Used truck recommendations.

Well my gf and I just bought a 20 foot Maxum and her Lexus rx 300 is strugglin a little to pull it. Thing is her suv is paid off. I have a 05 Magnum so my car is not gonna tow it. Just curious what ur thought are on a good tow rig. We have to seat 5 and have room for my daughters wheelchair and our gear. I was thinkin Avalanche or f150 crew with the bigger 4.6l. Of course there is always the Suburban or Yukon. I have to stay below 18k so it's gonna have to be used. Just wanted to get some thoughts. Thx!

I am also thinking new tow vehicle. I would stay away from 1/2 ton unless its 4 wheel drive. I am going with a Suburban 02-06.

diesel

Why? A half ton will tow the hell outta pretty much any wake boat and better than most Suburbans except the 2500's with a 454 motor.

Find an 04-05 F150 5.4 with a 3.73 rear end 4x4, it will tow 9300lbs. The 4.6 wil do 6600 still well within your range.

99-03 f250 w/7.3 super crew. pull anything. that 5 ft bed on the 150 crews is lame.

Thats tight!

882001, it's 5.5' get it right and heck you can get 6.5' too. Actually I love the shorter box but I haven't many occasions to use the long 8' boxes.

had quite a few trucks over the years. and i need to carry a 6 foot ladder pretty much all the time for my job. and the only truck i have owned that couldnt do that job was a 150 crew, it was always sticking out the back pissed me off.. it had the 5.4 and besides that it was a good truck except for the horid mileage. totalled it thanksgiving 2 years ago.
now i pull a 10,500 lb toy hauler travel trailer. i dont think the 5.4 could handle it.

X2 for the ford F250 with the 7.3 powerstroke, thats an unbeatable engine!

Avalanche is my suggestion. I have one and it tows the 21ft supra no problem out here in Colorado at 5k+ feet of elevation. It has the best ride out of any pick up/suv I have ever been in. The locking tool boxes/coolers on the side of the bed are freaking awesome!!!! If you want more info than you will ever know what to do with on avalanches check out this site. http://www.chevyavalanchefanclub.com

I used to sell Chevys and really liked the Avalanche when it came out. Just wasn't sure how reliable it is. Probably just like most other silverados. My only thing I need to look out for is that my 11 year old is in a wheelchair so I have to transfer her in and out of whatever I get. Dont want anything to high so that is why I don't know if a F250 deisel would work.

cummins

I have never ridden in one, but the nissan armadas look pretty good and I know the titans are good for towing, maybe go armada route.

Researched the Armadas and the 04 and 05 had major brake problems and they gas milage is BAAAAADDDDD!!! 06 and on is ok but they are expensive, well out of my price range. I do like the looks of them though.

go with the 04-08 style F150 5.4

5.4 is a solid motor

Wish i could tow it with this

Just wont happen.

i had an 04 titan that did great. mileage towing boat- 15mpg, tons of torque. i had exhaust/intake/timing advance and was turning 33's. if you're lookin that route, make sure you get the 'big tow' package. beafed up gearing/extendable mirrors, trans cooler, etc. that being said, i'm now looking for a diesel.

Im a chevrolet man with an HD, but my best friend has an HD and an 03 Z extended cab that i've seen pull ••••••••• he shouldnt have. 200,000 miles on it and still haulin and not a problem. I'm bias and always will be just from my experience with chevys. I say 03,04 Z 4door. There are good ones and bad ones in all of them, im sure ford guys have the same stories. Either one IMHO. A deisel will pull anything. Powerstroke, Duramax, Cummins, it doesnt matter. If a 20ft Maxum is all you pull, u dont need a deisel. Too bad the MAG wont pull it.

'80-'96 F-150/250/350 supercab or crew cab with either 460 or 6.9/7.3. Cheap, dead simple to work on and absolutely reliable. Can get any part for them off the shelf at any decent parts store. Will easily pull your 20' with the big block or diesel, and you'd even be fine with a 351w but 4.10:1 gears would be preferable in that case.

It's easy to find solid well cared for trucks for cheap, perfect for a tow pig/secondary vehicle. Here's one of the first listings I found locally...

http://delaware.craigslist.org/cto/1293199753.html

Or a 4x4 with Dana 60 front for less...
http://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto/1333904668.html

Steve, and others with magnums. I've got a DJ buddy that has a bagged magnum on 22's that regularly pulls his 19ft bayliner out of our steep a$$ ramp. I'm gonna see if I can find a pic of his rig.

What I can't figure out is that a ton of people across the pond regularly use cars and station wagons as tow vehicles. Not sure what makes their ramps any better than ours. Maybe someone from over there will chime in.

Still, my vote as always is a 4x4 ford or dodge diesel. Never even know somethings back there. Plus they sound like tractors!

(Message edited by bmh2208 on August 21, 2009)

I just picked up an 06 Chevy Trailblazer SS. The thing has tons of power and pulls my 23 foot Epic 23V like it's nothing. It looks sweet too haha.

I like the TB SS and I know they can pull. All goes back to functionality for other things than towing a boat. Its gonna be a daily driver so MPG is a concern.

Nic, How much did you pay for your SS?

I bought a used Ford 5.4L 2003 F150 Super Crew 4x4 FX with 45,000 on it 2 years ago and now it's got 83,000, not a single problem since. Love my truck!!! Tows great, super roomy front/back cab (reason I bought it), gas milage 12-15, towed my supra 21v like nothing was back there, great breaks 43k on them and still going strong. Dodge Rams break suck, stay away from those otherwise, you'll be changing rotors every 20k.

