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Post by elizabeth_h on Aug 6, 2012 11:00:17 GMT -5
I am truck shopping too! Mine would need to pull a 2-horse bumper pull with one horse in it most of the time, and for local hauls of less than an hour usually. I'd like a Toyota Tundra 4x4 with a tow package. The problem I am having is finding something without lots of passenger space! I don't want or need a crew cab! This is not going to be a primary vehicle for me - it's just for hauling and towing stuff - so I don't want all the people space and bells and whistles and other stuff that gets added on and ratchets the price up.
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Post by Big Tee© on Aug 6, 2012 11:21:27 GMT -5
You're going to be hard pressed to find a single seat cab now so a club cab with jump seats and storage is going to be the best you can do......the single cab is now apparently a special order.
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Post by welkin on Aug 6, 2012 12:37:45 GMT -5
I won't be hauling more than 1-2 average sized horses more than an hour a away, except maybe a couple times a year. I just can't afford to drive a giant truck around town, with gas and insurance it's going to be tight. I'm just going to take the research and looking process very...veryyy slow lol.
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Post by BoyleHeightsKid on Aug 6, 2012 13:08:15 GMT -5
I've got a (well...the BF does ;D) a 2000 Dodge 1500 3/4 ton and it hauls my 2 horse aluminum BP Colin Arndt great. It's all box though, no dressing room or anything and I don't see having more than one horse on it very often.
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Post by luckymite on Aug 6, 2012 15:57:49 GMT -5
I've got a (well...the BF does ;D) a 2000 Dodge 1500 3/4 ton... Just curious... are you sure it's not a 2500 3/4 ton OR a 1500 1/2 ton? Elizabeth-- I totally understand not having a need for a crew cab! We only considered the idea for our dogs.... but the extended cab has plenty of room for our critters and they love that the windows roll down all the way!  However, I don't recommend just getting a regular cab-- both our other trucks (yes, we're a crazy couple with 3 trucks!) are regular cabs and while it is just the hubby and I who ride in them so we don't need passenger space, storage space can be a pain-- and a little extra room that an extended cab offers can go a really long way! Just something to consider... Otherwise the front seat can fill up with STUFF quickly... or be rolling around the bed. When I was riding professionally I had an extended cab Tundra at the time-- and I loved having that space in the backseat for all my extra tack and clothes without it having to be up front with me. |
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Post by elizabeth_h on Aug 6, 2012 16:35:39 GMT -5
Thanks for the advice! I'll see if I can find an extended cab and maybe that will be just right for me. It's hard to find exactly what you're looking for here without getting something new, so I plan to look around in Ohio when I visit my dad later this month. The import is a PITA, but probably worth it if I am buying used.
Welkin I wish you lived closer so we could just truck-pool!
I am also hunting for a no-frills trailer. I don't need a dressing room.
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Post by Truth on Aug 6, 2012 19:08:08 GMT -5
welkin, I have a Dodge 2000 RAM 1500 sport. 4x4. i bought it used with the tow package. it's BRIGHT YELLOW. yellow being my favorite color ;D ;D but i didn't buy it because of that....it had everything i wanted on it and he came down near to $4,000. so i got it. it tows great. i have a two horse trail-et with dressing room. i usually tow two horses since they like 'togetherness'  it's hilly here and the roads are narrow and curvy. the truck does real well even in snowy conditions. if you live in a hilly area, take that into consideration when choosing a truck. i don't tow a lot. i use the truck mostly for the farm -- hay, feed, equipment, etc. it has four doors, which I REALLY LIKE. YOU CAN'T HAVE TOO MUCH SPACE!!!! it came in really handy when i desperately needed hay and it started pouring when i got to my hay guy. guess where the hay went.....IN THE BACK SEAT!!!! it's also a great place for the dogs and the occasional human passengers. i would not get a truck without 4 wheel drive because i would never get it up the driveway in snow. put it in low 4 wheel and up it goes without a problem. it gets around 16 -20 mph. haven't checked it in a while, but that's what a quick calc indicates. i don't drive it a whole lot. has around 73,000 and i've had it 9 years. it had 35,000 on it when i bought it. HAVE FUN!!!!!! oh Zen, i like your camper. do you leave it on all the time or take it off when you're not usung it?  ? |
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Post by ZenRider on Aug 6, 2012 23:01:52 GMT -5
First, once you have an extended cab or club cab, you will find it hard to want a standard cab. Since I like a long bed, not sure I'd really want a full crew cab. Hard enough to park sometimes as it is. Plus, as a few exracers can attest, you can sit 3 or so people in the back quite easily. And mine doesn't even have the swing out doors, though those would have been nice.
Truth, I take the camper off unless I'm using it a lot, as it does drag down on the fuel economy. Though that's more the wind resistance then the weight. I like it because it doesn't hang down the back, so no hitch extensions and such necessary. The only drawback to that is the shower drains into the blackwater tank and it's not that big. Since most campgrounds have toilets and often showers, hasn't been a big issue. It's a Lance camper, which I would recommend. I kind of liked going this route for now, as when I travel without horses I don't have to tow and find parking for a trailer. I can just park where I could normally park the truck. ;D
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Post by BoyleHeightsKid on Aug 7, 2012 5:26:11 GMT -5
I've got a (well...the BF does ;D) a 2000 Dodge 1500 3/4 ton... Just curious... are you sure it's not a 2500 3/4 ton OR a 1500 1/2 ton? It's a 1500 and registered as a 3/4 ton. I think it's because of the extra stuff he did to the suspension. |
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Post by Smay on Aug 7, 2012 8:15:37 GMT -5
I just got an average of 14 mpg hauling our two-horse Bison with one horse in it up to Michigan with our Toyota Tundra. ( 5.7 L) It's a tad underpowered but goes OK with our fairly lightweight trailer and only one horse. I can feel the difference when we have two in there... I am a very conservative trailer driver though. I accelerate very smoothly on the highways and do a lot of gliding and rolling when it comes to the back roads.
