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Tow rig/daily driver

bowhunter1023

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
49,349
288
Appalachia
"J" said:
F250 would be my first choice, gasser not a diesel. Used, under 50k on the mileage.
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You're on the mark with where I'd be kicking around in my parallel search for a Tundra 👍

5Cent said:
Plenty of them F250s for sale😂🖕. Good luck on the decision Jesse, lots to digest.
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I think you summed it up well with one word "safety". I don't want our trips to be a white-knuckled, butthole puckering event either. I knew when we agreed to buy it, I'd either need to sink $ in the Tundra to upgrade it's towing capability, or bite the bullet at jump up to a 3/4 ton. I think I'd rather have the peace of mind and deal with a slightly larger vehicle. MPG can't be worse than my 5.0L at 13.5 can it?!?
 
5Cent

5Cent

Dignitary Member
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12,785
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North Central Ohio
You have read Im averaging low 15's over 14.8k miles and can break 17 on the highway. Only reason I'm in a 3/4 ton gasser, diesel wins this race by a mile. This equates to about 5-6 when towing 6500lbs+ lol.
 
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jagermeister

jagermeister

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Supporting Member
18,236
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Ohio
Ok, I’ve been following along and this is all stellar information. But one thing has me scratching my head. All this talk about buying a truck that’s plenty big enough. Why not explore more floor plan options and find a smaller camper?... one that is more 1/2 ton friendly. Especially considering it’s your first camper and, despite the family’s early excitement, you really don’t know how much you guys are going to use it or how long you’re going to own it. And here’s the thing... if you’re traveling around, seeing the sites, and doing the whole “camping thing” right, you’re not spending all of your waking moments inside the camper anyway. You’re outside! Comfortable beds, a place to sit down and eat when it’s hot as balls or raining, and decent storage. That’s all you need. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to upgrade to a F250 also. But it just seems somewhat unnecessary to me to “buy the truck to match the camper,” instead of the other way around. Unless of course you’re a seasoned camper and you KNOW what you’re committing to for the long haul (literally).
 
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bowhunter1023

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
49,349
288
Appalachia
jagermeister said:
Ok, I’ve been following along and this is all stellar information. But one thing has me scratching my head. All this talk about buying a truck that’s plenty big enough. Why not explore more floor plan options and find a smaller camper?... one that is more 1/2 ton friendly. Especially considering it’s your first camper and, despite the family’s early excitement, you really don’t know how much you guys are going to use it or how long you’re going to own it. And here’s the thing... if you’re traveling around, seeing the sites, and doing the whole “camping thing” right, you’re not spending all of your waking moments inside the camper anyway. You’re outside! Comfortable beds, a place to sit down and eat when it’s hot as balls or raining, and decent storage. That’s all you need. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to upgrade to a F250 also. But it just seems somewhat unnecessary to me to “buy the truck to match the camper,” instead of the other way around. Unless of course you’re a seasoned camper and you KNOW what you’re committing to for the long haul (literally).
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Valid points that were considered. We looked at several smaller units and none were met with the approval that the unit we selected was. Ultimately, I needed buy-in from the girls for the camper thing to happen, so I caved on the bigger unit. It's an assumption at this point, but after 6 months of serious discussion, I believe we'll use it enough to have justified it. And if not, shame on us.

I was already committed to buying a new truck before the camper and I'm staying committed to my budget that was set months ago, so there's not many downsides to bumping up to a 3/4 ton IMO. Certainly not with MPG when my current ride is a paltry 13.5. I'm not spending more money to do so other than perhaps nominally with insurance. The Tundra and decked out F150s are the same price as base model F250s, so it's not as drastic a jump as it may seem IMO.
 
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hickslawns

hickslawns

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40,226
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Ohio
After reading the MPG numbers I don't feel as bad about my dually. She has been horrible lately when towing the race trailer. 9.5-10mpg horrible. I believe it is plain and simply due to wind drag. Even with the subtle vee nose, she is a massive sail. That said, thanks for posting Giles. I know I don't have $50-75k in mine like you do. lol

FWIW- fairly certain my next truck and the next truck for my guys will be a gasser. We will pull trailers daily. I have zero doubts the 3/4 ton gassers will be more than adequate for our needs. Doesn't sound like you were looking the diesel route, but JohnR is proof positive you can do just fine with a gasser. Dude has about a bazillion miles with the camper chasing him around.
 
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Dustinb80

Dustinb80

#FACKCANCER
Supporting Member
18,560
198
S.W. Ohio
I get about 15-17 city, 17-19 highway. When I run to Caesars creek and back, an hour each way, with the camper, Im down to about 12 MPG. When I ran to Logan, 2 hours, then half way home, back towards Logan and all the way home again, I was down to just north of 8 MPG.
 
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giles

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
46,443
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The real Amish country
Dustinb80 said:
I get about 15-17 city, 17-19 highway. When I run to Caesars creek and back, an hour each way, with the camper, Im down to about 12 MPG. When I ran to Logan, 2 hours, then half way home, back towards Logan and all the way home again, I was down to just north of 8 MPG.
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Are you resetting the computer, leaving it, or putting it on paper? The numbers I listed are on paper, I never trust the computer average.
 
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