Suggestions wanted about new tow vehicle...4x4 also....

I have an old Bayliner. Its a cuddy, 20 feet in length. Trailer is a single axle, no brakes. I would bet that its at the upper limit of setups that do not have brakes. Right now, we tow it with an old B250 Dodge work van that weighs about 5000 pounds. It has creature comforts, I carpeted it and installed seatining, etc. It has the 727 transmission and I honestly forget the boat is behind me most of the time.For the big summer vacations, I can fit all the kids, lots of gear, two mopeds, and STILL pull the old boat. NEVER had a problem at a ramp, even nasty steep ones.

The thing is, we have caught the surf fishing bug this last season. So much so, that I need to think about a 4 wheel drive vehicle that I can drive down the beach a mile or two. It would be nice if this vehicle could also tow the boat and fit alot of people. I know I am going to give up plenty in the cargo area losing the big van but I can live with that. (I may still keep the old van- it owes me nothing at this point)

I have NO experience with a 4x4. I do not like crossovers. Budget wise, Im looking at around $4000-$5000..something 2000 to 2004 Id guess as far as model year. Right now I get 15 miles per gallon using the work van. Its not great, but I could live with that in the new-to-me vehicle.
Off hand, Ive been looking at the following: Ford expedition/Lincoln Navigator--seems big inside, but would it get down the beach? I can just see now getting fish guts and sand all over the leather interior. LOL..Dodge Durango..seems small inside, not sure how it would pull the boat. What about a Jeep? A Cherokee maybe? Would a 4.0 pull the boat w/o giving up the ghost or should I stick with a V8?
If I go the durango route, should I insist on the 5.9?
Thought about a suburban, but my Brother is a professional mechanic and his advice was to stay away from GM products from the early 2000's era..I might ignore that, the Suburban is a monster and is supposed to get about 15 mpg..

Obviously, I will search through this forum, but Id love to have any thoughts or comments.
Thanks!

Re: Suggestions wanted about new tow vehicle...4x4 also....

SUBURBAN for the win

the multiport 5.7's (slightly older than your target) were nearly bombproof and the 5.3's tho they do have a couple of issues are mostly great engines.. I've had 4 or 5 older burbs and currently have an 89 with 35" tires and a 6.2 diesel that I can't bear to part with even though I no longer drive it... lol

My mother drives a 2003 burb with a 5.3 and it's her baby.. she absolutely loves it.... It does have leather interior but as long as it is kept conditioned it is FAR easier to clean than cloth... tho if you got fish in mom's burb she'd likely shoot you..

For the smokin deal I'd say look for about a 98 with the 5.7 and low miles... you can get a really clean one for under your budget.

Re: Suggestions wanted about new tow vehicle...4x4 also....

What is the name of that Ford that is one size up from the Expedition? I have ridden in one of those with six adults, towing a 24' boat. 4x4 Turbo Diesel. I felt like I was in a van. I think that would be worth a look.

Whatever vehicle you get, please add brakes to your trailer.

Re: Suggestions wanted about new tow vehicle...4x4 also....

The vehicle JB is talking about is the Ford Excursion. Probably as big if not bigger that the Suburban. I not sure but I think they were based on the F250 Super Duty platform. I think they had 3 engine choices, 5.4 V8, 6.8 V10 and diesel. They had some front end issues when towing, but there were aftermarket fixes available. Here's another vote for adding brakes to the trailer.

Re: Suggestions wanted about new tow vehicle...4x4 also....

JB said:

What is the name of that Ford that is one size up from the Expedition? I have ridden in one of those with six adults, towing a 24' boat. 4x4 Turbo Diesel. I felt like I was in a van. I think that would be worth a look.

Whatever vehicle you get, please add brakes to your trailer.

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Yeah, the more I read the more I thought an Excursion should at least be one of your options. It would come nearest giving you what you're looking for while approximating the people and cargo space you're accustomed to with the van.They're three quarter ton beasts and can be found in diesel or gas burning configurations. Lots of room inside and mucho towing capacity. Very capable vehicles. They're no longer made, but you should be able to find one if you look in the right places. Happy hunting.

