Tow Vehicle - Ladies' Choice

[Roadlotus]

Hi Everyone,

I will pick up my Elite II in late October. I am downsizing my life to a TT after losing my husband to cancer last August. I am waiting for the Rivian with the 400 mile range and am waitlisted for it to arrive in late 2023. Meanwhile, I need a TV and am trading in my Subaru Outback for it. I have gone through the forums and done research. I test drove a 2017 Titan (not XD) yesterday and while it is an awesome truck, it is a lot for my 5'3" , 120lb personage. But it did have all the features I want. I did drive tomato trucks in the Central Valley of CA some 30 years ago, and could handle a full rig with double trailers, but that was A LONG time ago. Any suggestions on a TV for someone who is short and a little nervous about a ginormous vehicle?

Since I will be solo, I think it best to have 4x4 for safety. I'd like as decent as mileage as possible and to keep the vehicle length less than 228, which would barely fit my garage while I still have a garage (I am selling my house after I get situated with the trailer). 

I will test drive some 150s today and have yet to try a Silverado. I am only looking at used vehicles and will get $31k for my trade in per Carmax. So I'm looking at prices in the 30k range.

Thank you!!!

[John E Davies]

Welcome to the forum. How exactly will you use the Ollie, do you in fact plan to Full Time? That can really affect your TV choice, because the more “stuff” you want to bring, the more likely you will run into that nasty payload limitation that all half ton (1500 class) and big SUVs have. For a pickup, you have to include the weight of any accessories you add such as a bed liner, canopy or hard tonneau cover. It can add up to 250 pounds…. If you won’t have a travel partner, it makes it easier to deal with. More people equals more stuff….. 

One factor is the Andersen hitch, which is 100% required for the bigger trailer with the light duty trucks. It works quite well but it adds a whole lot of complexity to hitching and unhitching, and sometimes it will make you swear and kick dirt if the parts are not aligned perfectly. A heavy duty truck solves a lot of problems, including that sometimes pesky Andersen, because you simply don’t need it. And your payload is so much greater, you don’t have to fret about every little thing adding up. The Ram 2500s are very nice, they drive well and the interiors are very car-like. They do indeed sit high, but running boards or an electric stowaway side step will deal with that.

I can’t help with pricing, the used vehicle market is insane and unpredictable. At the very least, consider a HD truck, maybe drive a RAM 2500 to see if it suits. Your choice of power depends on how many miles you plan to tow. A lot of members have and love their diesel trucks, but out of warranty they can be a financial heartache. I personally would suggest a powerful gas engine. If you haven’t spent time in the Towing forum, do some reading there.

Look for a complete tow package, and as many “driver aids” as you can, they all help to make towing easier. 

Edit, did you mean 228”, because that is only 19 feet and there are a whole lot of good choices that are longer. It is going to seriously limit your search! I would not buy a truck just so it can fit in the garage, if the house is going to be sold! Just park it outside.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[CnC]

We had the same problem - a crew cab truck would not fit in our garage.

We ended up with a 2021 Ram 1500 eHemi DUAL cab - same as other's extended cab.  The pedals are adjustable.  The gas V8 Hemi engine is plenty powerful.  We average about 14 mpg.  We use the factory tow/haul option and we have pulled our E2 more than 5000 miles without an Anderson hitch.  We had no sway problems - BUT we just added the pesking hitch (as John calls it) because of porpoising on overpasses, etc.

Charlie

[SeaDawg]

Welcome to the forum, @Roadlotus.

My sister-in-law is about your size. She is perfectly comfortable driving my brother's F150, towing a cargo trailer. 

There's not much difference between  a f250 and f150, sizewise, and I'd encourage you to try to test drive both. The f250 would allow you to delete the Anderson requirement. 

As @John E Davies said, I wouldn't buy a truck to fit a garage that you won't own, soon. Instead, I'd put the house on the market now, and use some of the equity to buy the newer version of the truck you like. In today's housing market, you may be able to find a buyer willing to let you lease back your house til your departure date in October. Or, line up a short term rental studio, in the meantime. 

