Big SUV or truck

[SilverEscape]

Looking for a tow vehicle for our new trailer. 5500# GVWR and tongue weight is around 650# loaded but may be more if we add bikes in our internal bike storage area.

I've got 4 options I'm considering:
1. Buy a 2014 F-150 with EcoBoost engine to replace our MDX
2. Buy a large SUV - Expedition, Sequoia, Armada, etc. to replace our MDX
3. Buy a cheap (8K or less), old truck to tow and keep using our MDX for daily driving
4. Rent a truck to tow for our 3-4 trips planned this summer and figure it all out next summer

Problems with the options:
1. Storage in truck difficult for groceries, stroller, kids day to day backpacks, dance bags, etc. And the expense of a new vehicle. And the truck is HUGE. Only a few inches on either side to get through garage door (hopefully the power fold mirrors are easy to use?) and probably a foot and half length to spare. So difficult for kids to walk around to get from house and into house, etc.
2. More expensive than the F-150 which has great employee pricing right now. Worse gas mileage than the F-150.
3. Potential maintenance costs and problems, likely can't get a super crew to hold the whole family (have rear facing car seats) so would need to take 2 vehicles every time
4. Expense of renting, having trouble finding a place that will rent trucks around me, and may involve taking 2 vehicles still as the one place I found so far doesn't have the super crews

Anyone been there, done that, or have any opinions?

[SilverEscape]

Rustycamperpants wrote:


We bought a standard length expedition with the heavy duty tow package. We love the vehicle, but it does not come close to the MPG of the MDX, I don't think any vehicle that can pull a decent size camper will.

It seems the EcoBoost F-150 is the same or potentially slightly better than our MDX. And I figured it's towing gas mileage would be better than our MDX which isn't geared for travel trailers.

[Rustycamperpant]

We had an MDX that we towed our pop up with, then upgraded to a highwall pop up that was much bigger. We moved up to a full size SUV for our family of five. We were able to get second row captains chairs so each kid has their own space. The third row I split and folds into the floor in case more luggage space is needed.

We bought a standard length expedition with the heavy duty tow package. We love the vehicle, but it does not come close to the MPG of the MDX, I don't think any vehicle that can pull a decent size camper will. The Expedition fits in our garage and we tow a 6,400# dry / 8,000# gross bunkhouse. The Ford is a great tow. Vehicle and daily driver, my wife is petite and has no problem driving it.

Look around and get what suits your needs and something you like. Just make sure you get a tow package, you have a lot of options. Good luck.

[SilverEscape]

Oh and it's unlikely we will be upgrading trailers anytime soon. The new one is an upgrade and we've got a 17 year old that won't always be taking up space in it starting next summer when she's working and has even more of her own life. So it's just the 2 littler ones mostly.

agesilaus wrote:
I've never heard of a vehicle rental place that didn't forbid towing of any sort. If you find one that rents trucks, the trucks won't come with a tow package.

As for truck stowage: APT above is correct get a tonneau cover or a topper.

U-Haul rents trucks to tow. But they weren't crew cabs so we'd need to take 2 vehicles. And they are booked for September long when we've got a trip booked.

I don't like the look of toppers, at all, LOL but even if I succumbed to one, still can't see me getting climbing in with heels and a skirt to get out the baby's bag for daycare.

This is why I was considerig the large SUV. Even though none of them are my style either.

[kvangil]

APT's response was that you would go with Option #3 and thus keep your MDX, and the 2nd vehicle would be exclusively for towing. However, based on your response to APT's, I'm guessing ultimately you'd be happiest with option #2. For a 5500# trailer, you have plenty of options. I'd suggest the 2015 Suburban/Tahoe/Yukon family since they offer the best gas mileage of the bunch.

[SilverEscape]

the bear II wrote:
My favorite tow vehicle is a Crew Cab Dually with a camper shell. It will pull or haul anything. The backseat can be used for people and or stuff. Campershell provides a secure place for bikes and toys plus other stuff.

A chevy with duramax diesel and allison 2007 or newer with under 100K miles is the ticket.

2nd Favorite was a chevy 2500 long bed 4X4 with a campershell. The campershell was about a foot higher than the truck cab had a cargo door which could be removed to load dirt bikes and provides easy access to the stuff inside. Very flexible for carrying whatever I needed.

You're speaking Greek to me. LOL Camper shell? Allison? I come from cute, little sporty car import land that begrudgingly moved up to an imported sporty SUV. I don't know trucks at all even though I live in an area where trucks are super common.

A dually is totally out...the half ton is already way bigger than I've ever thought I'd drive. And we have a 17 year old, new driver who will need to drive this occasionally and is used to a brand new Mazda3. Not to mention the cost of winter tires having to buy 6 in a few months. 😉

[agesilaus]

I've never heard of a vehicle rental place that didn't forbid towing of any sort. If you find one that rents trucks, the trucks won't come with a tow package.

As for truck stowage: APT above is correct get a tonneau cover or a topper.

[SilverEscape]

APT wrote:
#3. Crew cab 3/4 ton anything back 10 years, gasser. Ford V10 or GM 8.1L if you have any thoughts on getting a larger RV. You'll love having a pickup.

Regarding "Storage in truck difficult for groceries, stroller, kids day to day backpacks, dance bags, etc." - Buy a bed cover. $150-$2000. Mine were $200 and $500 and provided the largest "trunk" ever to keep those things you list dry and safe from wandering eyes. It just isn't climate controlled, but most of the time that's fine. A truck bed provides a great place to keep all the dirty recreational gear too!

Aren't those even bigger? We want something that can fit in the garage and has at least the gas mileage of our MDX.

As for a bed cover, I don't know how I'd get******out of the bed, especially in a bigger truck. The tailgate is already heavy (I liked how the Tundra didn't allow the tailgate to just drop!) and I'm supposed to climb under the cover with heels and a skirt? Or lift the cover off somehow? I'm a tiny woman, I'd need a step stool to get anything out from the sides.

The climate control comment matters as we have snow and cold temps from end of October to at least April. Sometimes May. The brutal temps are for a few less months though but we have -40 and such so all the veggies would be toast on the drive home from Costco.

And doesn't stuff roll around? I've got an $800 stroller that I don't want scratched up. 😉

[the_bear_II]

My favorite tow vehicle is a Crew Cab Dually with a camper shell. It will pull or haul anything. The backseat can be used for people and or stuff. Campershell provides a secure place for bikes and toys plus other stuff.

A chevy with duramax diesel and allison 2007 or newer with under 100K miles is the ticket.

2nd Favorite was a chevy 2500 long bed 4X4 with a campershell. The campershell was about a foot higher than the truck cab had a cargo door which could be removed to load dirt bikes and provides easy access to the stuff inside. Very flexible for carrying whatever I needed.

[APT]

#3. Crew cab 3/4 ton anything back 10 years, gasser. Ford V10 or GM 8.1L if you have any thoughts on getting a larger RV. You'll love having a pickup.

Regarding "Storage in truck difficult for groceries, stroller, kids day to day backpacks, dance bags, etc." - Buy a bed cover. $150-$2000. Mine were $200 and $500 and provided the largest "trunk" ever to keep those things you list dry and safe from wandering eyes. It just isn't climate controlled, but most of the time that's fine. A truck bed provides a great place to keep all the dirty recreational gear too!