(Message edited by ausbill32 on August 21, 2009)

7.3

4runner with a 4.7L. Will tow the crap out of a 20' boat, break down infrequently, and get decent gas mileage when not towing. Has larger brakes than a tahoe/yukon, and has a 4 piston design.

Turns 2200 rpm at 55mph in 4th gear and 3200 in 3rd when climbing a hill. I've pulled about 6K worth of boat and trailer for hundreds of miles. Not a single problem yet after 62K.

yep 7.3

Steve,

Take a look at a Ford Excursion with the 7.4 diesel.

i have a 04 tahoe with 3.73 tow package. i can tow 7700lbs....btw tahoes and suburbans are 1/2 ton. They do make a 3/4 ton suburban but it has a 6.0l instead of the 5.3L. I pulled a 2010 MB Sports B52 Wide body out of the water with a full tank (65Gal), 1500lb ballast, and boat and trailer dry weights 5500lbs. I never slipped on the ramp

7.4 diesel? is that a 7.3 bored out? lol j/k the 7.3 was by far the best engine iv owned, it took so much abuse i was amazed!!! my 6.0 is a pile of crap!!

we are just talking about a 20 ft maxum correct? lol

Does the lexus have the v-6? I have an 03 highlander that bulls my 19ft with no issues at all.

Steve, I paid $14000 for my SS with 77k on it. It has extended warranty through 88k miles. If I could figure out how to post a picture on here I would throw one up for you to look at. I absolutely love it. Tows like butter and is a sleeper for outrunning a lot of vehicles on the road =)


(Message edited by _vitty_ on August 27, 2009)

May have figured out the whole image thing now....

Nic, what engine does that SS have in it? That Epic doesn't push that thing around when stopping?

The SS has the 6.0L Corvette LS2 V8 in it. 390hp and 395 ft lbs of torque. It has large performance disc brakes at all 4 corners that are specific to the SS model. The truck hardly flinches when stopping with the Epic back there. I've not had to do a high speed quick stop yet though so I can't comment there.

sweet setup nic!

thanks pete!

I am looking at a used Ford Diesel with the 7.3L engine. Is there any truth to the rumor that the transmission is the weak link in that drivetrain?

The truck looks well cared for, and the price appears right, if there are no hidden items that are about to break.

I'd look for a used nissan titan, I'm a GM man myself, but torque is torque, and that's what pulls boats and wins 0-60 runs, and nissan has the most stock torque of any current pickup under 30k. You can prob find a good used one for around 18-22. Good luck.

Nic - You must be thinking of the LQ9 HO at 345/380. GM never put an LS2 in the silverado SS, just a 6 liter LQ9/LQ9HO. They DO offer a 6.2 liter tho on the std silverados now that makes around 405/410. Either way, as a former silverado SS and LS2-GTO owner and GM junkie, I STILL say go with the titan, torue is what counts until you're over 70mph.

Edit - sry nic, I thought you were speaking of the SS trucks, the trailblazers have WAY more kick and yep, an ever-so-slightly downtuned LS2 to save gas milage and still suck you back into the seat. my bad. But still, I feel a titan would be a cheaper option for the op with only 10 less torque.

(Message edited by lancesaville on August 27, 2009)

check my profile pic. its a half ton and it does fine, even with the lift. Gas mileage sucks, so we pull with the wifes denali, but thats a half ton too.

TallTige...
Yes the tranny is the weakest link.
But I was told as long as you are not pulling 12k around all the time it should not be an issue.

I have a 1999 F350 dsl and it pulls like a champ.

we pull ours with a 2009 ford ranger......most of time when puttin in/taking out have to lock it down into 4 wheel drive but still works

"I'm a GM man myself, but torque is torque, and that's what pulls boats and wins 0-60 runs,"

...exactly why I have an 8.1 big block in my 4x4 Suburban - 340hp and 455 ft./lbs. of torque with a 4.10 rear end, it will pull your house down the road!

I pull my 21' Supra with a 2000 357 Chevy Tahoe. Does a really great job, although I would love to have an 8.1. That thing's a monster, but for my 21 footer, don't need it.

Tall tige I have 240k on my stock tranny. Started to pull my tt far. so I'm having the torque converter changed out to the 5 star. Supposed to help a bunch. Plan to drive it 500k min. I hate payments. Ford has nothing to offer any later models. So my next truck will probably be another 7.3 or a megacab.

97 f150 4.6l shoc 2v. Auto. 4x4. 21 foot Wellcraft about 5000lbs on trailer.
Took it to Green Mountain Res. two weeks ago. Thats over Eisenhour pass about 10000 feet. Did fine. 55mph the whole way! Wish I had a diesel. But soon enough. My dad bought it two years ago in little Mexico, for 6k with 150k on it. now it has 176k and I bought it for three grand. There are deals. If you go f150 look for 2003 and newer. you get the extra threads on the heads for spark plugs, and an extra valve per cylinder. Also trans start to add a gear around that year. Solid truck. I drive it hard. It asks for more! Only complaint is Ford gave it a 3.55 rear end. At least its Limited Slip. Never use 4x4 on the ramp.

7.3 all the way. had bad luck with the 6.0. i get 14mpg towing my boat. i really like my truck. i have not had any trans. problems.