Tow Rig Opinion

[Carter1]

I would like to see some serious discussion on tow rigs. Ford, Chevy, GMC, Dodge and Toyota and of course you can others if you want. Consider the pros and cons of each. Not just that you think Ford is better than Chevy because you like them. Facts mostly and some opinion. Base what you say from what you know or have experienced.

For example, I have a full-size 2003 GMC Savana 1/2 ton passenger van I bought new. It is a 5.7, automatic, rear-wheel drive. I like that it has lots of cargo and passenger room. It is not too bad on gas. I think the tank on mine is about 35 gallons. I have gotten as high as 21mpg on flat road while fully loaded but not towing. When towing my 15' ProCraft lately I get about 14mpg.
I can sleep and cook in my van. It is easy to change clothes inside the back.
Looking back I wish I would have gotten something with 4-wheel drive. I hunt too and there have been a few times I could have used 4-wheel.
A downfall of this vehicle is the door hinges. I have double side doors on both sides. The hinges are on the outside of the body. They get a lot of grit and such in them and eventually they become hard to operate. I had to have one set of hinges cut off because everytime I opened and closed the door the hinge would bend/warp. It finally got to where one day I tried to close it and it would not even latch. I had to bungee it closed until I got it to the shop. So, a big con for these are the outside hinges. The replacement hinges have grease fittings on them.

Another con to this type of vehicle is limited hauling of certain items unless I use my trailer. I can't haul a freezer or refrigerator properly inside. If I had a truck it would not be a problem.

I am probably forgetting points both good and bad but this is a start. Hope to see some interesting posts from you all.

[HURRICANEBOB]

I would like to see some serious discussion on tow rigs. Ford, Chevy, GMC, Dodge and Toyota and of course you can others if you want. Consider the pros and cons of each. Not just that you think Ford is better than Chevy because you like them. Facts mostly and some opinion. Base what you say from what you know or have experienced.

For example, I have a full-size 2003 GMC Savana 1/2 ton passenger van I bought new. It is a 5.7, automatic, rear-wheel drive. I like that it has lots of cargo and passenger room. It is not too bad on gas. I think the tank on mine is about 35 gallons. I have gotten as high as 21mpg on flat road while fully loaded but not towing. When towing my 15' ProCraft lately I get about 14mpg.
I can sleep and cook in my van. It is easy to change clothes inside the back.
Looking back I wish I would have gotten something with 4-wheel drive. I hunt too and there have been a few times I could have used 4-wheel.
A downfall of this vehicle is the door hinges. I have double side doors on both sides. The hinges are on the outside of the body. They get a lot of grit and such in them and eventually they become hard to operate. I had to have one set of hinges cut off because everytime I opened and closed the door the hinge would bend/warp. It finally got to where one day I tried to close it and it would not even latch. I had to bungee it closed until I got it to the shop. So, a big con for these are the outside hinges. The replacement hinges have grease fittings on them.

Another con to this type of vehicle is limited hauling of certain items unless I use my trailer. I can't haul a freezer or refrigerator properly inside. If I had a truck it would not be a problem.

I am probably forgetting points both good and bad but this is a start. Hope to see some interesting posts from you all.

I think it all gets to be matter of what your individual needs are and what your prioritites are.
2003 Ford E150 Chateau, 5.4, 3.55 rear gear, pulls up to 6900 lbs bone stock, seats 7, keeps all my gear and clothes, beer coolers, and food baskets dry and accessible insde, as well as more secure than in a pickups bed with a topper or a solid bed cover. It's not 4 wheel drive, but I don't hunt and don't off road. 17-18 pg highway, 13-15 intown and about the same towing a boat, motor, trailer, 4 batteries trolling motor, full 53 gallon gas tank, with rods, tackle box, andchors etc onboard, about a solid 4300-4500 lbs rig, and the truck has not problem doing that. In fact on the highway it rides better towing than not.

The van easily hauls 4X8 sheets of plywood or drywall with the back bench seat out, and I mean fully inside with the doors closed so no rain or thiefs get in. I've had washers and dryers in the back, I agree frigerators too tall, but, I've never had the need to hump one.

By the way, I've never had my van full to the roof while moving a friend, and had anything blow out the back. I see stuff fly out of pickups all too often.

MSRP new, you will get far more truck in a van, than you will in a pickup or SUV because the vans ain't sexy or in demand. Vans depreciate faster than the pickups do, so buying one 2-3 years old, maybe with a little warranty still under it save you a bunch for a fairly low miles vehicles.

4X4 pickups have their place, so do 2x4 pickups, and I'd never try to tell soeone what they got isn't as good as what I have. It's just that what I got fits my life style, needs, and budget.

