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big_john · 02-16-2010, 09:48 AM

The title pretty much says what I am looking for. This will be my wife's "daily driver" (maybe 100 miles per week) and also our TV. We live in North GA, like to travel in the mountains and will use our TV+AS likely 10-15 times per year.

My current TV does the job ok but struggles up hills and I am concerned about braking...I've had some issues. I pulled out of a camping spot on a steep incline in single digit weather in a warmed up TV and it damn near stopped halfway up the hill - I thought I was going to be going backwards in short order! Scared the bejeepers out of me.

We tow a 1986 Sovereign with upgraded axles (so it will do 7000+). Note that these have a significant tongue weight (near 700lbs I think) and the four of us in the fam + all of our junk makes me think I need a 3/4 ton...I want to be able to load up without worries for week+ long trips.

So a list of priorities:

1. Tow Capacity
2. Braking
3. Torque/Acceleration
4. Daily Driving
5. Gas milage
6. Cost (likely looking a pre '08 models)
7. Longevity

Was thinking the ideal would be a 3/4 Ton diesel Suburban 2500? Have they ever made these?

Melody Ranch · 02-16-2010, 10:37 AM

Hi, Yes they make those...very popular around here. Many prefer a 3/4 ton (2500) crew cab truck , short bed with a camper shell. You get the benifit of the pax carrying seating plus cargo space separated from the seats for nasty wet stuff and critters you may carry..(not the kids.)

purman · 02-16-2010, 10:51 AM

Well your kinda limited to trucks and the Ford expedition, Which they don't make anymore so you will have to get a used one. Or the 3/4 ton gas suburban 8.1 liter that you would have to get used also. Prob is that thing only gets 11 mpg Our friends have one. But it tows great.

I don't think chevy made a diesel suburban, but you can put a diesel in one... for big $$$

Sounds like you might be stuck with a truck. or a used Expedition...

aluminauts · 02-16-2010, 11:53 AM

After we started full timing, we went from a 6 liter 2500 suburban to an Allison/ Duramax diesel crew cab. It is a great tow vehicle and gets over 20 mpg when it isn’t towing. The inside is as civilized as was the suburban’s and the tonneau covered bed gives us a nice, out of sight, spot for lots of stuff.

Ag&Au · 02-16-2010, 12:14 PM

Here is my experience. In 2003, we bought a Dodge Ram 2500 quad cab, short box, 4x4 truck. This was my 3rd pickup. however the last was a 1976. I got rid of the 76, because I did not like driving it daily. The Dodge has been a complete different experience. I actually enjoy driving it. However, if I am going somewhere where the parking is going to be tight, I will often drive our 1995 Audi 90.
The other side of the coin:
If I told my wife that the truck was going to be HER daily driver instead of the Audi or her Smart Car, I would be laughed out of the house. (out of the house in some manner anyway)

Regards,
Ken

That didn't help much, did it?

mutcth · 02-16-2010, 12:18 PM

Is it worth considering buying two vehicles - the 3/4-ton tow machine, and something smaller as a daily driver?

Tom

biopig · 02-16-2010, 12:43 PM

We like our 01 diesel excursion. Three rows of seats and plenty of room left for gear. Highway mpg 17-19, towing 10-13. Heard bad things about the 6.0 powerstroke, all good with the 7.3. Ours has 150k know and no problems. Has a great big 44 gal. tank. We tow a 64 overlander. Hope it helps

crispyboy · 02-16-2010, 12:48 PM

For the trailer size you have a correctly equipped half ton would get the job done and be a bit more civilized for a daily driver.

purman · 02-16-2010, 01:29 PM

We tow with the 08' sequoia and have no problems stopping or going up the mtn. Passes. It's just when that darn pedal sticks and we go up faster than I would like

Lots of room for our (now 4 kids) and stuff.

erock53 · 02-16-2010, 01:52 PM

I have a 06 duramax crewcab short bed and a 78' soviergn. I love my truck and I use it as a daily driver. It is big and long and a pain to park if you go to the mall. You may have to park at the end of the parking lot and walk. I get great millage from the diesel. 20 on the HWY and 18 in the City. I have already re-couped the premium that I paid for the diesel in the fuel savings. I have a buddy that has the same truck with the gasser and he only gets 12 MPG. Not to mention , my truck will pull anything you put behind it and almost never drop out of 6th gear even with a hilly terrain.

