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Old 04-07-2018, 01:03 PM   #1
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Losing interest in my F250 - Land cruiser?

So, long story short, I think my platinum F250 is overkill for towing my 30' flying cloud bunk. I am also less than impressed with fuel economy, maintenance costs, quality of interior, and general ride comfort as a daily driver. With a third kid on the way, we're also running out of seats....

I have been in every American SUV - I am not very interested.

I've been looking at slightly used Land Cruisers (2016).

Any opinions as to suspension mods to make sure payload isn't an issue? Any advice?

Thank you!
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Old 04-07-2018, 01:17 PM   #2
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I would call Can-Am RV and ask Andy what he thinks.
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Old 04-07-2018, 03:14 PM   #3
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This will not fly on this forum....

Quote:
Originally Posted by marcesq View Post
So, long story short, I think my platinum F250 is overkill for towing my 30' flying cloud bunk. I am also less than impressed with fuel economy, maintenance costs, quality of interior, and general ride comfort as a daily driver. (...)
Congrats on the third baby!
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Old 04-07-2018, 04:08 PM   #4
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I would say it depends on your tolerance for risk. While you may be able to "upgrade" payload and/or towing capacity, these "upgrades" may improve the performance of the LC when towing but they will not change its ratings and in my opinion it is likely you will be well over the payload and towing ratings. How the combination will perform in an emergency maneuver may or may not be acceptable to you but you probably won't know until it happens. If (big if) you are ever involved in an accident, at fault or not, if you have deep pockets, watch out.

I don't (anymore) have to drive my 3/4T for daily use. Since it is mostly used for towing or cargo hauling from home improvement stores I don't have to deal with tight parking spaces. I don't live in a major metropolitan area, so traffic isn't much of a factor. My trailer is 1000# heavier than yours. For me the decision was easy. My 1/2T F-150 wasn't up to even Appalachian towing with my 6300# Safari 25, and in June I'll be towing my 9100# Classic out west for 6 weeks. Easy choice.

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Old 04-07-2018, 04:23 PM   #5
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I have been around....if you go that route you will be sorry. You have a perfect tow vehicle.
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Old 04-07-2018, 06:57 PM   #6
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Thanks for the comments - this post may be more of a group therapy session than actually convincing me to do anything.
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Old 04-07-2018, 07:15 PM   #7
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Losing interest in my F250 - Land cruiser?

If it makes you feel better after 3k miles of towing faster upgrading from a 25’ to a 30’ I made the tough decision to move from a very capable QX80 to a 3/4 ton platform. The QX has served us well with /5k miles towing our old 25’ but for us, the 3/4 ton platform works better for the 30’, the diesel has more power here in the Colorado Rockies, the brakes are bigger, has exhaust braking for descents, and the payload is better.

For us it works better - although we tow in the mountains on almost every trip.

If you are doing shorter trips at sea level you could get away with a large suv with appropriately calibrated WD and sway control but the LC has a pretty short wheelbase ratio compared to the length of the trailer when you look at the leverage at the ball (yaw force) that a 30’ can generate with wind / sway. A pro pride hitch certainly solves for this but reduces payload by another ~200lbs or so.

Just some things to think about. LC is an awesome and reliable vehicle for sure, but mind the wheelbase with a long trailer in tow. The QX is at 121” and that was limit for me for a 30’. Did an amazing job for 25k miles with our 25’ but the 3/4 ton is noticeable more stable in a straight line with our 30’ at 70mph on the highway. Not as agile as the QX, but everything is a compromise.

Finally - I agree with the comment above regarding giving Andy a call or email. Good folks up there at can-am.
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Old 04-07-2018, 07:31 PM   #8
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This FIRST issue you mention that you do not like about the f250 is fuel economy.

Do you really think a Land Cruiser will be better???

You would actually be very fortunate if the fuel economy of a Land Cruiser was at a very minimum the same.

