Looking at somehtign more dedicated to tow boat and race car. Currently have been using wife GL 450. Thing Ford Chevy Ram crewcab truck? Dont need any frills, and suggestions of one over the other. Alternatively a ford econoline or an old caddy.
I bought a 2015 Ford F150 back in April. Its more a work truck and that means going off road. No leather, no navigation. Everything else though. Heated seats, etc. The entertainment system is excellent. It also links up to my iPhone and I can then voice command my phone. Tows a small boat, Donzi Classic. Not bad on gas, its the V8, not the ecoboost. With tax it was just over $30k CDN. Being the base model XLT, the paint isn't as nice as it should be. Mostly in area's you can't see. Other then that, its a great daily driver. Its my fifth Ford product since 02. Two Excursions, Lincoln Navigator and a Ranger pick up. If its a truck, I buy Ford.
Suggestion: look for an older diesel ambulance. They're built on heavy-duty chassis, and have tons of storage. Usually cheap on Craigslist. Thirsty, though.
torque and wheelbase are your friends. diesel F250/Silverado 2500/Ram 2500. pick the one you like (or get the best deal on)
I always forget the F250, here in BC they hit the F250 with an extra luxury tax when new. The F350 is considered a work truck, so it doesn't have the tax. An F350 would be over kill though. But here the 350 is cheaper then the 250, so nobody buys them.
If it's for towing, consider a 3/4 ton dually; they are much more stable when towing. I tow a 28 ft Riva on a 34ft. OAL trailer, on occassion tow an A Sedan racecar also. Truck's good at much higher speeds than I am good for!
I have to say- as much as I hated the GL450 I had, it was actually a pretty darned good tow vehicle. We had a version with the adjustable suspension typically found in the GL550. I now tow with a Nissan Titan, which is far worse. Not recommended.
When you say "old caddy", what do you have in mind? And how big is your boat? My wife is selling her ex 2006 DD, about 168,000 miles, everything works except the NAV, well maintained with all records, second owner (since 11K miles) and priced low. This boat is a 27 footer. . Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
How much are you pulling? A 3/4,1 ton will always be more stable than a half ton, but if it's shorter trips on weekends might be overkill. Most modern 1/2 ton trucks will pull anything with ease that a GL450 pulls. I'd stay away from a diesel unless you really need the power. The added expense for maintaining and repairs can be substantial. Also diesel vans are horrible to work on. Added labor is not cheap. Drive the trucks and see what you like. I'd go with a 5.0 powered F150 or a 250 with a 6.2 personally.
at what point (towing weight) do you think you need a diesel? general consensus seems to be around 7k pounds. I know towing a trailer weighing roughly that with a 5.7 Hemi (360 hp/390 ft pds) struggled on hills particularly from a stop. once at highway speed not too much of a problem.
Once you are over 7-8k on a long haul, or into larger wind surfaces like a camper or large boat with a top. Also depends on your terrain. You can get away with a lot more in flat areas than hills or mountains. If you have a 10k boat that you haul 5-10 miles on surface streets to launch, a 4wd half ton would suffice, though not ideal. If you tow that weight every couple weekends, a gas 3/4+ would be fine even on the hwy. But if you are towing that regularly or 12k plus then I'd look at diesels. But with the modern trucks the prices are way up. The newer 6.7 in a ford, if you do the oil, fuel filters, and DEF fill, you have about $250 in the oil change. That's every other or every third oil change. Just the oil change is over $100. You can buy a lot of gas for the money you put in a diesel.
They suck fuel, but the Ford V10 will pull just about anything. Lots of them pushing class 3 motor homes around the nation.
Weight is pretty easy. Boat weighs 3000lbs maybe 1500 for the trailer. Car trailer is lightweight aluminum weghts less than 1000 lbs and heaviest car is 2500lbs. A regular F150 with v8 or Ram with 5.7 will be plenty.
With that weight I'd look for a 1/2 ton. If you go Ford, don't overlook the 5.0. My dads 2013 averages 19.2-19.8 loaded for hunting trips at 75mph. Proven engine, though the ecoBoosts are making a name for themselves.
Ofcourse Audi couldn't stay behind. I guess we won't be seeing projects like this anymore from VAG. Only available in the Q7, the V12 tdi: Image Unavailable, Please Login
