Truck newbie

[4x15mph]

Considering a truck as my next vehicle. Currently we trailer our AR210 with an Acura MDX and while it does a decent job, it is my wife's daily and I want to have a daily driver that can be used for towing which is not the case with my current, acura TL. I will not use the truck for much hauling outside of the boat

- When towing with the truck do you throw the supplies in the rear bed or do most people have to install some sort of cover?
- I don't know that a truck will fit in my garage (width and length) especially if it is larger than a 5.5' bed. I think I would stay with 5.5. Do you leave your truck outside?
- how is the overall experience as a daily driver? Do you tend to use another car for the day to day?
- I am looking at the ford F150's.... any particular versions to stay away from?
- Any other truck shopping tips?

 

[anmut]

How often / long do you tow? That's where you should start for a truck. All major brands make great trucks. Get the factory tow package if you can so you don't have to screw around with lights and a hitch later. You'll want a half ton truck. 4x2 will be less money and slightly better gas, but 4x4 can help out at slippery ramps and in the snow.

- When towing with the truck do you throw the supplies in the rear bed or do most people have to install some sort of cover? Yes, recommend a cover and bed liner, Soft if you're not worried about crime and like easy flexibility in hauling, hard or full shell if you want to be more secure.

- I don't know that a truck will fit in my garage (width and length) especially if it is larger than a 5.5' bed. I think I would stay with 5.5. Do you leave your truck outside? It should fit, but what I did the last time is I just drove one home from the dealership, on a test ride, and pulled it in to be sure.

- how is the overall experience as a daily driver? Do you tend to use another car for the day to day? MPG's suck daily, but my 19 Ram Limited rides super nice. Daily driver ~ 20 per day.

- I am looking at the ford F150's.... any particular versions to stay away from? All three "American" brands are good, Toyota is also good, I would stay away from the new Nissans. If you buy a Honda I will make fun of you.

- Any other truck shopping tips? Bring a friend that knows trucks. Walk away from all deals twice. Don't pay sticker or asking. Don't pay "filing fees" or any other made up B.S.. If you're looking in the next month or so, there will be a lot of new 19 trucks they'll want to move.

 

[Dean P]

I picked up a 2006 Honda Odyssey (touring addition) as my "work truck". It pulls my Chap with no problems. For my situation (meaning 5 Boxers and 1 Bernese Mountain dog) and for running to Home Depot it works great. I wanted a truck but this actually gave me the best of both worlds.

If you plan on getting a bigger boat down the road, the truck with more towing capability might be a better option. Good luck!

 

[Ronnie]

I’ve towed my boat with an suv and trucks (Chevy avalanche, Ford F-250, Dodge Dakota, now Honda Ridgeline).

I usually don’t carry any boating gear in the bed of the truck, most of the time it’s in the boat. If I have a hard tonneau cover and a locking tail gate I’ll keep roadside stuff or bed management items like straps, cords bed separating bars in the bed. If not the bed is empty except for the occasional trash that strangers sometimes feel obliged to use the bed for.

All of my trucks fit in my standard size two car garage including the f250 it had a full size bed but only 2 regular doors plus two smaller suicide doors (not a full crew cab but not a standard cab either since it had a small bench seat in the back). My wife’s car is the one we keep in the garage so all the trucks live outside.

Except for the Ridgeline, all of the trucks drive and feel like trucks. That is, the ride is rougher/stiffer, they have a larger turning radius and non of them got beat mileage whether towing or not I think I was always limited to 20 mpg or less. My trucks are all older so maybe some or all of this has changed with the newer models. None of these things caused me to use a different vehicle as my daily driver. I switch cars depending on how I feel or what I need that day. Sometimes it’s just me and my wife’s Convertible other days I need to go to the hardware store or take people to lunch, a meeting, etc.

I have not had an f150 but currently drive a 2010 expedition which shares the same engine as some of the f150s of the same era and think it is awesome. If I were in the market today I’d look closer at the new Ford ranger and Jeep gladiator as long a season they meet my gross towing weight requirements. The newer Ridgeline may be a viable option as well. You don’t need a v8 but they provide me with some more confidence when it comes to ability and reliability. At the same time my brother and I recently towed his Jeep 1,800 miles round trip from Cali to Utah and back doing 70 mph most of the way in his ‘15 ram with a 6 cylinder ( turbo ?) engine and it really did do the job as if there was nothing attached to the tow ball.

