Tow a 2520 and decent on gas.

[350bake]

I am looking for suggestions on a tow vehicle and an everyday vehicle decent (20mpg) on gas. I am fortunate to have a 2000 2520. I tow the boat from house to boat yard to ramp and vice versa twice/year about 10-15 miles on one trip. We have a 2000 Ford Excursion V10 that my wife mostly drives. The excursion does a great job towing and carrying 4 kids all year long. However, the gas mileage and cost is brutal (9 to 14 mpg). We are considering getting rid of the Excursion due to how tough it is on gas. I need a vehicle that is better on gas (20 mpg..) and can tow twice a year. Unfortunately a pick-up is not an option. Looking for suggestions. Good problems to have. Thanks in advance.

I did a few searches and looks like I have two options - switch to diesel or get a smaller boat which is not an option at this point.

 

[Dave Walker]

8) Buy a Tundra,add load range E tires and extra leafs on the rear springs and your goodto go. Ipull 7000lbs on my cargo trailer cross country, no problem. 455000miles all synthetic lubes. dave walker

 

[Pdksr]

My 2012 F150 tows 9800#. It has the Eco boost engine which is v6
Twin turbo charged. No towing stats yet but around town it's getting 18.5 avg. mpg and on a recent trip to Corning NY and back (700m r/t) averaged 20.7mpg. With about 75% of the
Trip at 70 to 75 mph

 

[FL76]

I know you said no pickups, but would a pickup with a roof height topper be something you would consider? I have a 2008 3500 flat bed dodge diesel that weighs in at 9200 no load, I get 20 mpg on the highway unloaded at 70 mph and 12-14 towing our 2320 at 68 mph. You would get even better in a 3/4 ton diesel pickup that weighed 2000 less then my truck.

People tow all the time with lighter trucks no problem. What they are really overlooking is breaking and emergency maneuvers. I can speak with authority on this, was a police officer in South Florida for years and saw my share of boat trailer accidents. Just a thought.

 

[Luv2fish]

X2 on the Tundra. I have a 2008 with a 5.7 gas engine. It is the crew max so it seats 4 very comfortably and I have cap covering the 6 foot bed. I don't necessarily like the smell of dead deer inside the vehicle on the ride home so I prefer a truck.

Around town I get 14-16 MPG. On a trip (not towing) I get 19-20. The towing capacity is 10000 lbs. I tow my 2120 and a 30 foot RV. The RV is about 9000 lbs and I don't have any problems pulling it. Since the RV also has a very good braking system I also have no problems stopping. The boat is an even easier tow but I do notice it when stopping. Surge brakes are just not as efficient as electric brakes.

My Tundra (which is my 3rd one) has 60,000 miles and no issues whatsoever. My previous one had 100,000 miles and no issues. My Tundra very seldom leaves the garage without SOMETHING hooked to the back. The 6 speed automatic transmission is by far the best I have seen from Toyota. My previous models were 3 speed and you were always in a too low or too high gear. This one is amazing.

Good luck!

Steve

 

[ParkerJr]

You have a few options that are not pickups. Not sure if you have a specific budget set, or preference on American Vs. Foreign but heres what I would personally consider.

Tahoe/Yukon/Escalade Hybrid
Suburban 2500/ Yukon XL
Ifinity QX56
Nissan Armada
Toyota Sequoia

All those makes/models (respectively) get roughly 17-24 highway mpg and tow anywhere between 6200-9600 pounds.

 

[Bryan 2530]

If the Excursion is paid for, keep that and buy the wife a hybrid.

 

[350bake]

Thank you for all the input and ideas. I checked around and essentially there is not much of a market for a gasoline V10 Excursion. I think we are going to hold on to it for the time being but keep an eye out for an older Sequoia or more fuel efficient pick-up such as a Tundra.
I also was thinking of a smaller vehicle such as a mid-size pick-up or 4runner and adding a weight distribution hitch since I tow 10-15 miles twice/year.
Thanks again - Larry