Small truck recommendations for 1206 or 1208 PUP?

[raising4daughters]

I've posted on here in the past about looking to upgrade from our 1007 PUP to a larger hybrid. The problem is that none of us in the family wants to drive an SUV (e.g. Expedition) or Half-Ton Truck (F150) for 50 weeks per year, navigating in and out of malls and schools, for the 2 weeks a year we use a camper. It's not so much the gas mileage but the initial purchase price and their massive size for the type of driving my wife does. So, we've shelved the idea of a large hybrid. I'd drive it, but I put on 25,000 - 30,000 miles per year, so I won't have a full-size truck until I retire, and by then, my wife and I figure we'll just get a travel trailer and skip the hybrid.

We looked at the smaller and lighter hybrids, but actually really prefer the openness of our PUP and decided that in 2 years when our current TV dies (2005 T&C minivan), we're going to upgrade to larger PUP like the 1206 or 1208. The slideout dinette, front storage bin, and inside shower/toilet solve a lot of our complaints with the 1007.

We're wondering about a smaller truck as a TV, such as the Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier, or Dodge Dakota (used, of course). Must be 4x4 (Ohio winters) and a 4-door crew/quad/king cabl. We're excluding a used Colorodo/Canyon assuming the 5-cylinder engine won't have the guts of our 3.7L V6 minivan's.

The 1206 and 1208 have a GVWR of about 3,500 lbs, so we're thinking all 3 of those smaller vehicles will work if properly equipped. Any recommendations, pro or con, on those 3 towing PUP of this size and weight?

Lastly, is there any place or resource with all vehicle tow ratings so I don't have to look them up individually?

Thanks

[clutch]

Did you know that you can get the GMC Canyon/Chevrolet Colorado with the 5.3 V8 in a crew cab? You can also get the small Ram with a V8.

[LongIslandCamper]

To to trailerlife.com to get a listing of tow ratings. I'm on my phone so it's tough to provide a link right now. You'll be able to use their easy listings to get tow ratings of every vehicle in yearly updates. They go back about 15 years.

[Derek700]

I have always been a fan of Toyota vehicles. Tacoma would be my pick, just make sure of your tow and payload ratings. The other thing to consider is two footitis, will the truck tow a bigger trailer if you decide to move up to a bigger trailer later. F150 with an Eco-boost engine will make a nice tow vehicle and a good grocery getter.

[greenenvy1]

Only slightly larger than the trucks you are looking at is the 2006 era Toyota Tundra. I had one for about 4 years and towed up to 5000 lbs without issue. Roomy, powerful, dependable, and still relatively "small". They can still be picked up for a reasonable price as well. My second choice would be a Tacoma.

[LongIslandCamper]

Check outthis link to get tow ratings for vehicles sorted by year.

[Metalbox]

I have a 2007 tacoma double cab 4.0 with the factory tow package. I pull my 2014 jayco 281 bhs which weights dry around 5200 with no problem. Make sure you have oil coolers and transmission cooler. I also have a 10k equilizer hitch. I love that thing lol. I also added a pair of super springs to the rear for added support.

[Threebutchers]

Why not consider a Ford Sport Trac?....The V-8 has better gas mileage than the V-6 and plenty of power / tow capacity when equipped (7K+).....

http://www.trucktrend.com/features/t...s/viewall.html

[exjay1]

If you would entertain the idea of a SUV an Envoy or Trailblazer is what i suggest for something of that size. Last model year was '08 I believe so it will have to be pre-owned. No complaints/issues with ours so far going on 5yrs now.

[29BHS ECO]

Most any of the trucks you listed, properly equipped, will do the job. The only thing to be carful of is the Dakota's gas mileage around town, some of my friends are not happy. Larry

[Hammer_2012]

I have a 2010 sport trac adrenalin, absolutely love it! Tows great with the V8, comfortable interior, compact yet big enough for our family of 4. Great in the city. Tows up to 7000lbs so no problems with our 1206. The only compromise is the small box (50").

The small box just means you get creative with packing. We wouldn't trade ours for anything!

[RoyBraddy]

My OFF-ROAD POPUP weighs in at 4200lbs and I use the 2010 F150 super cab to pull it with. Having the rear seat makes it great for addition passengers. All of us are comfortable. The newer truck have more legroom for the rear seat area as the older trucks had. The other HUGH plus is we have the use of the truck bed for carrying our 2KW generator and camping supplies. Of course our OFF-ROAD POPUP setup has the front deck so we can carry some serious supplies on our camping trips.

My F150 truck gets almost the same 18-20MPG whether pulling our trailer or not. We can drive from here in VA to Gatlingburg TN Smoky mtns (460Mi) without having to stop for gas. Of course I usually stop after the tank starts getting below half a tank.

Our big OFF-ROAD POPUP has all the modern appliances etc and we have plenty of room for us. We also can still do the McDonalds drive thru and order from the drive through window hehe...



Roy Ken