recommendations for used TV for E19

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BigPapa

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Joined
May 7, 2024
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San diego
people have been so helpful on this forum. thanks so much.

so figuring out my ford flex prob wont cut it with the new escape 19 for california and the mountains. looking for a good tv for <30k and have a few main options:
Nissan Titan SV can pull like 9k
Nissan frontier can pull 6300
Nissan pathfinder like 6000
Dodge durango like 6000
toyota tacoma but with more miles cause they expensive also like 6000
toyota saquoia but has 100,000 miles on it

the mileage in a titan kinda is low but i like the buffer. anyone have any feelings about these specific trucks?
thanks tons,
matt
 
There are endless threads on the forum about tow vehicles and owner opinions/experience varies greatly. Some ppl are happy and satisfied with mid-size pickups and SUVs for towing and others swear by their full sized pickups and similar SUVs.

You will probably find if you do some searches on here, that the mid size vehicles with tow packages will do the job but will be working harder and burn more fuel. Many ppl don't mind that. Lots of others prefer to have more power and towing ability to spare so go with larger vehicles. A lot depends on your circumstances: where you live, where you plan to travel, how much you plan to be towing as opposed to using your vehicle for other purposes.

Then there is preference. Your list contains mostly Japanese vehicles. The mid size Japanese vehicles have limited towing capacity as you see. The selection of full size Japanese trucks is limited to four: Titan and Tundra and their SUV counterparts, altho there may be a Honda SUV that will fit the bill.

I personally prefer Japanese vehicles as well and have never owned a new vehicle. I don't worry about mileage being a bit higher on my Toyota trucks as they continue to be reliable for many thousands of kilometers.

If you read some TV threads here you'll find that many Escape owners like their Ford F150s with either the 2.7 or 3.5L engines. The 2.7 seems to result in very good mileage.

Good luck with your search. There is lots of info here on the forum.
 
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Everyone has preferences.

I’d want at least 280 ft lbs of torque at 3500 RPM or lower, a high payload because you will carry stuff - say 1500lbs minimum, and at least a tow rating of 6000 - 6500lbs of towing with a minimum of 55 sq ft frontal area. I would also want the combined weight capacity to allow full payload and towing at the same time.

With less, I would not want to tow in mountains or more than 100 miles.

Others would use less, but when I bought my new truck, I set a minimum of the requirements above except, I set my towing at 7000lbs, and my payload at 1800lbs. I have no trouble pulling my pretty heavy 19 anywhere I want to go, whenever I want to go. I paid $27,214 USD for my Ranger XLT in 2021. I have no idea about current truck prices.

The frontal area spec is sufficient for a 19, but the 21 and 23 have larger frontal areas.

Those are my thoughts. On your list, only the Titan meets my specs. Many tow with less and do fine, but I tow a lot and don’t want to put excess wear on my vehicle, nor do I want to listen to a high reving engine.

Take the advice for what it cost:)
 
I tow with a 2nd gen Tacoma. It is the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned. With regular ongoing maintenance, it runs and drives just a well now at 110k miles as it did when I took delivery 10 years ago. However, in my experience, an E19 is at the very upper limit of a 2nd or 3rd gen Tacoma's towing capabilities. I do not find it a particularly enjoyable experience to tow with it in mountain territory. I think the same could be said for any of the other mid-size V6 trucks/SUVs on your list.

In terms of smaller trucks, The 2019+ Ranger with the 2.3 ecoboost powertrain really intrigues me. I agree that it might make a good candidate for a used TV in your price range. As mentioned, the Ranger also tends to have quite high payload ratings for its class. This is just as important as outright towing capacity. A friend tows a similar size/weight stick-and-tin trailer with one....and he is very happy with it. Being a Ford, my biggest concern is long-term reliability.

For my money, I think the best used TV option for mountain towing would be a 2nd gen Tundra with the 5.7 V8. That generation was sold for 15 model years with the same powertrain. It is relatively straightforward to maintain and has proven reliability/longevity. It will have no problem hauling an E19 anywhere. The downside is atrocious mileage.

As other have mentioned, there are no shortage of opinions or preferences when it comes to TV's
 
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Selkirk said:
In terms of smaller trucks, The 2019+ Ranger with the 2.3 ecoboost powertrain really intrigues me.

For my money, I think the best used TV option for mountain towing would be a 2nd gen Tundra with the 5.7 V8. That generation was sold for 15 model years with the same powertrain. It is relatively straightforward to maintain and has proven reliability/longevity. It will have no problem hauling an E19 anywhere. The downside is atrocious mileage.
Click to expand...

I too am intrigued by the current Ranger.

