Mileage on dead tow vehicle

[Dlabs]

We recently purchased a 29XK Redhawk and love it. Now we are considering purchasing a dead tow vehicle, likely a Jeep or a small pick up truck. However, we are not thrilled to spend major money on any such new vehicle. The question is, what is the acceptable range of mileage we should consider on a used vehicle. Ie used Jeep with 40,000 miles, or even 100,000 miles. Is feasible to consider such used vehicles. Any advice or experience appreciated.

[Stavman]

Lol


Any used vehicle is a crap shoot

Go to a reputable dealer

[1oldmf]

Originally Posted by Stavman

Lol


Any used vehicle is a crap shoot

Go to a reputable dealer

wow, is that ever a WRONG STATEMENT!

dealers do not care about you or the car, only $$$$$$$

most dealer would sell you a known lemon, and swear its perfect,

shop around for a clean, well maintained ( with documents) car you like,

stay clear of dealers!!!!!!

[Stavman]

Maybe where u go,not mine

[CAG]

It really depends upon what the vehicle was put through and you will probably never know that for sure. I have found that CarFax (and there are others that do the same thing) gives you a look at the vehicle's history and maintenance. It will also list previous owners, and whether the vehicle has been in an accident. There is a fee, and you can get a one time check or purchase multiple that will allow checking several vehicles.



There are good and bad dealers out there and the days of locally owned dealerships that were members of the community are pretty much gone so you need to do your homework before you go to look at a vehicle. There are books and web sites that give instructions on dealing with sales people at a dealerships. Spend the money and do that research also.



Today's vehicles go more miles with less trouble that years past but some have problems right out of the gate.

[MD3]

My 2005 Jeep has over 160k miles on it, driven miles.
Mileage does not add up on towing my Jeep so it has many more miles actually on it. I'd tow my Jeep across the country without a worry.

Carfax only shows what is reported.... if it wasn't reported then it did not happen. This goes for both maintenance and accidents/damage.

I'd find a vehicle you like and then find a shop/mechanic you trust to look over it if you are not qualified to do it yourself.


_

[CAG]

Originally Posted by MD3

My 2005 Jeep has over 160k miles on it, driven miles.
Mileage does not add up on towing my Jeep so it has many more miles actually on it. I'd tow my Jeep across the country without a worry.

Carfax only shows what is reported.... if it wasn't reported then it did not happen. This goes for both maintenance and accidents/damage.

I'd find a vehicle you like and then find a shop/mechanic you trust to look over it if you are not qualified to do it yourself.


_

We had a 2006 BMW that we were hit from behind and shoved into the truck in front of us. It had 13K miles on it when in the accident. It should have been totaled but the other insurance decided to repair it. 25K in repairs. When we traded it two different mechanics in two different dealerships looked at it and passed it with no previous damage. Carfax showed the accident. So much for having a mechanic check a vehicle.

[MD3]

Originally Posted by CAG

We had a 2006 BMW that we were hit from behind and shoved into the truck in front of us. It had 13K miles on it when in the accident. It should have been totaled but the other insurance decided to repair it. 25K in repairs. When we traded it two different mechanics in two different dealerships looked at it and passed it with no previous damage. Carfax showed the accident. So much for having a mechanic check a vehicle.

sounds like you need a better mechanic/shop....

Even CarFax says to get it inspected by a mechanic.
https://www.carfax.com/blog/car-buying-checklist

I'm not saying a CarFax isn't good to have but I wouldn't rely solely on a CarFax report. A CarFax is one small step in the process.


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[DocBrown]

Originally Posted by Dlabs

We recently purchased a 29XK Redhawk and love it. Now we are considering purchasing a dead tow vehicle, likely a Jeep or a small pick up truck. However, we are not thrilled to spend major money on any such new vehicle. The question is, what is the acceptable range of mileage we should consider on a used vehicle. Ie used Jeep with 40,000 miles, or even 100,000 miles. Is feasible to consider such used vehicles. Any advice or experience appreciated.

As I state below, in the 41 years I have owned cars and trucks, I have never bought a new one. And probably never will even though I can now afford one. That said your best buy is something 2-3 years old and certified used. Certified used usually comes with a bumper to bumper warranty for at the least the first year. That means you'd be looking at manufacturer specific dealers.

