Showing off new vintage retro TT! + Advice on tow vehicle?
My trailer is a '58 16ft 2640lb unit. What a beauty, no?!
Big non-aerodynamic front, unfortunately. No trailer brakes yet, but installing them will be on the to-do list at some point... I think technically I'm required to have them in NC, but I don't plan to be driving it around often, and I doubt officers are going to know that particular nuance and look for that? Hopefully that's not a bad assumption. But I fully intend to have a vehicle that can handle the weight comfortably, instead.
Goal is to live in it while parked, mostly. But I want to be able to, if my life changes and I decide to, tow it comfortably longer distances and regularly, as well, without it being a problem.
Thing is, as I do plan to have it parked mostly, I also want the vehicle to get as good gas-mileage when not towing as possible.
Also, it being reliable is top-tier important. Dealing with car trouble sucks. I'm mechanically competent, but I have better things to do with my life.
On top of that, though, money is tight. So it needs to be cheap.
I know, asking for a lot.
So, did a ton of research. Had previously posted thinking I had decided on a ford ranger. The v6 4.0L is pretty reliable, but... thing is, it doesn't get any better mpg than the f150 with the little 4.2 v6 produced from '97 to '04 and '04 to '08. If you baby it, people pull off 20+ mpg in those f150's. More space, and better towing experience. That particular engine, if you avoid the 97/98 years, is also basically _the_ most reliable engine in a truck ever produced, according to consumer reports, by an american manufacturer---in particular, the 04-08, though there were some issues with '04/'05 (non-engine stuff, but still), so 06/07/08. So I set my sights on that one.
If I go with that, I'd really prefer some back seats--extra lockable storage space, and the ability to drive around some more people, would be _really_ nice. I also would prefer a short bed--easier for daily driving, parking, etc.
The earlier models, I can find ones worth considering. 99-03/04 (they made the old body style officially until '03, but '04 they had some lying around and called them 'heritage' models, relatively cheap, that have crew cabs, that are in my price range (4k or under, basically).
I see some 06/07/08 newer body styles in that range sometimes, but they're usually basic work models, single cab, long bed, usually with a lot of miles and at the top of my price range.
So that's a dilemma.
Then, now at the last minute, I've started considering 4runners. Normally they're just too expensive, cult following and all, but I found one that's an '01 that had a replaced engine, and the new engine has 132k on it supposedly. It's going for a reasonable price.
Those get at least as good mpg as the f150, probably at least a few mpg better. They won't tow quite as nice, but they do have a 5k tow limit. It is an SUV and nicer around town.
There's also an '08 xterra with some body damage (I don't care at all, whatever makes it cheaper and doesn't make it less reliable), but 129k miles, locally, going for just under 3k. That's tempting. Also can tow 5k, also gets about 20mpg hwy epa. newer though. But no tow package, I think, so I'd probably have to get a hitch installed and a transmission cooler...
Last thing about a truck, though--I could load a little street legal dirtbike or small motorcycle or scooter or something in there. That would mean I could drive that around and get super-optimal mpg when parked...
Any thoughts from the collective? I've been digesting all the variables for about a month now, feel like my head is going to explode.
Final variable: need to buy FAST, have to drive 700 miles to go pick up the trailer ASAP, and everyone starts getting their tax returns feb 1 and getting used vehicles becomes hard.
Big non-aerodynamic front, unfortunately. No trailer brakes yet, but installing them will be on the to-do list at some point... I think technically I'm required to have them in NC, but I don't plan to be driving it around often, and I doubt officers are going to know that particular nuance and look for that? Hopefully that's not a bad assumption. But I fully intend to have a vehicle that can handle the weight comfortably, instead.
Goal is to live in it while parked, mostly. But I want to be able to, if my life changes and I decide to, tow it comfortably longer distances and regularly, as well, without it being a problem.
Thing is, as I do plan to have it parked mostly, I also want the vehicle to get as good gas-mileage when not towing as possible.
Also, it being reliable is top-tier important. Dealing with car trouble sucks. I'm mechanically competent, but I have better things to do with my life.
On top of that, though, money is tight. So it needs to be cheap.
I know, asking for a lot.
So, did a ton of research. Had previously posted thinking I had decided on a ford ranger. The v6 4.0L is pretty reliable, but... thing is, it doesn't get any better mpg than the f150 with the little 4.2 v6 produced from '97 to '04 and '04 to '08. If you baby it, people pull off 20+ mpg in those f150's. More space, and better towing experience. That particular engine, if you avoid the 97/98 years, is also basically _the_ most reliable engine in a truck ever produced, according to consumer reports, by an american manufacturer---in particular, the 04-08, though there were some issues with '04/'05 (non-engine stuff, but still), so 06/07/08. So I set my sights on that one.
If I go with that, I'd really prefer some back seats--extra lockable storage space, and the ability to drive around some more people, would be _really_ nice. I also would prefer a short bed--easier for daily driving, parking, etc.
The earlier models, I can find ones worth considering. 99-03/04 (they made the old body style officially until '03, but '04 they had some lying around and called them 'heritage' models, relatively cheap, that have crew cabs, that are in my price range (4k or under, basically).
I see some 06/07/08 newer body styles in that range sometimes, but they're usually basic work models, single cab, long bed, usually with a lot of miles and at the top of my price range.
So that's a dilemma.
Then, now at the last minute, I've started considering 4runners. Normally they're just too expensive, cult following and all, but I found one that's an '01 that had a replaced engine, and the new engine has 132k on it supposedly. It's going for a reasonable price.
Those get at least as good mpg as the f150, probably at least a few mpg better. They won't tow quite as nice, but they do have a 5k tow limit. It is an SUV and nicer around town.
There's also an '08 xterra with some body damage (I don't care at all, whatever makes it cheaper and doesn't make it less reliable), but 129k miles, locally, going for just under 3k. That's tempting. Also can tow 5k, also gets about 20mpg hwy epa. newer though. But no tow package, I think, so I'd probably have to get a hitch installed and a transmission cooler...
Last thing about a truck, though--I could load a little street legal dirtbike or small motorcycle or scooter or something in there. That would mean I could drive that around and get super-optimal mpg when parked...
Any thoughts from the collective? I've been digesting all the variables for about a month now, feel like my head is going to explode.
Final variable: need to buy FAST, have to drive 700 miles to go pick up the trailer ASAP, and everyone starts getting their tax returns feb 1 and getting used vehicles becomes hard.
