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AnnaKGreen

Washington

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Joined: 04/16/2012

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Posted: 04/16/12 11:25am

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I am looking to get back into RVing after several years away (after a divorce that meant the loss of my tow vehicle and travel trailer) and am looking for an all purpose tow vehicle.

It needs to:
Be able to transport a recumbent bicycle, meaning approximately 5 1/2 feet of interior storage or bed space.

Be able to pull an ultralight travel trailer (3500 pounds or less)

Be able to carry four people comfortably.

I am not wedded to the idea of any sort of vehicle in particular, and mileage is not a prime concern.

It would likely become my daily driver.

I am looking for a used vehicle. I am very taken with the Ford Explorer Sport Trac, which I know they've stopped making - although it isn't big enough to carry my bike.

Thanks.

jerem0621

Sequatchie, TN

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Posted: 04/16/12 11:55am

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Long-bed Nissan Frontier sounds like it may work for you.

Others will chime in for sure.

TT: 1995 Layton 2910
Tow Vehicle: 1999 F-350, v10, 2wd, Crew Cab, Dually
Hitch: Draw-Tite Trunnion WD Hitch
Sway Control: Valley dual friction sway control
Brake Control: Tekonsha Voyager

"It's Kind of Fun To Do The Impossible"
~Walt Disney~

CakeHenn

Temple, TX

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Posted: 04/16/12 12:05pm

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I'd go with a 1/2 ton four door truck. Your daily driving MPG won't be great but you'll have the room you need and will be more than capable of towing a TT. You could also go with a smaller truck like a Frontier or Tacoma but the towing won't be nearly as great but will be about 3 mpg better when not towing.

I have a Toyota Tundra and love it. I have the 5.7 but you could go with the 4.6 and get mileage close to as good as the Tacoma. Honestly those smaller trucks are not that much cheaper anyway.

TT: 2013 Jayco Eagle 314
Truck: 2006 GMC 2500HD Duramax
Duck Gun: Benelli Super Black Eagle II

Stephensx04

Elgin, IL

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Posted: 04/16/12 12:14pm

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Suburban.

eric james

Sioux Falls, SD

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Posted: 04/16/12 01:21pm

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Crew Cab Ford F-150 w 6' box.

2009 Keystone Passport UL 290BH
2003 Ford Expedition EB 5.4L/3.73

schrederman

Texas

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Posted: 04/16/12 01:56pm

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F-150 with the new 5.0 V-8... the eco-boost gets just a shade better mileage when not towing...(my friend gets 1 mpg more on the hiway)... The new 5.0 is much less of a techno-trap than the Eco-Boost, and because of that, I'm betting it'll be less headache at 150K miles...

My amigo doesn't tow anything, so I can't compare those figures. My only trip towing with mine was from Amarillo to Phoenix and back. I was towing a Shadow Cruiser 185BFS (2929# empty plus about 500# of stuff) and averaged 11.5 for the whole trip. On a non-towing trip from Amarillo to Ft Worth and back, I got 20.7...

Shortline

Yukon OK

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Posted: 04/16/12 02:17pm

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2009 and later Ram 1500 Quad cab. 09 and later use a coil rear suspension. Bad if you want to use it like a 3/4 ton truck, but very GOOD for daily driving, and towing a lightweight trailer with bikes in the bed. We are thrilled with ours (2011 Ram Quad, 4X4, Hemi), and with the coil rear, don't mind driving it every day. I do highly recommend the Hemi, and the 3.92 rear end for towing.

2011 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab, 5.7L Hemi 4x4. 2010 KZ Coyote CL232SS. Perfect for our Mountain Bike and Kayak adventures!
My work tow vehicle is a group of 16 cylinder General Motors diesels rated to tow around 14,000 TONS. I don't need no weight police!

SilnJohn

Denver

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Posted: 04/16/12 02:39pm

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I just picked up a 2012 Tundra crew max, its a nice daily driver with lots of towing power. The interior is extra large,can easily fit 3 adults in the back seat with room to spare. I ended up geting a brand new one because with the dealer incentives the cost was only about 1500 more than the compareable low mileage used trucks I looked at. However nissan and toyota both offer very attracitve used warranties and service plans included on the certified used.

2012 Toyota Tundra Crew max 5.7 Limited
2005 F150 Lariat 4x 5.4L, 3.73 (80K mi 4sale cheap needs.......work)
2003 Nissan Pathfinder

2012 Shadow Cruiser 260BHS

DHCamper

Michigan

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Posted: 04/16/12 03:00pm

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Screw cab F-150 with the advanced towing package. Built in brake controller, tow trans assist, sway control, brake assist (so you don't roll backwards from a start), trailer memory, and mileage tow monitor is really the cats behind! Truely a towing dream because all that stuff really works! I have an ecoboost and get 6 more mpg's than the 5.0 liter my brother in law has.