Everything in my neighborhood sells within days,   so be very sure that's what you want to do before you put your home on the market.  An alternative is taking out a small equity loan to purchase a better,  newer truck, learning if you actually like the lifestyle, and selling after. In real estate, my experience is always to get the best price while the market is hot, as it still is now, at least here in Florida. If this is your plan, start interviewing agents who have been successful in your neighborhood,  recently. Get their advice. (I'm not a realtor.)

I'm shorter, as well, and I'll say that I hate driving my husband's 2008 Ram, but I love my driving my older 2005 Silverado 1500,  regular cab, stepside.  Unfortunately,  my truck (or my husband's) would not be suitable for towing a II, without the Anderson. 

I understand that bit of trepidation based on what you "used to drive."  I drove very large trucks cross country when I was young, and even  shorter, with my dad, and I sometimes had to stand up to shift gears in those old trucks. I wouldn't want to do that now, for heavens sakes. But, that was 50 years ago.

Do you have a dog that will be traveling with you? 

[Roadlotus]

Great comments and thank you for the welcome! I think I can make the payload, but maybe I'm being short-sighted not trying a 250. I agree regarding the garage comments, and I already have a buyer for my house so we are skipping the realtor and reducing the price. My assistant loves my house and adored my late hubby, so it would mean a lot to me for her and her family to be here. My family is on the east coast and my job (working with farmers) means I am usually working somewhere away from home, so I know selling is the right decision regardless. But not until the end of the year. I am hoping to get used to the truck before I hitch a trailer. My husband was 6'3" did construction and LOVED big trucks. Not that same for me. But he is smiling reading the recommendations on the posts:)

Isn't there an insurance issue with larger trucks, since they are deemed commercial? I was trying to avoid that as well. I could take out a loan and go newer, but I'll be in the Rivian in a year or so, and would want to get back my investment on the resale of the prior TV. I appreciate the sentiment SeaDawg - I once could double clutch and so funny new rigs are all automatic. It's a lost art....

And yes, CNC, I'm good with gas over diesel right now. I'll check out the Ram. sigh...just a lot to think about!

And thank you John - is the Anderson hitch really that much of a pain? It sounds like it.

PS. No dogs, likely 2 cats but one has kidney disease and I'm not sure of her timeline. 

[SeaDawg]

@Roadlotus, I would like to add my condolences,  that I should have included in my first post. I am very sorry for your loss, and hope that you take your time before making really big decisions.  

My mom has had three homes since my dad died nine years ago. The first was the best, but too soon, to adjust, if you understand,  and I suspect you do. She sold it, too early. 

But, if you've been camping a lot, in your lifetime,  you may very well know what's best for you. We spend about half our year in our Elite, and we've been very happy for 15 years. I personally wouldn't be happy without a home base . Others are. You'll find several full time women in the Oliver group on Facebook. 

I truly wish you all the best. (I also wouldn't count on the rivian at projected date, and I'd buy a truck as new and low mileage as possible,  were it me. )

My bff and cousin lost her husband a month ago. We talk every two nights or so. I know that this is not an easy time for you, and I wish you every comfort friends and family can provide, even your new "virtual friends" here. You can pm me any time. 

I personally would not want to buy a 30k truck, in today's market. Most are older, sometimes not necessarily well maintained,  or high mileage work trucks. Doesn't mean you have to buy new, but a lot of people who bought trucks as urban daily drivers are giving up that idea, as gas is $5 a gallon, near us. I think, on the next few months, prices may not go down, but they at least won't go crazy up.(but then, I'm not an economist, either.)

[SeaDawg]

As per your comments on the f250, in Florida,  it's not classified as a commercial vehicle,  to my knowledge.  We've not owned anything above a 1500. I'll ask my nephew.he has one.  It's a workhorse.

If you are planning to fulltime, check south Dakota regulations. Many full time folks find that to be the best state for full timers

 After that, Texas 

[Frank C]

1 hour ago, Roadlotus said:

Isn't there an insurance issue with larger trucks, since they are deemed commercial?

I have an F-250.  No issue with my insurance here in Pennsylvania because it’s not registered as a commercial vehicle.  My insurance is actually really inexpensive because of low total annual mileage since I really only use the truck for towing the Oliver on road trips.  There is a difference in annual registration fees though here in Pennsylvania depending on GVWR and whether it’s registered as a farm truck. 
 

