Baby hauler / Tow pig reccomendations

Need to change up my daily driver for a few reasons (ill get into later).

Searching for something that can haul a baby and also tow a trailer.  Hoping to get an enclosed trailer in the next year or so as a few projects come along, but need the vehicle now.  I have more interest in an SUV than in a truck. Crew cabs that would accommodate a baby seem out of my expected price range of <$7500 for the most part.

The top two I am searching right now are mid 200x Chevy Suburban or Tahoe (along with their GMC yukon counterparts), are there any other platforms I should be considering?   I am firmly trying to stay under 150k miles and $7500.  So far I have looked at a few at stealerships that want just over $8k (before negotiation) and one craigslist suburban for $4300 that didnt have a single straight panel that was advertised as a private party sale and ended up being a super shady dealer (PASS).

Current daily is a 95 Miata.  Last October I went on a trip driving 10 hours over two days in it and did in my back.  I then found out within days of each other that I needed surgery and that we are expecting our first child.  So, he's due in early July and I need something that is capable of driving a baby around and hauling some uncomfortable sports cars distances so I can avoid a repetition of the back injury.    

Any suggestions on other vehicles worth looking at?  I am in the DC area if you want to throw any craigslist suggestions at me.  Only catch is that driving more than about 75 miles is rough right now (back hurts and pregnant wives get cranky stuck in a car too long)

Once purchased, I may be sucking it up and selling my Miata.  3 two seat cars, a mustang, and a tow pig DD is a bit extraneous and my back hurts even driving the Miata 10 miles at this point. Will be sad, my wife and I drove home from our wedding in it. 

Was briefly looking at Ford Excursions, but they seem pricier and was a bit worried about spark plug ejection.

If you want to tow an enclosed I definitely think you are on the right track with the Burban/Tahoe. Burbs seem cheaper. I would add the newer Sequoia 2008+ but I believe they will be out of your intended price range

Definitely the Suburban, All around great tow rigs, either in 1500 or 2500 form (depending on your tow requirements). The 1500s are cheaper (you can find nice ones for under $3k) while the 2500s wil be more money and a bit overkill for daily driver duty. As always, get the newest you can afford, but I'd say that the '03-05 versions are your best all around bet for durability, features, and useabilty. A/Cs can be problematic as can brake lines (they are sandwiched between frame and body and can rust out and are a complete bitch to replace), but other than that, they were well built.

How much are you planning on pulling?

If it's in the 3000-4000lb range, I'd suggest a CUV similar to an Edge.  We towed with one of those for 6 years, and it was really good at pulling my 3000lb package.  More comfortable than a Ranger or F150 in terms of personal comfort, and performance inbetween- although closer to the one F150 we had, since it wasn't all that great.

Here in SE MI, there are 430 Edges that are less than $7500 according to the list of craig.

They would probably be over 150k miles, but Sequoia/Land Cruiser/Lexus GX seem to meet the requirements, possibly a 4Runner if it is a smaller trailer.

Reliable as gravity, great resale value (blessing and a curse). I see the Sequoia's mostly pop up in that price range, but an occasional Land Cruiser and/or GX of older vintage can show up as well (I'm in FL).

I went from loving my 20-40 year old for trucks, to loving my Porsche Cayenne S. 7,700 lb tow capacity and comfortable for a long cruise with full size people in the back seat. I considered the VW Touareg too (very similar build), but the interiors don't seem to hold up as well as the Porsche. I have one with "Air Ride" and one without. I prefer the one without. The early (04-06) Cayennes may be at the top of your price range, but the Touaregs should be well within. IMHO the Suburban/Tahoe is also a great choice in your range.

From my recent looking at the market, under $7500 for anything capable of pulling an enclosed trailer while having under 150k miles is VERY tough to do. Suburbans are your most likely bet, followed by Tahoes. I'm a Ford guy at heart, but that price range puts you squarely in bad-cam-phaser-5.4L territory, so I'g go GM. The Sequoias are nice, but you won't get one with those miles for that price around here.

GMT800 Suburban is a good choice.  You might find a 2wd 2500HD crew cab for $7500, with the 6.0L or possibly the 8.3.  The LB7 diesels (say an '01 or '02) are a few grand more (mine sat at $12K on Craigslist for a while, eventually sold it to a friend for $10K).

