What will your next TV be???

[floyd]

If you keep your old truck long enough, and buy from Autozone (and ilk) you will eventually have a Chinese truck anyway, so what's the use??

Looks like we're just ...

[FRED SMAILES]

We updated our tow vehicle last year.
We went from a 1990 Toyota 2WD pickup with 375,000 Kms on it to
a 2004 Toyota Sienna FWD with 250,000 kms on it,,, like the van better.
Both have towed many miles trouble free.
I think our next TV will probably be a 4WD truck, used with lots of K on it
cause they're cheap (like me),,,Why, cause I need a truck for my business and I want a bigger trailer.
Plus we live in the mountains and the van is too tender footed for anything but pavement.
Fred

[Raz]

Originally Posted by floyd

Looks like we're just ...

We don't disagree. Unfortunately that war was lost when they built the supercenter out by the interstate. The pay phones are gone along with the company that made them. Even I have a cell phone. . Raz

[floyd]

Originally Posted by P. Raz

We don't disagree. Unfortunately that war was lost when they built the supercenter out by the interstate. The pay phones are gone along with the company that made them. Even I have a cell phone. . Raz

Then I gather that you didn't read S.O.L. as Statue of Liberty?
I can't say that the supercenter is the cause when the townie stores merely sell the same stuff at higher prices.

[charlsara]

We were towing with my 2005 Ranger 4.0 4WD until this year when we upgraded to a 2010 Expedition. The Ranger is a great tow vehicle but we wanted more comfort. The Expedition is AWD and 4WD selectable to 2WD. I am amazed that it gets better mileage than the Ranger.

[steelypip]

Domestic/foreign content is a legal fiction anyway. The only reason it's tracked is so that manufacturers can put the vehicle in one of four 'buckets' for the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) law.

The four buckets are domestic truck, imported truck, domestic car, and imported car. Cars and trucks have different CAFE requirements, which is one reason that Sport Utility vehicles based on trucks took over American highways in the 1990s - they are technically trucks.

The corporate bean counters like it when a vehicle has very close to 50% 'domestic content' because it can easily be made either a 'domestic' or 'imported' car based on the needs of the corporation's CAFE fleet requirements at the moment.

The '94 Prizm I mentioned earlier was built on the same line (in California) as the Toyota Corolla. It had 51% domestic content, so that it was, officially, a domestic car and could be counted in GM's fuel economy tally and average out the Corvettes. But if needs required, it could be made into an 'imported' car by changing the radiator (Harrison), radio(Delco), and alternator(Delco) installed on the line to parts from Toyota's global parts network sourced in Japan or Mexico.

Toyota also used this trick on their half of the production from the plant to balance out cars like Avalons.

Ford built all of the Crown Victorias, Town Cars, and Grand Marquis cars at the St. Anne's Ontario plant. That meant that the labor cost and some parts sourcing were always 'Imported' content, and the cars were 'imported' cars and their fuel economy was averaged against things like Ford Aspires and Festivas, even though the drive trains were all built in the USA.

There's really no such thing as a high volume car sold by a large manufacturer in the US market that is really domestic or really imported. There are too many economic reasons for the manufacturer to make their category easy to change.

You'll note that the high 'Domestic' content cars are all either bog-standard fleet sedans/minivans/crossovers or low volume specialty vehicles. The one makes the average, the other is such a small contributor to it that it doesn't matter.

[Bob Miller]

Hmmmmm. A lot has changed since NUMI (New United Motor Industries) was building Toyotas and Chevys on E. 14th street in San Leandro. (Where Tesla's are now built)


I believe today that vehicles are counted for CAFE based on the selling corporation, not the source of parts.


And I can't remember "ever" when Canadian assembled vehicles, built for sale in the U.S., were considered "imported. I have owned two Dodges that were built in Mexico, but they weren't ever considered imported either.


I usually don't have much truck for conspiracy theories.

[rbryan]

Originally Posted by honda03842

The Ford F150 no longer has 75% domestic content for 2015.

True, with the redesign, some of the parts they used to source in the US are now sourced elsewhere. So, the domestic parts content fell from 75% to 70% for the model year.

But, the domestic parts content does fluctuate from one model year to another, and that's not uncommon. Ford is actually in the process of sourcing more domestic parts for the new F150, so I wouldn't be surprised to see it return to the index in 2016 or 2017.

Also, they stopped making F150s in Mexico. Now all F150s will be assembled in the USA. That stat is probably a better indicator of a US made product than a slight drop in sourced parts origins.

[rbryan]

Originally Posted by MC1

Garth Cane is a TV/RV tester/writer for RV Lifestyle mag. He once did a road test using the T-Reg which was towing at it's limit and he wrote. This was the best TV he had ever towed a trailer with. Over many years he had probably test driven dozens of combinations.

I saw that. I've been a fan of the Touareg as a tow vehicle for some time. If I were to ever get rid of my F150 for another tow, it'd be the Touareg. Superb towing capacity and great gas mileage while doing it.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by steelypip

Domestic/foreign content is a legal fiction anyway. The only reason it's tracked is so that manufacturers can put the vehicle in one of four 'buckets' for the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) law.

