Is your Tow Vehicle driven regularly?

[Mad Cow]

My 3/4 ton is not a regular driver. Primarily for work related tasks or towing. Pushes snow in winter, hauls materials for property projects, etc. Occasionally used for normal driving if the wife's car is in the shop or I need to do something and she has the car. The car and the pickup both sit in a heated garage when not in use.

[Mr Towed]

I feel like I may have posted this before but when I started working in the city a lot the gas on my truck, which was my daily driver at the time, was killing me, it was around $800 a month. (And then there's parking!) I was able to lease a Volkswagen TDI which only cost $400 a month INCLUDING fuel. So having an additional car was actually SAVING me about $400 a month (a little less when you figure in another car on the insurance)

[Wolverine 1945]

Wow leave the computer for a day and come back to being 3 pages behind !!! LOL !!!
Speaking of Rust & Salt,,, what do we think of the Aluminum F-150 ???

[aceinspp]

Now that camping is done for the year the truck will be used very little. We have a volt we drive and is sure easy on gas.( 35 gals in 27 months), Later RJD

[pack15]

Here’s my story on the subject. My 2015 F250 gets used regularly during winter ( daily driver and plow vehicle ) however during the summer it is my TV for camper and sits the rest of time as I use my motorcycle mostly. I live 6 minutes from work and when I do use truck would make attempts to take longer route to get everything up to operating temps. Was never all that concerned about battery but rather getting motor and exhaust hot enough to dry out condensation etc...
One day I noticed major pulsation comeing from brakes - with only 22k on the truck I was thinking “why rotors”?? Well I took it to my trustworthy mechanic and apparently, because of short trips the rotors and pads had a very bad build up of rust - they thought they could turn the rotors down but to rusty. All rotors and pads had to be replaced to the tune of nearly $800.00. Truck was washed regularly after every snow event as I’m in Wisconsin. They said rust was from rotors and pads not being heated up and condensation = rust if not used hard.
My take away is use your heavy duty truck HARD!! Drive it as much as possible and don’t baby it🤬

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by pack15

Here’s my story on the subject. My 2015 F250 gets used regularly during winter ( daily driver and plow vehicle ) however during the summer it is my TV for camper and sits the rest of time as I use my motorcycle mostly. I live 6 minutes from work and when I do use truck would make attempts to take longer route to get everything up to operating temps. Was never all that concerned about battery but rather getting motor and exhaust hot enough to dry out condensation etc...
One day I noticed major pulsation comeing from brakes - with only 22k on the truck I was thinking “why rotors”?? Well I took it to my trustworthy mechanic and apparently, because of short trips the rotors and pads had a very bad build up of rust - they thought they could turn the rotors down but to rusty. All rotors and pads had to be replaced to the tune of nearly $800.00. Truck was washed regularly after every snow event as I’m in Wisconsin. They said rust was from rotors and pads not being heated up and condensation = rust if not used hard.
My take away is use your heavy duty truck HARD!! Drive it as much as possible and don’t baby it🤬

It seams to me that just driving it would remove the rust ???

[ronheater70]

Wife drives the truck as her vehicle, however she has a home office and may only get out once or twice a week. I have an Altima with 186K on it I bought in 2010 I use as the daily driver and some short trips. My office is only 12 miles away so 24 miles a day on the car. I do find myself driving the truck occasionally to the office just because I enjoy driving it.

[pack15]

That’s what I thought. They showed me parts and the rotors were flaking and literally crumbling apart - looked like 100k not 22. Truck out of warranty - don’t think brakes are covered anyway.

[pack15]

Originally Posted by Wolverine 1945

It seams to me that just driving it would remove the rust ???

Truthfully I think I drove the truck a little to soft

[JohnD10]

My 2015 Chevy 2500HD just turned 75,000 miles last night...

Now that I only put 20-30 miles per week on it I noticed that the brakes squeal when I first start out driving, but then it goes away after I've used the brakes a few times.

I was thinking that it was the desert dust...

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by JohnD10

My 2015 Chevy 2500HD just turned 75,000 miles last night...

Now that I only put 20-30 miles per week on it I noticed that the brakes squeal when I first start out driving, but then it goes away after I've used the brakes a few times.

I was thinking that it was the desert dust...

My 2003 F-150 with just over 36k on it does the same thing when I back it out of the garage when taking it for a ride,,, the breaks sound Honorable in reverse
I am pretty sure it is rust,,, it is fine after a few stops !!!

[camaro80]

My truck is used at least weekly here on the farm. Sometimes without trailer, sometimes with. It sometimes pulls a 20-foot gooseneck deck for hay hauling or moving my Cat skidsteer, or whatever. It also often pulls a 16-foot gooseneck stock trailer that I use for hauling cattle.

[Volvodriver]

Our HDT is our only vehicle other than the golf cart. We plan our trips for groceries or eating out or visiting friends accordingly. When I start it we run it at least 10 to 15 miles to bring all temps up to a good operating range and tires warmed up a little.
When a car is needed we rent from a major car rental who comes to the park or campground we're in or we go pick it and the DW drives it back to our campground. It's worked pretty well for us. When we do use the truck we always park at a distance or a location so we won't cause a commotion with folks or businesses.