Originally Posted by 1oldmf

wow, is that ever a WRONG STATEMENT!

dealers do not care about you or the car, only $$$$$$$

most dealer would sell you a known lemon, and swear its perfect,

shop around for a clean, well maintained ( with documents) car you like,

stay clear of dealers!!!!!!

Not all dealers are that shady. I've never purchased a new vehicle. At my age now, I doubt I ever will. I found 3 dealers (that sell both new and used) in my area, and have purchased vehicles from all 3 (from we bought 3 vehicles over a period of years) that were not only just fine, but we were treated with respect and didn't feel like we had to take showers after the deal was done. We typically have 150k - 160k on our vehicles before we're done with them.

And trust me, I have dealt with some really shady ones that sold both new and used.

[Camper_bob]

I would begin by isolating the vehicle(s) you're interested in. Research which models are widely available and can be flat-towed, then begin searching the used market for that (hopefully smaller number) vehicle. I usually start with Carmax as it's easy to see a wide variety of models on their website. And yes, I've bought a few vehicles from Carmax; they've all been solid purchases at a fair price without "feeling like I need to take a shower after" (VERY well put, BTW). I perhaps could've gotten a vehicle cheaper somewhere else or through private purchase, but for the amount of effort I have to put into the purchasing experience, it was worth it for us.

Be very selective as some iterations of models even within the same year or generation may or may not be flat-towable.

I'm a HUGE Jeep fan, but IMO, you have to kind of have it "in your blood" to really enjoy a Jeep. Logically, they are often a poor choice as an all-around vehicle. Many have been modified and abused, and you never really know if the previous owner did the modifications right or just "hacked" it together. This is true on all used vehicles, but especially with Jeeps, and especially with older ones (early JKs and older especially). And they're generally over-priced for what they are in the used market. And since COVID, that problem has compounded, not only with Jeeps, but across the used market.

But they're a lot of fun, the aftermarket has HUGE support, you can configure them basically any way you want, they're easy to tow, and did I mention they're a lot of fun? Nothing beats dropping the top and doors for a restorative ride on a cool Spring or Fall day (I've used the phrase "Jeep hair, don't care" many times). If you have to repair them, parts are widely available, and they're generally easy to work on (save for the electronics on newer models).

Setting them up to tow and towing them 4-down is dead simple in most cases, and that's one of the primary reasons I chose a JLU when my Grand Cherokee failed me and had to go.

FWIW, when I talk about "Jeep", I'm primarily talking about their Wrangler platform (CJ, YJ, TJ, JK(U), JL(U)). I would steer clear of Grand Cherokee (WK, WK2) as well as Jeeps "budget friendly" lines like Liberty or Compass. Cherokee models have generally been pretty solid from what I've seen, and the older Cherokees (namely the XJ) share a lot of parts and technology with their Wrangler-type cousins (wider parts and aftermarket support availability).

[Stavman]

Love my Honda Pilot toad

And I'll get probably 250k mike's from it, just at 140k now

Jeeps are fine, but can be netorious problem children for sure

[Camper_bob]

LOL! "Problem Children" for sure! Just like kids, you have to love them to accept and see past all their problems...

Forgot to address the mileage question. Probably because it's not that big a deal if you're considering a vehicle primarily as a toad.

My YJ (1994 Wrangler) has like 170,000 on the clock? Original engine, trans and transfer case. 5-spd manual, and the 4.0L straight 6 is known to be a dependable power plant for sure. It gets an oil change every year (because it doesn't get driven enough to do it based on miles), and I maintain all the other service items as well. It is in GREAT condition for its age. Because I and it's previous owners have taken care of it well.

As long as routine maintenance is performed, it's not difficult at all to get 200K out of a modern, naturally aspirated, gas engine/drive train pretty easily. Conventional "wisdom" seems to put reasonable life at 100,000 miles as an arbitrary "cutoff" point. But depending on the vehicle and my intended use, I wouldn't hesitate to pick one up with over 100K on the clock.

My primary toad is also my daily driver at this point, so I looked for no more than about 40,000 miles when I was shopping for my Grand Cherokee, and I purchased my JLU (2020 Wrangler Unlimited Sport) brand new off the lot.

