Looking for the Perfect Family Hauler

[Summerwolf]

Originally Posted by vh_supra26

Used Lincoln Navigators can be had for pretty cheap.

He said no ford products in the first post.

[MRCA1ST]

The other Express/Savana option would be to either find a used Quigley, or just have them convert one for you. They convert 4x2 vans into true 4x4s (rather than AWD).


This is a ford, but about as badass as they come with the powerstroke:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2006-Ford-E...NZ5sJc&vxp=mtr


or


Pick one up like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/2003-Chevro...dZxHT1&vxp=mtr


then have Quigley convert it to 4x4 and you are ballin and under budget in a 4x4 luxury van with low miles.

[vh_supra26]

Originally Posted by Summerwolf

He said no ford products in the first post.

He said he wasn't interested in Fords, but that doesn't mean I can't convince him :p

I have own many Ford and Toyota trucks/SUVs. From personally experiences the F-150/Navigator is better truck than the Tundra/Sequoia.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by vh_supra26

He said he wasn't interested in Fords, but that doesn't mean I can't convince him :p

I have own many Ford and Toyota trucks/SUVs. From personally experiences the F-150/Navigator is better truck than the Tundra/Sequoia.

People need to understand that today's Ford is not the same as 10 years ago. They have really cleaned up their act.

[gymratter]

i would just go out and test drive everything in your price range. there is a big differences between what others like/recommend and what you have to live with.

[funwheeldrive]

Originally Posted by MRCA1ST

The other Express/Savana option would be to either find a used Quigley, or just have them convert one for you. They convert 4x2 vans into true 4x4s (rather than AWD).

.

I'd rather not have to do a conversion if I can help it. I will keep searching on Ebay and other sites to see if a gem pops up.

Originally Posted by Tcoat

People need to understand that today's Ford is not the same as 10 years ago. They have really cleaned up their act.

This truck will primarily be my wife's. We both came from a family of car nuts. She was basically raised to hate Ford. I brought up the V8 Explorer that still used a truck chassis, but she wont even consider it. She is also an Oakland Raiders fan. That's all I need to say about that.

Originally Posted by gymratter

i would just go out and test drive everything in your price range. there is a big differences between what others like/recommend and what you have to live with.

Yeah, I agree. I just wanted to get an idea of what trucks were worth my time. My wife and I are getting a babysitter (grandma) on Sunday and are going to look at lots of different trucks. Hopefully then we will know what we like so we can narrow our search down to one specific model. Ideally in red or blue.

[gymratter]

Originally Posted by funwheeldrive

This truck will primarily be my wife's. We both came from a family of car nuts. She was basically raised to hate Ford. I brought up the V8 Explorer that still used a truck chassis, but she wont even consider it. She is also an Oakland Raiders fan. That's all I need to say about that.

Yeah, I agree. I just wanted to get an idea of what trucks were worth my time. My wife and I are getting a babysitter (grandma) on Sunday and are going to look at lots of different trucks. Hopefully then we will know what we like so we can narrow our search down to one specific model. Ideally in red or blue.

all the pretty wife should be worry about is keeping the house clean and making dinner on time. lol i kid i kid :p

good, i just see too many people buying something because so and so told them its a good product.

[Viking42]

How big/heavy of a trailer are you looking to get? That can make a real difference in your options. Remember towing ability is about more than just the tow rating, you need to pay attention to the truck's rated GCVWR (the weight of the truck + cargo/passengers + loaded trailer). In trucks around the size you are looking at GCVWR is usually more indicative of how much trailer you can get than the tow rating will be. I've seen lot of people get wide eyed at towing capacity, then get struck by reality when they realize their truck can't (well shouldn't) tow the trailer they were expecting after loading the family and luggage.

[funwheeldrive]

Originally Posted by Viking42

How big/heavy of a trailer are you looking to get? That can make a real difference in your options. Remember towing ability is about more than just the tow rating, you need to pay attention to the truck's rated GCVWR (the weight of the truck + cargo/passengers + loaded trailer). In trucks around the size you are looking at GCVWR is usually more indicative of how much trailer you can get than the tow rating will be. I've seen lot of people get wide eyed at towing capacity, then get struck by reality when they realize their truck can't (well shouldn't) tow the trailer they were expecting after loading the family and luggage.

That's what I'm afraid of. A lot of v6 trucks, and even some V8s seem like they aren't up for the job I need. Their towing capacity will say 5000lbs, but I quickly realized that doesn't mean I can safely tow a trailer with a dry weight of 4400lbs. The trailer I get will probably be 20-22ft long.

From what I've read I'd probably end up pulling around 6000lbs. That's my loaded weight estimate, hopefully I'm not being to optimistic with that.

Once I narrow it down to what truck I want I will try and find a trailer that fits to that truck's GCVWR. Someone on another forum mentioned hybrid travel trailers, and I had never heard of those. That might be something I have to look into.

When I started thinking about this a couple months ago I had no idea all this stuff was so complicated and specific.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

Just find something with an SAE J2807 towing certification, and you'll have peace of mind.

[funwheeldrive]

Just wanted to follow up on this thread. We decided the Express was a little too bulky and raw for us. Not to mention super hard to find for what we want.

We were able to look at a 2007 GX470 and it checked all the right boxes. I wasn't a fan of the Tahoe/Suburban interior. I almost bought the GX that we test drove, but the salesman at the dealership had lead me to believe that the timing belt had been done, when it really hadn't. Once I found that out he offered to have the dealership pay for only half of the job. Him and his manager weren't willing to pay for the entire service, so I said no thanks and walked out the door. The GX was black and I wasn't crazy about the idea of frequently detailing a huge black truck anyways.

At least now I know what model of truck I want. Now I just need to stalk the internet until I find the perfect one. Thanks guys for all your help with this!

[MRCA1ST]

Glad you were able to neck it down to a make/model and it is probably for the best that you didn't end up with the black one...that would drive me insane

[gymratter]

Originally Posted by MRCA1ST

Glad you were able to neck it down to a make/model and it is probably for the best that you didn't end up with the black one...that would drive me insane

this, i have owned a black SC400 years ago. would never buy black again.

[funwheeldrive]

I hate to resurrect an old thread, but just wanted to update and thank everyone for their feedback. I looked at like 5 GX470s but finally found the right one. It's a 2005 and has higher mileage(142k), but it's in pristine condition. Got it private party from the original owner. Always garage kept and serviced at the Lexus dealership. I got it for $10,900 which I think is a solid deal. Hopefully it treats the family well. Thanks again everyone!