[SeaDawg]

I also don't know if the current Oliver warranty covers full timers, so, you may want to check that. Most manufacturers don't cover full time occupation  

Just a thought. 

[Roadlotus]

Thank you Frank and SeaDawg,

I will be coming up on the one-year anniversay of his passing, and I appreciate the kind thoughts. We knew this would be my next step long before he passed. He worked on the house to do whatever he could (which was a lot) before he couldn't. Yes, an unbelievably difficult time. In addition to my work with farmers, I am an estate planner (retiring from that this fall) and so I knew all the things to do, but the heart has its own time. I work with a number of widows who lost spouses recently, so I know personally their challenges. I am relishing every step of downsizing, but I am not sure I'll have it whittled down by December. I will have a small storage unit in N. CA where most of my work is, but I am looking forward to relinquishing an acre of house and land in the high desert. It is a good time to sell and then I can buy something smaller later whereever I decide to settle. I spent a long time looking at trailers, too. The Oliver's insulation, user group support and stamina finally won me over. 

I don't know about the warranty. I'll have to talk to Anita. I'm test driving some Fords tomorrow, but don't see any 4x4s on the lot. As you noted, I don't have to do this immediately. I just liked my carmax offer and got the itch. Also, I think end of the fiscal year (June) for some might be a good time.

Thank you again! 

[Roadlotus]

PS, since I'll be full-time, one important consideration is that this is my everyday vehicle in addition to TV. So I want to be comfortable in it. My farmers will appreciate me even more in a truck over my Subi.:)

[SeaDawg]

,Just saying, might not want to be classified as a full timer, from the get go.

[dewdev]

I know one person with an Elite II that bought his Ollie 2 years ago and brought it from the factory to Maine with his Ford F150 with no Anderson WDH. He still does not use a WDH and seed no need for it.

My Ollie came with a Anderson WDH so I use it with my RAM 1500 and it handles the Ollie like it is not even attached. The RAM fits into my garage and I have 3 feet of the back of the garage as a bench. They all fit fine. My insurance is not more than my 4-runner was.

Try out some trucks to see what you like and can handle and see if it would fit in your present garage.  I  agree with SeaDawg about being very very sure you want to sell the house prior to listing it. In this market selling is easy and fast but finding a suitable replacement house will be hard and expensive.

[Cameron]

Hi Roadlotus,

Welcome to the forum and the Oliver family. It seems like getting an Oliver is a major life milestone for many of us. You've gone through a lot in the past year and I hope that the adventure of buying and traveling in an Oliver will help you transition.

Regarding the tow vehicle, I have a GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 and no weight distributing hitch on the Oliver Elite II. I've got about 3000 miles on the trailer so far and haven't noticed a problem. Before I decided to buy a trailer I rented three and pulled them with my old pickup, a 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 2wd, short bed. It only had a 6 cylinder engine and had to work too hard getting over some steep passes, but overall it was fine. One one of our rentals we had the weight distributing hitch. On the other two, no. Never had a problem even with the old, less powerful pickup. I'm definitely a newbie here compared some of our colleagues, but so far so good with a half-ton pickup and no WDH. 

I'm in San Francisco and often travel up to the Sierras so if there's anything I can do to help, let me know.

P.S. I'm seeing some of the Rivian's on the streets here in SF, they're sharp!

[Roadlotus]

Thank you Cameron and Dewdev. I have some test driving to do! Fortunately I have some time so I think SeaDawg may be right about people turning in their trucks with these gas prices, so I feel a bit less pushed about deciding. And I'm waiting for the Rivian that has the 400 mile range - I waitlisted a while ago, and agree AGAIN with SeaDawg not to count on a timeline and to settle in with a good TV now. Thank you Cameron - I have a colleague who owns a farm in N.CA. (Guinda) where I can always park. And I used to backpack lots in the Sierras way back. Such a great place to hike and camp! My brother-in-law has a house in SF and is thinking of selling, I think. 

