Tow vehicle Dilemma

[breausaw]

I’m considering downsizing my tow vehicle to a 4door 4x4 pickups with at least a 5000lb tow rating. So wondering if anyone is using a Ford Ranger, S-10, Dakota or similar truck as a 22ft CD tow vehicle?
My current tow vehicle’s a 2000 paid for F250 7.3L PSD with less then 60k, which delivers about 14 to 15mpg towing Triple J. Problem is the F250 is driveway jewelry 90% of the time; I’d like to own a more practical truck I can use everyday.

[flapbreaker]

I tow with a 2007 Ford Sporttrac. It has the v-8 engine and tows it just fine. Problem is I get 14 mpg in mixed driving and 10mpg while towing the boat. THe sporttrac with v-8 and towing package is rated to 6800 pounds I believe. Before this vehicle I had an 04' sportrac with a v-6 engine but didn't like it's tow capabilities. The reason I chose sportrac's was the fact that they had a long wheelbase. Even longer than their Expedition if you can believe that. Plus they fit in the garage. I really do like how the 07 tows, I'm just not sure you will be gaining any fuel economy though.

[jennykatz]

there are a lot of nice small suvs and trucks around .We have a honda pilot 4 whl drive it tows the 22 with no problem 4500lb tow rating with 660 lb in the cab also the honda ridgeline has a tow rating of 5000lb with 660 in cab . they get about 15-17 around town with ac on and about 20-22 highway . this is in flat florida havent towed in the mountains as of yet.

[Doryman]

Every time I go through this exercise I conclude that even with the higher cost of fuel, it does not make economic sense to downsize from my 3/4T pickup, given the slight increase in mileage with the mid-size vehicles.

YMMV, of course.

Warren

[Chester]

We're using a 4wd, 4.0L '06 Ranger to tow our 22' C-Dory. We have no complaints with the rig and it makes more power than I thought it would. The Air-Lift air springs and pump I installed on the rear axle helped a lot. If you have a trailer with electric brakes a load equalising hitch will suffice.
We did find a Ranger with 4.10 gears which eases a little stress on the drivetrain, I dunno if they are still offered. We get 19-20 MPG empty and 14 MPG towing the boat at 60 mph.
Be aware that transmission choice can drasticly affect a rig's towing capactity.

[marvin4239]

I had a 1990 Ranger with the 4.0 liter engine and it was without a doubt the best vehicle I have ever owned. When I traded it had 220,000 miles on it and used no oil. The only repairs during that time were battery's and a water pump. I currently pull with either my Grand Cherokee which is a gas hog while pulling or a 96 Ford 3/4 ton diesel single cab. The Ford is fairly economical on fuel but not a very comfortable ride.

[flapbreaker]

[breausaw]

Thanks for the feedback, looks like the Sport Trac with the V6 would be a capable tow vehicle. Never pull faster than 55 and most is on the flat here, the steepest hill I will have to negotiate is the launch ramp and my driveway so don’t think the V8 will be necessary.
The only real reason I’m holding onto the F250 is the Boss really likes the comfort and protection it provides us.

[Kent Richmond]

I tow my CD 22 with a 2006 Chevy Silverado 1500 4X4 short bed. I get a little over 13mpg towing the boat, and anywhere from 18.5 to 21.6 with the truck alone, and that's with the 5.3-V8. It's a great truck!

[Big Bad Ben]

We're saving up for a C-D 22 here, but have a Honda Ridgeline. It has an excellent ride, is extremely comfortable and has some very unique and useful features: the two way opening tailgate and the in-bed trunk are very useful. And Honda's are extremely reliable.

Good luck!

[Joni Lynn]

I tow our 22Cruiser with a 2004 Chevy 1500, 5.3 V8, extended cab w/standard bed and the tow package. It has plenty of power and solid braking with surge brakes on the tandem trailer. I get a consistent 19 -20 MPG hiway when not towing; While towing, I only checked a couple of times when the truck was new, and if I recall it was around 12 or 13. I'm very satisfied with the truck, both for towing and general use.

[Not For Hire]

I was thinking of downsizing to midsize. Looked at Sport Trac the V-8 with six speed auto does about the same mileage as their six cylinder with five speed auto. The Tacoma with the long bed is a good tow vehicle and better mileage and more cargo space than Sport Trac. Sport Track is quiet and comfy like a luxury sedan. I ended up keeping my full size v-8 truck and buying a little car (Honda Element) for daily commuting etc. I didn't consider the Ridgeline because it is not a real truck (no frame) but it is nice. So now I have a truck for the occasional truck stuff and a little car for other stuff. Two insurances but since my truck and I are both old not too bad.

Mark

[T.R. Bauer]

If the truck is a diesel I would keep it for sure. They sip fuel for their size, pull lots in great comfort, and hold their resale value very well. I have a diesel F-350 Crew Cab 4x4 dually that I haul a 12 foot camper (5000 plus pounds) and I pull my CD 22 with all at the same time. It has been very, very, dependable over the course of 120,000 miles (all towing and hauling) And, even with this heavy load, it still gets better mpg than my brothers Toyota v6 does when pulling his smaller (yet slightly heavier) Bayliner at the same speed and he doesn't even have anything in the back as it is 4 Runner. I think that you should buy a cheap little in town beater to drive daily and keep the real truck. I bet when compared to the depreciation of the new vehicle, taxes, licensing fees, and all the other "little" stuff that one has to consider when getting a new and in this case, likely a marginal tow vehicle since it will be downsizing, will be an insignificant amount of money that you are "saving". And, since you have experienced how wonderful it is to pull with a full sized HD pickup, you will wish you still had it every time you hook the boat up to the mini.

[dotnmarty]

[Pat Anderson]

Marty, I haven't seen any Chevy Luv pickups for quite a while!!!!