Need a Tow Vehicle

[redrider13]

I might be in the market for a new truck seeing as I just purchased a 21ss and have a Toyota Tacoma. I'm not sure this truck will be able to handle the weight especially up hill. Anyway, what do you guys think of the new RAM?? I am a little concerned about the coil springs in the back. Do you squat much when loaded and do you carry things in the bed also such as firewood and such? I was looking at an 06 2500 but the mpg is around 11 and the year is a little old. What mpg are you guys seeing combined city/hwy?? Any insight you could give me about the truck and how it handles for you as a daily driver would be great.. Thanks so much, Camping season is almost here!!!

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by redrider13

I might be in the market for a new truck seeing as I just purchased a 21ss and have a Toyota Tacoma. I'm not sure this truck will be able to handle the weight especially up hill. Anyway, what do you guys think of the new RAM?? I am a little concerned about the coil springs in the back. Do you squat much when loaded and do you carry things in the bed also such as firewood and such? I was looking at an 06 2500 but the mpg is around 11 and the year is a little old. What mpg are you guys seeing combined city/hwy?? Any insight you could give me about the truck and how it handles for you as a daily driver would be great.. Thanks so much, Camping season is almost here!!!

I think it best to start Your own new thread as to tag onto this one .
You have questions some people may never see because its in this thread.

PM a mod and have them start you a new thread in towing.


TURBS

[thebrakeman]

3/4-ton truck is overkill for a 21SS. I'd be surprised if a 21SS hits 4500 lbs fully loaded. What's the tow rating and powertrain in the Taco?

[redrider13]

The 21ss weight is 4300-4500 lbs dry and a gvw of 5600. I have always owned a lifted truck and like the height of the 2500 which are much higher than the new 1500s and the coil springs in the rear is what was leaning me to the 2500 hemi. Yes a 2500 is overkill for around 5000 pound hybrid. I have not decided and wanted input and mpg from new ram owners. The Tacoma is rated for 6500 with the towing package but is a 4.0 6cyl. I only tow the camper in the summer for vacations (3hrs away max) and occasionally a landscape trailer. I am lifted with firestone air bags in the rear and currently get around 16-18.5 city/hwy depending on fuel type(winter vs summer).

[mkillora]

I've got a 2011 Toyota Tacoma with the off road package and as you stated, it's good for 6500 lbs tow capacity. We have a Rockwood 2109s Mini Lite with a weight of around 4,000 lbs. We've pulled this trailer for about 15,000 miles and seen every kind of hill/mountain, from Canada to Florida. The Tacoma has never had a problem pulling this weight. I realize that you're a bit heavier, but I've seen people with bigger trailers than mine being pulled by a Tacoma. Just food for thought.

[redrider13]

Mkillora Thanks for the reply. I previously had a shamrock hybrid that weighed about 4000 and the Tacoma pulled it fine but I knew it was back there. I am worried about the extra 1300 lbs I will be pulling and also the tongue weight on the Tacoma is rated for 650 and my trailer is at 580 DRY. I carry firewood and other camping stuff in the bed of the truck along with the wife, kid and dog in the cab.

[bikendan]

a lot depends on whether or not you plan to upgrade in the future.
you can't go wrong with the F150 Ecoboost.
any GM or Dodge v-8 truck/SUV will have the v-4 feature. my full size Avalanche has it and i often get 20mpg highway.
i tow a similar weight 23SS and i pull it through all kinds of mountains with no problems.

[DDC]

Volkswagen Touareg TDI
Mercedes-Benz GL350 BlueTEC
BMW X5 xDrive35d
Porsche Cayenne

These all have great power and towing capacity, price is a little higher than a diesel pick-up but a lot more comfortable and a lot better on fuel consumption.

[wickedwyrm]

Originally Posted by DDC

Volkswagen Touareg TDI
Mercedes-Benz GL350 BlueTEC
BMW X5 xDrive35d
Porsche Cayenne

These all have great power and towing capacity, price is a little higher than a diesel pick-up but a lot more comfortable and a lot better on fuel consumption.

+1. I use the diesel X5 for my sp220 and it works great with plenty if power and still reasonable fuel economy.

[wyo700]

Considering you have a Tacoma why not look into a tundra with the 5.7. It would pull that camper very well. Something to think about.

[jeeplj8]

Originally Posted by redrider13

I might be in the market for a new truck seeing as I just purchased a 21ss and have a Toyota Tacoma. I'm not sure this truck will be able to handle the weight especially up hill. Anyway, what do you guys think of the new RAM?? I am a little concerned about the coil springs in the back. Do you squat much when loaded and do you carry things in the bed also such as firewood and such? I was looking at an 06 2500 but the mpg is around 11 and the year is a little old. What mpg are you guys seeing combined city/hwy?? Any insight you could give me about the truck and how it handles for you as a daily driver would be great.. Thanks so much, Camping season is almost here!!!

I would say your Taco is up to the task, but in my experience any lift almost always causes a decrease in payload. your airbags may make the difference.

I get the feeling you have the itch for something different and like the look and feel of the 3/4 ton trucks. Unless you plan to go diesel, your MPG numbers are going to hurt compared to your Taco.

I am also guessing the thought of a German SUV is far from your mind...

