Took the towing (i.e. withidl) plunge...

[JCL]

I wouldn't get dual rear wheels. Diesel would be impossible to justify for a dozen trips per year. If you are at least three years back the Ram is fine.

Two brothers run Ram diesels. One brother in law runs a GM HD diesel. All tow more than you will. I know the Fords, and would choose that brand. Everyone has their favorite. Not much to choose between any of them, but I wouldn't get a diesel for your duty cycle anyway.

I think the Cummins B is a good engine, but I personaly don't like the Ram trucks they come in.

Lots of people buy pickups and then never use them for what they were designed for. That is what you want, a commuter vehicle with an eight foot box that hasn't towed. Yet.

[Bayerische E53]

So you saying that an F-250 wouldn't be a bad choice? I've thought about a bigger SUV like a Yukon Denali - thing is, I'm a bit weary of the Tahoe Chassis Vehicles because I've towed with an Escalade before and, lemme tell ya, it was a scary, unstable BITCH. It also had shit for power. By the way, this was towing my 5,000lbs open trailer setup that I tow with my current X5 with zero problem. That's right, my X5 tows my current 5,000lbs lashup miles and miles better than an Escalade did. And I towed that lashup quite a bit with the Escalade - about 3,000 miles worth of towing, actually. The Escalade's brakes were HORRIFIC, it had no power, and it swayed like a bastard. I would never consider towing a box trailer with the Escalade; boy you'de be tempting life doing that. As for the X5? Not a single hiccup.

Suburban, maybe? I figure if I'm buying new wheels I could try to get something that wouldn't suck to drive every day. It would be nice to use it as a dedicated winter car - two birds with one stone...?

[JCL]

The larger SUVs are generally built on half ton pickup platforms, since the original Excursion departed. There are some 3/4 ton Suburbans. Bigger doesn't always mean heavier duty, as you found out with the Escalade, which is just a big car.

An F250, appropriately spec'd, would tow fine IMO.

Every time I read lash-up, I think of the Kon-tiki raft.

[Bayerische E53]

Originally Posted by JCL

The larger SUVs are generally built on half ton pickup platforms, since the original Excursion departed. There are some 3/4 ton Suburbans. Bigger doesn't always mean heavier duty, as you found out with the Escalade, which is just a big car.

An F250, appropriately spec'd, would tow fine IMO.

Every time I read lash-up, I think of the Kon-tiki raft.

I think I'm going to scoop a used F-250 if the X5 doesn't work out. A good one can be had for less than $10K; but that's with quite a few miles.

There's a real nice one on autotrader at the moment for $7,000. Two potential issues, however; 1) it's a V10 (is that going to cause me a headache/be expensive to maintain?) and 2) 265,000 miles. Ouch. What's the max amount of miles you would look for?

Cars for Sale: 2000 Ford F250 4x4 Crew Cab Super Duty in Newark, IL 60541: Truck Details - 327424762 - AutoTrader.com

The second is a V8 with 255,000 miles; asking $8,000.

Cars for Sale: 2005 Ford F250 FX4 in Mooresville, IN 46158: Truck Details - 329179716 - AutoTrader.com

What do you recon?

Speaking of Kon-Tiki, at this rate, I'm going to be so broke that that's what my eventual TV is going to look like...

[JCL]

Too many miles for me. I'd find a lower mileage private vehicle that had a relatively easy life.

Why do you need 4wd? Cheaper to find a RWD.

[Bayerische E53]

Well, I figured 4WD would be better for towing during the winters. Although, I'm not sure how much towing I'm going to do during the winters - little, if any, for the first few years I should think.

2WD might be the better way to get into it and then upgrade later?

Also, would it hurt to go with a crew cab instead of a regular (i.e. dinky) cab? Do I need the 8' bed in order to have the longer frame?

[JCL]

People got by just fine with their vehicles for decades before 4wd became popular, and they got around all right. You plan to tow your race care in the snow? 2wd just has less to wear out, will be better on gas, and will be cheaper to buy.

Crew cabs have poor turning circles, and need lots of room for parking. Supercab, Clubcab, or whatever each manufacturer calls theirs, may be a reasonable compromise. I like more storage room than a single cab.

[Bayerische E53]

Originally Posted by JCL

People got by just fine with their vehicles for decades before 4wd became popular, and they got around all right. You plan to tow your race care in the snow? 2wd just has less to wear out, will be better on gas, and will be cheaper to buy.

Crew cabs have poor turning circles, and need lots of room for parking. Supercab, Clubcab, or whatever each manufacturer calls theirs, may be a reasonable compromise. I like more storage room than a single cab.

All good points. As you said, the thing that really draws me to the 2WD is the fact that maintenance is much cheaper, the fuel economy, and the purchase price.

As for towing in the snow, I was thinking I might have to if I eventually get involved in winter (i.e. ice) racing or rallying. It's not a certain thing, but it's something that went through my mind. I think you're right - the 2WD would be much better.

That said, I know you're partial to Ford. I happen to be partial to Chevy. Chevy trucks are built much better on the interior (IMO) and I like their design more overall. However, from reliability, strength, power, and stability standpoints, do you think Ford outdoes Chevy?

If I desperately wanted to get into a Chevy, what would you recommend? Ideally, I would want a manual transmission. Has Chevy offered manuals in the past 12 years? If so, then which is superior, Chevy or Ford?

Sorry for all the questions.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by Bayerische E53

Has Chevy offered manuals in the past 12 years? If so, then which is superior, Chevy or Ford?

Yes, 5 speed and 6 speed depending on year.

Neither is better, that is an entirely subjective question. The difference between two well-used trucks in your price range is greater than the difference between the two brands.

[Bayerische E53]

Originally Posted by JCL

Yes, 5 speed and 6 speed depending on year.

Neither is better, that is an entirely subjective question. The difference between two well-used trucks in your price range is greater than the difference between the two brands.

Great to hear!

The good news is that I won't be doing anything with the race car until next season - she's out of commission due to an accident. I'll pick up the trailer with the X5 - I feel confortable doing this considering I'll only be towing 4,200lbs with a Hensley (I'm also only about 100 miles from the manufacturer). No matter how you cut it, I'll be legal. I'll use the X5 to bring the trailer to my garage where I'll store it until next spring.

In the mean time, I'm going to go around and test drive a bunch of different 3/4 ton trucks (i.e. brands, setups, etc.) and see what I like best. Then, I'll pick something up in the spring and go from there. That's nice because I'll have a good 7 months to save up a little money.

Sound like a good plan?