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Topic ClosedNew Podders deciding btwn tow vehicles
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CharlieM View Drop Down
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Joined: 23 Nov 2012
Location: N. Colorado
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Posts: 1797 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: New Podders deciding btwn tow vehicles
    Posted: 03 Jan 2017 at 8:48am
Originally posted by OurPodJourneys

Your responses are all helpful -- thanks!  We've moved from considering SUVs to pickups, and are down to deciding btwn Toyota Tacoma, Chevy Colorado and Ford F-150, all in V-6, for towing our 179.  Would appreciate any experiences or opinions regarding how they stack up against each other.  (At this point, considering only used TVs).

IMO any of these trucks, if properly equipped, would be fine. I have the 4.0L 2013 Tacoma and tow a trailer weighing ~1000# more empty. However, Toyota no longer offers the 4.0L engine, having downsized to 3.5 or so. Same with the Colorado. These engines are rated higher than the 4.0, but at a much higher RPM. Bad IMO. The F150 is a great truck, but somewhat overkill for the Pod. All that said, you should consider whether you will be towing at altitude. All engines run out of air and lose power at altitude. The answer is to start with a bigger engine or add a blower. I added a belt driven supercharger to my Tacoma but the turbochargers do the same thing. 2013 was the last year Toyota offered the S/C for the Tacoma. This tends to make an argument for the 3.5L EcoBoost F-150. In the end, any of your candidate trucks will work with your Pod. Some better than others, but the F-150 is a beast of a truck to drive in a city.
Charlie
Northern Colorado
OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD
PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Joined: 29 Nov 2015
Location: Wake Forest, NC
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Posts: 6418 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Jan 2017 at 10:27am
Originally posted by mjlrpod

Thanks for your input stephen, This is the truck i decided on. It has the trifold tonneau bed cover on it
 now, but not in the photo.

Nice truck. I looked at a couple of 2016 Frontiers that were at Carmax, but decided on the 2010 based on the equipment it had. It has heated leather seats, heated mirrors, and the Kenwood stereo system is good. The backup camera looks aftermarket (fastens to the license plate), but is apparently OEM as the Nissan logo comes up on the stereo unit. It does not seem to be the ideal location for a camera, but with a drop-down tailgate, I don't see where else one could be mounted on a pickup. It also has the tiedown rails on the floor of the bed as well as on the side and has the bed extender. That came in handy to help our younger daughter move some things.
I'm not sure why I was stuck on having an SUV before. The pickup has already proved to be useful, and the crew cab is almost like having the SUV with extra cargo space. The one-piece cover is a little harder to deal with than a trifold cover, but it is very nice and has no joints to leak. It really was the roof rack (I need to figure out how to mount our AeroPlus on it) and the bed cover that convinced me.
I do need to get back to Carmax though. It was sold as having satellite radio capability, but the satellite receiver module is either missing or not working. I need to find out which before the warranty period expires.
StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

ouR escaPOD mods
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Kickstart View Drop Down
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Posts: 267 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Jan 2017 at 6:03pm
The more often you tow, the more you appreciate a full sized P/U. The more you drive in town, the better a mid sized feels. I've said it before--"love my full sized Tundra, except in those darn Costco parking lots."
I laughed out loud when reading CharlieM's statement--"the F150 is a beast of a truck to drive in a city."
'10 RP 175-Replaced by 2014 Kodiak 173 QBSL
'12 Toyota Tundra
'05 Sportster (half a Harley)
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rda54 View Drop Down
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Posts: 106 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Jan 2017 at 6:14pm
I have been driving trucks for 45 years and you have to get use to how to park and take corners. There isn't anything I'd rather drive.
Ronald & Lonna
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2016 Chevy 1500
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jato View Drop Down
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Posts: 3331 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Jan 2017 at 7:36pm
And, when you hit a deer head on, I wouldn't want to be driving anything but a truck.
God's pod
'11 model 177
'17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost
Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake
"...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."
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Bama Pod View Drop Down
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Posts: 89 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jan 2017 at 7:23am
I opted for the F150 (wanted the 250 but too tall for garage) in case in the future we want to get a bigger camper if we find the RPod (our first RV) to be too small.  Yes, overkill for now, but not for maybe a 25 or 30 footer.
Bama Pod
Huntsville, AL

2017 Ford F250
2017 Airstream 26U
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Irish Tom View Drop Down
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Posts: 24 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jan 2017 at 11:09am
I have a 178 and tow with a 2014 Ford Explorer Limited.  Factory tow package and 3.7L V6.  It is rated for 5000 lbs.  It tows just fine.  My only issue is the gas tank.  Many SUV's have 18 gallon or less tanks where the truck normally have close to double that.  My Ford Explorer gets around 9-10 miles per gallon towing if you keep it under 60 MPH.  If not, your are looking at only 6-7 MPG.  If you are just looking for a tow vehicle then I would recommend a V8.  I use my Explorer for business, personal, & towing.

Good Luck,

Irish Tom
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