Most economical tow rig?

FranktheTank wrote: I tow with a 4x4 93 Z71 15mpg.... For a 3k dollar truck. I can buy a lot of gas.

That is my philosophy. Of course I would love a 4bt or 6bt in my truck but that would take thousands of dollars and that can buy lots of gas.

These newer trucks are getting the mileage, so if thats what you're after, you're laying down the cash. Not only is the mileage better, but they are really set up to tow with all your fancy-dancy controls.

Or you can be like me and get 10mpg towing and 12 regular. Thats why I have a rig and DD. Don't need no new fancy truck.

I had looked at an older setup last month but while it was cheap to buy needed a lot to safety. The CEO/CFO suggested I wait and save for something requiring less of my time. A turn key solution :)

The new trucks are all too pretty...

FranktheTank wrote: I tow with a 4x4 93 Z71 15mpg.... For a 3k dollar truck. I can buy a lot of gas.

Yep, what's most economical is going to depend on just how much towing you're doing with it. Old 2WD gas powered trucks (or SUVs, especially Suburbans) may not get great mileage, but the buy in can be really cheap.

N Sperlo wrote: These newer trucks are getting the mileage, so if thats what you're after, you're laying down the cash. Not only is the mileage better, but they are really set up to tow with all your fancy-dancy controls. Or you can be like me and get 10mpg towing and 12 regular. Thats why I have a rig and DD. Don't need no new fancy truck.

Meh, rented a 2013 3/4 hemi Ram last weekend, it got a stellar 11mpg while I had it, of course it actually was working

FranktheTank wrote: I tow with a 4x4 93 Z71 15mpg.... For a 3k dollar truck. I can buy a lot of gas. Diesel is so high you need to be knocking down some great mpg to justify it. A Duramax with an mpg tune will out do most all of them. My 2001.5 ext cab 4x4 dually Cummins with 5spd HX 35/40 turbo 110 injectors and a tst tuner got 25mpg on the highway. That was before the 66/70 250's and I completely ruined all street ability.

Troof. The '90's Chevy trucks are everywhere, reliable, cheap and easy to work on, and CHEAP TO BUY IN. I have a '98 4x4 Z71, it'll get 18-19 empty and 15 towing a CRX on a dolly. Haven't done any long runs with a trailer behind it yet. I'm at $2,500 total investment on it, and it's surprisingly easy to live with as a bad weather DD.

The van contingent has a good point...buy-in IS quite a bit cheaper comparable to a 2wd truck. If you're using it principally as a toy hauler and not as an errand-runner, then it's also nice to be able to haul all of your stuff in an enclosed, LOCKABLE space that you can also sleep in at the track. However, they're not as fun to use for hauling mulch or scrap metal. YMMV.

My 2002 Liberty with tow package and towing an open trailer with car on it. 3900 lbs app.
Did get as high as 15mpg A lot depended on terrain.

iceracer wrote: My 2002 Liberty with tow package and towing an open trailer with car on it. 3900 lbs app. Did get as high as 15mpg A lot depended on terrain.

OP, I guess it comes down to three things:

1) what kind (how heavy) a trailer you want to tow,

2) how often and how far, and

3) what other responsibilities the tow vehicle will have.

You CAN tow an open trailer with a small car or side-by-side on it with just about anything. If you're going to make regular, long distance, interstate-speed trips, though, you'll want more capability.

MadScientistMatt wrote:

FranktheTank wrote: I tow with a 4x4 93 Z71 15mpg.... For a 3k dollar truck. I can buy a lot of gas.

Yep, what's most economical is going to depend on just how much towing you're doing with it. Old 2WD gas powered trucks (or SUVs, especially Suburbans) may not get great mileage, but the buy in can be really cheap.

Yea, my 1995 F150 ¼ ton with 4x4 (BONUS!) will run you up $2500 for a nice one.

Wife works from home, drives around for shopping etc still uses a couple tanks of gas a month in her Matrix (getting around mid to low 20s now because city driving)

I commute 300 miles a week mostly freeway with my jetta TDI and get 43mpg

I don't generally like to buy anything new as depreciation prone as a vehicle

This plan is a ways out but intended use is 1-2 trips a month about 2.5-3hrs away to the desert probably 6-7 months out of the year avoiding the hot months and a couple trips to other places during the rest of the year. Size wise I don't really want anything bigger than the minimum we would need to haul the toys.

Wife wants a larger vehicle within the next year or so with additional kid and stuff. She prefers SUV to minivans but we know minivan is more practical.

I tend to be more for a RV and then towing a open or flatbed trailer but if we could cut down on the number of vehicles we are parking, insuring, registering etc that would be nice. So I was mainly trying to see (which I doubted) if there was anyway adding up those additional costs would outweigh the fuel differences of a smaller more economical vehicle. Possibly with the less driving my wife does? But she doesn't really want to drive a truck or go fullsize but I think a full size suburban 2500 is about the only safe big tow option in the SUV side

Since right now we have the Matrix (hers), Jetta TDI (mine), Miata (mine). And if we had a side by side and a tow rig/trailer that would definitely require off site storage which is additional $$

In reply to Jaynen:

If you can talk the other half into a full-size SUV, they do make relatively small toy haulers. A 30 sec. search turned up this example:

http://www.trailerworld.com/viewproduct.cgi?id=1078

Ranger50 wrote:

petegossett wrote: Vans are typically cheaper to buy than trucks or SUVs.

