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wayfun's avatar
wayfun
Explorer
Jun 21, 2014

Truck salesmen are idiots

I've got a new trailer on order, a Laredo 322RL. At 36 ft and 7500 lbs I know it's going to be a stretch for my current tow vehicle, a 6.2L Tahoe. So I had a little time yesterday and stopped by a couple of dealerships to look at trucks.

First I pulled in to a Dodge store to look at Rams. I only need to pull the trailer twice a year for about 200 miles on relatively level terrain (Florida). Once in the fall to put it on our winter lot and again in the spring to put it back in storage. I explained to the salesman what I needed to pull and when I stopped at a 2500 I commented that the truck was huge and I really didn't care to drive something that large as my daily driver. He had an immediate solution, "you could get a 1500. They're not like regular truck engines, it's got a HEMI". I then questioned him about payload and axle ratings and all I got was a glazed look. The 1500 had lower payload ratings than my Tahoe.

So I then went across the street to the Toyota store. A friend had told me how nice the new Tundra was and they could pull 10,000 lbs. The Tundra seemed like a nice truck. I looked at the door sticker and the payload was a little light at about 1300 lbs, again less than my Tahoe. I asked the salesman if they offered an upgraded tow model such as a max tow. To his credit he didn't try to BS me. We went inside to check the literature. He went to the back and came out with some old guy that was their truck specialist. After explaining my purpose he responded that they didn't have a max tow type package. He assured me I wouldn't have a problem because "the Tundra can tow the Space Shuttle". I started to discuss payload and axle limits but stopped. I figured it was a waste of my breath.

No wonder you see overloaded vehicles going down the road. I'll keep looking.

Dennis

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