Forum Discussion

interceptor15's avatar
Aug 03, 2015

Anybody regret buying too much truck?

I've recently purchased a new Skyline Ecocamp 20BH. It is a small travel trailer, 4600 pounds loaded with a 700 pound tongue weight. I live in an area with mountains. I would eventually like to haul bikes, people, kayaks, and whatever else I want. I also pull around a 4000 pound boat. Payload is more of my concern than maximum towing weight, as I have fairly light toys. I would like to be able to take some long trips with my trailer in the future.

I've been looking at Ford crew cabs with the 3.5 liter ecoboost. They have around a 2000 pound payload. However, they are very expensive.

I can pick up an F250 or Ram 2500 diesel for roughly $5000 more than the Ford 1/2 ton. I can also pick a gas 3/4 ton for about the same price as the half ton.

I plan on keeping this truck for a while, and will also use it for other recreational activities without pulling anything.

I'm not pulling 20,000 pounds and a lot of the diesel guys laugh at me when I tell them I'm looking at a diesel for my light trailers.

I know about maintenance costs, diesel costs, and the differences in gas mileage. I'm trying to see if anybody has any reason I would regret buying a 3/4 ton diesel or 3/4 gasser for my tow vehicle?
  • I downsized from a CC Dually/TT to a Minivan/PUP and am tickled to death.

    But I am an oddball on this forum and its okay. My minivan does everything I need it to do. PUP is much more comfy than our TT...happy family..happy me.

    Did I regret buying my Dually? Yep.. about 50 miles after I purchased it. No matter what I did, I hated it.

    Mostly because the 98% of the time I wasn't pulling my trailer I was daily driving/city driving/parking garaging/doing the homeowner thing... and it was like trying to brad nail a trim piece of wood with a 10 lb sledge.... way too much truck.

    For me,IF we were going back to a TT, and if I could make the numbers work... it would be a half ton crew cab short bed truck. If I could NOT make the numbers work then it would be a 3/4 ton CC Ram 6.4 Hemi with Coil springs... and a short bed.

    Many people daily drive a HD truck and only use the truck for half ton chores and daily driving with the occasionally heavy pull of their RV...and they seem to be perfectly content.

    I'm not one of those guys...and I am not trying to scare you into a half ton or anything like that. I just want to answer your question...

    I bought a mega truck and I hated nearly every minute of my ownership.

    Thanks!

    Jeremiah
  • I tow my 5500lb TT with a F250 diesel and love every minute of it. Half the time I don't even know it's back there, and in mountainous areas it just flies up the hill staying at the speed limit.

    It costs me $120 to change oil with full synthetic, and fuel filters are $40. It's not really much more expensive.
  • No.

    I've owned two diesel 3/4T 4X4 trucks since I bought the first one in 1983. They've always been my daily drivers and had a 110 gal fuel tank in the back. I did have a TC on the first one for a few years. The second one pulls snow machine trailers and a dump trailer a few times a year. If I buy another one, I'll probably go to a 1-ton next time.

    Bill
  • :h

    I've heard this "maintenance costs" referring to diesel ownership a lot.

    Honestly, if you cannot afford the small increase in price for filters and the extra oil it usually takes, then perhaps you should find another hobby.

    And these newest diesels have almost extended oil and filter change intervals, somewhere in the 15,000 mile range, if you follow manufacturers recommendations.

    Get the diesel and don't worry about what ignorant folks say about it.
  • Go big! You WILL buy a larger in about 3 years and be thankful to have a TV to handle it.
  • Not at all.
    My truck is rated for about twice what my TT weighs.
    The result is fantastic performance in the hills.
    Get the diesel, the exhaust brake and extra torque are well worth that much.