Good luck with your search and I hope you have fun while you are on it.

 

[ifly4fun]

My daily is/was an Alfa Stelvio, capable of towing my AR210, but not something i'd want to do other than in a pinch. I picked up an '06 Tacoma (V6 + Tow Package) and it tows the boat great. It drives like a car, so I find myself driving it 75% of the time now, which is great for keeping the miles off of my Alfa.

 

[FLBulldogger]

@anmut and @Ronnie make great points I have a '14 Ram 1500 with a Hemi and have no problems towing just about anything. One thing I would suggest you look for in a truck is one that has a backup camera...I installed one on my Ram looking out right over the ball and it is a game changer, no more guessing where the ball and hitch are, I can backup unassisted right under the ball, one time, lower the trailer and be ready to go. I agree with the previous posts about the makes/models all are going to be close in what they offer and specs will be close, test drive all of them find out what fits you personally and don't overPAY, that's why I buy a couple years used and save almost 40 percent off of new. Good luck and have fun looking.

 

[4x15mph]

Great feedback so far. I like the comments about the Honda since naturally that is in the selection and would do this yesterday if it towed 6000 plus.

How are 4x4 trucks in the snow. Is the lightweight bed still an issue as far as traction? If I go with an SUV, they are excellent with traction and I need the winter capability as a daily.

 

[anmut]

@anmut and @Ronnie make great points I have a '14 Ram 1500 with a Hemi and have no problems towing just about anything. One thing I would suggest you look for in a truck is one that has a backup camera...I installed one on my Ram looking out right over the ball and it is a game changer, no more guessing where the ball and hitch are, I can backup unassisted right under the ball, one time, lower the trailer and be ready to go. I agree with the previous posts about the makes/models all are going to be close in what they offer and specs will be close, test drive all of them find out what fits you personally and don't overPAY, that's why I buy a couple years used and save almost 40 percent off of new. Good luck and have fun looking.

@FLBulldogger 100% agree with the back-up camera. When my new truck game with the hitch cam I couldn't believe how I didn't have to do anymore guesswork. Huge deal on a big boat.

 

[anmut]

Great feedback so far. I like the comments about the Honda since naturally that is in the selection and would do this yesterday if it towed 6000 plus.

How are 4x4 trucks in the snow. Is the lightweight bed still an issue as far as traction? If I go with an SUV, they are excellent with traction and I need the winter capability as a daily.

4x4 in the snow is amazing - the only issue is remembering that you can't stop as fast as you can accelerate.

 

[haknslash]

Considering a truck as my next vehicle. Currently we trailer our AR210 with an Acura MDX and while it does a decent job, it is my wife's daily and I want to have a daily driver that can be used for towing which is not the case with my current, acura TL. I will not use the truck for much hauling outside of the boat

- When towing with the truck do you throw the supplies in the rear bed or do most people have to install some sort of cover?
- I don't know that a truck will fit in my garage (width and length) especially if it is larger than a 5.5' bed. I think I would stay with 5.5. Do you leave your truck outside?
- how is the overall experience as a daily driver? Do you tend to use another car for the day to day?
- I am looking at the ford F150's.... any particular versions to stay away from?
- Any other truck shopping tips?

- I use a cheap, soft tonneau cover. I do not leave anything valuable in the bed, hence cheap soft cover. If you intend to use the bed for storage often and want to protect stuff better buy a hard or metal roll-up tonneau cover or camper shell.

- I leave my truck outside. Too big for the garage.

- I've had more trucks than cars my whole life and prefer it even if you don't use the truck bed or tow all the time. My truck has been great and drives good (for a truck). Trucks won't drive like an SUV or luxury car unless it has air suspension. A 1/2 ton standard truck will drive fine and not bone jarring like a 3/4 or 1 ton truck is without a load. This is my daily driver.

- Mine is a 2010 with the 5.4 L. At the time I bought it in 2012 the 5.0 wasn't available and ecoboost was still too new to trust. I love the truck but would prefer the newer 5.0 engine. If looking at older 5.4 L F150's be sure to get 2010 or newer. Any older and they came with two-piece spark plugs which were known to be an issue and break and the interior is the old rounded dash design. Likely those plugs would been changed by now though. Cam phasers can make noise if they have several hundred thousand miles on them on a cold start. Mine has done that for quite a while now and doesn't phase me. Bought it with 23k miles on it and at 49k had to get a new transmission due to a known issue with the older trannies. Replacement tranny under warranty and it's been fine since and currently have ~220k miles on it. Would certainly buy another Ford again as it has faired much better than the previous Chevy's I've had. If I could do it all over again I'd buy the 2013+ F150 so that I could get the 5.0 and newer gauge cluster. Tons of room in a SuperCrew and has a flat floor. Great truck IMO!

