Help with smaller tow vehicle options

[Asmodeus2112]

Hi y'all. I have a 2008 Ridgeline that has towed my two SSLX's and one SSLXi admirably. It towed all three from TX to WI and back.(Not at the same time of course...) Picked up an '05 VLX, and it's over weight I am sure. Malibu weight + trailer + gas would come right to 5k, but reading a lot of threads that say real weights are a lot more. I intend to hit a scale sometime, but I think it's obvious that this boat is too much for my Ridge. The Ridge is paid for, and I have a new 16 year old driver, plus a small garage. Trying to keep it low $$. I don't want to pay more that 20k, but that might not be realistic. I see Frontiers for 20-21k at Hertz.(Titan's for 24k...) Not really a fan of Frontiers, but anyone tow with one? New Ford Ranger seems appealing. I'm not a jeep fan, but suppose I should look at GC. Tacoma, but they are $$ and I don't like the sitting on the floor position. But I am ok with Toyota. Probably have to consider full size trucks, but they won't fit in the garage. Need 4x4.  

Edited June 19, 2019 by Asmodeus2112

[gregtay]

You mentioned the GC... a GC with the air suspension would be great (they tow very well.) I have a GC and Durango.. both were awesome pulling my 2008 23LSV. For the 2019 we only use the Durango (high tow rating.)  There are also a bunch of German SUVs you could pick up used that tow 7700, Touareg, Q7, X5, Cayenne, etc. Not cheap to drive/maintain but if you can get one with some mile on it to get the price down along with a warranty then you would be set. 

[jjackkrash]

I'd personally want at least a 1/2 ton for that boat or a big 1/2 ton based SUV.        

[oldjeep]

Big boy toys require other big boy toys to tow them. 

[Asmodeus2112]

1 hour ago, oldjeep said:

Big boy toys require other big boy toys to tow them. 

Yeah, I get it. i am guilty of trusting and not verifying. Believed the Malibu number and never went to the scales or researched boat weights more thoroughly. Still hope there are some options that will fit in my older homes garage, it's mandatory. 

[oldjeep]

1 minute ago, Asmodeus2112 said:

Yeah, I get it. i am guilty of trusting and not verifying. Believed the Malibu number and never went to the scales or researched boat weights more thoroughly. Still hope there are some options that will fit in my older homes garage, it's mandatory. 

I haven't parked my trucks inside - ever.  Some reason you can't park in the driveway?

 

[Asmodeus2112]

4 minutes ago, oldjeep said:

I haven't parked my trucks inside - ever.  Some reason you can't park in the driveway? 

 

Limited street parking on my lot and two other daily driver vehicles. I commonly have the boat or a camper in the driveway so I can work on them. Only way to fit it all...As a plus it is nice to get them in when a hail storm is on the way. 

[Asmodeus2112]

Really would like it to be a truck. I coach a mountain bike racing team and I need to pull a camper and carry about 6-8 mountain bikes. I accomplish this today with load bars across the bed with bike mounts on them, plus a bike rack on the back of the camper. Probably could put them on the roof of an SUV, but... I believe the only only options I may have are to spend the $$ on either a new Ranger or Colorado diesel. Fairly new trucks, anyone have any experience towing with either of these?

[Mglass09]

Just saw your post about the truck but anyways for the record:

 

I have a 2003 21’ VLX with a tandem axle trailer and tow it regularly with a 2013 Touareg TDI. It tows mine like a champ IMO. 

Normal commute to the lake is about 45 minutes half interstate but I’ve also pulled it 400 miles up to Smith Mountain lake in VA with no issues. 

Also when I’m not towing it gets near 30mpg and is a great ride.

Edited June 19, 2019 by Mglass09
No suv

[Eagleboy99]

25 minutes ago, Asmodeus2112 said:

carry about 6-8 mountain bikes

I've had one of these for years - have seen them mounted tot he back of a camper, too.  https://www.northshoreracks.com/racks/nsr-6-bike-rack/

[kylesullens]

personally I would not tow with anything less than a 1/2 ton based rig, truck or SUV.  I tow almost every week, either equipment, livestock trailers, RV, or the malibu.  full size trucks are designed to tow loads that weigh more than the tow vehicle, bit i would be very hesitant to tow with a small SUV.  I know a good deal of people do it but it doesn'tseem safe to me.   most of my concern is the ability to get stopped quickly.  even with surge brakes , a 6500lb boat is going to push a smaller tow vehicle around when you are braking hard.   also if you had a blowout or hub failure on the trailer and it started to swing, a small tow vehicle would lose control.

