Help Shopping: Half ton
History and background: I have a years experience towing my 3,000lbs dry TT throughout the Appalacians. I use my trusty Chevy with the 4.8liter / 3.42s. Back in 2003, we bought our first boat. At ...
Forum Discussion
Thanks to all so far for talking this out with me.
First, I shouldn't have been so strong about my preference for Chevy. I'm open to other options.
Everyone is correct on their calculations of payload for my family, and it does obviously put us in 3/4 ton territory.
We went out sitting in trucks yesterday. Sat in the 2013, 2500's and an new 2012 F250 worktruck (the only F250 we found nearby). I did like what I saw for the price on the 250. It was a crewcab, long bed asking $31k before negotiating. Anyway, what's not for a man to like about the 3/4tons? They are big honkin' trucks and it's easy to feel the higher levels of testosterone.
I just can't shake my mind of the wastefulness of driving one of those monsters as a commuter for the next 10 years. If my math is correct, over a 100,000 mile life, the 3/4ton will use approximately an extra $12k in fuel (not to mention more expensive everything). That's a very real number for a humble school teacher raising a family!
It's frustrating to think that a half ton will do what I need if it only had a few hundred pounds more payload. 2300 pounds of payload would suit our needs.
The other way to approach this is to commit to not going that heavy with a TT. Or, maybe there is a smarter way to load for our trips? Right now we're limited in trailer payload by the single axle. We could find a small, dual axle trailer and then put more of the heavier items in the trailer and behind the axle? Or we accept being overloaded for short local trips but commit to packing much lighter on our long trips out west?
Many of you will read this response and write me off thinking that my mind is set on a half ton and I'm not listening to good advice. That's not the case. I'm listening. But I truely believe my needs put me right at that dividing line.
Uggg,not easy to shop for towing needs... Good news is, I'm not in a hurry. Our trip out west is not until next summer. In the meantime, I've got time to ponder and educate myself.
First, I shouldn't have been so strong about my preference for Chevy. I'm open to other options.
Everyone is correct on their calculations of payload for my family, and it does obviously put us in 3/4 ton territory.
We went out sitting in trucks yesterday. Sat in the 2013, 2500's and an new 2012 F250 worktruck (the only F250 we found nearby). I did like what I saw for the price on the 250. It was a crewcab, long bed asking $31k before negotiating. Anyway, what's not for a man to like about the 3/4tons? They are big honkin' trucks and it's easy to feel the higher levels of testosterone.
I just can't shake my mind of the wastefulness of driving one of those monsters as a commuter for the next 10 years. If my math is correct, over a 100,000 mile life, the 3/4ton will use approximately an extra $12k in fuel (not to mention more expensive everything). That's a very real number for a humble school teacher raising a family!
It's frustrating to think that a half ton will do what I need if it only had a few hundred pounds more payload. 2300 pounds of payload would suit our needs.
The other way to approach this is to commit to not going that heavy with a TT. Or, maybe there is a smarter way to load for our trips? Right now we're limited in trailer payload by the single axle. We could find a small, dual axle trailer and then put more of the heavier items in the trailer and behind the axle? Or we accept being overloaded for short local trips but commit to packing much lighter on our long trips out west?
Many of you will read this response and write me off thinking that my mind is set on a half ton and I'm not listening to good advice. That's not the case. I'm listening. But I truely believe my needs put me right at that dividing line.
Uggg,not easy to shop for towing needs... Good news is, I'm not in a hurry. Our trip out west is not until next summer. In the meantime, I've got time to ponder and educate myself.
