Who drives a truck? School me.
11-17-2013, 06:05 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Who drives a truck? School me.
Time to add a truck to the stable. A real truck that can haul some cargo and tow some weight. Specifically, a truck that can tow a car and extra wheels/tires/tools to the track. It needs to be able to seat 4, but does not have to be a full crew-cab with a luxury car interior. It would be nice to have something that would allow me to step up to an enclosed trailer for the track. 4x4 is essential for winter use and hunting.
I am partial to imports and am looking at Tundra's. They are tow-rated to 10k lbs. A lot of people are telling me to pass on the Tundra and buy a diesel, particularly if I want to be able to tow an enclosed trailer. Some even suggest that a dually is necessary to tow a big enclosed trailer safely. I don't own a farm and find it hard to justify such a massive rig.
Any advice or insight is appreciated!
I am partial to imports and am looking at Tundra's. They are tow-rated to 10k lbs. A lot of people are telling me to pass on the Tundra and buy a diesel, particularly if I want to be able to tow an enclosed trailer. Some even suggest that a dually is necessary to tow a big enclosed trailer safely. I don't own a farm and find it hard to justify such a massive rig.
Any advice or insight is appreciated!
11-17-2013, 09:07 PM
#3
Tundras tow pretty well and should be all you need, but based on a friend's feedback who upgrade to an F250 diesel, once you compare the two you'd never want to go back. It's not that the Tundra is inadequate, but the Big 3 diesels just tow so effortlessly w/ the massive torque #'s they're getting these days. A HD diesel will cost a lot more, but they seem to hold their value better. I towed my old Miata w/ that same friend's old Tundra on a flat-bed trailer, and couldn't even feel it behind me. Obviously, an enclosed trailer adds a lot of weight and aero drag, and my friend upgraded to the F250 shortly after upgrading to a big-ass enclosed trailer.
11-18-2013, 01:15 AM
#4
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,220
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Tow rating isn't a number you match to your trailer weight. It's a number that ought to surpass the projected tow weight by a decent margin. For instance a Tundra might have a 10,000 lb. tow rating, but a Ram 2500 has from 16,000 to 30,000 lb. tow ratings. If my loaded trailer weighed 9,000 lbs. I know what I want for pulling, and it isn't a Toyota.
A diesel is simply better for the torque you need for towing. It doesn't matter how much people might like a Tundra just driving around. You care about pulling a trailer that outweighs the tow vehicle.
If you only pull a trailer on flat ground, a gas V8 will do the job. But for any kind of real hill or mountain you will want a diesel. A turbo diesel is better. And the heavier the tow vehicle the less the trailer mass will manhandle the tow vehicle on downhills and uneven roads.
If the only use the truck will have is towing, get a diesel. Buy more than you think you will need and you won't have to replace it in a few years, paying depreciation plus inflation. Towing can be nerve-wracking. The last thing you want is a truck that just barely does the job. I'd buy used if it were up to me.
And no, 4x4 is not "essential" for winter or hunting use. I've driven 4x4's for many years and only rarely engaged the transfer case. I don't even own a 4wd vehicle anymore, preferring RWD for year-round use. I've witnessed a 2wd Ranger pull a 4x4 GMC out of a plowed field while deer hunting, which killed the "go anywhere with 4x4" myth for me for good. You drive around in 2wd until you get stuck. You use 4x4 to get unstuck, then put it back into 2wd. Unless you like paying to rebuild your transfer case on a semi-regular basis. And paying for towing when you bury your truck to the frame in a mud pit/snowbank because your 4x4 was "unstoppable."
A diesel is simply better for the torque you need for towing. It doesn't matter how much people might like a Tundra just driving around. You care about pulling a trailer that outweighs the tow vehicle.
If you only pull a trailer on flat ground, a gas V8 will do the job. But for any kind of real hill or mountain you will want a diesel. A turbo diesel is better. And the heavier the tow vehicle the less the trailer mass will manhandle the tow vehicle on downhills and uneven roads.
If the only use the truck will have is towing, get a diesel. Buy more than you think you will need and you won't have to replace it in a few years, paying depreciation plus inflation. Towing can be nerve-wracking. The last thing you want is a truck that just barely does the job. I'd buy used if it were up to me.
And no, 4x4 is not "essential" for winter or hunting use. I've driven 4x4's for many years and only rarely engaged the transfer case. I don't even own a 4wd vehicle anymore, preferring RWD for year-round use. I've witnessed a 2wd Ranger pull a 4x4 GMC out of a plowed field while deer hunting, which killed the "go anywhere with 4x4" myth for me for good. You drive around in 2wd until you get stuck. You use 4x4 to get unstuck, then put it back into 2wd. Unless you like paying to rebuild your transfer case on a semi-regular basis. And paying for towing when you bury your truck to the frame in a mud pit/snowbank because your 4x4 was "unstoppable."
11-18-2013, 06:36 AM
#6
Go bigger than you think you need - you'll need more than you think.