- Do a bunch of demos and research like anything else you would be shopping for. I like the interiors of the new Rams out of all the trucks but not a big fan of coil overs all around but do like their air bag and such. However I've had previous Dodge vehicle and parents have too and all have had their share of electrical gremlins. Seems the new Ram can have them too, especially the larger screen dash. If I were shopping for 1/2 ton trucks it would be the F150 or Ram. The Chevy's just doesn't do anything for me and had them in the past so know where they skimp of quality. Personally I would not buy anything less than a 1/2 ton truck. I used to have small trucks and would not want to tow with anything less than full size truck. Sure smaller trucks can do it but you’ll just be limiting yourself for the future. You never know if you want a bigger boat or need to haul something heavy for yourself or maybe help a friend so having a good 1/2 ton is just ideal if you’re really wanting versatility. My .02

 

[djetok]

Considering a truck as my next vehicle. Currently we trailer our AR210 with an Acura MDX and while it does a decent job, it is my wife's daily and I want to have a daily driver that can be used for towing which is not the case with my current, acura TL. I will not use the truck for much hauling outside of the boat

- When towing with the truck do you throw the supplies in the rear bed or do most people have to install some sort of cover?
- I don't know that a truck will fit in my garage (width and length) especially if it is larger than a 5.5' bed. I think I would stay with 5.5. Do you leave your truck outside?
- how is the overall experience as a daily driver? Do you tend to use another car for the day to day?
- I am looking at the ford F150's.... any particular versions to stay away from?
- Any other truck shopping tips?

The f150 is going to be tight in most garages. I garage mine, I have about a 2 inches of clearance. The width is also very tight. I would suggest a test drive and pull it in the garage with the wifes acura in the garage. The power folding mirrors is something that I use a lot while I pull in and out of the garage. That way you can see if you want to deal with the tightness in the garage. If you don't like that you can always look at the smaller trucks (ranger, Colorado, Taco , ect… Also the Jeep Gladiator might be an option as well with the 7650 tow capacity.

On snow? They do great depending on the tires mostly. For example , my f 150 have the Hankooks and they do good, not great though. My wifes Grand Cherokee (off road capable) had some crappy Bridgestone HL 422. Never drive these tires on the snow, they suck. I put Continenal Terrain contacts and problem solved.

Storage- I have a hard cover but, honestly its not needed for the boat. We keep everything in the boat except a boat bag (towels, snacks for the day, ect..)

 

[Dean P]

Correct me if I'm wrong but, I believe having a longer wheel base (full size trucks vs small SUV) is better for towing especially at highway speeds.

I was pulling a 25' SeaRay cabin cruiser with a V8 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4x4. It had plenty of power but didn't feel right/safe. Traded it in for a Chevy Avalanche and WOW what a difference. It pulled the boat easily; almost didn't know it was back there. Just saying...

 

[djetok]

Correct me if I'm wrong but, I believe having a longer wheel base (full size trucks vs small SUV) is better for towing especially at highway speeds.

I was pulling a 25' SeaRay cabin cruiser with a V8 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4x4. It had plenty of power but didn't feel right/safe. Traded it in for a Chevy Avalanche and WOW what a difference. It pulled the boat easily; almost didn't know it was back there. Just saying...

Yes longer the wheelbase the better it handles sway, weight distribution hitches help with sway.

 

[AboveTheBest]

- When towing with the truck do you throw the supplies in the rear bed or do most people have to install some sort of cover?
If you use a cover you will be limited to what you can throw in your bed, and will likely find you don’t use the bed at all. I suggest putting a 2x6 in the back to make a “trunk” in the last couple of feet in the bed. Most manufacturers have vertical slots molded into the bed to hold boards in place for this purpose.

- I don't know that a truck will fit in my garage (width and length) especially if it is larger than a 5.5' bed. I think I would stay with 5.5. Do you leave your truck outside?
How big is your garage? Mine is only 20x20 and I park my 2017 Super Cab F150 and wife’s 2016 Explorer in it with no problem.

