Why Buy a Truck to Tow Once a Year?

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Dear Car Talk

Feb 10, 2015 (Archives)

9 Comments

Dear Car Talk:

I have a 1999, 8-cylinder Dodge Ram 4-wheel-drive crew-cab truck that has served me well towing my 1-ton pontoon boat. What would you recommend to replace it that might get a little better gas mileage and still provide a comfortable ride for four people? I tow only every other year or so -- 800 miles round trip. Thanks!

-- Kevin

I'd recommend that you replace it with a Toyota Avalon Hybrid, supplemented by a U-Haul rent-a-pickup once every other year. 

A lot of our customers make the mistake of buying a car for something they do very infrequently. You know, they get an SUV that's capable of seating eight people for the one trip per year they take to Grandma's with Cousin Itt. And here you are, driving around every day, getting 13 mpg as penance for a chore you have to do only every two years. 

An alternative is to get a comfortable family car that you can enjoy 103 out of 104 weeks every two years, and then just rent a pickup (or, even better, borrow one) for your biannual week at the lake. 

I mention the Avalon Hybrid because I drove it recently and was impressed by its roominess and ride, and the nearly 40 mpg it got, city and highway. But you can get any car you like. 

And then, when you want to haul the boat, you rent a pickup truck and put the towing wear and tear on that. It's not cheap to rent a pickup; you might spend $500-$1,000 for the week. But do the math:

If you drive 20,000 miles a year and you're getting 13 mpg, over two years you'll spend $9,228 on fuel (assuming gas stays at $3 a gallon, which it probably won't). If you drive that same 20,000 miles a year over two years in a car that gets 40 mpg, your fuel cost will be only $3,000. 

So, even counting the pickup truck rental, you'd still come out ahead by $5,000 every two years! And you won't have to pass over nearly as many parking spaces that you don't fit in. 

There are other options, too. If you really do need a pickup truck, or just want one, for whatever reason, I like the RAM 1500 with the V-6 diesel engine. That gets a combined 22 mpg, with an impressive 27 mpg on the highway, and it handles well, for a humongous beast. 

Or you could check out the new aluminum-bodied 2015 Ford F-150, which I haven't driven yet. But reportedly it will get similar mileage. 

Or, keep your old truck around just for that one vacation week if you really want to. 

But if it were me, I'd get a car, Kevin, and live it up. Let us know what you decide. 

• 9 comments
• Car Talk
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skater • 3 days ago

U-Haul will usually not let you tow anything other than a U-Haul trailer with their pickup. Other rental places might be more lenient, but be sure to find out ahead of time.

LeRoi2 • 2 days ago

Sell the pickup AND the boat. If you are using both only every other year, I would sell them, pocket the money, and the HUGE yearly savings, and take one heck of a nice vacation, anywhere you would want to.

If you really can't live without a pontoon boat vacation every other year, drive a new Vette convertible, stay in a 5 star hotel on the water, and rent a boat. You would still be thousands ahead.

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wolyrobb • 2 days ago

From looking at the Uhaul Website there's no restriction on towing your own trailer or boat with the rental pickup only that you verify that the load is under the trucks towing capacity.

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psanzone • 3 days ago

As BigBadBob said, the extra cost of diesel would have to result in a larger increase in MPG to justify the cost, not to mention that some diesels also require an extra tank of some kind of solution for environmental reasons. Having owned two diesels in upstate NY, there is the further issue of "winterized" diesel (meaning it's mixed with more expensive kerosene) to prevent fuel gelling in cold temperatures, not to mention the extra cost of purchasing a diesel vehicle. I need to replace my pickup soon, so have been following all the stuff on mpg, etc., and the bottom line for my driving (less than 20,000 miles a year) tells me that diesels just are not cost effective.

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clack jr • 2 days ago

Buy a house on a lake.....

bluewater • 2 days ago

Why wouldn't you keep what you have? Its obviously paid for and if it still runs well why spend big bucks on a new truck , just to save on gas. For the price you don't spend on a new truck, you can buy tons of gas.

hyhybt • 3 days ago

I like the idea of keeping the old truck (or, if it's too far gone, replacing it with one that isn't, but is still on the older and more worn side) and getting a car for daily driving. That way, you have it available when you need to haul something or just feel like driving a pickup now and then, in addition to the twice-a-year towing job, and you have a spare vehicle available. Maintenance and minimal insurance don't cost much on a secondary vehicle that doesn't get much use; perhaps even less than the rental.

LeRoi2 hyhybt • 2 days ago

Hyhybt, read the article again. It is NOT twice a year trips, it is every other year. Maintenance and upkeep on a vehicle driven that infrequently IS expensive. As it is for the boat and trailer also.

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BigBadBob • 3 days ago

So you can buy a Dodge Ram diesel for $3,000 more than a 5.7 Hemi and get an additional, say, 7mpg using fuel that costs 50% more. Oh yeah, and a hundred horsepower less. Sure. That makes sense.