Truck recommendation help!

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RN89

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So my dad is in the market for a slightly used pickup truck. Right now he has a 2009 Tundra 4.7 as a company vehicle. His company is offering him an $1100/month allowance to purchase a personal vehicle and turn the Tundra in...basically a $13k raise per year. So technically if he wanted to buy a $500 Civic and pocket the rest, he could.

He needs a truck to pull a 2500lb horse trailer that is usually loaded with one or two horses. He has mostly been using my mom's 2011 Tahoe which pulls that loaded trailer around with ease with the 5.3 (great engine). Obviously gas mileage isnt a huge concern. He works 5 miles from his job and only puts about 10k per year.

He told me today he will be trying to stay around $30k price wise. I told him he might as well buy a new truck because resale on trucks these days is crazy high. But, in either case what do you guys recommend?

Which truck can offer a balance of performace (towing), comfort, and safety?

Thanks in advnace for you help!
 
Just about any,however the Titan is old in the tooth and doesnt sell well.So thats probably off the list.
 
For such a limited amount of towing, it would be perfect for him to keep using the Tahoe and "pocket" the $1,100 per month. Worst case would be to buy your mom a car to drive when the Tahoe wasn't available. Besides, who knows when the $1,100 allowance might dry up leaving him with a high dollar truck and possibly a payment.

If he still wants to buy one, I don't think you could go wrong with any of the full size truck choices being sold today.
 
Anything wrong with the Tundra? I mean, I presume it has had all the proper maintance. It should have enough power for the towing planned. The 4.7 isn't a powerhouse, and it is a timing belt motor, but it is an otherwise good motor. Not sure if a buyout from the company is possible. I'd rather have the 4.6, but he already "knows" this truck, and depreciation should have taken its toll.

Otherwise I agree, might as well go new, prices are crazy.
 
Originally Posted By: supton
Anything wrong with the Tundra? I mean, I presume it has had all the proper maintance. It should have enough power for the towing planned. The 4.7 isn't a powerhouse, and it is a timing belt motor, but it is an otherwise good motor. Not sure if a buyout from the company is possible. I'd rather have the 4.6, but he already "knows" this truck, and depreciation should have taken its toll.

Otherwise I agree, might as well go new, prices are crazy.


Nope. Absolutely nothing wrong with the Tundra. It's been a great truck for him. My dad is the plant manager, and one of the other employee's Chevy truck dropped a transmission so what the corporate proposed to my dad was that they give the "other guy" my dad's Tundra, and essential buy him a new "personal" truck. As of now, his company pays for everything..gas, oil, tires, insurance. With this new deal, my parents will pay for payment and insurance but with the new allowance ($1100) which I think it pretty darn good. I think he can get a nice truck for that much.

As far as getting my mom a car..She really likes her Tahoe and doesnt want to give it up for a "work vehicle" as she calls it haha...she thinks if it gets dirty its a work truck. Her Tahoe is spotless.

Are the FORD ecoboosts just as powerful as the 5.3 in the Chevy or the Hemi? My dad is not a huge Dodge fan, but those truck can be had for a decent price with plenty of options.
 
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As for eco-boost watch all of the videos at:

http://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/experiencef150/?section=torture:home/

Yes, I know it is marketing, but still worth checking out.

Also there are some youtube videos of the "Ike Gauntlet" if you can stand the guys who did it. (it is a much less fair match)

I frankly don't think anyone is making a bad truck, but if I were buying it would be a Ford and 90% certain would be eco-boost. Chevrolet would be my second choice ( might be deals on leftover 13 models since the "new" one is out) and Dodge would be last, although the diesel is intriguing...

I would advise against "pocketing" the money, the employees and management will surely find out and it will not be looked on favorably. If the agreement is that he will use the car allowance to purchase a new truck he should do so or not accept the allowance.

There are probably tax implications to this as well, if they do not reimburse mileage at the IRS rate he can probably write the "business use" off, but note that to and from work is not business use in most cases. (IRS has some strange and not really intuitive rules about this).

I note that 1100.00 a month will buy a fairly loaded f150 2wd in about 42 months...
 
I'm guessing that if they are giving such an allowance then there is an expectation that the vehicle in the lot has to be shiny. Probably little option otherwise.

From what I've read, the Ecoboost is pretty impressive. I've barely paid attention (long time Ford hater) but it seems to be a home run. The mpg isn't stellar but it's pretty good for a full size truck. For the driving your dad is doing, it's probably a great fit, if not overkill for the towing--he might be better with the traditional V8 (assuming he can get it for less), just for the FUD factor and the short drives.

Dodge seems to have gotten much better, and might have the mpg edge at the moment; their lower payload/towing is not a factor here. I'm still unsold, given past performance. Nissan is ancient, and Toyota is behind, so I'm not sure I'd shop there, unless if you can get them for less.

