Affordable tow vehicle......

[bgreene]

Various fishing web sites ref the very expensive vehicles used for boat towing....used trucks selling for $50,000 etc so I'm writing a " Value Tow Vehicle " thread.

Early to mid 2000's era Ford Explorer
The good:
1. Lots of these for sale and decent condition in the $3-$5,000 dollar range.
2. Tows fine up to 5,500 lbs.
3. 9-10 mpg towing.....18-20 mpg highway without towing, same or better than other rigs
4. Lower cost repairs and maintenance since a common vehicle.

The not so good
1. Fair amount of " dash light alerts" for assorted things.....ABS, 4 wheel, whatever that often means nothing wrong except the well know electrical alert bugs.
2. Transmission has lousy reputation;.but 150,000 miles on mine - towing/ not towing and no issues so can't all be bad.

Tows best with overdrive ON.....go figure

[phatdaddy]

I ve got an 02 tahoe 4wd that s about the same. Got 235,000 miles on it, 5.3 is a little weak towing, but does ok. My local trip to the ramp is about 4 miles, so not that big of a deal. These can be had here for 3,000-4,000 in decent shape.

My wife wants a newer Toyota Sequoia, 2011-2015. Thats 25,000-30,000.

So i guess in 3-4 months, i ll report back to let ya ll know how it tows

[bgreene]

Good for you ref the current Tahoe.

Sequoia has very good reputation and as you stated - costs a lot more

[Destroyer]

Dodge Durango. 2006

The good:
Factory towing package.
Hemi Engine available (4.7 and 5.7) (Mine is a 5.7L [345hp beast])
Rated for 9900LBs towing on the automatic trans. Mine hardly knows my boat is back there.
Lots of upgrades available from bare to luxury.
Prices in the $4000-6000 range.
Gas mileage is 12-14 city and an honest 22 on the interstates @65 w/ cruise control

The bad:
Lousy rust proofing. Any place they use salt for winter is deadly to them in about 10 years. (They get lighter every time you drive them). My 2005 had holes all over it. I bought my new 2006 from a private seller in Az. a few months back. (Zero rust). First thing I did was have it undercoated. We'll see if it helps.

[Sangster]

07-14 Yukon XL Denali

403 hp 6.2L V8, 8k towing capacity

Mine is a 2013 that I got for $24k with 90k miles last year. It's been flawless and tows very nice. Gets 19/20 on the highway, 16 average, and 11 towing the V20.

[phatdaddy]

This tahoe is the first Chevy/GMC product i have ever owned, for 30 years i was a dodge truck guy. I gotta say i am very impressed with the tahoe. I would get a newer one, but in the 4wd version, the don t have 4wd low. The options are 2wd, awd, 4wd. At least on the ones i have looked at.

D, I heard rumors dodge is bringing back the Ramcharger. I would love to see that vehicle again. The Durango is a little small for our travel needs.

The sequoia is a proven platform, but fuel mileage is an issue.

Edit: did look up some Yukon’s on carmax, they do have 4wd hi lo range. Might go that route

[Destroyer]

D, I heard rumors dodge is bringing back the Ramcharger. I would love to see that vehicle again. The Durango is a little small for our travel needs.



I had a 1985 Ramcharger with the 318 engine in it. Agreed.....Great vehicle/

Durango too small? :head: I have 3 rows of seats...seats 8 total. (Although truthfully with the third row in use the storage behind it is a little sparce, but with the third row laid flat I can fit all my coolers, kicker engine, gear and a host of other things in there. Hell, I can probably even fit Giorgio's Bacon bagel in there...

[phatdaddy]

We had 2 or 3 of the Chrysler mini vans when the kids were younger and got used to all the room in them. When we would travel my daughter would suit in the passenger seat reclined back with a book. My wife would be in the stretched out in the middle seat handing out drinks and boiled peanuts and reading. My son would be in the back seat stretched out with a book or game boy. And we still had room for luggage, coolers, etc.

I wanted a newer tow vehicle and thats when we got the tahoe. Everyone still had their seats and I had a V8 that would tow 7000 lbs

But like D said, no room in the back for luggage when all seats are up. I wanted to go the suburban Yukon XL route like sangster has, but wife didn t like size, too long to park.

