Tow Vehicle Advice For Newbie
Hi All! I've been browsing through the forums for awhile and decided to finally join up and post. I am hoping to get some feedback on two tow vehicles that I have my eye on. I am new to travel trai...
Forum Discussion
OP, I would encourage you to skip the half ton and go straight for a HD pickup. Your biggest issue will be payload, how much weight you can carry on the truck. That includes passengers, tongue weight and any items you pack in the truck. You are getting a bunkhouse, I assume that means you have kids. Kids are going to continue to grow and gain weight. They are going to want to bring bikes, toys, etc with them. You are going to want campfires. All those things add weight to you.
A 3/4 ton truck will give you substantially more carrying capacity than a half ton. I know that some half tons have higher carrying capacity than others... but those higher numbers leave less room for error in a half ton. A 3/4 or 1 ton truck is built with bigger, heavier and more durable components.
Very few people get a smaller camper, especially with a growing family. Your next camper will likely be bigger and heavier. If buying a truck with the intention of towing, just skip the half ton compromise and go straight to a better option.
In regards to your budget... it is FAR cheaper to buy the right truck once, instead of the wrong truck, lose value and then have to buy a second truck. In terms of price, you need to look around. I bought my used 2015 Ram diesel for $39K in 2015. It was less than a year old with less than 10K miles. At the time I was looking a new Ford and Ram gas 3/4 ton trucks in the $35-37 range. My local Ford dealer has a 2016 F250 crew cab 4WD with the 6.2 engine and a LOT of options for $28K. That is right smack in your budget range. https://www.appleford.com/used/Ford/2016-Ford-F-250SD-764adf810a0e0a1716b9777b469d29a9.htm
I'm sure you can find similar trucks down by you. Do it right the first time, its MUCH cheaper...
A 3/4 ton truck will give you substantially more carrying capacity than a half ton. I know that some half tons have higher carrying capacity than others... but those higher numbers leave less room for error in a half ton. A 3/4 or 1 ton truck is built with bigger, heavier and more durable components.
Very few people get a smaller camper, especially with a growing family. Your next camper will likely be bigger and heavier. If buying a truck with the intention of towing, just skip the half ton compromise and go straight to a better option.
In regards to your budget... it is FAR cheaper to buy the right truck once, instead of the wrong truck, lose value and then have to buy a second truck. In terms of price, you need to look around. I bought my used 2015 Ram diesel for $39K in 2015. It was less than a year old with less than 10K miles. At the time I was looking a new Ford and Ram gas 3/4 ton trucks in the $35-37 range. My local Ford dealer has a 2016 F250 crew cab 4WD with the 6.2 engine and a LOT of options for $28K. That is right smack in your budget range. https://www.appleford.com/used/Ford/2016-Ford-F-250SD-764adf810a0e0a1716b9777b469d29a9.htm
I'm sure you can find similar trucks down by you. Do it right the first time, its MUCH cheaper...