What is the timeline? If it was me, I'd probably start an Excel sheet and at the very least start writing down what I was seeing trucks go for in my neck of the woods. Perhaps a slightly used truck can be found for a bit less, even. Certainly won't hurt to start hitting the lots.
 
well nobody wants to hear my 2 cents but here goes... 1/2 ton trucks a waste... i got about 200,000 miles towing a bassboat the last 20+ years... unless you got got big engine and gears a waste and possibily unsafe... The phrase properly equipped very important... I currently tow with a 2000 f 150 5.4... (4:10 gears I installed ) it works but right now considering $$$ in my life, only show in town... If I got back on the trail again, no 1/2 ton for me... ( I'd look hard at a full size van too... very hard...)
fuel economy, last thing you look at... If you think that is important, get a mini truck...
ecoboost... better put alot of miles on it to get your money back... guys rave about it, but they gotta, they blew the money on it... makes for great commercials though during football... since we all pull boulders all the time...
comfort and safety... all brands and makes the same... depends on the brand and trim level you wanna roll with...
honestly, this time of year, you could get a 3/4 ton truck, set up for that horse trailer, for a great deal left over...
with a 30k limit, I'd look for a 3/4 ton, 2wd,(never 4wd for me again, waste of money for me) moderate trim level, big engine, 4;10 gears... great time to hit every dealer possible and see what they got... test ride everything... I've seen a few 3/4 and 1 ton trucks here in NY just crazy cheap in the fall...
A 1/2 ton may get by hauling that horse trailer, but geez, make sure you are safe... remember a 1000# safety margin when looking at tow ratings... also the stuff hauling in truck adds to your GVW... adds up qwik... don't let a salesman snow ya... most don't know poo about towning... just about moving stuff off the lot... you wanna learn about towing... go find an older couple hauling a big camper... they'll teach ya...
 
I've long ruled out 3/4+ trucks, rough ride and expensive upkeep (tires, brakes, whatever). I really really want a travel trailer but I think I will use the excuse of limiting it to a half-ton size to keep things sane.

My opinion, don't go past 80% of GCWR, lots of people state that on the internet (so it must be true). Makes sense to me, if whatever item was stressed to its max at 100% GCWR than a 20% safety margin should make it decent. Of course, one must keep in mind a few things: trailer tires are not rated for over 65mph, some not even that much, like HF. Past 5k most (all?) require weight distribution; some casual reading indicates it likely is good to have before that.

You ask me, a 1/2 ton make sense here. A 2,500lb trailer plus two horses is what, 4,500lb, give or take? That is about the max I would want in a half-ton for longevity; the occasional tow, not a problem. He lives 5 miles from work, so the mpg's won't matter. 10k per year? A 3/4 or 1 ton will do all this, albeit with a jarring ride; but as I stated before, I suspect his employment is expecting something shiny in the parking lot.

I would say, make sure to read the fine print, and buy whatever with the tow package. Most V8 1/2 tons with the V8 do not need a tow package at this level, but it's better to have than not.
 
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
I would want the company to lease the vehicle for me - I wouldnt want to be involved at all in the payments.


Ooh, didn't even think of that... But can you tow on a lease? Seems to me that it'd be verboten, unless required for the job.
 
Originally Posted By: Tuffy1760
well nobody wants to hear my 2 cents but here goes... 1/2 ton trucks a waste... i got about 200,000 miles towing a bassboat the last 20+ years... unless you got got big engine and gears a waste and possibily unsafe... The phrase properly equipped very important... I currently tow with a 2000 f 150 5.4... (4:10 gears I installed ) it works but right now considering $$$ in my life, only show in town... If I got back on the trail again, no 1/2 ton for me... ( I'd look hard at a full size van too... very hard...)
fuel economy, last thing you look at... If you think that is important, get a mini truck...
ecoboost... better put alot of miles on it to get your money back... guys rave about it, but they gotta, they blew the money on it... makes for great commercials though during football... since we all pull boulders all the time...
comfort and safety... all brands and makes the same... depends on the brand and trim level you wanna roll with...
honestly, this time of year, you could get a 3/4 ton truck, set up for that horse trailer, for a great deal left over...
with a 30k limit, I'd look for a 3/4 ton, 2wd,(never 4wd for me again, waste of money for me) moderate trim level, big engine, 4;10 gears... great time to hit every dealer possible and see what they got... test ride everything... I've seen a few 3/4 and 1 ton trucks here in NY just crazy cheap in the fall...
A 1/2 ton may get by hauling that horse trailer, but geez, make sure you are safe... remember a 1000# safety margin when looking at tow ratings... also the stuff hauling in truck adds to your GVW... adds up qwik... don't let a salesman snow ya... most don't know poo about towning... just about moving stuff off the lot... you wanna learn about towing... go find an older couple hauling a big camper... they'll teach ya...


Just like you must not know grammar or spelling. I didn't pay any more for my ecoboost than the 5.0 as there was no mark up when I bought mine. The ecoboost will blow the 5.4/5.3 away in towing. The hemi is about the only real competitor. The ecotec 3 5.3 hasn't been out long enough to tell. But even the 3.7, 3.6, and 4.3 should fit his towing needs.
 
My fear would be the job would dry up or the company would stop paying for the truck. Like others have stated, you do not want it to look like he is pocketing the money and just driving a cheap beater.

