Help making a decision on truck purchase.
I am thinking of buying a new truck to pull our winnebago micro Minnie 5th wheel. We currently have a 2006 gmc 2500 . I’d like to go with a smaller truck for gas mileage and was thinking of a Toyota ...
Forum Discussion
Somewhere in the past 6 pages, the OP stated that he was looking at a replacement vehicle to get into 4WD.....and since he was getting into 4WD, he wanted to evaluate 1/2 ton options.
- Having made a couple cycles of living in AK then Texas then AK and finally resting in AK, I consider 4WD a must have. With the steep driveway I have at the house, I wouldn't get 2WD out without tirechains and a freshly plowed path. FWIW, one fine January day a while back, I lost the TC on my little wrangler turning it into a poseur 2WD. Had to get a snatch and grab with the local wrecker service and the Wrangler wasn't under the "discount towing" insurance. So $185 dollars later, it was out of my driveway ready to drive under 2WD to the shop. Long way of saying that 4WD has at least the potential to save some big $$ hits and might offset a lot of fuel costs.
- So if 4WD is something the OP wants, that may resolve the "buy or not" decision.
- If buying....it's up to each person, but in my case, I'm a follow the numbers guy; If I was buying, I'd want to buy within the GVWR / GCVWR #'s. So confirm the weight of your 5th wheel (including pin weight) and use that for shopping.
- As to what to buy, the market is still different than what it was but it may be getting back to normal. Dunno, but it still seems like prices and interest rates on new vehicles are pretty high.
- Can't speak for CA or the mountain west, but up here, if one can get a good bargain on a used 4WD, the time to get that bargain is early summer long before even a hint of the coming winter....
- If that holds true elsewhere, it might be possible to source a good used 4WD 3/4 ton that would clearly handle the OP's trailer...and likely quite a bit below the cost of a new 1/2 ton.
- Maybe that cost savings for a bit more competent truck would ease the pain of not getting any better MPG.
- Having made a couple cycles of living in AK then Texas then AK and finally resting in AK, I consider 4WD a must have. With the steep driveway I have at the house, I wouldn't get 2WD out without tirechains and a freshly plowed path. FWIW, one fine January day a while back, I lost the TC on my little wrangler turning it into a poseur 2WD. Had to get a snatch and grab with the local wrecker service and the Wrangler wasn't under the "discount towing" insurance. So $185 dollars later, it was out of my driveway ready to drive under 2WD to the shop. Long way of saying that 4WD has at least the potential to save some big $$ hits and might offset a lot of fuel costs.
- So if 4WD is something the OP wants, that may resolve the "buy or not" decision.
- If buying....it's up to each person, but in my case, I'm a follow the numbers guy; If I was buying, I'd want to buy within the GVWR / GCVWR #'s. So confirm the weight of your 5th wheel (including pin weight) and use that for shopping.
- As to what to buy, the market is still different than what it was but it may be getting back to normal. Dunno, but it still seems like prices and interest rates on new vehicles are pretty high.
- Can't speak for CA or the mountain west, but up here, if one can get a good bargain on a used 4WD, the time to get that bargain is early summer long before even a hint of the coming winter....
- If that holds true elsewhere, it might be possible to source a good used 4WD 3/4 ton that would clearly handle the OP's trailer...and likely quite a bit below the cost of a new 1/2 ton.
- Maybe that cost savings for a bit more competent truck would ease the pain of not getting any better MPG.