HowieE · 02-16-2010, 02:50 PM

When my 97 Suburban 6.2 diesel took a month or 2 off with a blown engine I switched to a 2004 Excursion 6.0 diesel. 7 passengers and lots of power.

On balance I would suggest looking for a pre 99 Suburban diesel as they ride much better that the Excursion and handle vastly better with a trailer.

barts · 02-16-2010, 02:58 PM

We bought our '96 7.3 Powerstroke 4x4 crewcab shortbed F250 new; we've gone all over the place w/ it and towed all sorts of stuff. A very nice truck, very comfortable on long hauls. About 17 mpg empty, less towing (depends on weight & windage). Not the most fun to parallel park, but manageable. 165k miles w/ only routine maintenance (fluids, filters, brakes, tires) aside from one burst power steering hose. The kids were 8 & 6 when we bought it; it still has plenty of room for them in the back seat (or me, when they're driving).

- Bart

jmtandem · 02-16-2010, 03:45 PM

Dodge one ton 3500 crewcab diesel dually, daily driver. Except for parking garages and drive thrus it is just fine. It is also fun to drive. Get what you want, go big you won't look back.

handn · 02-16-2010, 04:06 PM

We have a 2000 diesel Excursion with 178,000 miles. We have had it since new and it has been very reliable. Mileage is the same as biopig's. It is a handfull to park in a big city but otherwise not a hardship to drive.
It is a very good tow vehicle as it is on a 3/4 ton truck chasis.
You can put the back seat down and carry almost as much as a pickup or put the third seat in and take 8 people on a long road trip.
If you can find an older one that has been well maintained, buy it. Ours is probably around the middle of its useful life.

Utahgoldrup · 02-16-2010, 04:28 PM

We switched to a 3/4 ton F250 diesel and I use it as my daily driver as well, the gas milage I get is much improved over my Lincoln Aviator (had the 4.6L V8). As others have said, these trucks aren't the easiest to park, especially at a mall but they provide a lot more confidence while towing.

lsmith · 02-16-2010, 05:05 PM

Go with a Dodge 5.9. My milage is 20+ empty hiway, 18+ city empty and 14-16 towing a 28'

Last year doing up a 10% grade to 10,000 feet was EASY

Good Luck

big_john · 02-18-2010, 07:21 PM

So my wife suggested that she liked her "paid for" Tahoe just fine thank you very much, but suggested, to my shock and amazement, that maybe "...you get yourself a truck." How can I pass that up?

So now the search is on for an affordable, used F-250 diesel crew cab...

AlbertF · 02-18-2010, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mutcth

Is it worth considering buying two vehicles - the 3/4-ton tow machine, and something smaller as a daily driver?

Tom

Probably not. The incremental cost of driving the truck (fuel, servicing, additional depreciation) on a per-mile basis is likely to be considerably less than the total cost of any small car. Even a small motorcycle is likely to cost more when all the costs are added up.

I concluded long ago that if we want to minimize our transportation costs, we must be honest with ourselves and buy no more vehicle than we really need.

DreamStreamr · 02-19-2010, 12:24 AM

We have over 50k miles towing with 3/4 ton truck, our cowboy cadillac, and wouldn't take an Expedition or Suburban for it -- gasoline, generator, cleaning fluids, gear all ride in back of the truck and not a bit of it messes up the really nice cab.

Antennae on truck roof make it not worth it to try parking garages. Walking is really good for us, we always park at the edges of store parking lots. Truck is five years old, over 55k miles, and no dings on the doors. Just amazing how that happens when you don't park near other peoples' cars, eh?

Anyway, lots of our friends use Suburbans or Expeditions with diesel or gas and they love them as well as we do our truck. I'll have to ask them how they manage the generator and gas can, I guess.

Good luck,
Jim

Airstream01 · 02-19-2010, 12:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by big_john

So my wife suggested that she liked her "paid for" Tahoe just fine thank you very much, but suggested, to my shock and amazement, that maybe "...you get yourself a truck." How can I pass that up?

So now the search is on for an affordable, used F-250 diesel crew cab...

Good choice. I'd recommend something from 2000-2003. Should be able to find a nice clean example with fewer than 150k mi and a rebuilt transmission for $10k or so.