DD / Tow Pig Recommendations

cranbiz

cranbiz

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2015
Location
Wentworth, NC
For the first time since 2016, I'm now commuting to work. It's approximately 70miles round trip. While the really smart people would say buy a beater DD and drive the wheels off of it, I'm thinking this is the time to get something more dual duty. I really don't want to put the miles on my JK/wheeling toy and don't want to leave momma without wheels.

I have a Gladiator but that's the family vehicle and that's what I want to leave momma in case she needs to go somewhere while I'm at work. So, I have been thinking of either a pickup capable of towing my JK and trailer or something like a Tahoe/Suburban/Explorer/Expedition. I'm also on a budget of about $8K and really don't want more than 150K miles on it. I would like 4WD/AWD. I would probably tow with it maybe 4-6 times a year and the Jeep and trailer combination is probably close to 7k lbs.

What makes more sense? I can find pickups in my budget/mileage range fairly easy, a Tahoe type vehicle is more of a challenge. I know I would have to put weighted tags on the truck and I would go for 13K tags. I also know I could get away without weighted tags on a Tahoe/burb/etc. I don't really need the truck bed as I do have the Gladiator for truck type stuff.

What are the better years/powertrains to buy in a truck (Ram/Ford/Chevy)? Same question on the Chevy/Ford SUV? Cummins, Powerstroke or Duramax if I find a diesel?
 
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Daily my Cummins 150 miles round trip everyday. Tow heavy stuff all the time, load the family and the dog for long road trips. Decent mileage for a 9k pound truck, comfy, reliable and always ready for anything that comes up.

All brands have their pros and cons. Most of us are loyal to a brand because we have experience with their systems. Put me in a Ford or GM and I'm going think it's falling apart because it feels and sounds different than my Mopar.

My son has a gladiator and id daily that as well if he'd let me. About the same mileage as my ram but gas is cheaper than diesel.

Any fullsize platform will haul your rig so diesel isn't a must and might make more sense to go gas for initial purchase price.

Happy shopping
 
It's going to be very hard to find something decent in your price range. My suggestion is always 2003-2006 gmt800 platform. A 2500 burb/yukon xl would serve you well for towing but not ideal for the 20k+ miles you'll be putting on it per year.

I don't enjoy towing with my coil sprung rear 800s (I have a 1500 avalanche and 1500 yukon xl). The 2500 gets you rear leaves, or get a silverado/sierra.
 
cranbiz said:
So, I have been thinking of either a pickup capable of towing my JK and trailer or something like a Tahoe/Suburban/Explorer/Expedition.
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Go ahead and eliminate anything with IRS if you expect to tow. (Ask @rcalexander105 )
And eliminate a 1500 burb/Tahoe (ask @BigClay )

Anything GM 2008 and newer without the Allison runs the risk of the dreaded pump valve actuator failure... thankfully though I know a guy, and IF you start feeling rumble strips on the highway when you're not ON them...go ahead and schedule the fix with shaggy
Anyway..I've got a GMT800 truck with 8.1 and a GMT900 2500 burb and I wouldn't daily either because 9mpg and 13 mpg respectively
Call @BIGWOODY and get a diesel benz sedan. You will thank me later
 
CasterTroy said:
Anyway..I've got a GMT800 truck with 8.1 and a GMT900 2500 burb and I wouldn't daily either because 9mpg and 13 mpg respectively
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Take what you'll spend on fuel and put it to a payment on a 5 yo turbo F150.
 
shawn said:
Take what you'll spend on fuel and put it to a payment on a 5 yo turbo F150.
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I drive the truck on trips and every other weekend. The burb gets driven on weekends only. So MAYBE $50 to $75 a month on fuel (average) fairly certain a 5 yr old turbo 150 couldn't be had for $100 a month, even at hellcat 120month loan rates
 
CasterTroy said:
I drive the truck on trips and every other weekend. The burb gets driven on weekends only. So MAYBE $50 to $75 a month on fuel (average) fairly certain a 5 yr old turbo 150 couldn't be had for $100 a month, even at hellcat 120month loan rates
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Didn't mean you... Talking about DD'ing a 20yo diesel or gmt800 vs something newer. 20k miles a year at $3/gal is $2500/yr in savings at 12 vs 24 mpg. $25k truck minus $8k, then $300/mo for five years. The math isn't a slam dunk for the newer truck, but awfully close.
 
shawn said:
Didn't mean you... Talking about DD'ing a 20yo diesel or gmt800 vs something newer. 20k miles a year at $3/gal is $2500/yr in savings at 12 vs 24 mpg. $25k truck minus $8k, then $300/mo for five years. The math isn't a slam dunk for the newer truck, but awfully close.
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💯% agree that would be best for Bob as a dual function vehicle Alan has had 2 of those and they run circles around me AND Clay towing jeeps up fancy gap WHILE also getting +/-20mpg daily driving
 
CasterTroy said:
💯% agree that would be best for Bob as a dual function vehicle Alan has had 2 of those and they run circles around me AND Clay towing jeeps up fancy gap WHILE also getting +/-20mpg daily driving
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And that is why I asked this group. I don't know squat about newer trucks.

