$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.

[agesilaus]

You really need to pick out a specific trailer/fifth wheel first. Then you need to decide if you are going to be towing in the mountains or not, that will tell you whether you need a diesel or not. Of course if you get a light weight bumper pull then a gasser will be fine. Another reason to do the trailer first.

[dewey02]

Getting a 3/4 ton vehicle in any kind of shape for $5K is going to be difficult, but not impossible.

We found a 7 yr old Dodge 3/4 ton, 2WD, 5.9L, tow package (tranny cooler, HD battery & alternator, HD springs, class 4 hitch) fairly new rubber, king cab and 8 foot bed with no rust and 80K miles on it for $5,600. We have been driving it now for 5 years and she still runs great and pulls our trailer very well.

Good luck on your hunt. We'll be in the hunt again in a couple of years, I would guess.

[DutchmenSport]

Wow! That's like asking what color of paint should I paint my bedroom. The sky is the limit.

Posters on these forums seem to say, select the camper first, then get the truck to match. For the longest time I disagreed with that statement. It's only taken me 60 years to finally figure it out ... (they ARE right). Find the trailer that interests you, then begin looking for the truck that will provide a comfortable tow. Otherwise, the only trailer you may find you are able to tow will be a pop-up. By the way, a 3/4 ton WILL handle about 90% of the campers out there. But you also have to figure out gear ratios and hitch weights too.

[45Ricochet]

LINK