Tow Vehicle (mid-size PU) for 19' Scamp 5th wheel

[Keith2000]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Great choice Congratulations !!!!

I really wanted a Tacoma, but the back seat just wasn't really inviting for taking high school students on a long trip. Now that we have all that space we fill it up, so I don't think downsizing is an option.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Keith2000

I really wanted a Tacoma, but the back seat just wasn't really inviting for taking high school students on a long trip. Now that we have all that space we fill it up, so I don't think downsizing is an option.

One of the reasons we bought a Ram 1500 Quad cab is so our dog could ride comfortably . We looked at mid size trucks but we felt it was unfair to subject our dog to the cruelty of riding in a space too small for him to turn around .
The back seat of the quad cab is big enough for our younger grandkids but too small for an average size adult
Next time probably a crew cab

[ShelbyM]

It's amazing how nice 1/2 ton pickups have become. I'm on my 2nd F150 supercrew. My brother in law has a Chrysler 300 which is considered a full sized sedan. The F150 has more room in the backseat, the front seats are more comfortable and it's just as quiet. Not to mention all the room in the bed and the ability to pull a trailer.

[Ed Harris]

Originally Posted by floyd

Still, only the Titan sells fewer trucks and together they are a small fraction of the leader, but then the Tundra is hardly mid sized and the Tacoma is pretty much fullsized!
its all a blur

That is true enough!
I had a current gen Tundra but it really was so honkin' huge that I got rid of it.
I still have the 1st gen though and love it at just the right size for me still.
Somehow the Taco seems bigger ow than my Tundra.

[Jon in AZ]

It's not just trucks. I was just observing the new crop of subcompact SUV's (Ecosport, Trax, HR-V, CX-3, C-HR, Kicks and a few more whose alphanumeric names elude me) are about the size of the original RAV-4, CR-V, and Escape CUV's, while the current versions of the original "cute-utes" have moved from compact to mid-sized. A Civic is bigger than an Accord was just a few years ago. We passed on a 2013 Sienna minivan to replace our 2000 because it was so big.

Vehicles are like their occupants. They get bigger over time.

Unfortunately, parking spaces have not grown with them. It's like airplanes: passengers are expanding, and the seats are contracting.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Ed Harris

That is true enough!
I had a current gen Tundra but it really was so honkin' huge that I got rid of it.
I still have the 1st gen though and love it at just the right size for me still.
Somehow the Taco seems bigger ow than my Tundra.

I have only seen a few tundras and they were all just normal “truck” size
Is there a tundra model that is larger than normal ( IE honking huge) ?
I have not seen this option with Ford , Chevy or Ram
I know the new 2019 Ram is wider, with more leg / seat room than the previous versions . That is one of the main reasons we passed on the 2018 version of the Ram 1500
Chevy in 2020 will have a separate body design for their 2500 truck
The Chevy 2500 will have more interior room than the Chevy 1500 plus some trim differences .
Something else to look forward to!!

[ATHiker]

2017 1/2 ton truck sales:

YTD 2017 #
Ford F-Series 896,764
Chevrolet Silverado 585,864
Ram 500,723
GMC Sierra 217,943
Toyota Tundra 116,285
Nissan Titan 52,924

[Ed Harris]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

I have only seen a few tundras and they were all just normal “truck” size
Is there a tundra model that is larger than normal ( IE honking huge) ?
I have not seen this option with Ford , Chevy or Ram
I know the new 2019 Ram is wider, with more leg / seat room than the previous versions . That is one of the main reasons we passed on the 2018 version of the Ram 1500
Chevy in 2020 will have a separate body design for their 2500 truck
The Chevy 2500 will have more interior room than the Chevy 1500 plus some trim differences .
Something else to look forward to!!

Tundra originally like Dodge Dakota sort of mid sized.
That ship sailed wit the current Tundra

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Ed Harris

Tundra originally like Dodge Dakota sort of mid sized.
That ship sailed wit the current Tundra

My son has owned two Dakotas . They worked well for him but they always felt cramped or claustrophobic to me. Like I said before , we looked at Ford Rangers.
My wife took one look at the interior and said NO !!
She felt it was too small for man or beast . I had to agree

[Ed Harris]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

My son has owned two Dakotas . They worked well for him but they always felt cramped or claustrophobic to me. Like I said before , we looked at Ford Rangers.