RE pickups with toppers on. Being anal about clean glass, trying to wash the window on the front of the topper and the rear of the truck cab would drive me nuts. :-)

Last big bonus. I take the back seat out when I go with 3 friends, a total of 4 of us. If we decide not to get a motel, 2 can sleep in the van fully stretched out in the back, and 2 can sleep in the cabin of the boat. Saves a buck on a motel. Warning, don't try this with folks that snore a lot :-)

[RIBLUEFISH]

I have a 2001 Tahoe with the 5.3 and tow a Ranger 519DVX with a tandem trailer. I like my truck alot. Of course it was better when it was new but still does a good job with 130K on her. The Tahoe is a great family Suv and has taken several trips to Florida and also back home to Rhode Island. Since it passed 100K we use my wifes car for such trips. It gets about 15 mpg, I guess towing the boat and 18 to 19 without? All I know is it is 200 miles round trip to Nolin and I use 3/4 of a tank of fuel or less if I drive slow. I have never been a big fan of pickup trucks and really have no use in my daily life for one as far as work goes. Everything stays safe and dry in the Tahoe and with the 3RD row seating I can carry 6 screaming 10 year old girls to the movies. That might be seen as a draw back but at least I know they got there safe.

[MarkW]

All I ever towed boats with are Fords---90 F150 4WD inline 300 6Cylinder,2001 F150 2WD 5.4 liter,2003 F150 4WD 5.4,2006 F-150 5.4 liter 4WD and my current truck 1997 F-150 5.4 4WD 3.55 rear end ratio LS, Towing package, etc. etc.
All of them pulled a 20 or 21 foot bass boat with Tandem trailer with no problems. I prefer 4WD over anything out there. I've had to park in muddy fields,grass lots, slick boat ramps, etc. etc. 4WD has always been a lifesaver. Wouldn't pull with anything else.
To me, the down side of Fords and 4WD---fuel mileage *****. I've never had a Ford get better than 10-12 MPG while pulling a boat. My current truck gets 10 MPG. Pretty expensive especially with gas on the rise again. Trips to Alabama and Soluth Carolina have been quite costly.
Other than that, they ride good, have good power and pull good,shift good,and for me, all around good.
My fishing partner has always had Chevy's. His current truck is 2011 Silverado 1500 4WD with the smaller engine--5.3 I think.
It's an awesome truck! Rides great, pulls awesome and get great gas mileage---usually around 18 or better pulling the boat.
I think most of the new trucks get alot better mileage-----other than the Tundra.
The Tundra is also a real nice truck. A buddy of mine had a new one in 2008 and we pulled my boat to Arkansas for a tournament. I drove for the first 6 hours----handled great, good power, rode nice, etc. etc. I really liked the truck.
Gas was around 12-14 mpg pulling the boat.

That's about the most I can tell you and tried to stay unbiased.
I've never pulled a boat with a Dodge, Nissan or anything else other than what I listed---don't know anything about them.

[HURRICANEBOB]

I used to tow with a 1990 Dodge, B250 Van with a 318 ci (they called it a 5.2l) and yanked my 3200 pounds worth of pontoon around. I still miss that truck, ebven though 14 mpg was best I got on the highway, and 8-9 pulling the boat. Bought it 89K miles on for $5000, and drove it 7 years till it hit 192K miles and threw the rear end all over the driveway. But I do miss that truck....it had a certain 70's hardrock appeal to it.

[HURRICANEBOB]

Stopping distance from 10 mph was about 400 feet....uphill...with a head wind.

[HURRICANEBOB]

V6 min1 van. 1990 Plymouth. Lessons learned:
1. Add trans cooler and double core radiator, other wise while towing capacity is within spec, engine and trans overheat in temps over 50*.
2. Never tow the boat when rain is predicted without the mooring cover on. On I-65, outside Cave City, the rain came down at a rate of about 2 icnhes per hour, the boat filled up while towing, and the van went from 65 mph to 15 mph wide open. Speed increased as I went down hill and the water flowed out under the bow gate.

[Carter1]

A guy I used to work with had a pontoon and said it was like towing a kite.

Thanks guys for sharing your experience and opinions of the various vehicles.

[Shellkat]

I tow with my small truck,2000 Gmc 2500hd,5.7 with 3.73 gear and 4 speed od auto.I get 16 mpg if you stay off that petal on the right.If you get on that right petal she will move and drink. The worst part of this truck in the winter is it has a snow blade on the front and a full bed salt spreader in the back, hard to hook boat to, but I can clean off a ramp and salt her down.

[Carter1]

I tow with my small truck,2000 Gmc 2500hd,5.7 with 3.73 gear and 4 speed od auto.I get 16 mpg if you stay off that petal on the right.If you get on that right petal she will move and drink. The worst part of this truck in the winter is it has a snow blade on the front and a full bed salt spreader in the back, hard to hook boat to, but I can clean off a ramp and salt her down.

Could have used you down at the Benson Creek ramp a couple of years ago. I had to break ice on the ramp to launch my boat.