I can t believe you can t get a full size SUV with the room and footprint of a mini van

[oteps]

Im not a chevy guy but an older Tahoe or burb are cheap and reliable. I don't like 98 and up ford gas engines. too many spark plug and coil issues.
My tow rigs are 99 f350 4 door 8 ft bed 7.3 diesel with some work done to it, will tow anything u want.
And my plow truck, 95 f250, 460 auto. A little beat, fell over on its side once but gets the job done. Afraid to check gas mileage.

[Pipe_Dream]

I might as well chime in, as I have two. All my towing for the past 14 years has been with my company truck, a 2000 Suburban 1500 4WD. It has 4LO which is great on steep, slick ramps. All my towing is local, less than 20 miles, and the 5.3 L V-8 is plenty capable even today after it's gone 360,000 miles. It's been and continues to be a great truck.

However, the miles are a concern when traveling with the wife, 2 dogs and loaded with luggage, etc. when we travel north to see family, particularly in the winter. So we bought a used 2012 Sequoia 4WD which is our go-to road trip vehicle. Very stable feel, plenty of power. But you're never going to get better than 16-17 mpg, I don't care what you do. It should tow fine, but I've never towed the boat or anything else with it because the Suburban has always been there. The ride is stiffer than the Suburban, and it sits higher, which can be both good and bad.

I'm all in on the Suburbans.

[bgreene]

Pipe Dream - do you know if the 360,000 Suburban miles on original transmission ?

[oteps]

got a 2010 gmc Yukon xl a couple months ago. 5.3 auto, loaded. Wanted something that will tow the boat if we take it camping while my f350 tows the camper. So far my wife loves it.

[Pipe_Dream]

Pipe Dream - do you know if the 360,000 Suburban miles on original transmission ?

Yep. 367K now.

[spareparts]

got an 02 Burban, 268K, wife just got a 2014 Yukon(tahoe) with 80k. Our previous Suburban that Charlie should have bought had 240k, even had barn door, just wasn't green. I had 2 Ford diesels, 99 E350, had 430k on it when I sold it, and 97 F350, 200k. I don't miss either one of them. Driving a 97 C2500 daily with 200K.

[steplift20]

Destroyer, I also had a 1985 dodge ram charger with a 318 and a 4 speed Manuel trans 1 gear was a creeper gear , it would pull a house and that's not even in 4 wheel low, unfortunately it was totaled in a accident and only had 60 thousand miles on it that was a great truck, now I have a tundra 2018 But any Toyota Tundra would fit the bill
Get a Tundra,

[bradford]

I've had a few of those mentioned.

94 GMC Sierra C1500 2wd 5.7 4l60e did good.
95 Chevy K1500 4wd 6.5 diesel 4l80e did awesome.
92 Chevy C2500 2wd 5.7 4l80e did good
05 Toyota Tundra 2wd 4.7 auto, did great and was the most comfortable

And for the Dodge guys I took my driving test in an 87 Ramcharger with a 4 inch lift and 33 inch BFG Mud Terrains, had the 318 and an automatic and 4wd.

Currently in a 2000 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner extra cab with a 2.7 inline 4 and an auto and it actually does surprisingly good pulling the skiff and the lawn trailer.

[scook]

Have towed with our ‘06 Yukon Denali and hardly know the boat’s back there. Just bought a 2000 Tundra that’s been in the family since it was new (96000 miles on it) - haven’t towed the boat with it yet but I agree, it’s the most comfortable and quietest rig I think I’ve ever had but not very good gas mileage.

[pjbrownva]

I use a 2008 Toyota 4Runner limited V8. It has full time 4wd, and 4lo. I added a 2nd aux trans cooler... Just for security. It already had a factory aux trans cooler, but I kept that AND added another one.

I put on fj cruiser coil springs and Bilstein 5100 shocks which give it a 2 inch lift, and actually IMPROVED the ride. It's rated to tow 5k lbs. I also put air ride booster bags inside the rear coil springs so that I can level it out when towing with a full load. Tows great. Rides great. Mileage sucks.. I always seem to get about 10 mpg, whether towing or not... But I do have a heavy foot, and when I tow I'm often going 70 to 80 mph. Every summer I take a 600 mile trip each way pulling a boat, and the truck does fine. I put a Bluetooth device in the odbc Ii port that lets me monitor trans temp. The 2nd aux cooler lowers temps by about another 30 degrees which matters on 90 degree days going up long inclines or in stop and go traffic. I wouldn't want to do that trip without it. You can buy a Hayden cooler in a kit for under a hundred bucks, and install it yourself. Keep your trans cool, and it'll last even with towing.
It has a 5 speed auto, but put it in 4 instead of D when towing.