I so appreciate the feedback because I am really green on all this, but looking forward to this next phase:)

[mossemi]

I very rarely, if ever offer anyone advice about spending their money, but I will offer myself as an example.  I bought my used Toyota SUV in 2016, knowing that I was going to buy an Oliver LEII, which I did in 2018.  The reason for choosing a Toyota was based upon past experience and I like dependable products and it has a towing capacity of 8100 lbs and a cargo capacity of 1295 lbs.  That’s not a lot of capacity in the grand scheme of travel trailer towing, but we make it work.  What I didn’t know was that I would need a weight distribution hitch.  But my Toyota owners manual states that it is required if it used to tow any trailer weighing more that 5000 lbs.  I trust Toyota’s engineering, so a WDH is part of my towing equipment.  I compare the Andersen WDH to shoes.  I love wearing flip flops, but when I’m cutting the grass, I’ve got my boots on.  So if my tow vehicle requires a WDH, it’s incumbent upon me to learn how to use it.  So please do not let anyone scare you away from using the Andersen WDH if your tow vehicle requires it.  And please verify the towing, cargo and tongue weight capacities of any vehicle you are thinking about purchasing.  Do not trust someone else’s assurances that a given vehicle will be just fine towing a travel trailer.  The capacity information is posted on each vehicle, usually on the drivers door jamb.

Happy hunting,

Mossey

[dewdev]

10 hours ago, mossemi said:

I very rarely, if ever offer anyone advice about spending their money, but I will offer myself as an example.  I bought my used Toyota SUV in 2016, knowing that I was going to buy an Oliver LEII, which I did in 2018.  The reason for choosing a Toyota was based upon past experience and I like dependable products and it has a towing capacity of 8100 lbs and a cargo capacity of 1295 lbs.  That’s not a lot of capacity in the grand scheme of travel trailer towing, but we make it work.  What I didn’t know was that I would need a weight distribution hitch.  But my Toyota owners manual states that it is required if it used to tow any trailer weighing more that 5000 lbs.  I trust Toyota’s engineering, so a WDH is part of my towing equipment.  I compare the Andersen WDH to shoes.  I love wearing flip flops, but when I’m cutting the grass, I’ve got my boots on.  So if my tow vehicle requires a WDH, it’s incumbent upon me to learn how to use it.  So please do not let anyone scare you away from using the Andersen WDH if your tow vehicle requires it.  And please verify the towing, cargo and tongue weight capacities of any vehicle you are thinking about purchasing.  Do not trust someone else’s assurances that a given vehicle will be just fine towing a travel trailer.  The capacity information is posted on each vehicle, usually on the drivers door jamb.

Happy hunting,

Mossey

Mossey:

i owned a couple of Toyota 4-Runners and love them before my present RAM truck which I bought prior to buy my Ollie.

What Toyota SUV are you referring to that you pull "the dog house" with?

[mossemi]

5 hours ago, dewdev said:

What Toyota SUV are you referring to that you pull "the dog house" with?

We have a Land Cruiser.  I am presently trying to talk myself out of the new Tundra.  The cargo capacity numbers are a little hard to come by, mostly because I am really interested in the hybrid.  As they become more common, there will be more information available.  All the dealers want to talk about is how expensive they are going to be.  So we are biding our time or I should say that I am, she doesn’t really care.

[Rivernerd]

On 6/20/2022 at 9:47 AM, Roadlotus said:

I am waiting for the Rivian with the 400 mile range and am waitlisted for it to arrive in late 2023. Meanwhile, I need a TV and am trading in my Subaru Outback for it.

As you test drive interim tow vehicles, I recommend you also include a used Tundra with the 5.7L engine and tow package in your search.  We plan to tow our Elite II with our 2019 Tundra 5.7L after we pick up it in November.  Lots of folks on this forum tow very happily with Tundras, usually with an Andersen hitch.  Our 2019 Tundra Double Cab Standard Bed would barely fit in your 228" garage; maybe omit the double cab when test driving?  A well-maintained Tundra should holds its value well until you take delivery of your Rivian.

 

My 2  cents.