My wife took one look at the interior and said NO !!

She felt it was too small for man or beast . I had to agree

The 1st Gen Tundra was bigger than Dakota but slightly smaller than full size Domestic too.
I love mine!

[Steve Carlson]

The T-100 was closer to Dakota size than the Tundra.

[Ed Harris]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlson

The T-100 was closer to Dakota size than the Tundra.

Maybe true but the original Tundy was not really full sized either.
Sure not like the current ones!

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Ed Harris

Maybe true but the original Tundy was not really full sized either.
Sure not like the current ones!

It kinda looked like the chassis was too small for the body.

[Lyle Brunson]

Height is an important consideration when matching a fifth wheel trailer to a truck. It is often a problem when matching an older trailer to a newer truck.

Newer trucks are taller than older trucks. Four wheel drive trucks are sometimes taller than two wheel drive.

If the truck is too tall, there may be inadequate clearance between the trailer and the sidewall of the truck bed. It will tow nose high, and have an effect on weight distribution.

Scamp fits risers to the frame of a trailer at the factory to match the original buyers truck.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by Lyle Brunson

Height is an important consideration when matching a fifth wheel trailer to a truck. It is often a problem when matching an older trailer to a newer truck.

Newer trucks are taller than older trucks. Four wheel drive trucks are sometimes taller than two wheel drive..

and newer truck sides are often higher above the bed, too. classic 'box' trucks, the sidewalls and tailgate are 19" off the bed, my 02 'superduty', they are 21" high.

[nefldiver]

The Scamp 5th wheel ranges from 2000 to 2600 lb empty. With the usual assortment of junk people put in them you can easily go 500 lb more. Ridgeline, Colorado, and Tacomas towing capacity starts at 3500 or so pounds and goes up I assume with the V6 option. If I were pulling that much weight I would want a V8. Cost of a full size truck is going to weigh 5 to 6,000 pounds which is important when it comes to stopping 3000 pounds of trailer. They wear and tear will be greatly reduced because it will not be working near the peak of its output like a smaller engine will be. I've heard the Nissan full size truck is a gas

[workhorsed]

Originally Posted by Dennis mn

As stated, the GM twins Colorado, and GMC would pull the Scamp 19 well. The Ford Ranger will most likely work well, although I hesitate to buy in the first year of production. Before I change trailers, We had a Scamp 19’ and our Nissan was a near perfect tow vehicle. Ours is very comfortable, and has more than adequate power for towing. I towed with a Toyota Tacoma before the Nissan, and it worked quite well also.

Hi, the "new Ranger" that was designed in Oz has been around for years!! It just hasn't been available in North America!! 30% tariff or some such stupidity.

It's very popular in the other markets.. Unfortunately we won't get the working man's version just a sort of Sport Trac replacement at an Explorer price!!

[patsublett]

I use an 06 Tundra. It is easy to forget that the scamp is back there, rides and drives like a car.

[Dick Kasnick]

Originally Posted by Rzrbrn

If you are going to consider a new vehicle what about the new Jeep PU?

I pull with a 2011 Tundra which does a great job. The older Tundras have a good reputation also, and have a smaller body.

I have needed to use my 4x4 at least 1x each camping season.

I had a 2007 Tundra and rue the day I ever sold it. It was absolutely the best pickup I ever had, driven, or rode in. Get a vintage V6, 2 wd, 4 door and you will never regret it.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by workhorsed

Hi, the "new Ranger" that was designed in Oz has been around for years!! It just hasn't been available in North America!! 30% tariff or some such stupidity.

It's very popular in the other markets.. Unfortunately we won't get the working man's version just a sort of Sport Trac replacement at an Explorer price!!

That is certainly a workhorsed opinion of a different color!
While it is not "Totoly" true and a bit of a "Strawman" argument, at least the "Wizards of Dearborn" got it back home to Kansas USA.


Unfortunately, like the movie, the non-OZ Rangers are mostly some version of black and white.


Every pusillanimous truck which crawls upon our roads has a computer... The Ranger returns with the (diploma) brain of EPA certification, "clocking in" with a strong mechanical heart, and the(Ford oval) badge of courage to reclaim its position as the American King of mid-sized trucks.