I've had my 07 Tacoma for 8 years now. It's been a good truck. I like the manual transmission and the size. I hate the abysmal fuel economy, range, and lack of power. Towing on the highway nets me as bad as 11 mpg and with a 20 gallon tank I am stopping way more than I would like. I also get range anxiety on trails, even with 5 or 10 gallons in the bed in jerry cans.
I tow frequently both for work and play. Nothing I tow currently exceeds 6,000lbs and even if I get a bigger camping trailer, I doubt it would be much heavier than that. My current camping trailer weighs a hair under 3,000lbs.
I really like the manual transmission, but I am opening myself up to the possibility that I might buy an automatic. I don't think a slide in camper is on the horizon, at least not in the next 10 years. With 2 adults and 2 kids, I can't imagine going back to a ground tent setup, or trying to squeeze into a slide in camper. So I definitely don't think I need a 1-ton truck.
A 1/2 ton pickup meets my towing needs, but there is nothing with a manual transmission. A 3/4 ton truck (Ram 2500 is about the only one I'm considering right now) is way overkill for everything and it costs more. But I get everything else that I want. Oh, and it costs a lot more, especially after a few suspension, armor, and tire mods.
The last few days the Ram 1500 Ecodiesel has caught my attention. Awesome fuel economy, range, power/torque. Decent price gently used. But longevity? Who knows -- they haven't been around long enough.
I briefly considered the Tundra. But I would be trading everything I don't like about the Tacoma for just as many things I don't like about the tundra. Nissan Titan doesn't seem to have the aftermarket support I like. F-150 is a maybe, but not a lot of people are building those out. Powerwagon is another candidate. It has horrible fuel economy, but at least a bigger gas tank than the Tacoma. Off the lot, it doesn't need anything to get me going. But I feel like if I'm going to spend that kind of money, I should just go buy a Cummins 2500. Then I add up the money there and go back to a used 1/2 ton ecodiesel. Round and round I go. It makes me dizzy.
Who I especially want to hear from are those that jumped from midsize to full size. Are you limited by the size? Do you miss any of the trails you used to be able to squeeze down that you can't get through anymore? Is full size even "that" much bigger on the trail?
Any other opinions?
srpat
I tow frequently both for work and play. Nothing I tow currently exceeds 6,000lbs and even if I get a bigger camping trailer, I doubt it would be much heavier than that. My current camping trailer weighs a hair under 3,000lbs.
I really like the manual transmission, but I am opening myself up to the possibility that I might buy an automatic. I don't think a slide in camper is on the horizon, at least not in the next 10 years. With 2 adults and 2 kids, I can't imagine going back to a ground tent setup, or trying to squeeze into a slide in camper. So I definitely don't think I need a 1-ton truck.
A 1/2 ton pickup meets my towing needs, but there is nothing with a manual transmission. A 3/4 ton truck (Ram 2500 is about the only one I'm considering right now) is way overkill for everything and it costs more. But I get everything else that I want. Oh, and it costs a lot more, especially after a few suspension, armor, and tire mods.
The last few days the Ram 1500 Ecodiesel has caught my attention. Awesome fuel economy, range, power/torque. Decent price gently used. But longevity? Who knows -- they haven't been around long enough.
I briefly considered the Tundra. But I would be trading everything I don't like about the Tacoma for just as many things I don't like about the tundra. Nissan Titan doesn't seem to have the aftermarket support I like. F-150 is a maybe, but not a lot of people are building those out. Powerwagon is another candidate. It has horrible fuel economy, but at least a bigger gas tank than the Tacoma. Off the lot, it doesn't need anything to get me going. But I feel like if I'm going to spend that kind of money, I should just go buy a Cummins 2500. Then I add up the money there and go back to a used 1/2 ton ecodiesel. Round and round I go. It makes me dizzy.
Who I especially want to hear from are those that jumped from midsize to full size. Are you limited by the size? Do you miss any of the trails you used to be able to squeeze down that you can't get through anymore? Is full size even "that" much bigger on the trail?
Any other opinions?
srpat