6000 lb tow vehicle

Jul 25, 2017
65
MacGregor 25 Madison, WI
I'm looking to buy a boat in the next couple years and will need to upgrade to a vehicle with tow capacity of 6000 lbs for a couple of extended trips per year. My primary concerns are price (<10k), fuel economy (20+ mpg combined, so <3.5L engine), and reliability (10 years of life and <$8k in maintenance over that time).

With those first two constrains, all the options I can find are diesels with Mercedes engines. These include the 2007-8 Jeep Grand Cherokee , BMW X5, Mercedes GL320 or ML320, and the VW Touareg. Unfortunately these are all European engines (and almost all European cars). When you read reliability reports (e.g. Phil Edmonston, consumer reports, etc...) you find that European cars are almost always the worst on reliability and most expensive to fix, with the possible exception of Jeeps.

If I could just shave off 1000 lbs I could go with a Highlander or Tacoma gas engine and still hit 20 MPG, but sadly that's not likely possible.

Anyone have any ideas for how I should proceed, vehicles I haven't considered, or any evidence for which of these bad options is the least bad?
 
Mar 29, 2017
576
Hunter 30t 9805 littlecreek
The Ford f150 meets that criteria and will tow a ton more. Those eco boost and 7 speed transmission is amazing. I didn't believe at first but the last year its proven itself
 
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Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
My Chevy Silverado has a 7000# rating. I get 18+ mpg on the highway but not so much in town and NOT WHEN I'M TOWING MY BOAT.:biggrin:

My engine will turn off two cylinders to save gas when cruising on flat highway .
 
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Jul 25, 2017
65
MacGregor 25 Madison, WI
Interesting - didn't know about the cylinder shutdown on the Silverado.

Thanks for the clarification - I should have stated that I want 20 MPG when not towing.

I'm interested in the F150 EcoBoost. Looks like the 2.7 was introduced in 2015, so maybe if I can wait 5 years it'll be in my price range. I'll have to read up on the reliability.
 
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Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
I LOVE my truck.... can't say enough good things about it. It seats six in a pinch and four comfortably. Smooth ride... tows like a dream. Mine is a 2012. I'd buy another in a heartbeat if anything ever happened to mine.

1572459214907.png
 
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Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
GM announced this past week that they are converting one of their old plants to make electric trucks. You might want to keep an eye on that if carbon foot-print is a big driver of your decision.
 
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Jul 25, 2017
65
MacGregor 25 Madison, WI
Looks like the 2012 Silverado you have (which is closer to my price range) gets up to 18 combined. The Hybrid, though, is over 20.
 
Jun 2, 2004
3,390
Hunter 23.5 Fort Walton Yacht Club, Florida
To tow that much and get that MPG your probably looking at a truck with a turbo charger. To get one under 10K and keep for ten years your looking at one that is old enough that it will likely need a new turbo charger while you own it. I get a combined MPG around 15 or 16 if I keep it under 70 with my 2006 Lincoln Mark LT (F-150 fancied up a bit). Amortize out the price of the turbo replacement with how much more gas you'll buy and it may widen your field.
 
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Sep 22, 2018
1,869
Hunter 216 Kingston
Have you considered the option of renting an appropriate vehicle for your trips?

Run a relatively inexpensive vehicle most of the year, rent when you need tow capacity. If it’s less expensive overall you have more $ to invest in the boat!
 
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Jul 25, 2017
65
MacGregor 25 Madison, WI
Have you considered the option of renting an appropriate vehicle for your trips?

Run a relatively inexpensive vehicle most of the year, rent when you need tow capacity. If it’s less expensive overall you have more $ to invest in the boat!
That's a thought. Has anyone, say, rented a truck to tow from one location to another and then another truck to tow back a month later?
 
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Sep 22, 2018
1,869
Hunter 216 Kingston
Should work the same as car rental, one way add on charge of course. You would just need to find a rental company that rents vehicles with tow package that will handle your boat.
 
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Jim26m

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Apr 3, 2019
579
Macgregor 26M Mobile AL
That's a thought. Has anyone, say, rented a truck to tow from one location to another and then another truck to tow back a month later?
Bought my last boat between tow vehicles. Rented a truck for the 60 mile tow home. Great solution. Would do it again in a heartbeat. If there are rental places at each destination, I don't see an issue with your idea - just pay the drop charge.

Wound up buying a 2016 Silverado with 5.3L and electronic trans. If I go easy, it gets 23+ highway mpg at 70 (mostly flat terrain) WITHOUT THE BOAT. Drops 4 cylinders when it can, and the transmission is always doing something. Brake system recall is the only serious complaint I have.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
Have you considered the option of renting an appropriate vehicle for your trips?

Run a relatively inexpensive vehicle most of the year, rent when you need tow capacity. If it’s less expensive overall you have more $ to invest in the boat!
I think we have a winner...
 
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Jul 25, 2017
65
MacGregor 25 Madison, WI
Bought my last boat between tow vehicles. Rented a truck for the 60 mile tow home. Great solution. Would do it again in a heartbeat. If there are rental places at each destination, I don't see an issue with your idea - just pay the drop charge.
Who did you use for the rental?

Enterprise allows towing your own trailer, but you have to return to the same location. The fee is $1900 per month or $450 per week.

I've noted that nobody seems to be saying anything positive about any of the small diesel engines. Is that lack of experience or negative experiences? I did notice that RAM offers a small diesel on their 2014 and later RAM 1500s which get good reviews (though I can't find diesel-specific reviews).
 
Jun 25, 2004
1,108
Corsair F24 Mk1 003 San Francisco Bay, CA
I had the BMW X5 turbo diesel for a few years. It was an awesome tow vehicle. And a fun car to drive. It got about 22-24 mpg mixed driving when not towing, IIRC.

But it was very expensive to maintain. You won’t get 10 years of maintenance for $8k and I doubt you’ll find one selling for under$10k. The first year they were sold in the USA was 2009.
 
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Jul 25, 2017
65
MacGregor 25 Madison, WI
I had the BMW X5 turbo diesel for a few years. It was an awesome tow vehicle. And a fun car to drive. It got about 22-24 mpg mixed driving when not towing, IIRC.

But it was very expensive to maintain. You won’t get 10 years of maintenance for $8k and I doubt you’ll find one selling for under$10k. The first year they were sold in the USA was 2009.
Thanks! Could you ballpark how much maintenance you'd expect to spend in 10 years if you got it at 150k and drove it to 250k?
 

Jim26m

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Apr 3, 2019
579
Macgregor 26M Mobile AL
Who did you use for the rental?
IMG_0068.JPG

If you squint, you might be able to read the $19.95 per day Home Depot sign on the truck. Deal came together quick, and that happened to be a quick solution.
 

Tedd

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Jul 25, 2013
745
TES 246 Versus near Vancouver, BC
Have you considered the option of renting an appropriate vehicle for your trips?
This is definitley worth considering. I tow regularly and have a tow vehicle I'm happy with, but when it was out of service this summer I rented a Dodge Ram 1500 to tow my boat and was very pleased with how it worked out. If I only towed a couple of times a year I'd definitley consider renting and not owning a tow vehicle at all.