My GMT800 was the worst vehicle I've owned and I would hesitate to put a child in one. I bought mine on the recommendation of friends who also owned them and towed racecars with them. It towed fine with an open 18' trailer and I know of one guy who pulls a 20' enclosed with his. My Denali was nicely equipped for what it was.

GM was given a class-action lawsuit about the hard brake lines rusting out and got away telling owners to pound sand. Several friends had their wives daily-driving their GMT800s with kids in the back, borrowing them to tow. Two of them lost brakes - one was in his neighborhood (but had a hard time stopping because the parking-brake was also broken) and the other lost the pedal while parking after he'd been towing home from VIR. My lines had pinholes forming when I sold the truck.

In the one year I had it, I replaced everything that made it steer (it all broke or leaked), the hard lines were starting to go, the transmission was slipping the 1-2 shift, and I had four oil leaks going on (pan, cooler lines, rear main).  And mine was a one-owner, local example (Northern Virginia doesn't produce rusty cars, normally) that had a stack of on-time maintenance records from GMC of Tysons Corner. I purchased it with 125k miles and this all happened between 125k and 140k.

Between the brake line "scandal" and the ignition switch issues, I've sworn off GM for life. Nobody makes a perfect vehicle but nobody has been so successful as GM at publicly showing how little they care.

Buy a Sequoia or the nicest Expedition you can find. I'd rather deal with the annoyance of spark plugs on the Ford instead of potentially catastrophic safety issues. 

I replaced the brake lines on my '02 Suburban 2500 ($150 for a complete set of preformed SS lines). I might suggest doing it as preventative maintenance on any old Suburban bought (or make sure there is a receipt for it being done). Other than that, it's my regular tow pig and covers a LOT of miles comfortably. I've had this rig for 4 years and it's never stranded me. Unlike the diesel dually I had before it...

alfadriver said:

How much are you planning on pulling?

If it's in the 3000-4000lb range, I'd suggest a CUV similar to an Edge.  We towed with one of those for 6 years, and it was really good at pulling my 3000lb package.  More comfortable than a Ranger or F150 in terms of personal comfort, and performance inbetween- although closer to the one F150 we had, since it wasn't all that great.

Here in SE MI, there are 430 Edges that are less than $7500 according to the list of craig.

Looking at an enclosed car trailer, so those are near 3,000lbs empty.   Granted, the prime cars I am planning to haul are <1800lbs, but I dont think it will do it.

In reply to AAZCD :

I hear you, and they are nice, but the maintenance bills scare me away!  holy carp, I had no idea that cayennes were that cheap!  although, craigslist has NO touregs for sale near me

Apexcarver said:

alfadriver said:

How much are you planning on pulling?

If it's in the 3000-4000lb range, I'd suggest a CUV similar to an Edge.  We towed with one of those for 6 years, and it was really good at pulling my 3000lb package.  More comfortable than a Ranger or F150 in terms of personal comfort, and performance inbetween- although closer to the one F150 we had, since it wasn't all that great.

Here in SE MI, there are 430 Edges that are less than $7500 according to the list of craig.

Looking at an enclosed car trailer, so those are near 3,000lbs empty.   Granted, the prime cars I am planning to haul are <1800lbs, but I dont think it will do it.

 

 

So you're talking about easily 5,000 plus lbs of trailer with a big profile. You want a Suburban (with fixored brakes, apparently). Sequoias are only rated for 6k lbs max, I think, and I'd want the extra wheelbase for stability. Ford Expys are good for 8k with the tow pack, but I'm iffy on the cam phasers for the 5.4.  It's an expensive repair and the odds aren't good enough on avoiding it for me. Plus they're a little shorter wheelbase.   Now if you could swing a later Ecoboost Expy XL OTOH...

V8 4th Gen 4runner (2003-2009).  I believe 7000 lbs towing capacity.  They can still be pricey so you'd have to get an earlier one.  As others said, Sequoia as well. 

My parents have an '00 Tundra, which I've used to drag home several projects now and will be driving for the next week or so while the FRS is in the body shop. My biggest quip about the truck as a tow pig is the braking, which is pretty marginal for a modern vehicle even empty, IMO. I think the facelift in '04(?) included bigger and better brakes, which the Sequoia may have even had from the get-go, but that's definitely something I'd want if I were looking to haul an enclosed trailer with one of those rigs. 

