With a little over 2 months until we hit the road, we've checked off one of the big-ticket items for the trip: the truck to tow our travel trailer and use as the local vehicle when we're parked. Prior to this we owned a Toyota Corolla and a Subaru Outback, which wouldn't work for this trip. We were already planning to get rid of the Corolla before we began planning the trip (as it's 14 years old) and decided to upgrade from a sedan to a pickup!
With the main reason for this vehicle being the cross country camper trip, a huge factor is the towing capacity. Since our camper weighs 7000 pounds, we need around 10,000 pounds of towing capacity for a safe margin. This ruled out smaller (and cheaper) trucks like a Toyota Tacoma or a Ford Ranger. We had to look at models like the Toyota Tundra or Ford F-150.
The pandemic makes summer 2022 a tough time to buy a vehicle. We almost put down a deposit on a new truck, but a last minute $5k "market adjustment" was added. And buying new entailed about a 10 week wait from the deposit until delivery of the vehicle. So in the end we purchasing used. Even with the inflated used market, we still managed to save around $20,000 compared to a new model.
We found a 2018 Toyota Tundra SR5 with the towing package included. This has the towing capacity we need, has a double cab so we do have space for friends, and a standard 6.5 foot bed. The towing package includes the hitch receiver we need to connect to and power the camper, an electronic trailer brake controller, plus a Tow/Haul mode for the transmission (very important!). We did purchase a short limited warranty to cover us through the time period of our trip. We haven't picked one up yet, but we're getting a tonneau cover to add a little extra storage for the trip. More room in the trailer for us!
.png "The Bundra") |
| The freshly acquired Tundra |
.png "The Bundra") | |
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So far we've only done a few short drives around Boston. Mostly Shawn driving back and forth to the Toyota dealership since they couldn't get anything right, but we've already used it to haul around a few things. It will add a lot of convenience even after our trip.
The next step is to drive on up to Vermont and stay in the trailer over the 4th of July weekend. In the midst of measuring, setting up wifi, and picturing ourselves in the trailer for 4-6 months, we'll be celebrating the holiday with family. This will be the first longer stay for us, so fingers crossed!
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| Percy checking out the cab |
.png "This is incredibly firm") |
| Percy exploring the bed |
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