We’ve been dreaming about the RV for our trip for a long time. We’ve visited dealers, studied websites, watched endless YouTube videos, and have learned about models, features, and different floorplans. And we found it! It’s a gently used four-season 27′ travel trailer with a bunkhouse currently sitting in a driveway in Oregon! But more about the RV in a future post.
Our future home on wheels is waiting for us to come get her… BUT, there’s this thing about a travel trailer, you need a truck to tow it. Naively, we thought the truck would be the easy part and had given it almost no advanced thought. We found ourselves almost ready to start our trip, but without the actual wheels to get moving.
Welcome to “Truck Shopping With Dummies.”
Late night truck education…
We’ve bought cars before, how much different could it be? WOW did we have some learning to do! It turns out you can’t just get any old used pick up truck. Suddenly we are staring at a world of new terms and decisions…
- 1/2 ton vs. 3/4 ton vs. 1 ton
- tow capacity
- tow package
- 2wd vs. 4wd
- diesel vs. gas
- crew cab vs. extended cab
- short bed vs. long bed
- tongue weight
Seriously? “Tongue weight?”
We quickly realized our initial requirements (3-5 years old, not black, has a backseat, low miles) were not enough to go by. When we began looking online we soon discovered how very expensive trucks are and the plethora of technical specs we needed to consider.
Dummies Inspecting Trucks
TOW CAPACITY. After reading online and consulting with a couple of RV dealers we discovered the first consideration was tow capacity. The RV we are eyeing has a “dry weight” of 7,100 pounds. We were advised to estimate an additional 1,500 pounds to account for water in the tanks, propane, and our stuff (pots and pans, clothes, bicycles, kibble, cats, etc.) So we need a truck with a tow capacity of at least 8,600 pounds – which means that we need to move up from basic pickup trucks to the 3/4 ton level.
Our research led us to several Facebook RV Groups full of people who are already living the RV lifestyle. There we were welcomed to ask our rookie questions and we were inundated with more terms we didn’t know (Cummins diesel? Allison transmission?), plenty of agreed upon wisdom (avoid Ford trucks from 2003-2008), and a very passionate gas vs. diesel controversy. But most of all we found lots of friendly support. It seems that people who choose to travel in RVs are one big enthusiastic community that enjoy helping others join.
Diesel vs. Gas? Ah, the great controversy, it goes something like this: Gasoline costs less. Diesel gets 30-35% better fuel economy. Gas trucks cost less to buy and maintain. Diesel engines last longer and retain their resale value. Diesels have more power for towing. The arguments online were pretty passionate on both sides. Being rookies on the road towing a 27 foot trailer we don’t need to have problems. The argument about towing power won out for us. Diesel it would be.
2WD vs. 4WD? – “You don’t need it until you need it. And then you really need it.” It only took a few stories about getting stuck in muddy RV parks to persuade us – we’re going with 4 wheel drive.
Some of the other things were easy to sort out – Yes, we needed a Tow Package (trailer hitch, electronic connections to the trailer, extendable mirrors) but if the truck we found didn’t have it we could add it. Putting the teenager and the dog in the back seat meant we needed a Crew Cab for more space (Extended Cab trucks also have back seats, but are not as roomy.) And Short Bed vs. Long Bed? Doesn’t matter to us – we could accept either.
So we now knew what to look for. An RV dealer we spoke to in Oregon advised we buy it in Southern California because up there people keep their trucks and we wouldn’t find much there.
Local Ford/Chevy/Dodge/GMC dealers only offered new or slightly used trucks – which were way out of our budget. As far as a true “used” truck, our initial search of used lots and private sellers led to almost no results near us. Local used dealers said they only saw a few 3/4 tons and they would disappear within a day or two. It was now more than two weeks past Thanksgiving and we planned to be on the road soon… so we had to step up our game.
Take the search on the road! We identified a cluster of private sellers and used dealers with trucks that met our requirements in the Inland Empire. So, we drove over 450 miles in two days to see five trucks. Touring around in Victorville, Temecula, El Monte, Nuevo, and Riverside, CA… we saw trucks everywhere – people work and play outdoors here. The private sellers were gracious and showed off not only the truck they were selling but their new truck they’d replaced it with, the RV they towed, their ATVs etc… Great conversations and information at every stop.
They were all contenders – but each required some compromise… price, age, miles, cosmetic condition.
When we got back we received word from a private seller near our home base. We met him the next day. He was a Navy diesel mechanic and kept his truck in great shape. It met all our requirements: a 3/4 ton, low miles, a 4 door crew cab, diesel, 4WD with a complete tow package and at the right price.
After all that driving it was practically in our back yard. But, honestly we wouldn’t have known it was perfect for us if we hadn’t seen all the others first.
We sealed the deal and she’s ours!
Meet our mighty new wheels! She’s a Chevy Silverado 2500 Diesel 4×4 Crew Cab… yet to be named.
Buying the truck has been an education, which I’m sure will continue as we gain practical knowledge . Each of the truck owners we met were a delight. Like the online RVers they loved their trucks and loved sharing their stories of their adventures, their experience, technical knowledge and advice.
We’re truck people now – and it seems like a merry club to belong to.
Oh, by the way, for those waiting for an answer from above… the “Tongue Weight” is how much downward force (weight) your trailer presses on the trailer hitch. #TheMoreYouKnow
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I’m seriously considering a truck fir my next ride. Glad I know some experts…I only need it for Home Depot and flea market runs and not a travel trailer.
I really enjoyed learning about your truck buying. I’ve secretly wanted a truck. So glad you found a beauty!