All the other issues you discuss are personal preferences however you do not buy a Land Cruiser and expect anything better than 10 MPG-13 MPG at any time.
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Old 04-07-2018, 08:28 PM   #9
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We tow a 25' Flying Cloud with a 1/2 ton Toyota Tundra. Love the truck but have to manage payload really, really closely. Tundras are not generally known as big payload 1/2 tons .

Again we tow a 25' not a 30'. With three kids (we have one teenager with us) like you have and all the stuff you will bring as they get older I would not recommend going to a 1/2 ton. It will be pushing or exceeding payload either right away or soon enough with most 1/2 tons.

There are folks who use 1/2 tons to tow 30' Airstreams and enjoy it. But since you have such a great truck I personally wouldn't go there.

Other previous responses had great advice.

Happy travels with whatever tow vehicle you decide upon.
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Old 04-07-2018, 09:10 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vintageracer View Post
This FIRST issue you mention that you do not like about the f250 is fuel economy.

Do you really think a Land Cruiser will be better???

You would actually be very fortunate if the fuel economy of a Land Cruiser was at a very minimum the same.

All the other issues you discuss are personal preferences however you do not buy a Land Cruiser and expect anything better than 10 MPG-13 MPG at any time.
That's my understanding, but regular unleaded vs. diesel - about 15-20% difference in price recently. Maybe I don't have a great example, but I can't get over 13 mpg with my 250. Fuel economy is not the primary concern, but just a drop of annoyance added to the adaptive cruise control, pre-collision warning, ESC, and 4wd all going haywire this morning... All while some cheap plastic rattles in the dash.
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Old 04-07-2018, 09:19 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by Melody Ranch View Post
I have been around....if you go that route you will be sorry. You have a perfect tow vehicle.

Agreed...

Considering what you might have paid for the truck, fuel economy concerns you?
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Old 04-07-2018, 10:30 PM   #12
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I drive a 3/4 ton truck and love it but...I can’t imagine that the Land Cruiser would not be able to tow any Airstream...
The Toyota appears to have enough load capacity to handle that trailer if he is careful with what goes inside the tow vehicle.
I personally would never make the change based on fuel mileage but I would be nervous owning a modern vehicle with eelectrical gremlins. Ford makes wonderful trucks and I loved the 1/2 ton I drove for 130,000 miles but I did not purchase a second Ford due to the number of electrical failures it had in 6 years.
That and the way Ford dodged a few marginal issues while it was still under warranty made me look elsewhere.
I am guessing that the Land Cruiser is stastistically amongst some of the most reliable vehicles made.
Again, I love my truck. I will likely continue to own a truck for the rest of my life. I personally think that ignoring manufacturers payload numbers is foolhardy.
I’ve seen a lot of rationale for doing so but I also tend to believe the the engineers who design the vehicles. Looking at Toyota’s website it appears that the Land Cruiser has almost 1600 pounds of load capacity. He’d be close but it appears that it could be managed...
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Old 04-07-2018, 10:49 PM   #13
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My mechanic says, “It’s a Ford”...as if I’m supposed to get over it.

I figure I’ll just keep driving it. If it’s paid for it’s the best tow vehicle you can have.
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Old 04-07-2018, 11:33 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by marcesq View Post
So, long story short, I think my platinum F250 is overkill for towing my 30' flying cloud bunk. I am also less than impressed with fuel economy, maintenance costs, quality of interior, and general ride comfort as a daily driver. With a third kid on the way, we're also running out of seats....

I have been in every American SUV - I am not very interested.

I've been looking at slightly used Land Cruisers (2016).

Any opinions as to suspension mods to make sure payload isn't an issue? Any advice?

Thank you!

I too have the bunk and also the f250 PSD. I would never go smaller. In around 75k miles I have had plenty of situations to remind me why we got the truck to tow this trailer.

