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Thread: Advice on a Tow Vehicle
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11-17-2013, 11:09 AM #11
based on this information, I would suggest a used +/- 75kmiles on the odo expedition or tahoe. you should be able to find one in the 10k range well taken care of. they should have lots of life left and will meet the door requirements. I would wonder why you would be looking at anything new(ford ecoboost) for something that is admittedly going to sit in the driveway most of the year.
I tow with a '00 ford f150 with 150k on the clock and it does great. would love to have a new rig, but I think I put 1500 miles on it since march. not a wise investment to have a depreciating asset sitting.'06 Supra Launch 20SSV-gone but never forgotten
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11-17-2013, 11:29 AM #12
Their are plenty of 1/2 tons and full size suv on the market that will do the job just fine and wont break the bank and leave more $$ for the boat. Trucks are sitting on lots everywhere and you can always upgrade if your needs change. I like the pickup route, its handy to have a truck around for those weekend projects.
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11-17-2013, 12:29 PM #13Senior Member
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Take the advice of needing anything larger than a 1/2-ton truck with a grain of salt. No doubt, larger trucks make better tow vehicles. But you asked about your specific situation: flat-grade towing of a ~3000 lb boat, 3-4 times per year. A 1/2-ton 4 door pickup or a full size SUV will fit your needs perfectly. Anything more is overkill, and my experience is that anything less will be insufficient.
If you also needed something to pull a 5th wheel trailer or frequently haul rocks or bricks, that would be a totally different situation.2007 Mobius LSV
1989 Sanger Skier DX - sold
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11-17-2013, 01:34 PM #14Senior Member
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Re: Advice on a Tow Vehicle
I have a Durango, 02, paid 3k, be sure to check the tow rating on anything you buy, usually on the door jam or glove box, it's the gearing that makes all the difference.. You don't need to spend a lot, I get 11-12 mpg towing.. mine is rated for 6200, was looking for the 3.92 gearing which is 7200lbs, both are overkill. Just keep in mind when you add up everything, boat, fluids, gas, gear the total weight us closer to 5000lbs..
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2002 Moomba Mobius LSV - Sold
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11-17-2013, 02:55 PM #15
On the lighter side - we pulled a 1998 MC Prostar from Farmer City Illinois to St. Croix Falls WI , in August, at agressive hwy speeds - with a 6 cyl Rav4. We did not have any tranny temp monitoring capability - but it drove well enough.
My 2001 Durango with small V8 pulls our 1999 Mobiuis OK - but I hate that truck so much I can't wait to get rid of it.If you believe something to be true, it will be - in it's consequences.
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11-17-2013, 05:27 PM #16Senior Member
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The best advice is tow insurance, this is not on your auto policy, boat us sells it for an extra $30, gives you 600$ or 100 mile tow coverage and helps locate a tow provider, only a few can tow a boat! I learned this the hard way..
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2002 Moomba Mobius LSV - Sold
2006 Moomba Mobius LSV - Sold
2017 Moomba Craz - Enzos, Lead
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11-17-2013, 06:24 PM #17Junior Member
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Thanks for all the input. It would be nice if the used car websites would be able to filter by tow capacity. Does anyone have a good resource for looking up towing specs. For older vehicles?
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11-17-2013, 08:16 PM #18Hey, Its Moomba time
Its all about the dash - enjoy the dash, as that is your time between the dates
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11-17-2013, 08:28 PM #19Senior Member
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Re: Advice on a Tow Vehicle
From 2004…there's other years.. But you still need to check each vehicle cuz gearing options can change it..
http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/t...or-towing.html
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2002 Moomba Mobius LSV - Sold
2006 Moomba Mobius LSV - Sold
2017 Moomba Craz - Enzos, Lead
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11-17-2013, 11:10 PM #20Member
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I have a 2000 GMC dually crew, 6.5 diesel. Overkill for most things but it sure is nice to tow with. Not a rocket ship by any means. My kids hate it because its ugly. it has 600,000 kms on it (think that translates into 400,000 miles). I purposely have never put a trailer hitch on my 2011 Toyota Highlander. My list of trucks in order of ownership starts with an 85 GMC 1/2 ton, towed great, cheap to maintain. Had this when I had no kids and started racing. 99 F250 next towed great but always seemed to be steering it while towing. 2000 GMC ext cab, comfy ride towed alright but terrible brakes for towing. 83 crew cab dually with 6.2 diesel, towed great but truck was worn out. now up to current dually. Best advice I read on here was if you are only towing 3 or 4 times a year a 1/2 ton would work good enough for you. To make life easier on you make sure you have trailer brakes, once you have them you wont go without them. No need to blow a lot of money if its not going to be used daily.