1/2t to 3/4t: My new truck is a...
Last week I posted a question about older ford 7.3 diesels. I got lots of great responses from forum members here. You all are awesome, thank you. You all helped me reach a decision about a new tow vehicle.
Our 2007 Toyota Tundra 5.7L 4x4 double cab did a magnificent job of towing our old trailer; a 27' ultralight that weighed 5k loaded over high mountains and through windy deserts. When we upgraded to a new Arctic Fox 25r last month (27' long, 7500 lbs + loaded) we figured the tundra would be fine. Well, the engine pulls the trailer beautifully, but our recent trip to the oregon coast from our home in Sonoma County, CA was a real rough drive. This is where I discovered my beloved Tundra is not appropriately matched by our new Arctic Fox 25r (7500lbs total loaded weight, ~1,000 lbs tongue weight)
It was just too much work to pull that new trailer with the tundra. Yes under the best of conditions it was fine but add gusty winds, hilly, curvy roads, passing semis, lousy road conditions I could not relax. The handling was at times a bit freaky. I read enough posts before hand where forum posters admonished us to get a bigger truck. I didn't want to believe it because that tundra is such a good reliable truck.
I had a 95 chevrolet 2500 diesel years ago that became a money pit long before it hit 100k miles. I swore I'd never get another american made vehicle, ever, especially a gm.
Well today I drove a lightly used 2016 F250 6.2 XL trim. Loved the truck but jeez louise, that thing was stripped down to the bone. Crank windows, manual door locks and mirrors, no door pockets, puny glove box, etc. A nicer late model used f250 with warranty was out of my budget.
The chev dealer next door had a 2015 Silverado 2500 LT 6.0 gasser with 9500 miles on it. It's a crew cab long bed 4x4. Wow, This thing is LONG!! It's now mine. I liked the way it drives just as much as the ford. Got extended warranty on an already GM Certified vehicle. Fingers crossed it works out better than my last GM.
I love the diesels but they are cost prohibitive for me.
Had all things been equal in terms of price and trim, it would have been an exceedingly difficult decision between the ford and chev.
Do you think it will handle my trailer more comfortably?
Our 2007 Toyota Tundra 5.7L 4x4 double cab did a magnificent job of towing our old trailer; a 27' ultralight that weighed 5k loaded over high mountains and through windy deserts. When we upgraded to a new Arctic Fox 25r last month (27' long, 7500 lbs + loaded) we figured the tundra would be fine. Well, the engine pulls the trailer beautifully, but our recent trip to the oregon coast from our home in Sonoma County, CA was a real rough drive. This is where I discovered my beloved Tundra is not appropriately matched by our new Arctic Fox 25r (7500lbs total loaded weight, ~1,000 lbs tongue weight)
It was just too much work to pull that new trailer with the tundra. Yes under the best of conditions it was fine but add gusty winds, hilly, curvy roads, passing semis, lousy road conditions I could not relax. The handling was at times a bit freaky. I read enough posts before hand where forum posters admonished us to get a bigger truck. I didn't want to believe it because that tundra is such a good reliable truck.
I had a 95 chevrolet 2500 diesel years ago that became a money pit long before it hit 100k miles. I swore I'd never get another american made vehicle, ever, especially a gm.
Well today I drove a lightly used 2016 F250 6.2 XL trim. Loved the truck but jeez louise, that thing was stripped down to the bone. Crank windows, manual door locks and mirrors, no door pockets, puny glove box, etc. A nicer late model used f250 with warranty was out of my budget.
The chev dealer next door had a 2015 Silverado 2500 LT 6.0 gasser with 9500 miles on it. It's a crew cab long bed 4x4. Wow, This thing is LONG!! It's now mine. I liked the way it drives just as much as the ford. Got extended warranty on an already GM Certified vehicle. Fingers crossed it works out better than my last GM.
I love the diesels but they are cost prohibitive for me.
Had all things been equal in terms of price and trim, it would have been an exceedingly difficult decision between the ford and chev.
Do you think it will handle my trailer more comfortably?