I got a fun daily driver to fix the livability issue with this truck. You will never regret having the right tow vehicle when the situation calls for it.
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Old 04-08-2018, 09:19 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by marcesq View Post
So, long story short, I think my platinum F250 is overkill for towing my 30' flying cloud bunk. I am also less than impressed with fuel economy, maintenance costs, quality of interior, and general ride comfort as a daily driver. With a third kid on the way, we're also running out of seats....

I have been in every American SUV - I am not very interested.

I've been looking at slightly used Land Cruisers (2016).

Any opinions as to suspension mods to make sure payload isn't an issue? Any advice?

Thank you!
I have an F150 2017 Ecoboost and purchased it for the very reason you have complained about. Tried a 3/4 ton and just couldn't see it as a daily driver. But I have a 28' and not a 30.'

Have you thought about going with F250 gas V8 (or something similar) and then adding some suspension adjustments to ease out the ride? That may reduce some of the cost of the diesel maintenance.

But I was talking to a guy the other day and he said with some modifications that F250 (that's my next pickup) of yours could be modified to make it ride better.

Also my son-in-law said the Dodge Ram 2500 diesel has a nicer ride because of different suspension system. Might be worth checking out.

But I think I would work at trying some modifications to your F250 first. Also with your F250 you could put much more into your AS and take some of the payload issues off your F250 if the suspension modifications were done an reduced payload.

The only other option I might consider is the Lincoln Navigator. That has lots of horsepower and torque. But not cheap!!
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Old 04-08-2018, 09:20 AM   #16
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I towed my 2016 Airstream FC 30 Bunk with a 2006 Toyota Land Cruiser. I now tow a 2017 Airstream FC 30 bunk with a 2014 Toyota Tundra. I have enjoyed towing both configurations.

Originally I was planing to replace my 06 LC with a 16 LC but cost sent me to a Tundra with basically the same power train. I think of the LC now as a short wheelbase tundra when talking about towing. There are a lot of differences but in general terms it holds.

The one thing that made me very comfortable with the Land Cruiser as my towing vehicle was using the ProPride hitch. I am currently using an Equalizer hitch in my setup. While it works with the longer wheelbase Tundra, I would not suggest it for a shorter wheelbase vehicle.

As for fuel economy...... it’s bad but without changing your cycle efficiency, I.e. going to Diesel, not much you can do to a gas engine other than going slower.

LC and Airstream 8 to 8.5 mpg
Tundra and Airstream 8.7 to 9.2 mpg.

Please keep in mind the Toyota had a major redesign to both the LC and Tundra in 2008. My LC has the older body and the smaller engine. Today’s LC and Tundra share the majority of the power train components.

Based on my personnel experience you will be fine with an LC while towing and have an awesome experience when not. (I love them I just can’t afford both at the same time). Please let me know if you have any detailed questions.
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Old 04-08-2018, 09:27 AM   #17
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We've towed our International 28 with a F250 and our Land Cruiser. Yes, the truck is more stable, but with the proper set up the LC is hard to beat. We checked with CanAm before getting the LC and wouldnt look back. The fuel economy is a wash, just watch your payload carefully. Now that we're a one car family, we're happy that we chose the Land Cruiser.
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Old 04-08-2018, 09:46 AM   #18
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I've owned my '97 F250 7.3 for 20 years now. It will pull anything you can tow with a pickup and I still have a safety margin. I also have a 2005 Tahoe 1/2 ton, no comparison.... I just towed my 27' Argosy across the country without trailer brakes or rear brakes on the truck (I know, not smart) but the Ford handled it fine.

If you have another kid on the way that means more stuff, friends, etc. In time you will work out any gremlins in the Ford and when it is paid off (if not already) you will have a truck that should last a lifetime if you take care of it. Get a minivan for around town if the truck isn't convenient for that.

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Old 04-08-2018, 09:51 AM   #19
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It appears the Toyota boys have not come across this thread yet...

Best regards and safe travels
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Old 04-08-2018, 10:19 AM   #20
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