Dave

[Velosprout]

My tow vehicle is a rare F150 4x4 Heavy Duty Payload Package 6-passenger truck. Because it would take probably around $55,000+ to special order a replacement and they are nearly impossible to find in-stock, I want to make it last as long as possible. I use it for towing or when I have grandchildren to transport, or deep snow conditions. My daily driver/farm truck is a 2003 F250 (it has lower towing capacity than the F150 HDPP). A Jeep Patriot 4x4 Limited is my wife’s vehicle.

I just had to replace the battery on my tow vehicle; the original 2014 Motorcraft went bad.
I usually buy Interstate, but I was rushed for a trip and an Autozone battery was the quickest to buy.

I use a Harbor Freight battery maintainer on the F150 if it is going to be garaged for more than a week. (I keep maintainers on my boat trolling motor battery, Ferris zero-steer mower, and camping trailer as well in the off-season.)

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

Reading through this thread I'm just baffled by the number of folks who only use their TV when pulling their RV. Makes no sense to me why you would pay that much $$$ for a vehicle you rarely use. Store it for the winter? Seems a waste.

We have three pickups that get driven regularly and often. And yes, one is used to pull our fiver, but it is also used as an everyday errand runner.

What we don't have a use for is a car, now that is a limited use vehicle. Liz is looking at SUVs lately, so we might have an addition.

Have a great vehicle? USE IT!!!! Then you don't have to worry about battery maintenance. Worried about salt? I lived in CO awhile. They have these car washes that will wash the underneath of your vehicle.

An all purpose vehicle is a terrible thing to waste

For me the choice was an easy one. I love my truck and enjoy it a lot when using it to tow my trailer. Using it to run errands was costing me $400 a month in gas. I bought a $30 battery maintainer and use my Volt to run around. A "tank" of electricity costs me about $1.80 and I can refill it in 4 hours. If I run around in the am, come home and have lunch, there's enough juice in the "tank" to finish the day. Last time i bought gas was sometime in April, i think.

Doing it that way practically pays for all the gas i burn on trips, the last two this year being 4,000 miles.

[Mslaman]

2008 BMW 100,000 miles. Wife’s car. She drives it until it’s out of gas. Want to know how I know her car is out of gas? I come home from work to find that my (her) truck has been moved or is missing. I never drive this car unless it needs gas.

2005 Chevy 2500HD 6.0. 220,000 miles. Wife’s truck. New tranny at 210,000. This is our play in the forest truck. We leave it at my dads house up north. He uses it around the property for various duties, and it pulls our boat.

2016 Chevy 2500 HD DURAMAX LTZ Z71. 19,000 miles. This is also the wife’s truck. When it is moved I know it is time to gas up her BMW. This is our tow truck / “it’s raining so I can’t drive my car” or “my car needs gas” or whatever reason my wife says she needs to drive it.

2017 Ford F150 ECO BOOST. 25,000 miles. This is my company truck. I am privileged to drive it is part of my compensation. It’s a nice truck and my first choice to be driven. But as with “my” other vehicles. It is not mine. The company I work for owns it.

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by Mslaman

2008 BMW 100,000 miles. Wife’s car. She drives it until it’s out of gas. Want to know how I know her car is out of gas? I come home from work to find that my (her) truck has been moved or is missing. I never drive this car unless it needs gas.

2005 Chevy 2500HD 6.0. 220,000 miles. Wife’s truck. New tranny at 210,000. This is our play in the forest truck. We leave it at my dads house up north. He uses it around the property for various duties, and it pulls our boat.

2016 Chevy 2500 HD DURAMAX LTZ Z71. 19,000 miles. This is also the wife’s truck. When it is moved I know it is time to gas up her BMW. This is our tow truck / “it’s raining so I can’t drive my car” or “my car needs gas” or whatever reason my wife says she needs to drive it.

2017 Ford F150 ECO BOOST. 25,000 miles. This is my company truck. I am privileged to drive it is part of my compensation. It’s a nice truck and my first choice to be driven. But as with “my” other vehicles. It is not mine. The company I work for owns it.

Your in Deep Due Due if they all run out of gas !!!

[jas451]

I have a 2009 F-250, it now has 23k+ miles on it......I bought it for the primary purpose to tow a RV, though I use at other times when I need a truck. It is a v-10 so gas mileage is not very cost effective if I need to run to the hardware store or grocery or any other run of the mill errands. It sits alot this time of the year but I do try to get it out occasionally. It had the original battery up until last winter and then had to replace. I've never had a trickle charger on it and it sits outside, covered. We're in KC so we can get some pretty good cold snaps and cold weather.

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by jas451

I have a 2009 F-250, it now has 23k+ miles on it......I bought it for the primary purpose to tow a RV, though I use at other times when I need a truck. It is a v-10 so gas mileage is not very cost effective if I need to run to the hardware store or grocery or any other run of the mill errands. It sits alot this time of the year but I do try to get it out occasionally. It had the original battery up until last winter and then had to replace. I've never had a trickle charger on it and it sits outside, covered. We're in KC so we can get some pretty good cold snaps and cold weather.

Can't beat those Motorcraft Battery's !!!
Hope you replaced it with Motorcraft !!!

[Mad Cow]

Originally Posted by JohnD10

My 2015 Chevy 2500HD just turned 75,000 miles last night...

Now that I only put 20-30 miles per week on it I noticed that the brakes squeal when I first start out driving, but then it goes away after I've used the brakes a few times.

I was thinking that it was the desert dust...

Yeah, same on brake thing with my 2015 2500HD. Evidently a little bit of rust build up on the rotors between use. No big deal. I only have about 30,000 miles on mine. Oil gets changed once a year in June/July.