And 3x harder to work on with no footwell room.

Fortunately I have to slide the seat damn near all the way to the dash, so I don't really notice the lack of foot room.

In reply to aussiesmg:

The weight of those 2 steaks wasn't inconsequential either, at least compared to the weight of the Europa.

Ian F wrote: In reply to Jaynen: If you can talk the other half into a full-size SUV, they do make relatively small toy haulers. A 30 sec. search turned up this example: http://www.trailerworld.com/viewproduct.cgi?id=1078

Yeah they do, the issue is if I can fit a 4 seat side by side in one that is considered "small"

petegossett wrote: In reply to aussiesmg: The weight of those 2 steaks wasn't inconsequential either, at least compared to the weight of the Europa.

Mmmmmmmm steak

I bought my '95 F150 with 5.8 for $1000 and it seems to be in decent shape.

aussiesmg wrote:

N Sperlo wrote: These newer trucks are getting the mileage, so if thats what you're after, you're laying down the cash. Not only is the mileage better, but they are really set up to tow with all your fancy-dancy controls. Or you can be like me and get 10mpg towing and 12 regular. Thats why I have a rig and DD. Don't need no new fancy truck.

Meh, rented a 2013 3/4 hemi Ram last weekend, it got a stellar 11mpg while I had it, of course it actually was working

Did you just buy a Europa?

in december i drove a new-ish F250 supercab long box (no cap on bed) with the 6.7L PSD from detroit to TWS and back, pulling a 26' enclosed trailer with a car and a lot of spares. pretty much 80 mph the whole way, door to door over 2600 miles was 9.9 mpg.

my buddy was driving his 2013 ecoboost F150 FX4 supercrew short box (with cap), pulling an open trailer with a 2500# car on it. same route, same speeds, he averaged 13.1 mpg.

i believe aero had a lot to do with it.

In reply to EvanB:

No, he was just kind enough to offer transport service for a short distance.

Most economical: How much is a hitch for the TDI - $200? Not everything needs a one-ton diesel to tote stuff around a few times a year. Just curious what an overgrown golf cart weighs - I would think in the 700-800 lb range and a 5 x 10 utility trailer weighs in around 500-600 lbs - so maybe 1500-1600 with some gear thrown in. The bad part is once you have a trailer and start using it, you will find more uses for it - then it won't be big enough, then you really won't have the right tow vehicle.

for grooviness -

psteav wrote:

FranktheTank wrote: I tow with a 4x4 93 Z71 15mpg.... For a 3k dollar truck. I can buy a lot of gas.

Troof. The '90's Chevy trucks are everywhere, reliable, cheap and easy to work on, and CHEAP TO BUY IN. I have a '98 4x4 Z71, it'll get 18-19 empty and 15 towing a CRX on a dolly. Haven't done any long runs with a trailer behind it yet. I'm at $2,500 total investment on it, and it's surprisingly easy to live with as a bad weather DD. The van contingent has a good point...buy-in IS quite a bit cheaper comparable to a 2wd truck. If you're using it principally as a toy hauler and not as an errand-runner, then it's also nice to be able to haul all of your stuff in an enclosed, LOCKABLE space that you can also sleep in at the track. However, they're not as fun to use for hauling mulch or scrap metal. YMMV.

Exactly why I have a K5 Suburban! I can sleep in it and lock my stuff. 80s chevy bits are even cheaper and easier to work on! but my mileage is not 15...

Drove home this for $2600. Into it less than $4k right now with all the checkbooking to make sure it was up to snuff. '94 3500 6.5 TD. Not fast, but it tows like no tomorrow. Had it for 3 years so far and took it with trailer down to Charleston SC 3 times so far, and up to CT twice (starting at Baltimore) as well as all over the midatlantic.

How much does one of those weigh? My MKIV TDI is rated for 2000#'s and I get ~40-43 mpg towing my boat.

Nevermind, just saw that Oldtin already mentioned it. Get a hitch for the TDI, for sure.

Ranger50 wrote: The price difference between gas, either small or big block, and diesel cost per mile/MPG's, you can buy a LOT of gas for the difference, unless you are buying a diesel with a problem, typically injector, injection pump, or transmission related or you get an owner that doesn't know how to fix it. My 97 2wd F250 PSD got 18mpg, everywhere empty. 16mpg pulling an open trailer loaded or enclosed trailer empty. I'll relate this, wife's Avalanche 1500 pulled the same open trailer I always have had with that same F250 on it(!) and got 11mpg in Drive. That was an easy 8k load up, down, and around the mountains of Eastern KY. Would I change what I bought? No. But then again, if I am just pulling once or twice a year for longer then 3-4hrs, it is far cheaper to just stay gas with reduced mileage. You will never see the price break unless you are running all over the country.

I bought my diesel for torque. Economy, while pretty decent, was not the deciding factor. With around 3k worth of mods my 95 Dodge Dually (purchased for around 5k) dynos at 750 ft lbs to the wheels. With a little over 1k in mods I was slightly over 600 ft lbs to the wheels (should have just stopped there). Towing a loaded trailer up hills is no sweat.
Before the diesel I had two gasser duallies and I was sick and tired of slowing down on hills. Both had small blocks, so I'm sure a big block would have been better.

Of course, at the end of the day it's still a modified 18 year old truck, so something newer, even with less power, is appealing at times.