@shawn says a turbo F150. So what is the preferred engine to do what I would like to do? Is this the 3.5L Ecoboost?
 
cranbiz said:
And that is why I asked this group. I don't know squat about newer trucks.

@shawn says a turbo F150. So what is the preferred engine to do what I would like to do? Is this the 3.5L Ecoboost?
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They have been proven to be pretty good. Of course some have their problems but I see so many with 300k plus all the time
 
shawn said:
Didn't mean you... Talking about DD'ing a 20yo diesel or gmt800 vs something newer. 20k miles a year at $3/gal is $2500/yr in savings at 12 vs 24 mpg. $25k truck minus $8k, then $300/mo for five years. The math isn't a slam dunk for the newer truck, but awfully close.
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CasterTroy said:
💯% agree that would be best for Bob as a dual function vehicle Alan has had 2 of those and they run circles around me AND Clay towing jeeps up fancy gap WHILE also getting +/-20mpg daily driving
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I don’t know what imaginary world y’all are living in where an Ecoboost F150 is getting 24, or even 20mpg. Based on a hundred million miles worth of data…

Try about 16 on a 3.5 liter:
1737318315108.png


And a slightly better 18mpg on the 2.7 liter
1737318408809.png


They are good trucks with great power but the “Eco” in the name is nothing more than marketing.
 
jeepinmatt said:
I don’t know what imaginary world y’all are living in where an Ecoboost F150 is getting 24, or even 20mpg. Based on a hundred million miles worth of data…

Try about 16 on a 3.5 liter:
View attachment 432345

And a slightly better 18mpg on the 2.7 liter
View attachment 432346

They are good trucks with great power but the “Eco” in the name is nothing more than marketing.
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My friends brothers cousin gets 22.

He drives 55mph on back roads only without stop lights
 
jeepinmatt said:
I don’t know what imaginary world y’all are living in where an Ecoboost F150 is getting 24, or even 20mpg.
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You DID see the "+/-" didn't you rainman?
 
CasterTroy said:
You DID see the "+/-" didn't you rainman?
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Sure. But it’s the + part that is so misleading. People who believe their dash cluster saying 21 are actually getting like 17. There is no “+” when you claim 20, and certainly not 24. Except for @DSM Turbos bruncle diddy who can’t drive 55 (because that would be too fast!)
 
jeepinmatt said:
They are good trucks with great power but the “Eco” in the name is nothing more than marketing.
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22 highway in regular mode, 24 in eco mode. 3.5 turbo 4wd. How much have you driven one?

Fuck, I drove a late model 4wd Tahoe that did 21 driving to Spartanburg and back, 70-80 ish.
 
I have a ‘16 F150 with the 5.0L and 6 speed auto. I dd mine 60 miles every day and average 18 mpg (I have a relatively heavy right foot). It’s an absolute animal with a trailer behind it. Pulls my 20’ bumper pull and buggy at 80 mph without breaking a sweat.
 
obullfish said:
I’ll call BS on both of those with hand figured MPG. If you believe what the dash tells you then you’re some kinda stupid.
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If you drive a certain distance and use the trip odometer to keep track of how far you've gone, and at the next fuel stop keep track of how many gallons of gas it takes to fill the tank completely full, you can divide the number of miles you've traveled by the number of gallons you've used, and determine the average number of miles you've traveled on each gallon of gas.

Kinda neat.
 
shawn said:
If you drive a certain distance and use the trip odometer to keep track of how far you've gone, and at the next fuel stop keep track of how many gallons of gas it takes to fill the tank completely full, you can divide the number of miles you've traveled by the number of gallons you've used, and determine the average number of miles you've traveled on each gallon of gas.

Kinda neat.
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And yet you never said you did. Are those numbers you provided hand calc’d or dash display? I’m not sure how that would be so out of line with the 100 million miles worth of real data I posted, showing what zillions of real people have gotten using real numbers.

Regardless, I drove one from Hickory, NC to Temagami, Ontario, Canada and back and averaged 14.5mpg with a kayak on top. So about 2000 miles, but skewed data. My father in law had one for a few years and he could pull about 20-21mpg out of a 3.5 Ecoboost driving like an absolute grandpa which is what he does all the time. The few trips I drove it on, we hung out around 16-17mpg. I don’t doubt someone could milk a 24mpg tank out of one, but certainly not on average, and definitely not a reasonable case to do vehicular justification math on.
 
CasterTroy said:
Hmm

Some beach
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Yes, there are outliers, but it’s most certainly not the norm. When I said he could pull out 20-21, I was referring to highway mileage driving from RDU to the coast, so all flat and no traffic. DD duty was less, probably more like 17-18, but I’m not 100% sure. If @shawn weren’t claiming 24mpg, I would have probably never even replied to your post, because your number was optimistic but within the realm of possible.
 
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jeepinmatt said:
your number was optimistic but within the realm of possible.
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That's cuz I measure from the base, and not from the back of the balls
 
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