[Ralph Mawyer]

A bit different use case, but some good info on the range of trucks that can also pull an Elite II.

https://expeditionportal.com/full-size-revolution-overland-full-size-truck-of-the-year/

 

[AlbertNTerri]

Welcome to the forum, I too am a nubie here but not to trailer towing in general, just to Oliver. A few comments, 

1. The 400 mile range of the Rivan is for just the truck, we don't really know what the numbers will be towing but it seems like people are going with 50% when discussing the range of electric vehicles as tow vehicles (TVs). There are a few posts and youtubes currently posted of people towing with teslas and the 50% number looks pretty close to reality. More on that as they become more commonplace TVs

2. When we were shopping for our TV for our E2, I was initially leaning towards the Tundra for several reasons, not the least of which is that I have a long happy history with toyotas in general. The problem came down to the carrying capacity and what our anticipated needs would be. We spend a fair amount of time going through the Rockies so up and down steep grades are common for us. Most anything will pull the E2, the concern I had was being able to panic stop on a downgrade at normal speed. The smaller trucks (150s, 1500s and the Tundra) all will tow fine when properly equipped, but the brakes are smaller and that's the rub. The 250s / 2500s etc and larger trucks have more robust brakes and thus give a greater margin of safety which for me translates to piece of mind. I figure it's better to be a bit over-kill then living almost at the max and then regretting not having a big enough safety margin. 

3. There are two numbers you need to be familiar with, the "towing capacity" the "carrying capacity."  For example, one of the Tundras we checked out had a very nice cap on the back, was 4-door, low mileage, seemed to check all the boxes. When I checked the sticker stating the carrying capacity it was only  something like1300 #s. The hitch weight on the E2 is between 600-700 depending on how you're loaded, my wife and I total around 425. 425 + 700 = 1125. 1300 - 1125 = 175. That's 175 pounds of stuff I can carry, but wait, there's a cap on the back so it weighs in around 200 pounds, so I'm already overweight. Had we had gone with the Tundra we would have a very nice pick up which would be a piece of art, but not capable of carrying anything without being past it's carrying capacity. Exceed the carrying capacity and then heading down a steep grade with a sudden need to stop before the bottom and it's a recipe for disaster.

 

We started looking at the 250s / 2500s and ended up buying a 2017 Ford F250. So far with the Oliver we've only made a run from the factory in TN back to Maryland, our gas mileage went from 12-14mpg (truck alone) to max of 10.7 towing the E2 (mostly 9.1-9.7 mpg towing). That's running about 5 over the speed limit in both cases. The 10.7 towing I was running the speed limit or a little under and only feathered the gas, just to see how good I could do, but my foot generally tends to be heavier so the 9.1-9.7 is more of my reality, and to add insult to injury, I have to use premium so the price is never "low" when filling up. 

That said, the truck is carrying everything I need, I have no worries about how much I'm throwing in the back. When we bought a case of wine at the harvest host on the way home I had no worries about carrying it in the back of the truck, we could have bought two and not had a concern 🙂

It tows like a charm. Ideally I'd like to have a cybertruck but no telling when they'll become available. We spent $46,000 on the F250 in November of 2021 and it had 95,000 miles on it. It's a lariat with most all the options, we added a topper with tool boxes and have no problems other than paying stupidly high prices at the pump. It also has a 48 gal tank (and 6.2 L motor) so I have no problem going 300-400 miles towing and almost 600 miles without the trailer.

I recommend springing for the 250 or 2500. When the rivian finally arrives you can reassess but I doubt you'll regret having the added capcity in the mean time. 

 

Good luck!!

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss, I hope this new adventure will help ease the pain, I'm sure it's a real bitter-sweet. 

 

albert

[dewdev]

5 hours ago, albert60 said:

Welcome to the forum, I too am a nubie here but not to trailer towing in general, just to Oliver. A few comments, 

1. The 400 mile range of the Rivan is for just the truck, we don't really know what the numbers will be towing but it seems like people are going with 50% when discussing the range of electric vehicles as tow vehicles (TVs). There are a few posts and youtubes currently posted of people towing with teslas and the 50% number looks pretty close to reality. More on that as they become more commonplace TVs

2. When we were shopping for our TV for our E2, I was initially leaning towards the Tundra for several reasons, not the least of which is that I have a long happy history with toyotas in general. The problem came down to the carrying capacity and what our anticipated needs would be. We spend a fair amount of time going through the Rockies so up and down steep grades are common for us. Most anything will pull the E2, the concern I had was being able to panic stop on a downgrade at normal speed. The smaller trucks (150s, 1500s and the Tundra) all will tow fine when properly equipped, but the brakes are smaller and that's the rub. The 250s / 2500s etc and larger trucks have more robust brakes and thus give a greater margin of safety which for me translates to piece of mind. I figure it's better to be a bit over-kill then living almost at the max and then regretting not having a big enough safety margin. 

