Tow Vehicle/Pickup truck HELP

[zegm]

I had a situation the other day where I NEEDED 4WD. The water is really low right now and when backing in the trailer to pick the boat up, the trailer fell off the end of the slab of concrete. My buddy tried to pull the trailer back up onto the concrete to no avail. Needed 4wd. I come from Detroit and we dont buy vehicles where ANY of the engineering is done in a foreign country.

Lewisb13,
I have been an automotive engineer for over 15 years. Been to Detroit a zillion times. Hate to burst your bubble but many of the parts on domestic vehicle are designed in a foreign country. I worked in Atlanta at a company called IWKA where we had 40% of the exhaust hose and decoupler market. IWKA stands for Industrial Works Karlsrule which is a German company. Mahle makes pistion for all three of the big three. Another German Company with factories in the USA. Bosch makes the brake calibers for the Ford 150 (bought the Allied Signal Bendix Plants) and many other applications. Again another German company. You would be surprised to find out the probably less than 50% of the parts suppliers are American owned. Most of what the American auto industry does is Assemble the parts, they don't make any of them. Or very little if they do. Now these same suppliers are supplying the Japanese vehicles made here in the US too!
But I would get the Sierra!

[lewisb13]

Lewisb13,
I have been an automotive engineer for over 15 years. Been to Detroit a zillion times. Hate to burst your bubble but many of the parts on domestic vehicle are designed in a foreign country. I worked in Atlanta at a company called IWKA where we had 40% of the exhaust hose and decoupler market. IWKA stands for Industrial Works Karlsrule which is a German company. Mahle makes pistion for all three of the big three. Another German Company with factories in the USA. Bosch makes the brake calibers for the Ford 150 (bought the Allied Signal Bendix Plants) and many other applications. Again another German company. You would be surprised to find out the probably less than 50% of the parts suppliers are American owned. Most of what the American auto industry does is Assemble the parts, they don't make any of them. Or very little if they do. Now these same suppliers are supplying the Japanese vehicles made here in the US too!
But I would get the Sierra!

I guess I should have clarified. We dont buy vehicles where any of the clay modeling, bare bones powertrain design, wind tunnel, engine dyno, etc, is done over seas.

[zegm]

I guess I should have clarified. We dont buy vehicles where any of the clay modeling, bare bones powertrain design, wind tunnel, engine dyno, etc, is done over seas.

I am bad, I won't buy from across the Pacific but I have bought from across the Atlantic for years. I have had 4 Chevy/GMC trucks without any problems althought the last Chevy Silverado 1500 2WD, the transmission started to whine while towing with 125k on the vehicle.
My wife's last 2 vehicles were made in Mexico, the Chevy Avalanche and the Volkswagon Jetta TDI. One American, one German both assembled in Mexico.

I must say I LOVE my VW Touareg but even it isn't made in Germany. It is assembled in Solvakia with a German Engine and a Japanese made transmission. It is a Global World now, with Volkswagon about to open their new plant in Chattanooga Tennesee. They might even produce their new Pickup truck there, which is currently made in Brazil. A small truck with a diesel and if they bring it here I might have to get one of them.

[Razzman]

A few things to consider when buying a truck, plan ahead for what you might need it for. First off what else might it be used for? Don't know where you live but you stated it's only a mile to the lake. Do you ever tow farther? What if you wanted to? Comfort is also something to consider, full size trucks are roomier inside as well as bed size.

Yeah 2WD is more economical, but typically it's only a mile or two a gallon. Every truck i've owned has been 4WD, you'll never see me slipping and sliding pulling the boat outta the water. A full size truck also pulls much better than a mid size over long distance or hills. If you never plan to do any of these then a mid size will probably fit the bill

My current truck is an '07 GMC Sierra Crew Cab 4WD 5.3L and it does everthing i want it too. BUT my next will be a deisel as the 5.3L struggles a bit in the mountains to haul 4,000+ pounds up steep grades.

[viking]

Don't know where you live? Not in your profile. But here in the North I wouldn't buy anything but a 4WD. I've had many a tow rig and current is Sierra 2500 Duramax. I won't buy a gas guzzler again. It's diesel from here on out for me!

[maxpower220]

The Sierra has to be the biggest of the trucks and probably the highest tow rating. I would look at total truck weight as I assume you have an LSV. Also, look at warranties. All they all set up for towing, if so, take a test ride with your boat attached.

I am biased, because I support American companies as much as possible (with a few exceptions). Trying to be unbiased, I really like my GM truck a lot. It was a better ride, fit and finish, and interior than everything that I tested last year.

[zegm]

Don't know where you live? Not in your profile. But here in the North I wouldn't buy anything but a 4WD. I've had many a tow rig and current is Sierra 2500 Duramax. I won't buy a gas guzzler again. It's diesel from here on out for me!

