[s-cars] Work vehicle advice needed

Taka Mizutani t44tqtro at gmail.com
Mon Dec 18 08:49:13 EST 2006 

Thanks Calvin-
I won't buy a Ford older than 2004 because of the crash protection- the
earlier
trucks have horrible crash protection.

With a 6000lb. load, do you think you really need a 3/4 ton truck? F-150s
are
pretty inexpensive and available, but 3/4 ton (esp. diesel) are expensive.

Is the suspension issue fixable w/ shocks or springs or both? I'd consider a
Suburban-
the Excursion is too expensive and rare, I'd rather get a Tahoe, Armada or
something
a tiny bit smaller.

Taka


On 12/18/06, calvinlc at earthlink.net <calvinlc at earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> I totally agree with Theodore on this one....domestic pickup.  You don't
> want to worry about tearing up your bazillion dollar tranny in a
> Mercedes/Audi when you are towing your car around.  I am totally unbiased
> about which domestic manufacturer I like, i.e. I have no Chevy tattoes on
> my
> arms :) but in doing research for my own work truck I found that the Ford
> F-Series were simply the best ones for holding their value and
> reliability.
> I have a 1991 F-150 that I drive across the country every once in a while
> to
> pick up thigs from in-laws, etc.  I have towed up to a 6x12 enclosed
> u-haul
> trailer with this.  If I was to want to tow 3500 lbs I would definitely
> want
> the F-250, preferably with a Diesel, but the big 460 would work as
> well...just not as good on gas.  You don't necessarily need a crew
> cab...extended cabs actually offer a good bit of room in full-size
> domestics
> for the backseat passengers, if they are under 5'9" or so.
>
> The Chevy suspensions are not setup for towing...more for suburban
> cruising
> soccer moms.  I had a friend who used to work for Hypertech  (chip tuning
> company) and he used to tell me horror stories about the Chevy towing
> experiences.  They had two trucks, one was a Ford and one was a Chevy and
> they used to basically fight over who got to drive the Ford when towing
> was
> involved.  Same reason I would go with a pickup vs. SUV.  The suspensions
> on
> the SUVs are not setup as well for towing.
>
> I also wouldn't hesitate to buy something older than 5 years old.
> Especially in the diesel market.  The cool thing about a work vehicle is
> you
> don't have to worry about ticky tack things that always break...as long as
> the truck has good brakes, a good engine and tranny you are good to go.
> This is one of the main reasons I went with the F-150....out of all the
> older trucks I was looking at they were consistently in the nicest shape.
> They also consistently had oil leaks on the order of a quart every 2-3k
> miles, but who cares...that's a couple of bucks every 2k miles and a piece
> of cardboard if you care about the spot where you are parking it.
>
> --Calvin
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com
> [mailto:s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com]On Behalf Of Theodore Chen
> Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2006 7:50 PM
> To: Taka Mizutani
> Cc: S-CAR-List
> Subject: Re: [s-cars] Work vehicle advice needed
>
>
> chevy suburban 2500 or ford excursion turbodiesel?  still too much
> truck for you?
>
> the problem is, even though you might not use it much, you still have
> to get up and down mountains while towing, and you don't want it to be
> a white-knuckle experience.  i frequently hear people saying they're
> so tired from trying to avoid crashing during the tow that they don't
> feel like racing by the time they get to the track.  that calls for
> something big and heavy so it doesn't get pushed around by the load.
> i don't see why you need to make it a daily driver.  personally, i'd
> buy a used turbodiesel work truck and use it only for hauling, and
> drive the STi or miata as a daily driver.  turbodiesel trucks hold
> their value well because the buyers don't care whether it has the
> latest stuff or not, only whether it can get the job done.  so you
> won't be losing a lot of money on depreciation with the truck just
> sitting there.
>
> this is one area that definitely calls for a domestic vehicle, and
> i'd consider a suburban or expedition to be the minimum for towing.
> the '99+ explorer is supposed to be pretty good at towing, but i'm
> doubtful whether its engine has the beans to pull a 5000-6000 load
> in the mountains.  you're not going to like climbing the mountains
> at 15-20 mph.
>
> -t.
>
> --- Taka Mizutani <t44tqtro at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > If I get something that can tow, I want it to be able to tow the STi or
> a
> > Corvette or
> > a 911. That way, I wouldn't have to get a replacement tow vehicle if I
> > decide to tow
> > something bigger than the Miata.
> >
> > Definitely mountains in PA, it's a climb to go to the Glen from Philly,
> I
> > don't think it
> > was much elevation going to Summit Point or Lime Rock, and I've not been
> to
> > VIR yet.
> >
> > It's not something I'd do all the time, so there's no way I'm getting a
> > diesel crew- far too
> > much truck for a few tows a year and most of the time being used for a
> daily
> > driver, maybe
> > hauling some light stuff (produce, lumber, etc.).
> >
> > Taka
> >
> >
> > On 12/17/06, Theodore Chen <tedebearp at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > although the touraeg is heavy, the wheelbase isn't that long.  the
> best
> > > tow vehicle would be a 3/4 or 1 ton truck with crew cab and a
> turbodiesel.
> > >
> > > it depends on how often you plan to tow and where you're going to be
> > > towing (a lot of mountains, or mostly flat?).
> > >
> > > what's this 3300 lb car you're going to tow, taka?  a miata is nowhere
> > > near that, unless you fill it with lead.
> > >
> > > -teddy
> > >
> > > --- chris chambers <fastscirocco_2000 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > > VW Touareg maybe?
> > > >
> > > > 2004 with ~50,000 miles is in the $22k range.
> > > > But I don't know what it's towing capacity is.....
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --- Taka Mizutani <t44tqtro at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Hi listers,
> > > > > This may be a little while more in the future, but I will need a
> > > > > vehicle
> > > > > that will need the following:
> > > > >
> > > > > 4-wheel or all-wheel drive
> > > > > carry 4 passengers comfortably
> > > > > enough ground clearance to go through at least 12" of snow w/o any
> > > > > issues
> > > > > (any more and I'm not going anywhere- roads will be closed)
> > > > > quiet enough to carry a decent conversation on the phone (I want
> > > > > hands-free
> > > > > Bluetooth speakerphone- aftermarket or OEM)
> > > > > can tow a 6000 lb. load w/o issues (3300lb. car and trailer as the
> > > > > max.
> > > > > load)
> > > > > Under $30k, new or used, but financeable within reason (can't be
> more
> > > > > than 5
> > > > > yrs. old)
> > > > > reliable
> > > > > good safety record
> > > > >
> > > > > The towing capacity is an absolute must- if I get a big vehicle,
> it
> > > > > must be
> > > > > able to tow at least an open trailer with a max. 3300lb. car
> > > > > on it, comfortably for at least 300 miles, up and downhill
> (trailer
> > > > > would
> > > > > have electric brakes, I'd get an Aluminum trailer if possible).
> > > > >
> > > > > I think there are no Audis that can do this except maybe the Q7,
> > > > > which is
> > > > > way more than $30k, so what can you suggest?
> > > > >
> > > > > If I do need this vehicle for work, gas mileage won't really be an
> > > > > issue
> > > > > (meaning I'll be able to afford it). :-)
> > > > >
> > > > > But I don't want to excessively waste gas for no reason.
> > > > >
> > > > > I'm sure that some of you have tow vehicles for going to the track
> > > > > and such,
> > > > > no?
> > > > >
> > > > > Taka
> > > > > _______________________________________________
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