I previously had an 04 sr5 4runner with the v6 and factoru suspension, and it didn't tow as well it often started to sway at 60 to 65 mph.
So I usually had to keep it at 55 and then I was fine. Get the V8 to tow.

I paid 21k for my 4runner about 4 years ago with about 120k miles on her... Then I dropped another 5k on tires, complete new brakes including stainless steel lines and the air ride boosters, new coil springs Biilstein shocks, new sway bar end links and polyurethane bushings. ... It was a lot of cash, but the ride is sweet! Smooth, powerful, reliable. I can't complain. If you get one there a few things to look out for. Like all vehicles it has a few known weak spots. One big one, is if you start it up on a cold day and hear what sounds like a vacuum cleaner running for 30 seconds or so... Look out! It's got some special anti smog thing that kicks in only when it's below 40 degrees or something, and if you hear that sound, it means some Valve related to it is starting to fail. The bad news... If it does fail. It's 4k at the dealer (mostly labor) to get it fixed.

The good news, I went to a 4runner enthusiasts site and googled the issue the first time it happened. Some guy posted specs for a bypass of the system, and sold premade kits for about $50. I put it in and I'm good. On cold days, instead of that pump running, a relay sends the current through a resistor...this makes the truck think the pump is running -- so it doesn't throw an error code, even though it really isn't running. You need the relay and resistor to make the truck think everything is working properly, otherwise the truck will throw error codes. Problem solved, and I avoided a $4k repair! (which would have sucked!l

2 other issues. First, brake calipers sometimes sieze. I think the pistons and the caliper bodies are different metals. It sucks, but changing them out when needed goes with the turf.
One was siezed when I got my truck, but I swapped out all 4 as part of an upgrade to the beefier brakes from the 2010 to 2015 4runner -- it's a bolt-on upgrade with no modifications needed, and I have been good for 4 or 5 yrs now. You won't know it siezed unless and until you do a brake job, but seized pistons wear your pads out faster and cause them to wear unevenly.

Other issue is that some of the frames rust from the inside out. It's the same frame used on the Tacoma, a Toyota did a 10 or 15 yr voluntary replacement on frames that failed, but didn't include the 4rumner. My truck was a Florida car with zero rust, so it's not an issue... Plus I bought 4 cans of a special treatment to spay inside the frame, but uli haven't done it yet! Anyway, long post... but I thought I'd list the good and the bad. Overall, I love the 4runner, and hope to have her for another decade if not longer.

[steplift20]

Go Tundra 2007 or newer 5.7 I force great truck for towing I hear even the tocoma is a great truck too.

[oteps]

Ok, you chevy guys. 2010 yukon xl 5.3. Im taking it from pa to colorado for an elk hunt. Im going to do the normal stuff, oil change, trans fluid, lube brake caliper pins, new belt, air filter and a general check over. But what normally goes out on these trucks? I havent had it long enough for anything to break.

[Pipe_Dream]

Ok, you chevy guys. 2010 yukon xl 5.3. Im taking it from pa to colorado for an elk hunt. Im going to do the normal stuff, oil change, trans fluid, lube brake caliper pins, new belt, air filter and a general check over. But what normally goes out on these trucks? I havent had it long enough for anything to break.

I don't know if it's the same for your generation Sub/Yukon, but my 2000 Suburban left me high and dry when the fuel pump (in the tank) went out. Once was on Christmas morning loaded with luggage, gifts, dogs and me and my wife. Other time was on my way home from work on a Friday afternoon. No warning signs, it just went. My boss's 2001 did the same thing twice. Bear in mind that mine has done it twice in 375,000 miles and his twice in 450,000 miles, so it's not like it's a frequent thing. But it's not always in stock, and it's a big job (drop the tank) to replace it. After the second time my boss bought and carried a spare.

Happy hunting!

[phatdaddy]

I ve had 3 in my 02 Tahoe, original and 2 replacements. I was able to buy a little time by keeping a rubber mallet in the truck, when it goes out, lay under truck and bang on tank in bottom center. Sometimes this will allow you to go a little farther. My second replacement was still pumping, the gauge went out and it was an O Reilly***8217;s lifetime warranty.

[oteps]

I hope I dont have to drop the tank in BFE at 2 in the morning! Its a 24 hr drive to colorado from here. Fuel pumps never go out on an empty tank either.