Re: Suggestions wanted about new tow vehicle...4x4 also....

You might consider a crew cab pickup with a shell on the box. Would provide cargo space and go through sand as good as anything.

Re: Suggestions wanted about new tow vehicle...4x4 also....

smokeonthewater said:

SUBURBAN for the win

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+1

I just got rid of my '97 Suburban that I bought new. 200k miles and I was still using it for occasional tow duty pulling 7k+ lbs of boat/trailer. That was all it wanted to handle, actually a little over the rated capacity but did it no problems. Previous boat weighed in at about 5k lbs on the trailer and it was a comfortable tow; put thousands of miles on that setup.

If you can find one from that era without a bazillion miles on it they're good vehicles. Was very pleased with mine which is why I kept it for 15 years. The only real downside to them is the brakes leave a lot to be desired; but that's the norm for pickups of that era. Definitely consider adding trailer brakes whatever you buy.

There was a 3/4 ton version, but with the fo fitty fo they were gas hogs. Towing capacity is more than the half ton, similar to the Excursion, but less than a 3/4 ton pickup. For your boat though the half ton is plenty.

Re: Suggestions wanted about new tow vehicle...4x4 also....

Check the Diesel Stop forum and Ford Truck Enthusiasts forum for info on the Excursion. We really wanted one but couldn't buy a truck that old. Hopefully there will be a new 250 series diesel SUV someday.

Re: Suggestions wanted about new tow vehicle...4x4 also....

jbetzelb said:

You might consider a crew cab pickup with a shell on the box. Would provide cargo space and go through sand as good as anything.

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My wife and I went out looking and she actually LIKES the pickups....I never considered one, but I think we may go with a dodge ram with the extra cab and 4x4....a shell would be PERFECT. Could stow all the gear and fish under the cap, and even hop in there and watch the rods when it gets too cold for the kids or whatever. Hmmmm.......

Re: Suggestions wanted about new tow vehicle...4x4 also....

I FORGOT about the Ford excursion! Geez thats a monster!!!!!!

You know what? I hate buying somewhat old vehicles. Dealers want too much, and privately, you have to worry about getting it through inspection most of the time. Nothing like trying to get a 100,000 mile car through maryland state inspection. The shops are vultures. They will cherry pick the expensive items to drum up work. I ran an old Nissan quest through inspection a few years back, and the guy came up with a list of cherry picked BS, and he ignored many things that I KNEW were bad, (low $$$ items). NOt that it mattered, I did all the work myself. I mean really, he wanted $1100 to get a car that was worth $1500 through. I did it for about $200 and a few busted knuckles.

So, dreading that part of it. I think I should insist on a vehicle thats already been inspected. I can also say this, Pennsylvania inspects vehicles once a year and I would sort of hate to deal with that as a car owner, but I can say that its a great state to buy an older vehicle from because if it has a current window sticker, chances are its in pretty good shape. In general, cars are kept better in PA because they HAVE to be. So if I have to go the private route, I will get it from PA. (Thats where I got my old Dodge van)

Re: Suggestions wanted about new tow vehicle...4x4 also....

The Excursion is a beast. What you said about issues is why we didn't buy one. Everything has trouble but the older it gets the more likely the problems are and I didn't want to deal with it.

I do wish Ford would bring the Excursion back. A diesel with 7/8 seats and the storage of an SUV would be ideal.

Re: Suggestions wanted about new tow vehicle...4x4 also....

I bought a 99 Tahoe 4X4 with about 90K on it for $2,500(3 years ago). It was a great truck. and that age Chevy parts cost nothing but it really did not give me a tonne of issues.

Re: Suggestions wanted about new tow vehicle...4x4 also....

I agree with your brother the professional mechanic. Stay away from anything Govt Motors.

How about an older Toyota landcruiser? They would seem to fit what your looking for.