Aside from that, and the frame rust issues that I don't think affected the Sequoia, they're very nice trucks. I think they drive and ride a bit better than contemporary domestics and the interiors are a hell of a lot nicer and better put together. My mom and dad's truck has somewhere around 150k on it now without major issues, and I know two guys at work who are deep into the 200k range on theirs without major issues as well. That said, I don't think you could go wrong with a GMT800 either, especially a 3/4 ton.

2005+ Sequoia 1st gen or 2nd gen (2008+) would fill the bill as well. Not quite the grunt of a top-end Suburban, but still tows well, spacious, well-built, interior is silent at any speed, it rides comfortably and handles well for something its weight. Plus the usual Toyota build quality. The 4.7 in the 1st gen is not the most powerful engine, but it'll pull 5k+ all day long with no complaint and with some air bags in the rear you don't even know the trailer is there, and the engine is damn near bulletproof.

Best part is it's one of the few Toyotas that doesn't get the "Toyota Tax" (see: 4Runner, Tacoma, Tundra). The Sequioa values drop like a rock so they're easy to find pretty cheap on the used market.

Anyhow, just a thought, to give you another idea. Mine has never let me down.

EDIT: I previously had a 2008 4Runner. It was amazing as well, but not as good at towing (espeically if you have a big enclosed trailer) and the interior volume is about equivalent with a hatchback sedan, if that. Also for your back, the Sequioa is a MUCH smoother ride than the 4Runner. Plus year-to-year-and miles-to-miles, it'll cost a few K more than a Sequioa. For towing, I'd pick the Sequioa hands-down, as someone who has had both and towed with both.

Went and looked at a Tahoe at a small local dealer last night.  163k, PO was a smoker, cigg burn in drivers seat, NASTY trunk carpet, busted radio, and just generally a bit gross on the interior. They cleaned it, but it really needs a tear-down, clean, and reassemble.

They want $8300 for it.  I said I might entertain $6500, but recognized it was a big ask.  They countered with $8k and I walked.  As soon as I got home they called wanting me to meet somewhere in the middle.  Looking at craigslist and other sources, I feel my initial offer was overly generous.

Going to try to find time to go look at one that looks much cleaner, has 20k fewer miles, rear seat tv, and only $6k. 

I would not feel comfortable with a tahoe or any of the half ton gmt800 trucks with an enclosed trailer if you plan to hit any of the mountains between your current location and your family compound.

my Avalanche had it all.  Factory tow package, 4.10 gears, locking diff, tow rating over 8k.  With a weight distribution hitch it stayed level, but there were a couple spots where it would be foot to the floor in 2nd gear just to make it up the mountain at 50.  The 5.3 is awesome and i’ll swap them all day into cars, but it’s not my ideal pull 12k with it engine.  Couple that with weak steering parts(what’s new GM?) and all the parts it shot out the bottom, i can’t recommend one to you with a clear conscience.  If you’re going to go gmt800 get a 2500 suburban.  

They made so many of them that you can afford to be a bit picky about finding the right one at the right deal.  

For those recommending a 4runner, I'd give that one a hard pass. It isn't very roomy inside, and baby stuff tends to take up a lot of room. 

I am very happy with my wife's Armada.  Not sure what those trade for now a days but I bought my 2010 platinum 4x4 for 16k 2 years ago.

Patrick said:

I would not feel comfortable with a tahoe or any of the half ton gmt800 trucks with an enclosed trailer if you plan to hit any of the mountains between your current location and your family compound.

 

Family compound isnt around anymore, sold off and moved mom out to Columbus to be near my brother. I live south of DC now and likely tow targets are Summit Point, Dominion, and maybe VIR.  (fairly flat, nothing like Sidling Hill on 68, done that in a F150 pulling Pauls camaro on an open and in a few loaded moving trucks)  Also, cars to be stuffed in the trailer are miata or lighter.   Any change in thought at that?

Will keep an eye for a heavier suburban though.

Biggest thing working against your budget is location.  SUV's get beat up in the DC area.  $7500 will get you plenty of SUV in other regions. I bought a diesel excursion under your budget with cash to spare.

I have a 2004 Suburban QS 2500 that I bought last summer.  It's pretty nice but I find myself wondering if I need so much capacity.  As a DD it get 10-12 mpg and only 13 on the highway.  It needs a few things to be right but seems solid.

If you're interested we could talk.....

13mpg while towing right?