A diesel is definitely what you want for an enclosed trailer. Why? Weight is just the start of the equation as drag is HUGE on a trailer like that and a typical V8 gas engine will struggle to maintain speed on anything other than a flat road.
Contrary to what NuncoStr8 says, 4x4 IS essential for hunting or offroading. Yes, you can go further than you think in 2x4 mode but in the end, you'll wish you had 4x4, especially if you have locking differentials. I've been out hunting quite a bit lately and sorry, 2x4 just doesn't cut it. I have excellent tires and lots of clearance but I had plenty of times when I had to engage 4x4 to get out of or through something. You can't always blast through everything in 2x4 and creeping through is a lot easier (or actually doable) with 4x4. A story about a 2x4 pulling a 4x4 out means nothing - all it means is that the 4x4 needed just a bit more help to get out, not that the 2x4 had a whole lot to offer in comparison. One thing is certain - that 2x4 would've gotten stuck a lot easier than the 4x4. I typically drive around in the winter in 2WD, to keep wear-and-tear down on the truck, but in heavy snow or ice, it's WAY better than 2WD. 2WD is fine when you have speed and momentum but any slow-speed stuff will get it stuck quite easily, not to mention trying to start in deep snow (2 ft+)!
I drove my 2WD Ford pickup for a winter, with dedicated winter tires and weight in the bed, and it SUCKED compared to my Chevy 4x4 with standard off-road tires. It'd get stuck way easier and it had very little overall forward traction compared to when I'm in 4x4. I was born and raised in Canada with lots of snow and ice, so it's not a matter of poor driving, either.
A diesel is definitely what you want for an enclosed trailer. Why? Weight is just the start of the equation as drag is HUGE on a trailer like that and a typical V8 gas engine will struggle to maintain speed on anything other than a flat road.
Contrary to what NuncoStr8 says, 4x4 IS essential for hunting or offroading. Yes, you can go further than you think in 2x4 mode but in the end, you'll wish you had 4x4, especially if you have locking differentials. I've been out hunting quite a bit lately and sorry, 2x4 just doesn't cut it. I have excellent tires and lots of clearance but I had plenty of times when I had to engage 4x4 to get out of or through something. You can't always blast through everything in 2x4 and creeping through is a lot easier (or actually doable) with 4x4. A story about a 2x4 pulling a 4x4 out means nothing - all it means is that the 4x4 needed just a bit more help to get out, not that the 2x4 had a whole lot to offer in comparison. One thing is certain - that 2x4 would've gotten stuck a lot easier than the 4x4. I typically drive around in the winter in 2WD, to keep wear-and-tear down on the truck, but in heavy snow or ice, it's WAY better than 2WD. 2WD is fine when you have speed and momentum but any slow-speed stuff will get it stuck quite easily, not to mention trying to start in deep snow (2 ft+)!
I drove my 2WD Ford pickup for a winter, with dedicated winter tires and weight in the bed, and it SUCKED compared to my Chevy 4x4 with standard off-road tires. It'd get stuck way easier and it had very little overall forward traction compared to when I'm in 4x4. I was born and raised in Canada with lots of snow and ice, so it's not a matter of poor driving, either.
11-18-2013, 11:27 AM
#7
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Plano
Posts: 1,906
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Depending on when you plan to buy, I believe that Ram is coming out with a 3.0 turbo diesel in the 1500 Series in the not too distant future that might serve your needs. The 1500 is much more comfortable every day and should be somewhat less expensive, but if the tow capacity of that rig is not enough or if you need to buy before it's available, then one of the Big 3's 2500 turbo diesels would be the best bet. They are all good. IMHO, no need to get a dually for what you are doing.
Sounds like you do need the 4x4. No fun to park your rig in the grass at a track then have it rain and not be able to leave the place.
Sounds like you do need the 4x4. No fun to park your rig in the grass at a track then have it rain and not be able to leave the place.
Trending Topics
11-18-2013, 11:29 AM
#8
Nissan's new half-ton pickup will be a 5.0L diesel - comes out next year.
11-18-2013, 01:54 PM
#9
Registered User
11-18-2013, 02:42 PM
#10
Registered User
I've owned a Silverado 2500HD(05 and 12') for the past 8 years and they have been bulletproof.
I looked at the Tundra and when comparing them to the American trucks, they didn't offer what I wanted, a snow plow voids the power train warranty, didn't have the tow ratings that I was used to, and they are pretty expensive for what you are getting.
Although 1 ton trucks are different than 1/2 ton trucks, I would still take a hard look at an American truck, don't writhe them off. Toyota's reliability is not what it used to be...
I looked at the Tundra and when comparing them to the American trucks, they didn't offer what I wanted, a snow plow voids the power train warranty, didn't have the tow ratings that I was used to, and they are pretty expensive for what you are getting.
Although 1 ton trucks are different than 1/2 ton trucks, I would still take a hard look at an American truck, don't writhe them off. Toyota's reliability is not what it used to be...