- how is the overall experience as a daily driver? Do you tend to use another car for the day to day?
It will change your life. You will never again be able to drive a car that sits 1’ off the ground, as you’ll be spoiled with the visibility offered by a 4x4 pickup.

- I am looking at the ford F150's.... any particular versions to stay away from?
They’re all winners. I’ve had FX4’s, Lariats, and STX’s; but my current truck is an XLT Sport and it’s my favorite so far.

- Any other truck shopping tips?
Buy one that’s 1-year old with low miles.

 

[swatski]

How are 4x4 trucks in the snow. Is the lightweight bed still an issue as far as traction? If I go with an SUV, they are excellent with traction and I need the winter capability as a daily.

@4x15mph what kind of snow? we talking snowy back country trails? or highway with slippery conditions? If the latter, better make sure you know what you are getting into! there is a possibility you will miss your acura AWD traction control more than you think.

There aren't many vehicles that are more tricky to drive on a slippery highway than a 2wd pickup truck...
4wd is great - off pavement, lol.
Tires are most important in heavy snow but good traction control will pull you out of most everything you can encounter on pavement. it also reduces chances of sway when towing a boat (with their long tongue trailers).

I think there are new trucks with AWD and decent traction control, the Tacomas may be in that category - while the new ones are also larger and more apt for towing than older Tacos. 4runners are not bad, I would probably consider one in your situation, they are not overpowered but with their 4.0 V6 would be sufficient to tow a 210. We towed our old 190 with my wife's 2016 4runner which was a perfect combo. And I don't know anyone who owns a 4runner and doesn't like it. She loves it and wouldn't give it up for anything.
We have an old (2008?) MDX we bought for our daughter, the thing has some 250k? miles on it and is absolutely spectacular in snow, as I'm sure you know, it is almost impossible to spin the wheels in snow even if you try. This is very different with most trucks. The commanding view may get old fast if you are doing a lot driving on slippery highways. Just my 0.02!


--

 

[4x15mph]

what kind of snow? we talking snowy back country trails? or highway with slippery conditions?

Highway snow/ice which I see here in PA through the winter. My commute to clients can be 2+ hours away and I have several times when I have battled the snow/ice covered highways in my AWD TL. Never an issue similar to the MDX.

I may wait until I need a full 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton like when I get a tiny house some day that I can move around the US. For now, I might think about driving the MDX and getting the wife a different car.

Thanks for the input

 

[drewkaree]

If you plan it right, you might be able to tow the boat with your car.




I have the Lexus GX470 (a Toyota 4Runner, only with a V8) and my "side tow" vehicle is a 97 F150. The GX470 is my daily driver, and I actually find myself towing my AR210 with that 99% of the time. There's no real reason for this other than I keep the F150 at our vacation place, and we currently pick the boat up from storage at the halfway point between houses. This coming season, the boat will be stored at the vacation place, and towing will likely switch to the F150.

I have no idea what the dimensions are of your garage, you didn't mention that, but I have a long-bed regular cab (no rear seating) that doesn't fit LENGTHwise into my 2-car garage due to storage racking at the front of my garage. Width-wise, there's zero issues with it fitting in the garage, as it's the same as my GX470. I pull straight in, the wife backs her car in, both driver's side doors open towards the other car, and we fit perfectly fine.

That tip about older F150's having issues with spark plugs breaking is no joke, just search Amazon for broken spark plug tools. There are things to mitigate the problem, but if you're buying used, you have no assurances the previous owner did anything to help you. Mine has the 4.6L, not saying there can't be issues with the spark plugs, but my engine is on the "low enough to be a non-issue" spectrum.

Mine is a 4x4. Absolutely sucks for mileage, but I don't think I'd want a 4x2 on a slippery boat ramp. Sucks for snow with regular tires, but with snow tires, I wouldn't hesitate to drive ANY vehicle in the snow. I have no idea what your mechanical aptitude is, but I've had snow tires for my last 3 RWD cars and the GX470, and I change them out when snow is forecast, and swap them back out - I have a garage full of tools that make this easier, and I don't mind doing this to get more life out of my snow tires - your mileage and experience may vary.

