What would you buy???

[J. Morgan]

Fact is,,,,,,

A person does not NEED a $60K tow vehicle to tow an Airstream, even the new heavy ones.

Reading one of these threads will make a person think that all roads are continuously going up a big hill or down a big hill.

If a person is concerned with ultimate stability, he or she should avoid trailers like Airstreams and get an SOB fifth wheel.

Just sayin,,,


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[rodsterinfl]

Fact is,,,,,,

A person does not NEED a $60K tow vehicle to tow an Airstream, even the new heavy ones.

I agree with you J. Morgan on this point. Naturally a bigger vehicle is going to tow with less of an effort but the point is what is NEEDED. In that it is clear that specs answer best.

Many people enjoy bigger vehicles, diesels, etc. In my case, I want as few things as possible. I dumped my year old TDI VW sportwagen after getting the truck. I had it paid for. I lost 5K in the trade-in for the one year but...My plan was to keep it but I realized I could live with the truck alone and, for what the gas savings was going to give me, it would be taken by the insurance cost alone! The larger trucks are more difficult to use on a daily basis- ride rougher, harder to park in lots, etc. Past the need aspect, druthers may lead a person to a larger vehicle but...

I believe we are at the tipping point of diesels for the everyday person. Consider that in my area Diesel fuel is 11% higher than Regular gas. Diesels on average get 30-35% better efficiency. Subtract that fuel cost percentage and it is 19-24% better cost efficiency. Then, figure the difference in cost of the vehicle and maintenance (special oil, Urea, etc) and it comes out to the same or less. In other words, unless you are a mega traveler for many years, it currently is becoming more difficult to justify a diesel on longevity alone. Even on the power consideration, an ecoboost provides big torque. My dad works on diesels and is an encyclopedia on diesel and electrical stuff. He thinks that most of todays diesels are good engines but a few comments. He likes the Mitsubishi diesels- quietness and dislikes the Perkins diesel for their plastic cooling systems as they constantly break (more found in generators). Cummins engines are excellent. The only thing he said about them is that for years they made a horrible error on valve adjustment design and caused all kinds of engine failures for road equipment vehicles. They made a fortune as well as the repair companies on Cummins. So, who is best waxes and wanes like anything. He says he does not know if they ever changed it. His guess is yes.

I would wait for this new truck with aluminum. They are saying that the weight savings will make its way to a carrying capacity increase. It just keeps getting better in that regard.

[switz]

From where we live, a North or East destination requires mountain driving. And of course we would return the same route. With the stuff we carry in our truck and the weight of our Classic as it is now equipped, we need the power and payload capability of our current truck. The tongue weight alone (1,345 pounds) without passengers or driver could exceed the payload capability of many of the 1/2 ton vehicles discussed in these forums. And the current trailer towing weight (9,100 pounds) camping ready is outside many trucks rated towing capacity.

So what works for us is not necessary for probably most folks.

Everyone just needs to be happy with what they have!

I still believe the new folks really need to do thorough homework before making a purchase decision so they are not disappointed before the ink dries on the contract.