Pick-up alternatives

[SheDrives]

First off, just let me say I am *SO* not a pick-up kind of gal. But I want a safe ride. One big problem for both of us is the height of a pick-up. Even with the running boards (or whatever the dealer calls them) it's quite difficult to loft ourselves up into the cab of a pick-up.

I'm leaning quite heavily to a Grand Designs Imagine 2600RB which has these general characteristics:
UVW = 5625 lbs
Hitch Weight - 594 lbs
GVWR - 6995 lbs

So, what vehicles can I look at other than pick-up trucks? I've spent hours looking at vehicle specs -- certainly the big 3 pick-up trucks and some alternatives I've stumbled across such as Ford E150 rather than F150 or the Ford Excursion.

I'm willing to buy used or new -- but I need to know exactly which options I need and which ones are not needed. I think we'd like a diesel, and of course the best towing capacity, but beyond that I can be flexible. Would prefer not to have leather interior, but it probably isn't a deal breaker.

So -- you folks who know more about towing than I, please help us out.

[Acdii]

My 16 F150 4WD Lariat 502a has power running boards. They come down a lot lower than standard running boards and make it real easy to get in and out of. Also the tailgate step is low, so is the tail gate itself.

I had a 2012 F150 4WD, and I hated it due to it being so damned high, and without a tail gate step, made it very difficult to get in the bed. I eventually got a 2014 RWD F150 and that was so much lower, and with the tailgate step, was a breeze to get in and out of the bed.

Check out an F150 with the power boards, you will be surprised how easy it is to just step right up into the truck.

[john_bet]

FishOnOne wrote:
Have you considered a 2 wheel drive truck? These can be relatively easy to get in and out of.

Yip, that is the big reason I have one, but it is also lower than a same year GMC/Chevy twin. The company I worked for had a 2500 Chevy 2wd and I could not step into it like I can my 2500 2wd Dodge.

[Grit_dog]

2wd Expeditions or Suburbans are probably the closest you're going to get for easy accessibility and towing power/safety for a trailer the size you're looking at.
But idk if the 2 wheelers are even any lower. Seems they're all about the same height.

Check out AMP power steps. Not as dramatic as that lift step posted, but provide a good drop when deployed and disappear when you close the door. Bet they make up half the height between the rocker panel and ground on lower vehicles like a suburban.

[SheDrives]

Grit dog wrote:
You're concerned about your image being in a pickup but talking about E150s (vanilla vans) and Excursions (15 years old on avg).

I don't *want* an E150 or Excursion, they're just the only alternatives I'd found so far. It might be image -- but more the type of vehicle I'd like to drive when I'm not towing the trailer. Heck, I live in Texas. Almost everyone who lives out in my neck of the woods has a pick-up. I'd just prefer an enclosed SUV-type, which is why I asked for advice. I don't even know if such a thing exists. I made a crack about "glamping" since friends have already started teasing about me looking at the really *nice* trailers.

Grit dog wrote:
A pickup is somehow too tall to get into, but it's basically the same as any other truck based SUV similar to it.

And again, I didn't know that to be the case. We currently have a moderate-sized SUV (VW Toureg) which I don't think can handle the towing. It's a challenge to get in and out, particularly for my hubby who has some paralysis as a result of a stroke. Lower and or wider running boards would make things easier.

Grit dog wrote:
If you want the most car like with the most capability to tow your trailer, I'd be thinking Expedition Eco boost.

So I went over and looked at those. Thanks for the recommendation. They look nice, though I'm disappointed that it appears that I cannot configure one with both cloth seats and the tow package. I'll continue to look at options and if I wind up with a pick-up, so be it.

[Grit_dog]

You're not going to get a diesel SUV suitable for towing that trailer without getting a pickup (or an old excursion). You're concerned about your image being in a pickup but talking about E150s (vanilla vans) and Excursions (15 years old on avg).

A pickup is somehow too tall to get into, but it's basically the same as any other truck based SUV similar to it.

If you want the most car like with the most capability to tow your trailer, I'd be thinking Expedition Eco boost.

[bailer6334]

Consider a 2017 Nissan Armada or a new/used Toyota Sequoia SUV.

While a Dodge Durango with the 5.7L engine will handle the towing part without a problem, the "Hitch Weight" will not. It has a uni-body, and is only rated for 720lbs.

I had to trade my 16 DD for a truck because of that. I weighed my tongue and while the spec sheet said 412lbs, it was 770lbs when all was said and done.

Good Luck.

[normal_dave]

Since I tow with a Ford van, I'm quite biased.

You live anywhere near The Woodlands, TX?

Here's a 2002 E-350 with the Chateau Package and Traveler option. It also has the 6.8L V10, 3.73 gears with factory tow package. 7 passenger quad captains chairs, front/rear air conditioning, awesome towing capacity, and easy in/out since the front doors have built in steps. You'll enjoy the power driver and passenger seats as well. Shows 52K miles! The wiring for a brake controller is there from the factory, and I'd bet this particular van may already have one installed.
2002 E-350 Wagon, 6.8L V10 Chateau

Copy and paste the VIN into this link to see all the options. The dealer has posted the specs incorrectly, The color is actually light parchment gold, with a two-tone lower break color. The E-series wagon with the V10 and the Chateau package/traveler (fold down DVD screens from the factory) is quite rare. Plenty of room for friends or grandkids, and gear, plus walk through center aisle seating, and more interior cubic room than the Suburbans/Excursions.
Ford vin lookup

It doesn't get much better or easier than that!:B

[Halmfamily]

Look into electric running boards, similar to above. They don't go all the way to the ground but do give you a lower step up the conventional fixed running boards. This will be added to my current truck if we decide to jeep it.

[Dayle1]

Large SUVs that make decent tow vehicles are based on their pickup brothers, same frame and pretty much the same ride height. Full size vans are just as tall as pickups as well, only difference is the step up is built into the body vs. an external running board. Finally, if you want a diesel, that is much easier to find in a pickup than an SUV or van.

That is my $0.02.

[SheDrives]

theoldwizard1 wrote:
Both the E150 and the Excursion have been out of production for several years.

The Expedition is a bit smaller than the Excursion but it is still capable of towing that trailer. Just make sure it has the Heavy Duty Trailer Tow option.

I figured that out from looking at available used cars. I had just stumbled across mention of those as tow vehicles and searched around the Internet. I'd prefer small (as in not too high and not as big as a panel truck) as long as the towing power is there.

[SheDrives]

atwowheelguy wrote:
https://youtu.be/QjWKnx3tGT4

Oh my! Would solve the problem of getting in and out of the vehicle. Only other hurdle is my attitude -- I just can't get my head around "glamping" with a pick-up truck. 😄

[theoldwizard1]

SheDrives wrote:

...some alternatives I've stumbled across such as Ford E150 rather than F150 or the Ford Excursion.

Both the E150 and the Excursion have been out of production for several years.

The Expedition is a bit smaller than the Excursion but it is still capable of towing that trailer. Just make sure it has the Heavy Duty Trailer Tow option.

[atwowheelguy]

https://youtu.be/QjWKnx3tGT4

[2001400ex]

https://www.dodge.com/durango/srt.html