Couple suggestions:
an F-150 ecoboost with a small lift should hit the sweet spot for you lookswise, but still deliver some decent MPG. not as great as what you have now, but pretty close. A lifted Chevy or Dodge V8 will not get quite as good MPG, but I love the look of a lifted Ram 1500 on rockstars, just me. And I have not heard anything bad about towing with the new Ram and rear coil springs. Finally, you could get wild and go with the Raptor.

[gsjp1989]

Go as big as you can afford. We started with a wimpy Ford Exploder 4L w/ a Jayco Kiwi. Then moved up to a Nissan Titan and a FR GrayWolf 28bh. Titan could not handle the hills well so now we have 2008 Ford F350 Super Duty. Better to have too much than not enough. Keep Rollin'!

[rotorhead1250]

Originally Posted by thebrakeman

3/4-ton truck is overkill for a 21SS. I'd be surprised if a 21SS hits 4500 lbs fully loaded. What's the tow rating and powertrain in the Taco?

I disagree. I'm hauling TT with a UVW of 4500 with a 1 ton truck and couldn't be happier. When fully loaded with gear that stays in the camper and water, I’m close to my 3000lb cargo limit, but I never worry about overloading or overtasking my truck. I just got back from a turkey hunt and we pushed west in 40-50 mph winds. Sure, I was in third the whole way, but did just fine. Don’t think a half ton would have made it (no back-up data to prove that). My point is, get the biggest, most powerful truck you can afford to own and drive, not one that just barely hauls your rig and you’ll be smiling all the way to your destination and back. Happy camping.

[ChooChooMan74]

Originally Posted by DDC

Volkswagen Touareg TDI
Mercedes-Benz GL350 BlueTEC
BMW X5 xDrive35d
Porsche Cayenne

These all have great power and towing capacity, price is a little higher than a diesel pick-up but a lot more comfortable and a lot better on fuel consumption.

Add Jeep Grand Cherokee. Reported 7800 tow capacity...

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by thebrakeman

3/4-ton truck is overkill for a 21SS. I'd be surprised if a 21SS hits 4500 lbs fully loaded. What's the tow rating and powertrain in the Taco?

i don't think you've really looked at the 21SS's specs.

its fictional "dry" weight starts at 4267lbs. now add the weight of "options". my 23SS weighed 400lbs. over its "dry" weight with the standard "options.
so, now that 21SS weighs 4667lbs. before water, battery, propane and cargo.

my similar weight Roo 23SS weighs over 5000lbs. loaded for camping. and that's just the two of us.
i don't think the OP needs a 3/4 ton truck, unless they plan a future upgrade.
any 5.0 and above v-8 or the Ecoboost v-6 will be plenty to tow the 21SS.

[BuckeyeChuck]

I had an antigua 215SSO close to 4700 #. I towed with a Ford F 150, 5.4 V8 and 3:73 gears. Towed from Michigan to Utah across the Rockies with no problem either going up or coming down. Averaged about 10 miles per gallon for the entire trip while towing.

[redrider13]

Thank you for all your input. I have had the diesel and am not looking to go that route again due to not towing often and the increase in fuel price as well as maintenance. I hate to get rid of my truck now which gets good gas mileage for what it is just to tow 4-5 times a year. A lot of people talk as if you are pulling the trailer 24/7 when in reality this is not the case. I am not looking to do world record speeds or anything just be able to tow a trailer safely. I am not looking to upgrade any time soon as I just ordered a 2013. If anything I will be adding to the family sometime but what's another couple pounds!!! Thank you for all the input and help. I will just have to wait and see how it tows and make a decision then. On another note I read someone got a 2014 on here. I am still waiting for mine from the factory. Any chance it could have a 2014 manufacture date even though its only April?

[Char_n_Kath]

Redrider - We have a 2011 Rockwood 2304 that we towed with a Dodge Dakota (V8 & factory tow package). It worked, but was getting too small for our needs, and the range was too limited with its 20 gallon tank. Last weekend we picked up our new tow vehicle - a 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 Crew Cab. It is a very nice truck, which will suit all of our needs, as we don't intend to replace our camper anytime soon, either. With 1,600 miles of about 60/40 highway/city thus far, I'm averaging 16.5 mpg. I haven't towed with it yet, so can't give you a "towing mpg" report. I went with the air suspension, so the unit doesn't have coil springs & from all reports I've read on other forums, the air suspension leveling works like a charm.

[asquared]

A properly adjusted WDH should assist with rear squat. with a lift kit I think you are gonna be pushing the tacos weight limits. A half ton with a decent payload should do just fine for that trailer. Remember your tongue weight will be 13-15% of the loaded TT weight and not the dry tongue weight. in this case I would use the trailer gvwr to do the calculations since it has such a low cargo capacity, the means you are looking at a max tongue weight of approx 840 lbs.

As stated above the tundra or Ford ecoboost should handle that TT beautifully and probably have room for a little lift. That said, a lift can affect your towing stability so be cautious here. if upgrading the taco and thinking about starting a family, may I suggest you get a 4 door cab instead of an extended cab. Coming from experience it will be a lot easier for car seats and any needs for doing things in the back with kids. The ecoboost and the tundra will also give you room to upgrade to a bunkhouse down the road when said future kid needs it.

[thebrakeman]

Originally Posted by bikendan

i don't think you've really looked at the 21SS's specs.

Yes I have. But I'm having more "senior moments" since I passed 40, and apparantly my memory was off on this one. Thanks for setting me straight.