Miles are a funny thing. I generally use the average of 12,000 per year for the average American owner. If there are significantly fewer miles on the vehicle than that, you could have problems from lack of use. If there are lots more miles than that, they're probably highway miles, which are "easier" on a vehicle. In both cases, if the vehicle was properly maintained and not abused, they're probably okay. So mileage itself is only one small part of the story; I wouldn't necessarily use that alone to qualify or disqualify a vehicle under consideration. Depends on the whole picture.

If you look at enough used vehicles, you can tell pretty quick the ones that have been taken care of and the ones that haven't. Find one that's been loved fondly, and you'll probably be in pretty good shape, even if she's a little "long in the tooth".

[CAG]

Originally Posted by MD3

sounds like you need a better mechanic/shop....

Even CarFax says to get it inspected by a mechanic.
https://www.carfax.com/blog/car-buying-checklist

I'm not saying a CarFax isn't good to have but I wouldn't rely solely on a CarFax report. A CarFax is one small step in the process.


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They were not “my” mechanics and they were from two different dealerships. Point is no one is infallible. I have a trusted mechanic and have been using him for years. I don’t think I said rely solely. Use every option available and I actually have used Carfax and one other. They came in handy when purchasing the Jayco and I still had a mechanic/RV shop look it over.

[1oldmf]

do not always trust car fax! I have , over the years, bought 2 cars with clean carfax only to find both had "branded title" I had bought the "carfax buy back guaranty" and they refused to honor it, I ended up litigating (and won substantially) so beware,
there are free methods of checking for history.

[CAG]

Originally Posted by 1oldmf

do not always trust car fax! I have , over the years, bought 2 cars with clean carfax only to find both had "branded title" I had bought the "carfax buy back guaranty" and they refused to honor it, I ended up litigating (and won substantially) so beware,
there are free methods of checking for history.

Firstly I am not going to try to defend CarFax or any other service for that matter because I have no dog in that fight and could care less, but what I have found is that on many of these "blogs" people make statements about one company or another but never post data, or articles to back up their allegations. It is very easy to slam someone or something and ruin reputations or business.

[1oldmf]

I post as a helpful suggestion, not as gospel,
I see no need to provide any proof to any one, especially someone who questions my opinion.
part of the lawsuit with carfax, was a NDA, so the terms are no ones business.
additionally, the LA Times did an article on myself and couple others who were fleeced by carfax,
carfax is a money making business, they do it NOT as a favor to you , or anyone else, but as a "money making venture"
in my opinion .... I trust a use car salesman , before I'd trust carfax,

[nynethead]

Buy something small and light, especially if it is only your towed vehicle for the camper. A new or used Hyundai is good they have a 5yr 60K war and 10/100K power train and they are inexpensive and dependable.

[SammyG1954]

I have a 2015 Wrangler JKU Sahara Edition with 54k miles. 2-owner, 7,800 miles when i bought it. Base plate, invisibrake under seat, and Roadmaster tow bar for sale. Jeep is a six-speed manual. Very good condition. We sold our motorhome.

[dogmeat]

Camper Bob hit the biggest point. find a range of cars that fit your need first. and as nynethead said, lighter is better. are you going NEED 4 wheel drive? if not, you should probably pass on that group just because of the added weight and complexity. there are exceptions though. the Samuri, Tracker, Vitara (all by Suzuki) were popular in my area. light with good 4x4 running gear

and bear in mind that some rigs can not be towed without destroying the transmission. look at what others tow.

[msherw]

Jeeps probably make the best toads. You see them a lot especially in the Rocky Mountain states.

We sold our non-towable Toyota and bought a very low milage 2006 Jeep TJ mainly because I wanted the I-6 4.0L engine. Put 2K miles on it first then towed it to Colorado and New Mexico with zero problems and a lot of fun on the 4WD back roads.

Yep, we paid a bit more than I would have liked but it was one owner and only had 23K on the clock. So you do get what you research and decide is best. I wanted no problems while towing it. None were encountered.

Put in some time on the internet and make a few calls to owners and ask lots of questions. OR just go buy a new 2020 Jeep with warranty and be happy.