Downsized both Tow & RV

Even though I washed it with undercarriage spray every winter after every storm I had severe problems with rust & corrosion. Brakes, Gas line, bottom of doors, all bare metal rusting & flaking, bumper okay but from the inside I could see it getting cancer. Of course front & back brakes, rear differential seal & cover. I am not capable of doing my own work due to lack of training & a place to work on it except my driveway plus lack of good tools. I spent almost $5k in the last year just to keep it up. I also had dropped my camper on the bed and had that repaired. I got a fair trade-in of $14. Considering the Kelly Blue Book for a Fair condition dealer trade it was right on. It just seemed anytime I had the truck in for something going wrong I left over $1500 at the shop. Car payments of $4200 per year although painful are not as bad as the maintenance. The actual engine was trouble free. I just think I would have been driving around on a rusted frame with an engine attached to it! LOL. That's the gist of it.

As far as mileage per gallon the truck got about 16mpg on my 25 mile/35mph commute. Towing the 6 ton camper in the Hudson Valley hills got me about 9mpg.

The Traverse so far is coming in with 18.3mpg for the same commute. Towing the camper home got me about 13mpg.