[spareparts]

left the house one morning in my 98 2500 Chevy, fuel pump went out about two miles from the house, pulled into a parking lot. Call autozone, had one in stock, called my father in law to go by and pick it up. Had all my tools with me( its a service bed), I had the fuel tank on the ground by the time he got there, had the truck back up and running in less time than AAA would have taken to tow me home

[oteps]

Made it out and back from pa to colorado. Little over 4000 miles. The back loaded to the roof with gear and guns, 4 guys in it too. 18 to 19 mpg. 1 nail in tire and the oil pressure sensor went out. Just drove home with no pressure on the gauge, bought the sensor, screen and tools to replace but looked like i could mess something up doing it in the parking lot in colorado.
My brother took his f250 6.7 diesel with a 7x11ft open trailer with gear and 2 freezers on it. He got 9 to 11 mpg!!!!! But it has 37 inch tires on it.

[bgreene]

Repeating same as original...........can't see $ 20,000 - $ 40,000 for USED Trucks and SUV's with high mileage to tow these boats......


Yeh, I already posted my opinion, so guess I like to type...Used Ford Explorers - $ 2,000 - $ 5,000.....push button 4 wheel drive.......pulls these boats fine.

Then again, I can't see $ 120,000 for a new Cadillac Escalade either.
Guess I'm old school.

[pjbrownva]

Repeating same as original...........can't see $ 20,000 - $ 40,000 for USED Trucks and SUV's with high mileage to tow these boats......


Yeh, I already posted my opinion, so guess I like to type...Used Ford Explorers - $ 2,000 - $ 5,000.....push button 4 wheel drive.......pulls these boats fine.

Then again, I can't see $ 120,000 for a new Cadillac Escalade either.
Guess I'm old school.

Well, @bgreene, I have to agree with you. While I've never owned one, I've always liked the explorers, and you certainly can't argue with $2K - $5K for a good, reliable, tow vehicle.

My 4Runner was also my daily driver for several years, and it's just what I liked, but nothin' wrong with an Explorer... actually I really like them!

I'm assuming that you mean the older style that really are a truck, as opposed to the newer ones that -- if you ask me -- are some newer style, higher tech vehicle that is neither fish nor fowl.

I don't know how much that style costs used, or how good they are, but they've always looked nice when they light me up and the nice trooper pulls me over for speeding. (hehe!).

[bgreene]

Hello there PJ ....mines a 2004 Explorer ...and like most of them had lots of little electrical issues - mostly related to lights that come on but don’t really matter and such .
Back hatch ....crack on the plastic same as most. Heater doesn’t blow out the bottom vents.

The guts of the vehicle’s been solid - V6, transmission , drive train, and that useful 4 wheel drive when needed.

Average to Poor ratings on assorted sites mostly for the quirky minor issues ,but it’s a value
vehicle to tow, haul, carry etc at 20 mpg highway ....9 towing .

When you own a used vehicle for 10 years or so, it keeps on performing, towing 120 miles round trip every time to fish, and doesn’t cost
much over time, it’s a decent machine.

[pjbrownva]

Hello there PJ ....mines a 2004 Explorer ...and like most of them had lots of little electrical issues - mostly related to lights that come on but don’t really matter and such .
Back hatch ....crack on the plastic same as most. Heater doesn’t blow out the bottom vents.

The guts of the vehicle’s been solid - V6, transmission , drive train, and that useful 4 wheel drive when needed.

Average to Poor ratings on assorted sites mostly for the quirky minor issues ,but it’s a value
vehicle to tow, haul, carry etc at 20 mpg highway ....9 towing .

When you own a used vehicle for 10 years or so, it keeps on performing, towing 120 miles round trip every time to fish, and doesn’t cost
much over time, it’s a decent machine.

That makes sense. I thought I'd liven up this thread, with a truly affordable tow vehicle that I used to own.

8253 :you:

Yep... I was *that guy* at the dock, and a source of entertainment for all.

That's a DC Duck pulling me out... nothing beats an amphibious, 6 wheel drive WW2 military vehicle when you sink your tow vehicle, and need some help!

That 4runner was available dirt cheap to whoever bought it at an insurance salvage auction.

That picture also explains why I got a new 4Runner... (hehe!)

[bgreene]

Wow but it can happen to the best of us .
One mistake and the rigs a submarine .