A pause for the COZ

Ohh and thanks for the input guys. I really appreciate it.
As you may be able to tell. I am still in waffle mode on what to get and how much to spend.
About the only thing I am 100% sure about.
When that new truck pulls in my drive it will be a Ford. Its all i have ever owned. Why change now?

BRUTE448

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...&firstRecord=0

^ 350 miles to far to travel? u think gas F250? mpgs are mid teens and single digi's towing, but BIG payload to pull anything

A pause for the COZ

Not necessarily. are not the 2017 F250 Aluminum body?
I might look a little closer at those.

G-Force

I have the camper below (see pic). There is enough room for two people and a dog and with the camper loaded (dry weight) I still have about 1200 lbs of payload left over. Could even go with a slightly larger camper. Plus the hitch is free to tow a non-travel type trailer.

When I get to where I'm going, I take it off the truck and have the truck free for use. And it is much easier driving wise with the low profile and the weight on the truck vs pulling a higher profile travel trailer with the weight off the truck. I have seen plenty of times while going across Wyoming, when strong winds and random wind gusts cause pickups with travel trailers to sway and then they have to slow way down. I don't have that issue.

Gene K

A buddy bought a new 2019 F250 Crew 4x4 STX with a 6.2L Gas and a 3300 lb Payload last summer for about $40,000. I would think you could find a used 2017 (Aluminum) with 40,000 mi for $30,000 that hadn't been abused. Try a vacation in Texas. I think the Super Duty may have overtaken the Suburban as the state vehicle.

The 6.2L OHC has a reputation for being long lasting and reliable. They are a lot cheaper to buy and maintain and cost per mile is similar when you include the price of diesel. He gets about 15 mpg empty and about 9 mpg with a travel trailer.

Flamingtaco

Unless you are going to look at the smallest of used bed campers, you're going to want an HDPP. Most current mfgs start well north of 1000lb for full size pickups.

srt20

I'd look harder and longer for a 250.
IMO the 150 is just too light. A TT is a big sail. Wind catches it. I pull a 30ft trailer and the wind pushes it around pretty good on windy days here in WI.
When we go out west, WY, CO, MT, etc, we use a 2500. WI winds don't move that truck and trailer at all. But you get 50 mph cross winds in WY or the dakotas and that 2500 even gets pushed around a little. It would probably push my 150 from lane to lane.

Granted my 150 does not have HDPP or Max tow.

Ricktwuhk

If you're looking for a deal on a trailer, you might want to spend some time reading what's going on in the industry. Demand is up hugely due to Covid-19. HUGELY. In other words, you're not going to get a deal since dealer inventory is way down, and their profits are way up.

When you will get a deal is likely a year from now, because assuming a vaccine is widely available, all those people that went and bought things in a rush are going to sell them.

G-Force

Another thing along with that is, they are putting them together now as fast as they can and hiring untrained people to help meet demand.

Point being, while there will be a lot of slightly used trailers available after things get back to normal, take a good look at build quality of any you might purchase.

marshallr

A new or used gas F250 around here is going to cost less than a F150 set up to pull any real weight. You can get a F150 cheaper, but be aware that most of them are grocery getters, not trailer pullers. The ones that are trailer pullers cost as much or more than F250's. Even the lightest duty F250 with a gas engine will pull more than the best F150.

The F250 diesel engines are a $10,000 upgrade, but a gas F250 will tow anything a diesel will tow, often more. The diesel engines are so heavy it reduces payload to the point where that becomes the limiting factor. The diesel will pull it up mountains faster, but not only cost more initially, but more to put fuel in and maintain.

I'd keep looking at F250's if you want to do this and you may have to go up a bit over $30,000 if you want to pull anything.

But FYI, my wife have been retired for 10 years. We've done multiple long road trips both before and after retiring. We're buying an AWD Toyota Rav-4 for future trips. A travel trailer is a good thing to take and set up in one spot for several days or weeks at a time. A PITA to drag around and set up every day in a different location. There are so many places along the way that you simply will have to pass by because there is no place to park. With a TT it'll cost more, and you'll see and do less.

We always carry a small back packing tent and other lightweight gear. We'll camp when practical and stay in motels, or in cabins along the way. It just depends. When you get out on the roads you'll see lots of people who travel longer distance use a similar plan. The folks with travel trailers tend to do the shorter trips.