<cut>

Ford built all of the Crown Victorias, Town Cars, and Grand Marquis cars at the St. Anne's Ontario plant. That meant that the labor cost and some parts sourcing were always 'Imported' content, and the cars were 'imported' cars a

There is actually another BIG reason for them keeping tabs on what is Domestic/Foreign - one is the North American Free Trade Agreement. Under the Agreement a certain percentage of the auto must have been made in North America in order for the autos to be traded/sold/moved between Canada/US & Mexico without duty being charged.

Oh and BTW when they calculate the Domestic content on autos in the USA the practises is to include Canadian made parts as Domestic not "imported" If they were not to include Canadian parts as domestic the domestic content number would be *much* lower on all of the autos listed.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by rbryan

I saw that. I've been a fan of the Touareg as a tow vehicle for some time. If I were to ever get rid of my F150 for another tow, it'd be the Touareg. Superb towing capacity and great gas mileage while doing it.

Yep, just waiting to win the lotto or for it to rain so the money tree in my back yard starts producing. not counting on either to happen any time soon.

I know a party who is pulling a vintage 30' Airstream with a Tourareg and they love it. Claim it to be a much nicer tow then their previous newer model V8 truck.

[Donna D.]

Hummm, I traded in a Triton V8 Ford last year for a 3.5 Ecoboost Ford. HUGE difference in fuel mileage. I need a truck, own an Escape 5.0TA. Still love my new 2014 Ford AND the trailer. I'm expecting Ten Forward will outlast the tug and I still am expecting to buy another Ford product in the future, like 10 years down the line. YMMV

[TheWanderers]

Our next tow vehicle is a 2012 Toyota Tundra Double Cab 4X4 with the 5.7L V8 engine. The tow capacity will easily handle the 1988 Bigfoot fifth wheel that we've purchased and I have completed, with the help of an extremely good friend, the installation of the gooseneck ball assembly from Draw-Tite. We will add the Anderson Ultimate Fifth Wheel adaptor to the ball, model #3220, that is at the UPS distribution center in town right now, ready for delivery tomorrow.

Just waiting for my passport to drive to Ontario to pick up the new-to-us fiver. I suck as waiting so it's been good to have these things to work on while being forced to wait for the government to process my expedited passport application. Tic-tic-tic...

Can you say, "ROAD TRIP!"

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by TheWanderers

Our next tow vehicle is a 2012 Toyota Tundra Double Cab 4X4 with the 5.7L V8 engine. The tow capacity will easily handle the 1988 Bigfoot fifth wheel that we've purchased and I have completed, with the help of an extremely good friend, the installation of the gooseneck ball assembly from Draw-Tite. We will add the Anderson Ultimate Fifth Wheel adaptor to the ball, model #3220, that is at the UPS distribution center in town right now, ready for delivery tomorrow.

Just waiting for my passport to drive to Ontario to pick up the new-to-us fiver. I suck as waiting so it's been good to have these things to work on while being forced to wait for the government to process my expedited passport application. Tic-tic-tic...

Can you say, "ROAD TRIP!"

I had to read your post 4 or 5 times before the light went on and I realized you were joking . My wife's right , I am starting to have those senior moments. !!

[TheWanderers]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

I had to read your post 4 or 5 times before the light went on and I realized you were joking . My wife's right , I am starting to have those senior moments. !!

Steve, no joke intended. Trying to keep it light while I'm/we're waiting to retrieve our Bigfoot and hoping to beat the snow. Not much chance of that but I'm still going on the road trip.

[Ed Harris]

Originally Posted by TheWanderers

Our next tow vehicle is a 2012 Toyota Tundra Double Cab 4X4 with the 5.7L V8 engine. The tow capacity will easily handle the 1988 Bigfoot fifth wheel that we've purchased and I have completed, with the help of an extremely good friend, the installation of the gooseneck ball assembly from Draw-Tite. We will add the Anderson Ultimate Fifth Wheel adaptor to the ball, model #3220, that is at the UPS distribution center in town right now, ready for delivery tomorrow.



Just waiting for my passport to drive to Ontario to pick up the new-to-us fiver. I suck as waiting so it's been good to have these things to work on while being forced to wait for the government to process my expedited passport application. Tic-tic-tic...



Can you say, "ROAD TRIP!"

This is mine,what a Beast!

[ATTACH]113297

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by TheWanderers

Steve, no joke intended. Trying to keep it light while I'm/we're waiting to retrieve our Bigfoot and hoping to beat the snow. Not much chance of that but I'm still going on the road trip.

We've had snow on the ground since Friday but it is starting to melt. I wouldn't worry about the roads in the upper Midwest and Canada , we actually have snow plows and we actually know how to use them. Just stay out of Atlanta !!

[k0wtz]

stay out of s/e Missouri during snow season I have see i55 almost undrivable after a big snowstorm or ice storm they have no campacity to handle snow.


Think washboard for miles


bob

[Ed Harris]

Originally Posted by k0wtz

stay out of s/e Missouri during snow season I have see i55 almost undrivable after a big snowstorm or ice storm they have no campacity to handle snow.


Think washboard for miles


bob

Not in my part of Mo Bob!?

[TheWanderers]

Clifford is ready for his debut as our new tow vehicle: gooseneck hitch has been installed and the Anderson Ultimate Fifth Wheel Adaptor arrived yesterday. I picked Clifford up from the doctor's office where he has his new bedliner sprayed in yesterday and the towing mirrors arrived from Amazon this afternoon.

Just waiting for my passport and I'll be heading to Canada to pick up our new-to-us Bigfoot!