Advice on a Tow Vehicle

[EricU]

...Our budget has us looking at older Mobius LSV or similar v-drive 20 ft. boats. We need a tow vehicle and I have NO experience with towing anything bigger then our old jet ski.

Here is what we need:

• We have 2 cabins in the family both 3 to 4 hour drives away mostly highway. We would leave the boat at one cabin most of the time and tow it home or to the other cabin 3 to 4 times a summer.
• We live in Minnesota so the terrain is pretty flat
• We are looking for 4 doors. We are planning on starting a family soon.
• Need something nice but any extra money spent on tow vehicle is coming directly out of the Boat budget money. Need to find a nice balance
• We have a kia spectra at home for everyday driving and tow vehicle would get used sparingly at home.

...Just looking for the best bang for my buck so I can spend more on a boat.

Lots and lots of variables,
What kind of budget are you looking at for a vehicle?
Do you own your own house?

You can get into wakeboarding/surfing including a tow vehicle for under twenty grand or you can blow that much on a boat's stereo. You wouldn't be out on the water with the latest fad, but you don't need to either to enjoy a weekend on the lake. When one of my companies went belly up, I sold my '03 Natique that I bought brand new and spent two years wakeboarding behind a old Ski Sanger that I bought for $5,000 and sold earlier this year (after it sat on the side yard for two more years) for $5,500. If you don't think you can fix up an older boat to be sweet, check on some of the boats here on this forum, (Berg's for one)

So, if you are looking at a pre-'06 LSV style boat, they are relatively light. My personal tow vehicle is on '01 F250 with the 7.3L Powerstroke (on it's third tranny!) The newer 6.0Ls had their problems, but can be fixed/prevented. Look around and grab an older F250 or F350 four door if it is not going to be used that much. By the way, I own my own company and I would love to drive someone else's Prius (I am cheap).

Last week I had decided to buy a new Suburban to tow my RZ4 which is a pig (wayyyyy heavier than my Moomba) so I could carry all the teenagers also. After looking at what Chevy offers for $60k+ which is a small V8 on a half ton chassis, I have decided to pass for now and start looking for a clean low mileage diesel Excursion or test drive the new 6.2L gas Denalis (opposite end of the spectrum!) But right now for my money, buy used then with the money you save, purchase real estate.

BTW, if you don't own your own home and you spend $40k+ on a truck, you are a fool -- unless you got rich parents then go to town spending their money!!!