3. There are two numbers you need to be familiar with, the "towing capacity" the "carrying capacity."  For example, one of the Tundras we checked out had a very nice cap on the back, was 4-door, low mileage, seemed to check all the boxes. When I checked the sticker stating the carrying capacity it was only  something like1300 #s. The hitch weight on the E2 is between 600-700 depending on how you're loaded, my wife and I total around 425. 425 + 700 = 1125. 1300 - 1125 = 175. That's 175 pounds of stuff I can carry, but wait, there's a cap on the back so it weighs in around 200 pounds, so I'm already overweight. Had we had gone with the Tundra we would have a very nice pick up which would be a piece of art, but not capable of carrying anything without being past it's carrying capacity. Exceed the carrying capacity and then heading down a steep grade with a sudden need to stop before the bottom and it's a recipe for disaster.

 

albert

Albert: Interesting information, thanks for posting.

My 2018 RAM with the 5.7 Liter engine has a max payload of 1,889 pounds and a max towing capacity of 11,610 pounds (with the 5.7 liter engine).

Mossey - what kind of mileage does your Land Cruiser get with and without towing the Ollie?

[Patriot]

On 6/22/2022 at 2:50 AM, albert60 said:

Welcome to the forum, I too am a nubie here but not to trailer towing in general, just to Oliver. A few comments, 

1. The 400 mile range of the Rivan is for just the truck, we don't really know what the numbers will be towing but it seems like people are going with 50% when discussing the range of electric vehicles as tow vehicles (TVs). There are a few posts and youtubes currently posted of people towing with teslas and the 50% number looks pretty close to reality. More on that as they become more commonplace TVs

2. When we were shopping for our TV for our E2, I was initially leaning towards the Tundra for several reasons, not the least of which is that I have a long happy history with toyotas in general. The problem came down to the carrying capacity and what our anticipated needs would be. We spend a fair amount of time going through the Rockies so up and down steep grades are common for us. Most anything will pull the E2, the concern I had was being able to panic stop on a downgrade at normal speed. The smaller trucks (150s, 1500s and the Tundra) all will tow fine when properly equipped, but the brakes are smaller and that's the rub. The 250s / 2500s etc and larger trucks have more robust brakes and thus give a greater margin of safety which for me translates to piece of mind. I figure it's better to be a bit over-kill then living almost at the max and then regretting not having a big enough safety margin. 

3. There are two numbers you need to be familiar with, the "towing capacity" the "carrying capacity."  For example, one of the Tundras we checked out had a very nice cap on the back, was 4-door, low mileage, seemed to check all the boxes. When I checked the sticker stating the carrying capacity it was only  something like1300 #s. The hitch weight on the E2 is between 600-700 depending on how you're loaded, my wife and I total around 425. 425 + 700 = 1125. 1300 - 1125 = 175. That's 175 pounds of stuff I can carry, but wait, there's a cap on the back so it weighs in around 200 pounds, so I'm already overweight. Had we had gone with the Tundra we would have a very nice pick up which would be a piece of art, but not capable of carrying anything without being past it's carrying capacity. Exceed the carrying capacity and then heading down a steep grade with a sudden need to stop before the bottom and it's a recipe for disaster.

 

We started looking at the 250s / 2500s and ended up buying a 2017 Ford F250. So far with the Oliver we've only made a run from the factory in TN back to Maryland, our gas mileage went from 12-14mpg (truck alone) to max of 10.7 towing the E2 (mostly 9.1-9.7 mpg towing). That's running about 5 over the speed limit in both cases. The 10.7 towing I was running the speed limit or a little under and only feathered the gas, just to see how good I could do, but my foot generally tends to be heavier so the 9.1-9.7 is more of my reality, and to add insult to injury, I have to use premium so the price is never "low" when filling up. 

