Towing 3,000 Pounds

Pick......the market is wide open

RAM
Chevy
Ford
GMC
Toyota
Nissan

One thing you won't have to worry about....too much trailer :B

Old-Biscuit's right- any pickup out there will tow your Casita. I think the heaviest of their trailers is only 3500 pounds loaded for bear. In fact, there are smaller ute-type vehicles that could do the job....

So unless you want/need to tell your wife that it's got to be a pickup, don't limit your search to those! ;)

and always think "down the road" are you going to get a larger camper someday, more gear in the bed, etc.
the new trucks have lots of nice features in them, the great thing about the internet is you can surf around and find the right vehicle, get the specs and know what you want when you go to purchase, you won't have to rely on a sales person who just wants to sell you a vehicle.
best of luck on the search!

Most of the V6s offered in pickups will tow my trailer with no problem. Problem is, we want leather, heated power seats, NAV, etc., in other words a pretty much top of the line model. You apparently can't get a Tundra Limited, RAM Laramie. Sierra SLT with a V6. I'm forced to buy a 5.7, HEMI 5.7, or a 5.3. At least 50% of the time I won't be towing anything, so I will be sucking a lot more gas than necessary. RAM is coming out with a small V6 diesel that may be available in the Laramie, but I am a little afraid to be one of the first test monkeys for a Chrysler product. We prefer Toyotas from years of experience with Chrysler, GM, and Toyota vehicles. Wife (past GMC owner) probably won't even consent to buying GM no matter how good they are.
Do any of you guys tow with a Tundra? What mileage are you getting towing and not towing?
By the way, I am currently towing with a 1995 Toyota T100 3.4 V6. It's rated for 5,200 pounds and tows great, just too old for long trips we want to make. It's dependable, but wife wants luxury. Lexus has spoiled her.

Why not a mid-size truck, maybe try to wait for the new Chevy Colorado. Or get a Chevy silverado LTZ V8 EcoTec3, 4x4 for around $48. All the features you want and the EcoTec doesn't get that bad mileage.

Put a hitch on the Lexus

esjay wrote:
I need to buy a new tow vehicle, preferably a pickup, to tow our 3,000 pound Casita travel trailer.
Our Requirements:
1. Comfort, power heated seats
2. Plenty of interior room (crew cab)
3. Safety (good crash protection)
4. Economy, would like something that gets mid 20s mpg on highway not towing and maybe 16-17 mpg towing
Am I asking for too much? Any suggestions?

I think expecting 16-17 mpg while towing, even with a Casita, might be unrealistic. Even though they are light, they still have a fair amount of wind resistance.

esjay wrote:
Most of the V6s offered in pickups will tow my trailer with no problem. Problem is, we want leather, heated power seats, NAV, etc., in other words a pretty much top of the line model. You apparently can't get a Tundra Limited, RAM Laramie. Sierra SLT with a V6. I'm forced to buy a 5.7, HEMI 5.7, or a 5.3. At least 50% of the time I won't be towing anything, so I will be sucking a lot more gas than necessary. RAM is coming out with a small V6 diesel that may be available in the Laramie, but I am a little afraid to be one of the first test monkeys for a Chrysler product. We prefer Toyotas from years of experience with Chrysler, GM, and Toyota vehicles. Wife (past GMC owner) probably won't even consent to buying GM no matter how good they are.
Do any of you guys tow with a Tundra? What mileage are you getting towing and not towing?
By the way, I am currently towing with a 1995 Toyota T100 3.4 V6. It's rated for 5,200 pounds and tows great, just too old for long trips we want to make. It's dependable, but wife wants luxury. Lexus has spoiled her.

Have you looked at the Toyota Tacoma with the V6 tow package?

Ram 1500 Laramie EcoDiesel or the 3.6L V6 model, both with the 8 speed auto and air suspension would be my top two choices, but there are plenty of other good choices.

F150 with Ecoboost V6 is probably the only crew cab truck that will get the mileage figures desired. It's also a very good truck to tow a heavier trailer than what you want to tow, which is good for the future.