I'm not a fan of the F150 as a daily driver, but it's do-able. Cost of fuel and mileage are the reason I wouldn't do it. If you have the ability to do 3 vehicles, I'd keep your two current cars and park the truck for use as needed. My truck has always lived outside as long as I've owned it. It's a truck. If it were made out of tissue paper, I'd worry about it being outside all the time, but since you're looking at a modern vehicle, it will do just fine living out in the elements. Some things may age quicker, like the plastics, but you can get UV protectants, or just buy new plastics as they age out.

As for loading up stuff in the truck bed or not, that's up to personal choice, but I'm all about not loading my boat twice. I tow with the mooring cover on, so I don't have issues with things blowing out. I have a soft cover on the truck bed that rolls up when I need to use the bed, and I have no issues with it. My FIL had a hard tonneau cover, and there were some issues here and there, I'm sure it all depends on the cover you get/have, and that can always be swapped out for something that better fits your needs.

Last item, a few folks mentioned a backup camera. I bought a wireless license plate camera from Costco. (click for link) $170 regular price. At that price, I wouldn't rule out anything that doesn't have a backup camera, as you can easily add one on.

My son is supposedly taking my F150 off my hands, and if he does, I'll be looking to pick up another GX and relegating the current GX to backup duty. I have trailers I can use, so I don't need a truck bed anymore, and I want all my vehicles to be able to fit in my garage. If you have a need for the truck bed, I wouldn't bother with a short bed. If you think you can deal with a short bed, then my opinion is to skip the truck altogether and get a 4Runner or a Lexus GX. I've had my share of Honda's in the past, IMO, Toyota does things a bit better. If you can find a good deal on a Tundra or Tacoma, they're both a great choice. If I could have found either at the same price/mileage ratio as my F150, I'd have never left the Toyota family.

 

[Dixie Highway]

I’ll jump in with my truck daily driving experience. I have a 2018 with the 5.0, my last one was a 2014 also with the 5.0. I’ll never own another combination of the truck. The XLT is luxurious enough for me. Unless you want leather then you’ll need a Lariat.

1. Most of our gear stays in the boat. I do keep things in my truck bed though. It’s a solid cover that folds in 3 sections. You can partially open it, but it’s secure enough with the locking tailgate I don’t hesitate to leave it at the airport for a week at a time.

2. I have the 6.5’ bed and it fits in a standard garage, with about 1” to spare. Bumper touching the back wall the door barely shuts. But that truck and a Jeep Cherokee fits ok. Last one had a brush guard on it, that one sat outside by necessity.

3. Overall as a daily driver I wouldn’t have it any other way unless I lived in an inner city. Currently have 87,000 miles on the 2018, had 160,000 on the last one. Tough to park? Sometimes. But you get used to it. I have the 36 gallon tank so I get about 600 miles on a tank (mixed driving). Highway I can drive Chicago to Nashville. Without stopping. Seems pretty good. I average 17 mpg combined.

4. In winter driving I can’t think of a better vehicle. I run a BFG AT KO2 which are ok in snow. I have the locking diff as well, it automatically locks under 20 mph when activated so if need be I can get at least 3 wheel drive. The Lariat are available with the auto transfer case so it acts like AWD.

 

[zipper]

I have been using trucks, mainly for farm use, since 1993. They include 1978 GMC K3500 stakebed, 1988 F250 4x4, 1989 F450 stakebed 2wd, 1994 GMC Yukon 4x4, 1996 GMC Sierra 2500 4x4, 1999 Silverado 1500 4x4, 2009 Toyota Tacoma 4x4, 2011 Silverado 1500 4x4 and what I have been using for the last 7 years a 2006 Silverado Duramax 4x4. It is a beast in the snow, with new non-studded snow tires. I have seen 23mpg driving 50/55mph on trips. I am a country boy and if you live outside the city like we do, you drive an AWD or a 4x4 with good tires, if not, you are just pissing off everybody behind you. I have other uses for a truck than pulling the boat. So until we sell the farm, I will likely stay with a diesel. I like the view from up there. Still going strong at 175k mikes. Now to answer some questions. When trailering, we pack the boat and cover it during the drive. As far as fitting in the garage, i don't know how much room you have but alot of trucks with 5.5 vs. 6.5' beds will have the same wheel base and the difference is in the cab configuration. As far as a daily driver...meh, I'd rather drive the wife's Subaru. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Dixie Highway]

If you plan it right, you might be able to tow the boat with your car.

Only in Wisconsin.....