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Post by elizabeth_h on Aug 7, 2012 9:16:46 GMT -5
Suzy do you like your Tundra? That's the model I am pondering (5.7L V8), with an aluminum trailer.
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Post by RacetrackRejects on Aug 7, 2012 11:30:42 GMT -5
welkin, I have a Dodge 2000 RAM 1500 sport. 4x4. i bought it used with the tow package. it's BRIGHT YELLOW. yellow being my favorite color ;D ;D but i didn't buy it because of that....it had everything i wanted on it and he came down near to $4,000. so i got it. it tows great. i have a two horse trail-et with dressing room. i usually tow two horses since they like 'togetherness' it's hilly here and the roads are narrow and curvy. the truck does real well even in snowy conditions. if you live in a hilly area, take that into consideration when choosing a truck. i don't tow a lot. i use the truck mostly for the farm -- hay, feed, equipment, etc. it has four doors, which I REALLY LIKE. YOU CAN'T HAVE TOO MUCH SPACE!!!! it came in really handy when i desperately needed hay and it started pouring when i got to my hay guy. guess where the hay went.....IN THE BACK SEAT!!!! it's also a great place for the dogs and the occasional human passengers. i would not get a truck without 4 wheel drive because i would never get it up the driveway in snow. put it in low 4 wheel and up it goes without a problem. it gets around 16 -20 mph. haven't checked it in a while, but that's what a quick calc indicates. i don't drive it a whole lot. has around 73,000 and i've had it 9 years. it had 35,000 on it when i bought it. HAVE FUN!!!!!! oh Zen, i like your camper. do you leave it on all the time or take it off when you're not usung it? ? I had to laugh as I look out at my yellow Dodge truck..lol. It was my dad's truck and I inherited it, so I drive it. |
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Post by welkin on Aug 7, 2012 13:54:03 GMT -5
Sigh, looks like I'm having to move to a new apt, even with a roomie idk if a truck is in my immediate future...again. grrr...I've got to figure out how to get a better paying job lol!
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Post by Smay on Aug 7, 2012 14:13:34 GMT -5
Oh well Welkin, just file the info in your brain for the next time! Elizabeth - yes, we like the Tundra, and it's the second one we've had due to the good reliability and driveability. That said, it's a 1/2 ton and barely qualifies as a ultra safe towing vehicle, even with the haul package and the new beefed up engine, the 5.7L V-8. My trailer is steel framed with alumninum skin, so not hugely heavy and we usually haul only one horse. The only thing I really notice is that is can be a little underpowered on hills, accelerating when using the a/c! haha I've never had any stability problems or braking problems. It has an appropriately long wheelbase to help with that. It has 4-wheel drive to help when you're in a dicey spot like snow, ice, mud or gravel. I drive it in 2-wheel when hauling on the road though. My dream vehicle would be a 3/4 ton though, and a nice gooseneck trailer with weekend package! haha
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Post by bradford on Aug 10, 2012 2:40:14 GMT -5
I LOVE talking about vehicles...
I was recently diesel truck shopping, because one day this year we were heading to a show and the b/o truck was broke down. I had to bring out 'Old Faithful' to get us there..95 F150 w aftermarket 250 suspension, 5.0 motor and a tired transmission from its all original 250,000 miles (for a gas motor and auto trans thats very impressive). I was white knuckled the whole time, but we made it, only looking slightly 'redneck' when we pulled in on schooling day...
My husband told me (a Ford man) we needed a diesel since we haul four wheelers and snowmobiles up north in an enclosed trailer in the winter and summer and I was looking for a GN for the horses. He said Fords 7.3 diesel from 99-03 was the only acceptable one (he's a mechanic as well). Luckily, one fell into our lap with all the aftermarket programming for hauling with the best mileage. So we got an 02 F350, 7.3, manual trans, 4x4, 4 door, and to top it off, dually. For only $4,000 as it had a blown axle and its previous owner abandoned it at the tow yard. Honestly, it really is a lot of truck, but it feels much safer than hauling with the old F150, which I hauled at least 125,000 miles with it over the years (only once with horses).
As much as I love the new beast, I don't think I'll ever let go of Old Faithful, even with the new truck I'm still using it, I went out and bought several 500lb roundbales the other day and hauled them to the barn. When the motor or trans finally does go, which it shows no sign of it, my husband says as a joke he'd like to ship it to Ford with a sticker that says "must have been a Wednesday Production, great job!'
Now I'm just looking for the perfect 3 Horse Slant GN w ramp, mid tack, and small LQ...we shall see how that goes, I doubt I'll get as lucky with the price for the GN as I did the truck!
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However, I don't recommend just getting a regular cab-- both our other trucks (yes, we're a crazy couple with 3 trucks!) are regular cabs and while it is just the hubby and I who ride in them so we don't need passenger space, storage space can be a pain-- and a little extra room that an extended cab offers can go a really long way! Just something to consider... 
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