I've had many trailer mishaps over the years so I've experienced many of the things that can go wrong.   if I had been using a smaller rig, many of those incidents would not have had happy endings.

as for the OP,  I guess I don't have any solutions for you.  I realize not everyone needs/can afford a Duramax, but undersized tow vehicles scare me.

[gregtay]

I get everyone saying you need a 1/2 ton but I also think if you have that opinion you haven’t every towed with a mid-size SUV that really was up for the task. I had a V10 Touareg and it towed my 23LSV better, safer, more stable than my Armada or Tundra. It had giant Brembos and stopped the whole rig almost like the boat wasn’t there. The Cayenne(GTS or higher) tows about the same.

Today I tow with a Durango SRT, rated at 8600 pounds (certified at that... more than most 1/2 ton SUV) and it also has huge Brembo brakes. I have towed with 1/2 tons and I don’t feel any “less safe” pulling my boat around with the Durango. Would I tow with an SUV not up for the task?.. No. Hooking my boat up to a 4Runner would be a terrible idea. But, if you know what you are looking for there are a few SUVs (all of them German or at least with some German engineering history (current Jeep CG and Durango are from the days when MB owned Mopar) that can safely and confidently tow 7000 pounds. 

Yes.. 1/2 ton truck is the easy quick way but there really are other options for those of us where life doesn’t quite allow for a 1/2 ton as a daily driver.

Edited June 19, 2019 by gregtay

[jjackkrash]

43 minutes ago, gregtay said:

I get everyone saying you need a 1/2 ton but I also think if you have that opinion you haven’t every towed with a mid-size SUV that really was up for the task. I had a V10 Touareg and it towed my 23LSV better, safer, more stable than my Armada or Tundra. I

I like some of the German mid-size SUV's for towing a boat up to this size because of the brakes and other advanced safety features; I also consider the Durango to be a pretty big/stout SUV.  My wife's ML series Benz has sick brakes and anti-sway and does a better job towing my SN 200 than I would have expected.  But this assumes you are not also loading down the SUV with peeps and gear as every butt you put in the seat over a 150 lbs. driver lowers the tow capacity by the same amount.  But I'd still personally prefer a 1/2 ton truck (or bigger) when pushing up to 6k pounds or heavier.   

Edited June 19, 2019 by jjackkrash

[oldjeep]

What kind of length can you deal with?  Because the funny truth of the "mini trucks" these days is that they are pretty big.

2019 Ranger seems to be 211" long

Colorado crewcab short box is 212" long

Colorado crewcab long box is 225" long

Ram 1500 quad cab with 6ft 4 bed is 228" long

[gregtay]

35 minutes ago, oldjeep said:

What kind of length can you deal with?  Because the funny truth of the "mini trucks" these days is that they are pretty big.

2019 Ranger seems to be 211" long

Colorado crewcab short box is 212" long

Colorado crewcab long box is 225" long

Ram 1500 quad cab with 6ft 4 bed is 228" long

And the Jeep Gladiator is 218" long... and tows up to 7650  (might be one of the more capable "smaller" trucks... and it would be a heck of a lot of fun as well   If they do end up putting the 3.0l diesel in the Gladiator it would be the ultimate all-arounder.   

[oldjeep]

23 minutes ago, gregtay said:

And the Jeep Gladiator is 218" long... and tows up to 7650  (might be one of the more capable "smaller" trucks... and it would be a heck of a lot of fun as well   If they do end up putting the 3.0l diesel in the Gladiator it would be the ultimate all-arounder.   

As long as you want to pay more than what a real pickup costs    That is the other irony of the mini pickups, they cost more than the big ones - especially when you consider actual price sold for and not MSRP

Edited June 19, 2019 by oldjeep

[UWSkier]

How much garage space do you have to work with currently?  Your Ridgeline is 207 inches without a hitch.  Does it fit in your garage with a drawbar on it?  If so, the Colorado crew cab short box would also fit.  You'd just have to remember to remove your drawbar before closing the door.  Can probably start finding those used in the new body style (with the older engine and trans though) for decent prices.  They're nice trucks.

Do you require four doors and a decent back seat?