I must totally agree with the diesel issue. I sold our 1500 Silverado because of the issues of towing it. When you put the GM trucks into tow haul mode you are going into 3rd gear and out of 4th. But due to the 87 octane gasoline I was using the truck would detonate (it was 96+ F degrees outside) and the knock sensors would shift the truck back into 4th. So I had this in and out of 3rd and 4th gear thing going on and it drove me crazy. So I decided to find a Duromax Crew Cab Diesel. Now these ARE expensive so you might want to look for a used one (new over 40k). I only bought the VW because they sold a very, very few Touaregs here with a 5.0Liter V-10 TDI diesel and being a sports car fanatic (sorry Ed I am going to mention BMW here, get over it) and because my we love my wife's Jetta TDI diesel (40mpg at any speed) I decided on it instead as it goes around curves better than any truck could and gets 18.5 mpg in town. But anyway now I am a TOTAL diesel fanatic. The Touareg never shifts down from 6th gear while towing the Moomba and all it takes is a little step on the gas pedal to pass someone even with the boat behind it. Just before the finacial crash GM was going to start putting a new V-8 4.5Liter diesel in their 1500's well that got killed but if gas ever goes up again you bet you will see it as they had already tooled up for production and were all set to release it. Finally, the diesels powered vehicles of ANY brand hold their value extremely well! In the long run you would save money.

[Razzman]

So I decided to find a Duromax Crew Cab Diesel. Now these ARE expensive so you might want to look for a used one (new over 40k).

Nope, try average of $50-55K new here on the west coast! The new 2011 Denali Limited is $62K!

[Ian Brantford]

The two strongest contenders to fit the OP's needs are not on the list:

- Ford F150
- Honda Ridgeline

Among the trucks listed in this thread, the Ridgeline is by far the most versatile and the best daily driver (independent rear suspension). A short test drive on a bumpy road will bear this out (as it has for many Ridgeline owners who came from other brands). I get 24 MPG US on the highway. Among the mid-sized trucks, it is the only one that has a full-sized cab that can comfortably carry five adults, and the only one that has four feet between the wheel wells for carrying standard construction supplies. It is the only truck with a trunk, which is shockingly handy. It will probably remain reliable for twice as long as the GMC or Nissan. It has the best slippery-road handling among pick-ups. It only handles moderate off-roading, and can only be lifted 2in. Some aftermarket accessories will cost more due to its unique shape.

BTW, disregard MSRP, as Honda oddly does not advertise rebates. Also, the people who wrote some of the Ridgeline commercials appear to be on some serious drugs. Eesh.

The Ridgeline will tow your boat very well. Your older LSV will be well within its 5000 lb towing capacity. I did same-day head-to-head comparison with a 1997 Silverado (w/tow package) for handling while towing my XLV. The only thing that the Ridgeline could use is extension mirrors. It is designed and now assembled in the U.S.A. See http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums for a deluge of information, including honest comparisons by many people who were really doing their homework while shopping.

I probably would not pass up a Touareg if some fantastic bargain on one crossed my way. However, the OP wants a pickup truck.

The Avalanche is also very versatile and has rear coils springs for better comfort... but again I would not buy one because is made by GM.

Ford seems to be the only Detroit brand that seems to finally "get it" with respect to quality, and that's only recently. They also have a new line of efficient engines for their trucks. Both Ford and Honda are expected to have entirely new offerings in their trucks by next spring, so my advice is to wait until then if you can stand to do so. Then you'll have both old and new models from which to choose for these strong brands.

I strongly agree with the other posters about 4WD. You will probably encounter a situation where it will prevent a VERY stressful issue, whether or not the boat is involved, compared to a RWD-only truck. It will probably avoid a great many marginally troublesome situations, too.

[papou]

The two strongest contenders to fit the OP's needs are not on the list:

- Ford F150
- Honda Ridgeline

Among the trucks listed in this thread, the Ridgeline is by far the most versatile and the best daily driver (independent rear suspension). A short test drive on a bumpy road will bear this out (as it has for many Ridgeline owners who came from other brands). I get 24 MPG US on the highway. Among the mid-sized trucks, it is the only one that has a full-sized cab that can comfortably carry five adults, and the only one that has four feet between the wheel wells for carrying standard construction supplies. It is the only truck with a trunk, which is shockingly handy. It will probably remain reliable for twice as long as the GMC or Nissan. It has the best slippery-road handling among pick-ups. It only handles moderate off-roading, and can only be lifted 2in. Some aftermarket accessories will cost more due to its unique shape.

BTW, disregard MSRP, as Honda oddly does not advertise rebates. Also, the people who wrote some of the Ridgeline commercials appear to be on some serious drugs. Eesh.

The Ridgeline will tow your boat very well. Your older LSV will be well within its 5000 lb towing capacity. I did same-day head-to-head comparison with a 1997 Silverado (w/tow package) for handling while towing my XLV. The only thing that the Ridgeline could use is extension mirrors. It is designed and now assembled in the U.S.A. See http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums for a deluge of information, including honest comparisons by many people who were really doing their homework while shopping.

I probably would not pass up a Touareg if some fantastic bargain on one crossed my way. However, the OP wants a pickup truck.

The Avalanche is also very versatile and has rear coils springs for better comfort... but again I would not buy one because is made by GM.

Ford seems to be the only Detroit brand that seems to finally "get it" with respect to quality, and that's only recently. They also have a new line of efficient engines for their trucks. Both Ford and Honda are expected to have entirely new offerings in their trucks by next spring, so my advice is to wait until then if you can stand to do so. Then you'll have both old and new models from which to choose for these strong brands.

I strongly agree with the other posters about 4WD. You will probably encounter a situation where it will prevent a VERY stressful issue, whether or not the boat is involved, compared to a RWD-only truck. It will probably avoid a great many marginally troublesome situations, too.

comming from a Ridgeline i could say that pulling my boat on the highway it was not strong enough it was very hard on gas if your pulling more than 3500 LB i would`t buy a Ridgeline . My new truck is a f 150 with a 5.4 it pulls great and cheaper then the Ridgeline on gas on the highway.