Towing

Blackcat Outdoors

Well-known member
I test drove one and it made me seasick which is a problem for me. Theyre nice but there is not much of an efficiency advantage over the 150. I haven't driven the Maverick nor the Ridgeline but I had hoped to be able to sleep in it but they may be hard to work with that way. This kind of leaves the half ton truck (I don't really care which brand) or a minivan. This vehicle will be my primary sales vehicle and also pull a boat I hope to buy soon. For a size comparison a 17 bass boat from Tracker is around 1700-1800lbs. The Dodge Caravan has a 3600 lb tow capacity. Ten Maverick is 4000 with dealer modifications and the others are progressively more.

Black cat have you ever slept in that old Pacifia. Has anyone slept in a 6.5' bed in a half ton truck?

I test drove one and it made me seasick which is a problem for me. Theyre nice but there is not much of an efficiency advantage over the 150. I haven't driven the Maverick nor the Ridgeline but I had hoped to be able to sleep in it but they may be hard to work with that way. This kind of leaves the half ton truck (I don't really care which brand) or a minivan. This vehicle will be my primary sales vehicle and also pull a boat I hope to buy soon. For a size comparison a 17 bass boat from Tracker is around 1700-1800lbs. The Dodge Caravan has a 3600 lb tow capacity. Ten Maverick is 4000 with dealer modifications and the others are progressively more.

Black cat have you ever slept in that old Pacifia. Has anyone slept in a 6.5' bed in a half ton truck?
I haven't, but the Mrs has before. It's not that great, but the second row doesn't fold all the way flat in that, the way they do in a true minivan.

I used to sleep in my truck with an 8' bed when I was younger. Air mattress and a fiberglass cap was pretty comfy for me and a good sized dog at the time.
 

Blackcat Outdoors

Well-known member
I’ll be honest. The cap and sleeping in the back bed is for younger people. The bed in a mini van seems better you could actually turn heat on and not have to get out in the weather to sleep. Gas would be my priority. Having a tow max if 3,000 and making sure your newer boat falls into that is probably the way to go.
As long as he avoids the CVT transmissions I agree. They just don't hold up to towing IMHO. I guess as long as it's under warranty, it doesn't really matter.
 
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Don

Well-known member
My buddies 1500 Chevy gets 23 mpg when driven properly.
For my personal use I greatly prefer Ford. So I ask you all, I seems like GM product are getting the best fuel mileage right now. Is that correct?

While I'm not heavy on the pedal I do keep up with traffic so as not to re run over.

I'd not sleep in a vehicle with regularity. Maybe 5-10 Friday and Saturday nights per year and one week of vaca on top of that ea. year. I think the correct mattress will help allot.
 

Don

Well-known member
As long as he avoids the CVT transmissions I agree. They just don't hold up to towing IMHO. I guess as long as it's under warranty, it doesn't really matter.
I like the CVT in Principle. They just, perhaps, aren't as tough as claimed. they whine and whine uphill and downhill they don't downshift so all the work is up to the brakes. I wonder if Dodge Caravans have good trannies.
 

Melvinp

Well-known member
I’ll be honest. The cap and sleeping in the back bed is for younger people. The bed in a mini van seems better you could actually turn heat on and not have to get out in the weather to sleep. Gas would be my priority. Having a tow max if 3,000 and making sure your newer boat falls into that is probably the way to go.
I’ve got up in the morning to frost on the inside of my cap yeah it sucks but I’ve tried to sleep in the truck and it takes a few days to get my back straightened out lol
 
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A-5

Moderator
I watch THP on YouTube they sleep in the truck. When I say Young man. Open back up take shoes off climb in shut cap and tailgate. Spin around sleep. Get up to do all to pee. Get back in blah. Minivan seems easier with all the seats out. I have a Yakima topper to store stuff. 33 miles to the gallon seems like a no brainer. I typed this before. And deleted it. At 33 miles to the gallon. You could literally buy a beater 4x4 and tow the dang boat. When your logging the miles you do a local beater makes sense.
 