That said, the truck is carrying everything I need, I have no worries about how much I'm throwing in the back. When we bought a case of wine at the harvest host on the way home I had no worries about carrying it in the back of the truck, we could have bought two and not had a concern 🙂

It tows like a charm. Ideally I'd like to have a cybertruck but no telling when they'll become available. We spent $46,000 on the F250 in November of 2021 and it had 95,000 miles on it. It's a lariat with most all the options, we added a topper with tool boxes and have no problems other than paying stupidly high prices at the pump. It also has a 48 gal tank (and 6.2 L motor) so I have no problem going 300-400 miles towing and almost 600 miles without the trailer.

I recommend springing for the 250 or 2500. When the rivian finally arrives you can reassess but I doubt you'll regret having the added capcity in the mean time. 

 

Good luck!!

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss, I hope this new adventure will help ease the pain, I'm sure it's a real bitter-sweet. 

 

albert

Albert,

X2

Like you a we have owned several Tundras over the years they have all been very reliable trucks. When we took delivery of our Ollie in June of 2020 we had a 14 Tundra Platinum. It towed our Ollie ok on the flats but the tach displayed much higher rpm’s in the mountains and the cargo carrying capacity really was not enough truck for our needs being right on the edge of being over the legal weight limits. This was not an option for us given the gear we carry. The Tundra never felt as planted and stable as our present TV of course it’s comparing apples to oranges. 
We now own an F350 which just feels a whole lot safer (it sits nice and high so the view is great when traveling). Stopping power and engine power and cargo carrying capacity are never a concern. I am not going to go down the rabbit hole of what make or brand of vehicle is better as everyone has their personal preferences. I do know that we are happy with our present TV for many more reasons than I have mentioned. It’s mainly used for towing and not a daily driver as it is a large heavy duty truck. The interesting thing is we get better fuel mileage with the F350 than we ever got with the Tundra both towing and not towing.  We typically get 19-21 highway unloaded and 15.9 -16 mpgs towing our Ollie loaded which we are happy with being a one ton truck. The diesel just pushes 1400 -1500 RPMs at 65-70 mph and is very quiet in the cab.
Bottom line is purchase what works best for your budget and your towing needs.

Happy Camping and Safe Travels,

Patriot

 

 

[Trainman]

I know we all want and do buy what we think would work for our towing needs. I personally feel the purchase of any battery powered vehicle for towing would be a mistake at best. The Rivian wouldn't be my choice under any circumstances whatever they might say about it and the results from test, etc. I think you can spend a lot of money and be totally dissatisfied with the results you would get from it and then have to purchase something else to get the job done. I realize the battery thing is being crammed down us, but I also realize there is a need for it, but not as a working person who need a actual truck, or for those towing needs.  I know what looks good on paper does not always translate to actual use, being Green is one thing, but throwing Green Dollars away can be costly. I'm just saying the battery powered towing vehicles are just now starting to hit the roads, but just like the new Ford F-150 battery powered vehicles, it's going to take 2-3 years to see how well they pan out over time. I always tell new prospective campers to go to a campground and talk with campers, you won't have any problems on finding campers that won't talk to you about camping, tow vehicles, etc. 

trainman

[BackofBeyond]

On 6/20/2022 at 10:47 AM, Roadlotus said:

Hi Everyone,

I will test drive some 150s today and have yet to try a Silverado. I am only looking at used vehicles and will get $31k for my trade in per Carmax. So I'm looking at prices in the 30k range.

Thank you!!!

Roadlotus, (great name!)

First, I'm sorry for your loss. 

As there are many threads on TV selections - my comments are towards the used preowned car market. While I am not familiar with your area, in general - across the nation pre-owned vehicles are fetching insane prices - in some instances near the price of a new vehicle. For my money, I would not rule out new - if one is available. Not many if any in my area.

You say your downsizing to a TT - is that a full time -tour around, or are you going to stay put in a smaller circle of location? I think that makes a difference in your TV choice. If you intend to travel - payload and towing are really important. As for fitting in the garage - your leaving that phase, I would not worry here. 

The Rivan is a very risky choice - in my opinion- unproven manufacturer, unproven promised performance, and traveling around would be a pain looking for charging all the time.  But - that's just my take.

Diesel is the way to - but fuel prices are up, but then what isn't. A stout, well equipped 1/2 ton has proven to be a good choice for many - and the WDH certainly helps here - although I hated using mine - so I went to 2500 GMC. At $31K I don't think there will be much worth the asking price - but you have time to be selective. I wish you well in your search. 

RB