If it were me, I'd try to find something used, cheap but still look in nice shape. If it has to be new, a base V6 model 1/2 ton would be perfect for towing 2600 pounds. Paying $50K for a truck (or having it paid for) is nice, but what if the company goes out of business?
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
My brother just got a left over 2013 Tundra 4x4 4.6 iforce well equipped for $28K.
He probably doesn't need 4 wheel drive in Texas so he might get a loaded 2wd for that.

http://www.fourwheeler.com/vehicle-reviews/129-0908-2010-toyota-tundra-v8-engine-review/


Quote:
How do they do it? The new V-8 is essentially a slightly destroked version of the 4.7 V-8, but with all the tweaks that the optional 5.7L received when it was developed.


Sorta true--I think the 4.6 came first, in the Lexus, then was stroked for the 5.7 in the Tundra, and then the 4.6 was added (albeit detuned) to replace the aging 4.7L. Or close to that, wikipedia indicates the 4.6 and 5.7 came about the same year (2007). 2010 brought the 4.6L into the Tundra, replacing the 4.7L.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_UR_engine

Personally, I think a stroked 4.6, at 5L, would be better in the Tundra. One common complaint about the Tundra in general, and the 4.6 in particular, is that the cruise control, in a word, sucks. It will generally do a double downshift on hills to get rpm's up, usually past what is needed. Sixth gear is a second overdrive, and if you aren't going 70 then the engine is below its happy torque curve. [Hence my comment about it could stand to be a 5L not 4.6.] Probably not a problem in flat land, great for mpg, but somewhat of a nuisance in rolling hills. Also, the tow models get 4.10:1 gearing, and 3.90:1 gearing for non-tow; 4x2 and 4x4 used the same gearing. Regardless, mpg's are not great on the Tundra, and they tend to drop fast while towing.

I would not recommend buying a 2014 4.6L Tundra; they changed to use the same transmission as the 5.7's, which has a shorter first gear. This appears to be why the 4.6 model lost on max towing; it is now 6,500 instead of 7,900 (double cab 4x4, alter as needed as it doesn't sound like your dad would need 4x4 and perhaps not DC), despite an apparent (and much needed) payload increase. 6,500 max tow is probably 7k max tow in a 4x2 regular cab, which is probably just enough for the horse trailer + horses. If you go 2013 or older, you are probably ok.

Just my notes on the subject. I have a few more, but only about failure modes. Honestly, if I was shopping today as opposed to six months ago, I'd probably go Ecoboost. I think any of the full sized trucks will work here, but IMO Ecoboost sounds about top of the pack with the exception of mpg's, which aren't important in this case.

28k for new? Ouch, wish I shopped there, I certainly paid more than I should have. Good price on a new one.
 
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OP, can you clarify something for me? I've been assuming that when you said 2,500lb horse trailer, that it was 2,500lb for the horse, then plus 1k for each horse, or up to 4,500lb towed. I don't own horses, but beyond knowing that I don't want one to step on my foot I haven't a clue what one weighs. Can you clarify what towing weight we are talking about here?
 
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
I would want the company to lease the vehicle for me - I wouldnt want to be involved at all in the payments.


You do understand that if the company provides a vehicle and allows personal use you are taxed on the "incidental personal use" as a benefit right? Not only that, but the company is required to charge mileage on "extended personal use". Since it sounds like they have one vehicle other than the company truck so it seems inevitable that the company truck is getting used for some personal use...

I would jump on this deal so fast it wold make your head spin, I'd be happy with less than is being offered too, I know people who get a car allowance and do not get that much...

There are things to consider other than the cost of the vehicle though such as tax implications and insurance ... it will probably need a "business use of personal vehicle" endorsement and it might even need a business policy depending on what the business is...

I'm assuming that there isn't a ton of time since a failure precipitated the offer, but I'd call my insurance agent and tax guy (if you have one) to be sure there was not a huge gotcha somewhere, but I think you will find that what they are offering is a good deal...

Also, I'm not a horse guy but a 2600lb trailer with two horses in it sounds like a 5000lb+ towed load to me, see the previously mentioned "Ike gauntlet" to see what trying to tow a 5000 lb+ load with an ill suited tow rig gets you...
 
Originally Posted By: RN89
So my dad is in the market for a slightly used pickup truck. Right now he has a 2009 Tundra 4.7 as a company vehicle. His company is offering him an $1100/month allowance to purchase a personal vehicle and turn the Tundra in...basically a $13k raise per year. So technically if he wanted to buy a $500 Civic and pocket the rest, he could.

He needs a truck to pull a 2500lb horse trailer that is usually loaded with one or two horses. He has mostly been using my mom's 2011 Tahoe which pulls that loaded trailer around with ease with the 5.3 (great engine). Obviously gas mileage isnt a huge concern. He works 5 miles from his job and only puts about 10k per year.

He told me today he will be trying to stay around $30k price wise. I told him he might as well buy a new truck because resale on trucks these days is crazy high. But, in either case what do you guys recommend?

Which truck can offer a balance of performace (towing), comfort, and safety?

Thanks in advnace for you help!



diesel 3/4 ton.
 
Originally Posted By: glock19
I would try to find a leftover 2013 Silverado with the 5.3L.


Exactly.
 
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