$5000 tow vehicle advise

[fsds123]

Looking to buy a truck to tow a not yet bought RV. Probably in the 5000-7000 lb range. Was thinking of a used 3/4 ton. Any advise on what to look for and what to stay away from? Would need to be a crew cab that fits 3 kids.

[marquette]

Looking for a 3/4 ton pickup a couple of years ago I found 1 tons were often cheaper. Especially gas powered ones. I think most people walk away from them for the same reason I did. I needed to drive it daily and a empty 1 ton rides like it has no suspension. Try looking that direction if it is only a TV and not a daily driver.

[Kalabin]

If you are open to SUV style I would keep an eye out for a Ford Excursion V10 or the Chevy / GMC Suburban 2500 with either 6.0 or 8.1. I pull a trailer that weighs in roughly 8,000lbs and with the Excursion I have had two dogs, four adults and a kiddo in the vehicle.

I can tell you the depending on where your at the market dictates the cost for the 2500 Suburban / Excursions as they stopped making them.

And the statement above about 8,000lb tow capacity is incorrect. The Excursions were produced until MY 2005 and then were discontinued. They are based on a 3/4-ton platform and come with three engine choices. The 2v 5.4, 2v 6.8 V10 and 6.0 PSD.

And fuel comments on the V10, mine gets the same mileage as my previous 2008 Chevy 2500HD with the 6.0. Actually gets better towing.

[ExxWhy]

Golden_HVAC wrote:


I would avoid the V10 unless you really must get there very quickly, and do not mind paying the price at the pump.

The Ford Excursion is also a good SUV for towing, it has a 8,000 pound +/- rating. It came with the 5.4L V8 until recently, when the Ecoboost 3.5L is offered, and many are trading up for better mileage, and more HP.



Good luck,

Fred.

You must be thinking of the Expedition. Excursion wasn't around for the Ecoboost. An Excursion with a 5.4 is a dog, get the V10 if going gas.

And yes, you can find one in your price range. I found I got a lot more truck for the money going that route, pickups are generally more expensive.

[MARK_VANDERBENT]

I have had great luck with older suburbans . Even with high miles if it has been maintained. Lots of older 98 to about 2005 suburban and Yukon XLs out there .

[jmaotto]

I think any 3/4 ton crew cab will do what you need. 6500 lbs is not that heavy for a 3/4 ton.

[jerem0621]

Ford V10 is a great motor...thirsty but great...most of the Gas motors in a 3/4 ton and up truck are thirsty. Just the nature of the fuel.

I purchased a V10 CC LB dually F350 in basic XL trim with AC and it was $5500 about three years ago.

You can hit your price point just expect to fix some things...you may need tires...that will cost you $1,000 ish

You may find what you want but it may need some body work...

Point is...you are going to compromise to hit your price point.

Right now you can find mid to late 90's Chevy 3500 Crew Cab Duallies with 454's for about $4500-7000 depending on condition. They drive nice, pull hard, are easy to work on, and get terrible MPG...that's okay because you are not spending a fortune on a truck up front.

Duallies, I keep mentioning them because I tend to find more of them in the price range you are talking about. And they tow like nobody's business.

Thanks and good luck!

Jeremiah

[Chuck_thehammer]

2 wheel drive....

Crew cab.. the older ones are harder to find... less made.

manual transmission.

$5,000 is going to be a real challenge .
you going on long trips..?

[Golden_HVAC]

Yes you can consider a gas powered Excursion, however the heavier diesel version is to heavy to have much towing capacity.

Any of the big 3 V8's will provide plenty of power. They all make over 300 HP, and that is so much more than the 'Big Blocks' of the 70's and 80'. Ford's 5.4L that I had in a E-250 work van was great, got 11 MPG in city driving, while about 8,000 pounds curb weight on Chevron gas, but only 10 MPG on Arco or other brands.

The Dodge 5.9L gas is also fine. GM 6.0L is what my cousin had in a dually cargo van, and it also had plenty of power in the mountains around Colorado.

I would avoid the V10 unless you really must get there very quickly, and do not mind paying the price at the pump.

The Ford Excursion is also a good SUV for towing, it has a 8,000 pound +/- rating. It came with the 5.4L V8 until recently, when the Ecoboost 3.5L is offered, and many are trading up for better mileage, and more HP.

If you are only going to put 5,000 miles a year on the vehicle, then why worry to much about gas MPG? You will be buying less than 1,000 gallons a year anyway. I would stay away from a diesel, due to it's much more expensive oil changes, and other maintenance.

Good luck,

Fred.

[mrad]

Have you considered an SUV? You may be able to find a Ford Excursion in the 2001-2002 model year in the 5-6,000 range. The V10 will easily pull that weight. Gas mileage will. It be great . 8-10 towing, 10-14 non towing

[CKNSLS]

You need to come up with more dollars for a tow vehicle. If your lucky enough to find something-your trips will be longer than you scheduled for while your trailer is in the campground and your truck is broken down and towed to a garage.....

[Grit_dog]

Crew cab, good shape and $5k is a tough find.
IF you find a 90s 3/4 ton GM 2500 crew cab that is in good shape/low miles, buy it! 90s GMs are still among the best bang for the buck trucks out there but getting rarer. Bonus if you find a 5 speed 350 combo.
Next up, late 90s F150 Crew cabs.
$5k is still a hard sell if you have to have a crew cab.
Best you'll likely find is something in good shape with a ton of miles on it and 20+ years old.

[KD4UPL]

A 2000 or newer crew cab capable of pulling 7,000 pounds for $5,000 is a tall order. It will either have tons of miles, be beat to pieces, or both.
I would look for a GM with the 8.1L engine and Allison trans. However, for the budget you will probably be stuck with a 6.0 engine. It's still a very good engine but doesn't have the power of the 8.1.
Dodge trucks from the late '90s and into the early 2000's had problematic automatic transmissions. I had one that had to be rebuilt at 90,000 miles. Even when working properly I didn't like it. It never seemed to be in the right gear for the job. I manually turned OD on and off and shifted between 2nd and 3rd manually; basically driving like a 3 speed on the tree. If you get a Dodge I'd get a manual for sure.

[Bedlam]

You will be safe with about any possible optioned Class 3 crew cab. Look for the best value on a F350/3500 SRW model - Any of them, regardless of power train, will have the capacity to tow your desired trailer.

Once you get a trailer, get an actual tongue weight with it loaded and make sure the receiver has enough capacity. The rest of the truck will be fine.

[fsds123]

The trailer would be ~6500lbs empty, bumper pull. Truck would be from around year 2000 and has to be crew cab. Can't buy the trailer first, would have no way to pick it up. Do not plan to do any mountain towing

So any pointers on model year 2000 or so gas trucks that can tow 7000+ lbs? I.E. stay away from this engine or this tranny or this year Ford etc.