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Some of us can't afford a new 5er and a new truck...
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I recently made a big career change mid-life which allows me to do what I love (teach) but I took a pretty hefty financial hit... Although we now both have summers off w/our 3 kids, we need to watch our budget...
The original plan was to combine a used $15K full-size SUV with a new $20K hybrid. However, most of the SUVs I looked at were 8-9 years old with older engine/4 speed tranny tech & lots of Ohio rust... Then (in 2013) I spotted a 2011 Ram 2500 CC for $14K which allowed us to consider 7,000 lb. 2-slide bunkhouses with (real) comfy beds. Eventually we chose to buy a (gently used) TT for $20K which actually kept us in our original budget & early payoff plan...
However, GCVW is a big factor with this TV... Although our Ram 2500 has a payload of 3,000 & tow rating of 9,100, the GCVW is only 15,000. With family of 5, dog, and fiberglass cap adding to GCVW, our TT needs to weigh-in at under 8,250 ready-to-camp.
I'm VERY glad we didn't go smaller on either the TV or TT. The kids enjoy the extra bunk room & when we close the doors we can't hear noisy CG neighbors. We're middle-aged but our 3 kids are young & we like to hike, bike & enjoy outdoors with them. BELIEVE ME, when the day is done, so are we & it's nice to have a quiet retreat!