Edited June 19, 2019 by UWSkier

[Asmodeus2112]

I have reasonable depth in the garage. Ridge fits with drawbar and I have a rolling toolbox plus room to slip by sideways in front of it. Main constraint is the height and width. Two car garage with two single doors. The driveway slopes down into the garage so the longer wheel base vehicles may have less vertical clearance. Many years ago I did manage to get a Tundra crew cab into the garage, but had to fold the mirrors in and it was literally fractions of an inch on all dimensions. I think that Tundra was a 4x4, but stock. The Tundra was just on loan from a dealership, I knew I couldn't deal with that tight of a fit. I need to get measurements when I get home. I love the idea of german SUV's, but what I have see is that they are beyond my budget. The truck only gets driven to tow the boat, tow the camper, or on trips to the beach. Other than that I bike commute to work and we have another car and will be adding a third soon. So, I could deal with a higher mileage but reliable truck as I will only put about 8k on it per year. But those are an important 8k to me. I have a 6'2" son who is still growing and a tall daughter. So, yeah, need 4 seats of decent size. We often are on the road for 3-4 hour trips, and occasionally 12 hour trips to CO in the truck.

Edited June 19, 2019 by Asmodeus2112

[Eagleboy99]

Here's a nice small pickup.  A bit DIY though.    https://driving.ca/tesla/auto-news/news/watch-this-youtuber-convert-a-tesla-model-3-into-a-pickup-truck

[oldjeep]

12 minutes ago, Asmodeus2112 said:

I have reasonable depth in the garage. Ridge fits with drawbar and I have a rolling toolbox plus room to slip by sideways in front of it. Main constraint is the height and width. Two car garage with two single doors. The driveway slopes down into the garage so the longer wheel base vehicles may have less vertical clearance. Many years ago I did manage to get a Tundra crew cab into the garage, but had to fold the mirrors in and it was literally fractions of an inch on all dimensions. I think that Tundra was a 4x4, but stock. The Tundra was just on loan from a dealership, I knew I couldn't deal with that tight of a fit. I need to get measurements when I get home. I love the idea of german SUV's, but what I have see is that they are beyond my budget. The truck only gets driven to tow the boat, tow the camper, or on trips to the beach. Other than that I bike commute to work and we have another car and will be adding a third soon. So, I could deal with a higher mileage but reliable truck as I will only put about 8k on it per year. But those are an important 8k to me. I have a 6'2" son who is still growing and a tall daughter. So, yeah, need 4 seats of decent size. We often are on the road for 3-4 hour trips, and occasionally 12 hour trips to CO in the truck.

FWIW, modern trucks have a little button you push to fold the mirrors in.

Width wise

2019 ridgeline - 78.6"

2012 ridgeline - 77.8

2019 Colorado - 74 - 76"

2019 Ranger  85.8

2019 ram - 82.1

 

Seems bizarrie that the ranger is so wide, but the one I saw on the road was pretty tubby looking.  Could also be that they are all measuring slightly different things.  For a kid who is 6ft 2 they either need to use the front seat or you need a full sized truck.

Edited June 19, 2019 by oldjeep

[Asmodeus2112]

14 minutes ago, Eagleboy99 said:

Here's a nice small pickup.  A bit DIY though.    https://driving.ca/tesla/auto-news/news/watch-this-youtuber-convert-a-tesla-model-3-into-a-pickup-truck

Ok, back from that rabbit hole.... pretty cool though.

[Asmodeus2112]

3 minutes ago, oldjeep said:

FWIW, modern trucks have a little button you push to fold the mirrors in.

Width wise

2019 ridgeline - 78.6"

2012 ridgeline - 77.8

2019 Colorado - 74 - 76"

2019 Ranger  85.8

2019 ram - 82.1

 

Seems bizarrie that the ranger is so wide, but the one I saw on the road was pretty tubby looking.  Could also be that they are all measuring slightly different things.  For a kid who is 6ft 2 they either need to use the front seat or you need a full sized truck.

Yeah, I clearly have to get measurements of the garage in order to continue. Seems the cheapest route is to get a 1/2 ton truck, so have been thinking of ways to pull off not parking it in the garage. I keep the truck and camper at a storage place, maybe rent a bigger spot and keep the truck there... or pour a slab off to the side of the current driveway...

[jjackkrash]

1 minute ago, Asmodeus2112 said:

or pour a slab off to the side of the current driveway...

Bingo.  

[Asmodeus2112]

8 minutes ago, jjackkrash said:

Bingo.  

I live on a hill, so not 100% easy. But maybe a 5k slab and I could get buy with a 15k truck instead of a 35k truck. Plus some residual value for the house...

[oldjeep]

7 minutes ago, Asmodeus2112 said:

I live on a hill, so not 100% easy. But maybe a 5k slab and I could get buy with a 15k truck instead of a 35k truck. Plus some residual value for the house...

I'd be surprised it cost as much as 5K.  I just had 1108 sq feet of concrete driveway 4" thick with rebar replaced for 7K.  With no tear/haul and only base prep on a single wide slab I'd be thinking less than 3K

Edited June 19, 2019 by oldjeep