vehicles without including suv's, full size vans, and/or trucks just yet.

can a caprice classic wagon tow this load? did they ever come with the lt1 motor?

 

Chevy Astro?
Ford Aerostar?

Both RWD and both have 6 cyl. motors.

 

A Chevy Rastro is going to be the best shot, I know several who have done it for CRXs and VWs but the Integra might be pushing the weight. If the 6 cyl has trouble over time, the Rastro will take a small block Chevy V8 swap pretty easy. The weak link is the rear end as the S10 diffs are not that strong. There are lots of used Rastros out there so they are cheap too.

 

one of my friends had a astrovan with a 350, or so I was told.

 

Astro can tow 5000lbs (or is it 5500lbs?). Not the most glamorous minivan, but it'll get the job done.

 

thanks for the replies! i should also say i'm looking at USED vehicles going for under around $6000. of course, i want it all - a cheap, reliable non-truck that can tow 5000lbs easily.

 

i just checked some specs on edmunds.com.

it seems $5000 will get you a mid-90s model awd chevy astro that is rated to tow 5000lbs.
also, $5000 will get you a late-90s ford aerostar that is only rated to tow 4400lbs.

the astro is nasty looking, but it should be capable of towing the R around the northeast. i'm most attracted to the minivan for utility; it can fit an air mattress for camping, 2 mountain bikes, and awd for the northeast winters.

any one know about chevy astro reliability?

 

One of our R&D guys has a '90 Rastro 2wd that he drives daily and plans to tow his ITB Scirocco with. It has about 140k on it and he plans to do a V8 swap when the stock 6 goes south but it is still strong. He is just getting the rear diff noise but not bad enough to do anything about it yet. He just lowered it about 4 inches as upgrade parts are easily available and cheap (they used to be really hot in Japan). Don't know how the AWD systems are on the Rastros.

The Aerostar is Ranger based but the body is a known rust bucket even in areas that cars don't rust too bad. Look at the rocker area on the driver's side under and behind the door as they are really bad there. The Rastro will be a better bet I think.

 

Be worried about early V6 Astros. I blew mine up towing, due to a chronic vacuum leak valve burning issues - that became common knowledge AFTER it started blowing huge columns of smoke...

I would argue that you are better off with the Ford straight six "real" van - even the shorty one that you saw hundreds of utility company logos on. They are way tougher and can be had for minimal dough.

Kirk

 

The Astro is the only way to go if you need a minivan/tow vehicle. I've got a '99 that I picked up a year and a half ago for $8500. It's by far the best tow vehicle I've had so far (94 Jeep Cherokee, 98 Isuzu Rodeo, and 93 Jeep Grand Cherokee). Tons of room, plenty of power, great mileage when towing (17+ with my 3000# load). It also makes a decent hotel room for cheap asses like me. For $5-6k, you should easily be able to get a mid to late 90s Astro. You definately want a 96 or newer for the better dash. Pretty much, the newer the better. I'd recommend a high mileage newer one - there's tons of these available off rental from Enterprise/etc. Well maintained, probably not abused too much, and dirt cheap.

-Chris