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Don

Well-known member
Do you know what the Great Loop is? I am planning it. I will need a non-beater for my wife to drive when chasing me as I'll be doing it in segments. I have a Lincoln MKZ as backup. It was her retirement present to herself and it tows well also. I have a Lumber mill and a small lumber sales business and will need to get a small utility trailer to haul small amounts of lumber to shows. The Super Duty I'm getting rid of pulls 13000 lbs and so I'm also selling the beautiful trailer I use for that. Everything is being downsized into my retirement yrs..
 

truecrimson

Well-known member
Lol keep helping my kid with college lol doesn’t really matter good and bad in everything I hate them all at this point sorry long day in the pit and even over a GM but regardless if you can swing the dollars stay full size and fiberglass caps are way better than sleeping in a tent in a rainstorm

Much better than a tent.

I like Ford but frankly they all cost about the same to run(gas/diesel), insure( Gecko or Flo) and repair (parts and Labor).
We always called them "camper shells" back home. Spent a fair amount of my childhood sleeping in the back of 71 Chevy pickup on camping trips. Dad put a sheet of plywood across it with a mattress on top and 4 of us slept on top with all our stuff underneath. Had a sliding window in the back windshield of the cab and my brother and I would lay on the mattress during the drives and talk to mom and dad in the cab through the open window. Sometimes we'd take turns sliding through the window and sitting in the cab.

Looking at pics now, I don't know how mom and dad slept back there. Dad was 6'4 and mom is short but fat. Add a fat kid and a skinny kid. I never remember feeling cramped but I can't imagine it now, and I can't stand my feet hanging off the end of a bed.

I'm with A-5. The mini van seems to check all the boxes, and do it most effectively. The only issue I see there is if you need more towing capacity than it has. He's got me thinking about that for future plans.

On the other hand, it seems like you have a good setup already. You have a truck that tows anything you could want to tow, and you could sleep in the back of it if you set it up for that. Why not stick with what you have?




And now that we have the serious stuff out of the way, let the smartassery begin ;) ;)

Just get a Rav 4 and be done with it :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:


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Don

Well-known member
I did find some articles saying that the RAV and the CRV and Ford Escape were small but notable Towsters.
I have to remember this cutting board trick, sweet!



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Melvinp

Well-known member
We always called them "camper shells" back home. Spent a fair amount of my childhood sleeping in the back of 71 Chevy pickup on camping trips. Dad put a sheet of plywood across it with a mattress on top and 4 of us slept on top with all our stuff underneath. Had a sliding window in the back windshield of the cab and my brother and I would lay on the mattress during the drives and talk to mom and dad in the cab through the open window. Sometimes we'd take turns sliding through the window and sitting in the cab.

Looking at pics now, I don't know how mom and dad slept back there. Dad was 6'4 and mom is short but fat. Add a fat kid and a skinny kid. I never remember feeling cramped but I can't imagine it now, and I can't stand my feet hanging off the end of a bed.

I'm with A-5. The mini van seems to check all the boxes, and do it most effectively. The only issue I see there is if you need more towing capacity than it has. He's got me thinking about that for future plans.

On the other hand, it seems like you have a good setup already. You have a truck that tows anything you could want to tow, and you could sleep in the back of it if you set it up for that. Why not stick with what you have?




And now that we have the serious stuff out of the way, let the smartassery begin ;) ;)

Just get a Rav 4 and be done with it :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:


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Lmbo witch kid where you giggle giggle a little smartassery lol
 
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Melvinp

Well-known member
We always called them "camper shells" back home. Spent a fair amount of my childhood sleeping in the back of 71 Chevy pickup on camping trips. Dad put a sheet of plywood across it with a mattress on top and 4 of us slept on top with all our stuff underneath. Had a sliding window in the back windshield of the cab and my brother and I would lay on the mattress during the drives and talk to mom and dad in the cab through the open window. Sometimes we'd take turns sliding through the window and sitting in the cab.

Looking at pics now, I don't know how mom and dad slept back there. Dad was 6'4 and mom is short but fat. Add a fat kid and a skinny kid. I never remember feeling cramped but I can't imagine it now, and I can't stand my feet hanging off the end of a bed.

I'm with A-5. The mini van seems to check all the boxes, and do it most effectively. The only issue I see there is if you need more towing capacity than it has. He's got me thinking about that for future plans.

On the other hand, it seems like you have a good setup already. You have a truck that tows anything you could want to tow, and you could sleep in the back of it if you set it up for that. Why not stick with what you have?




And now that we have the serious stuff out of the way, let the smartassery begin ;) ;)

Just get a Rav 4 and be done with it :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:


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My truck now is owed by the rust gods I’m afraid
 
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