My thought of which truck to buy went up in flames tonite as I got in the middle of a neighborly Ford/Chevy debate between two dieseling-toy-hauling buddies. And here I thought I'd just back away with a Cummins-powered Dodge. They'll have none of that ;D as they made it their duty to tell me that while the Dodge's motor is primo, its tranny, brakes, AC power and cabin noise are problems.
And here I thought that all I had to do was read the automobile edition of Consumer Reports and all would be well. CR says that the Dodge has a significantly lower repair incidence than either the Chevy or Ford, but my neighbors still like to impress upon me the finer points of this issue.
If only I could combine a Ford body, Chevy Allison tranny, and the Cummins from the Dodge.
Good thing I'm only a slight hurry (still getting my truck ready for sale).
On to the trailer:
Having taken some brief looks through craigslist, TrailerTrader and other publications as well as reading posts here, my world view as it pertains to outdoor recreation and the getting there has changed.
I'm now considering a (ballpark) 30-foot-ish toyhauler in 5th-wheel format tugged with that 3/4ton diesel to-be-named-later. This combo has to allow the storage of my 1300-pound Polaris Ranger, a quad or two, and a 250-pound dirt bike. That's a lot of volume (not to mention weight) to put inside a toyhauler.
A twist: the prices of used toyhaulers, 5th-wheels included, appear to be far less than I had expected, making many 2000 to 2005 models within my reach. Granted, I don't know which of these manufacturers to avoid yet (or to concentrate on). That will take more research.
Rick
And here I thought that all I had to do was read the automobile edition of Consumer Reports and all would be well. CR says that the Dodge has a significantly lower repair incidence than either the Chevy or Ford, but my neighbors still like to impress upon me the finer points of this issue.
If only I could combine a Ford body, Chevy Allison tranny, and the Cummins from the Dodge.
Good thing I'm only a slight hurry (still getting my truck ready for sale).
On to the trailer:
Having taken some brief looks through craigslist, TrailerTrader and other publications as well as reading posts here, my world view as it pertains to outdoor recreation and the getting there has changed.
I'm now considering a (ballpark) 30-foot-ish toyhauler in 5th-wheel format tugged with that 3/4ton diesel to-be-named-later. This combo has to allow the storage of my 1300-pound Polaris Ranger, a quad or two, and a 250-pound dirt bike. That's a lot of volume (not to mention weight) to put inside a toyhauler.
A twist: the prices of used toyhaulers, 5th-wheels included, appear to be far less than I had expected, making many 2000 to 2005 models within my reach. Granted, I don't know which of these manufacturers to avoid yet (or to concentrate on). That will take more research.
Rick