Bought 75th Bambi - need tow vehicle

[mortjameson]

Congrats on the trailer purchase. Don't forget that New Mexico has plenty of hills and mountains to climb, so you'll want that extra power. I live in NM also (just north of Mountainair), and I am also looking for a vehicle. There's a lot of buzz on the 2007 Tundras, but I'll probably buy used Tundra.

The Toyota dealership in Alb. tried to talk me into a Tacoma. They are great looking vehicles, but I worry about towing with a V6. I'm not that knowledgebleabout these things, so here's my question-

Am I correct in thinking that a Tundra is a better option than a Tacoma for towing my 2003 International CCD 22' AS?

Thanks for any infomation you provide!

Jay

[CanoeStream]

Originally Posted by Bambi75th

We know that the 2007 Tundra is probably overkill for the 19' Bambi....

No! I don't think that at all!! However an '07 Tundra probably will be undersized if roving eyes cause you to look further at 25-footers.

Bambi75th and Jay, for the Tundra experience of another southwesterner see http://www.airforums.com/forum...esel-6818.html
(silverback has upgraded from his 22' CCD since this thread was done)

[Goin camping]

When it comes to tow vehicles go BIG for two reasons.

1, More truck = More ease.
2, You will probably get a bigger trailer and then need to buy a bigger truck.

I have had three trailers from a pop-up to a 25fb. Each new trailer required a larger truck. Three trailers and three trucks.

Popup = Ford Ranger.
19ft Bambi = Ford F150.
25ft FB = Ford F250PSD.

Since there is not a lot of difference in the price between a 1/2 and 3/4 save time and money and get a 3/4 off the bat. My 250PSD get 18 mpg without a trailer (better than the F150 it replaced)

At times the F150 with a 5.4 engine was a little white knuckely towing the 19ft. Mainly due to short wheelbase.

O.K. I'm rambling, Sorry. Get more truck than you need. You won't regret it in the long run.

[CanoeStream]

Originally Posted by Goin camping

Since there is not a lot of difference in the price between a 1/2 and 3/4 save time and money and get a 3/4 off the bat. My 250PSD get 18 mpg without a trailer (better than the F150 it replaced)

Karma! My Duramax removes all sorts of worries -- and really whomps my old Nissan Titan's 9.5 mpg while towing.

The other downside to a gasser are the trannys -- downshift gear seeking on any new rise in the road will generate heat and shorten the life of components. This leads to a recommendation (often included in the owners manuals) not to tow in overdrive if you observe frequent shifting. That happened to my Titan a lot on midwest rolling terrain. No overdrive makes it purdy hard to go over 60mph!

[Condoluminum]

Jay-

Though there are many opinions about "Bigger is better" or "Save the Planet - Buy the smallest most efficient truck that will tow your unit..", I think the Tacoma's are best suited for 16' or 19' Bambi's, or smaller vintage trailers..

Remember that "Towing Capacity" for the truck is a number that must also include the weight of driver, passengers, fuel, cargo in the truck, hitch assembly AND the trailer, which will be close to its own rated max weight when filled with water and propane and clothing and pots and pans and food and TV and linens, etc...

You may not need to wait for the "Big Honkin' new 2007 Tundra Pickups" due for official release in January at Detroit Auto Show, but a V-8 Tundra is a much better match for a 22' trailer than the Tacoma..

[mortjameson]

Thanks for the information everyone. It is very helpful. I checked out the other forum as well- "Switching to Diesel?". Good information- not sure if I am ready to make he leap to diesel, but I'm going to take more time to digest the posts there.

FYI- for those of you who posted about Holiday Travel in Albuquerque- We have had nothing but positive experiences. Pearl, Dan, and Andrew have all been great to work with. They are awesome people. Don't know if you are aware of it, but there are moving to a new location on Central. I think it is closer to Juan Tabo.

Again, thanks for the information and feel free to keep that advice coming!

Jay

[Bambi75th]

Tow vehicle finally purchased and Bambi 75th Anniversary #18 is now finally off the dealers lot and on the road. We opted for a 2004 Toyota Sequoia Limited. Found one with only 19K miles at a good price. Have only towed the Bambi a leitle over 100 miles so far, but it is promising to be a very ncice TV to AS match! Thanks again to all who offered advice.

[lewster]

Bambi75th,

Glad that you got a TV other than a pick-up. While I totally respect the opinions and experience of our pick-up centric towing experts on the Forum, there are usually several very viable alternatives that are often overlooked.

Specifically, Suburbans and VANS!!! I'm a van sort of guy, and my Sprinter does a fine job of towing my 19CCD. I haven't caught the 'go bigger' trailer bug yet, but I can't see going any larger than the new 23CCD if I do, and the new '07 Sprinter 3500 has a 7500# tow capacity to handle it. I need a bigger van soon for work any way .

Best of luck with your new set up!