Changing my mind again :(
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Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 575
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From: Long Island, NY
At this point I will take anything that can do 4000 lbs maybe 3500 lbs if I find something I really like. This would be a lot easier if I didn't enjoy driving the car I own lol
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Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 625
Total Cats: 22
From: DF-DUB
please don't dismiss the diesel truck so fast. i can understand a little bias against if a person is already familiar with gasoline motors, but both make viable tow vehicles.
i am towing my 2000lb 18' trailer / 2300lb miata with a '96 nissan pathfinder (3.3liter v6). it works fine, but gas mileage in the low teens gets old. a diesel would be twice that mileage for an open trailer.
i am towing my 2000lb 18' trailer / 2300lb miata with a '96 nissan pathfinder (3.3liter v6). it works fine, but gas mileage in the low teens gets old. a diesel would be twice that mileage for an open trailer.
Im a service writer and I love diesels I work on them all the time but I also dont own one because i see what it costs to repair them everyday.
If your doing heavy hauling on long trips a diesel is perfect for you. To haul a 2500lb miata occasionally its nothing but overkill.
And diesels dont get that much better mileage, sure your hear of some people getting in the 20s pulling stuff, but the majority of my customres tell me they are getting between 16-22. Thats hardly better than any of my gasoline trucks. The diesels dont see a very big reduction in economy when towing like a gasoline engine does.
I get 20 mpg in the 05 Ram with the 5.7 and 3.92s and about 14 when towing a boat or small car.
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Elite Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,207
Total Cats: 150
From: Houston, TX
I am not sure how that is helpful. Not once did I say the problem is the cost or size of the trailer. I am trying to find something that wont suck to drive day in an day out at my new job that can tow the weight.Thanks for playing.
At this point I will take anything that can do 4000 lbs maybe 3500 lbs if I find something I really like. This would be a lot easier if I didn't enjoy driving the car I own lol
At this point I will take anything that can do 4000 lbs maybe 3500 lbs if I find something I really like. This would be a lot easier if I didn't enjoy driving the car I own lol
Crappy looky but reliable tow truck
Small easy to store trailer
Fast track miata
Hopes and dreams crushing daily
=
The Most Interesting Man in the World
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Try like more than quadruple that for a wood-deck 16' flatbed with two axles. I figure my Miata and trailer is about 4k combined. Even aluminum flatbeds are more than double that.
If you can't stand the thought of a truck every day, get a car and a cheaper truck. You can get newer half-ton Chevys for fairly cheap these days and they'll have no problem towing a flatbed with a Miata comfortably. I jumped from my Miata into a 3/4 ton Chevy diesel and while it took a little getting used to, it's completely doable.
My dad's '00 Suburban gets about 12.5mpg towing a car on a flatbed at ~60mph. My '05 2500HD Duramax will do 17mpg without much problem if I keep it at 60. I usually tow at closer to 70, and the mileage drops to ~14 in the hills, 15-16 on flat ground. Empty at 70 I can get 19mpg on flat ground. I didn't buy a diesel for the economy, though - I bought it because I can drag 4000lbs up a 6% grade in overdrive at 70mph with the A/C going in 100*F weather and not even know it's happening. I tow ~15k a year, drive 30k a year total (42k in 17 months) - being nervous around semi rigs or struggling up/down long grades would get really old really fast. You don't need a diesel, but I wouldn't tow a car on a flatbed with anything less than a basic half-ton full-sized pickup truck. Maybe a Tacoma, but that's the smallest I'd go.
If you can't stand the thought of a truck every day, get a car and a cheaper truck. You can get newer half-ton Chevys for fairly cheap these days and they'll have no problem towing a flatbed with a Miata comfortably. I jumped from my Miata into a 3/4 ton Chevy diesel and while it took a little getting used to, it's completely doable.
My dad's '00 Suburban gets about 12.5mpg towing a car on a flatbed at ~60mph. My '05 2500HD Duramax will do 17mpg without much problem if I keep it at 60. I usually tow at closer to 70, and the mileage drops to ~14 in the hills, 15-16 on flat ground. Empty at 70 I can get 19mpg on flat ground. I didn't buy a diesel for the economy, though - I bought it because I can drag 4000lbs up a 6% grade in overdrive at 70mph with the A/C going in 100*F weather and not even know it's happening. I tow ~15k a year, drive 30k a year total (42k in 17 months) - being nervous around semi rigs or struggling up/down long grades would get really old really fast. You don't need a diesel, but I wouldn't tow a car on a flatbed with anything less than a basic half-ton full-sized pickup truck. Maybe a Tacoma, but that's the smallest I'd go.
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Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 625
Total Cats: 22
From: DF-DUB
Try like more than quadruple that for a wood-deck 16' flatbed with two axles. I figure my Miata and trailer is about 4k combined. Even aluminum flatbeds are more than double that.
If you can't stand the thought of a truck every day, get a car and a cheaper truck. You can get newer half-ton Chevys for fairly cheap these days and they'll have no problem towing a flatbed with a Miata comfortably. I jumped from my Miata into a 3/4 ton Chevy diesel and while it took a little getting used to, it's completely doable.
My dad's '00 Suburban gets about 12.5mpg towing a car on a flatbed at ~60mph. My '05 2500HD Duramax will do 17mpg without much problem if I keep it at 60. I usually tow at closer to 70, and the mileage drops to ~14 in the hills, 15-16 on flat ground. Empty at 70 I can get 19mpg on flat ground. I didn't buy a diesel for the economy, though - I bought it because I can drag 4000lbs up a 6% grade in overdrive at 70mph with the A/C going in 100*F weather and not even know it's happening. I tow ~15k a year, drive 30k a year total (42k in 17 months) - being nervous around semi rigs or struggling up/down long grades would get really old really fast. You don't need a diesel, but I wouldn't tow a car on a flatbed with anything less than a basic half-ton full-sized pickup truck. Maybe a Tacoma, but that's the smallest I'd go.
If you can't stand the thought of a truck every day, get a car and a cheaper truck. You can get newer half-ton Chevys for fairly cheap these days and they'll have no problem towing a flatbed with a Miata comfortably. I jumped from my Miata into a 3/4 ton Chevy diesel and while it took a little getting used to, it's completely doable.
My dad's '00 Suburban gets about 12.5mpg towing a car on a flatbed at ~60mph. My '05 2500HD Duramax will do 17mpg without much problem if I keep it at 60. I usually tow at closer to 70, and the mileage drops to ~14 in the hills, 15-16 on flat ground. Empty at 70 I can get 19mpg on flat ground. I didn't buy a diesel for the economy, though - I bought it because I can drag 4000lbs up a 6% grade in overdrive at 70mph with the A/C going in 100*F weather and not even know it's happening. I tow ~15k a year, drive 30k a year total (42k in 17 months) - being nervous around semi rigs or struggling up/down long grades would get really old really fast. You don't need a diesel, but I wouldn't tow a car on a flatbed with anything less than a basic half-ton full-sized pickup truck. Maybe a Tacoma, but that's the smallest I'd go.
Also the new dakotas are built on the ful size chassis but arent as huge, IIRC they can tow up to 9900 lbs. I know when gas first went up they were cheap cheap. The dealer would only give my friend 7K for hers when it was 2 years old, said they couldn't give trucks away. Havent looked lately, so I'm not sure what they are going for now. Also the 4.7 in them is pretty reliable, only major issues I've seen is a plastic WP blades (like BMWs), most aftermarket ones are metal though.
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