I tow our 5.0TA with a second gen Tundra with the 5.7L V8 and am very pleased with it. I am not so concerned with mileage numbers as some ppl. It would be nice to get better mileage but dependability and longevity rate higher for me. If you consider a Tundra be aware of payload. The access cab has higher payload than the crew cab. The newer 6 cylinder Tundras get better mileage and several ppl here tow with them.
 
My suggestion is take a look at the sticker on driver's side of vehicles you're considering. Most people responding constantly talk about towing capacity yet overlook payload. This is what should come 1st to determine if you're towing safely for truck specs. Consider all weight added even passengers, hitch/receiver weight, tongue weight, etc. Your E19 probably has a tongue weight of 450lbs or even more. You can probably tow a locomotive on flat ground with most trucks but are you doing it safely?
 
Japanese - Not So Much

Tacoma, Tundra, Ridgeline, Titan are assembled in US factories, there's little if any "Japanese" componentry in these vehicles, they are about as apple pie & ice cream as you get. The term vehicle manufacturers is a misnomer, "just in time" assemblers using 3rd party mechanical & electrical components is more like it, often shared or fitted into other brands. People can talk about Toyota's "legendary" build quality & while that might be true for Toyota's direct from Japan, otherwise they have recalls, failures and problems like any other. Worst vehicle we ever owned was a 2010 Rav4 - engine, seat belt, gas pedal/floor mat - multiple recalls & peeling paint (denied by Toyota as a problem, the threat of a class action law suit to get affected vehicles repainted). And the Tacoma, probably the worst gas guzzling, antiquated V6 engine out there - yep, keep drinking that pink Sake.
 
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BigPapa said:
people have been so helpful on this forum. thanks so much.

so figuring out my ford flex prob wont cut it with the new escape 19 for california and the mountains. looking for a good tv for <30k and have a few main options:
Nissan Titan SV can pull like 9k
Nissan frontier can pull 6300
Nissan pathfinder like 6000
Dodge durango like 6000
toyota tacoma but with more miles cause they expensive also like 6000
toyota saquoia but has 100,000 miles on it

the mileage in a titan kinda is low but i like the buffer. anyone have any feelings about these specific trucks?
thanks tons,
matt
Click to expand...

I know I will take heat for this but the only two I consider are the Titan and the Sequoia. We traveled many, many, many miles pulling with smaller trailer a mid-sized TV and now, having pulled with a full size TV, I would never go back to a mid-sized. I know it sounds romantic; small truck pulling a small trailer but, ya no thanks. Been there done that.
 
If you have a non-Turbo Flex I agree that it wouldn't cut it. This was our dilemma even though I had previously added a transmission cooler, but not an aux oil cooler. We had to upgrade TV. If you have the Ecoboost Flex you will be within it's towing boundaries and it comes with Trans and Oil cooling, rated 4500lbs and as many people point out the 3.5 Turbo has excellent towing cred in an F150.
 
We tow our E19 with a GMC Canyon gas V6. It has the towing package with the built in brake controller. Very happy with the towing experience and we have no problem towing in the mountains, including the Rockies and the Sierra's. When not towing it is a good second vehicle to drive around town. Payload is about 1500 lbs, and like others have said take a hard look at payload capabilities. When I looked at the Tacoma the payload wasn't very good. By the time you put the hitch on the truck, hook it up, put myself and my wife in the truck, you can only put a pack of gum in the bed without exceeding the payload
 
Nissan Family

We are a Nissan family, one of my brothers has worked either for Nissan or a dealer his entire career. I can say from personal experience awesome vehicles for towing and don't have the name and following they deserve. I've owned and used for towing a 2006 Pathfinder, still being driven with 367k miles on it, a 2012 4WD that I drove until it got to 236k and is still being driven and I think has 308k and now driving a 2014 Armada that I bought about 5 years ago and it tows our 2014 21C like it's not even there. It's a Platinum series so has auto leveling and really like that feature. Most Nissan SUV's are built on truck chassis, they did make the Pathfinder worthless from 2013-2022 I think is when they went to current model. The Pathfinder at 6000lb capacity will tow a 21C just find but if there are a lot of mountains involved I do like having the extra power the Armada has, same engine I think in the Titan. So I say go by a Nissan, I don't ever see myself towing with anything else.
 
If you decide to go with a tundra/sequoia the Car Care But you tube channel has good information on what years to avoid, also lots of info on Toyota Lexus vehicles.
Many Escape owners to prefer Ecoboost f150’s . The key to any used vehicle is service records, which is obvious. Any vehicle that has been neglected will be problematic. Truck prices are still outrageous. I have a large 2500 with 3200 lbs of payload a well matched tow for the heavy Bigfoot we own. My previous 21c I pulled with a 2004 F150 with an engine that was problematic if neglected. It had nearly 1800 lbs of payload and was meticulously maintained before and while I owned it. I sold it with almost 100 k and the engine sounded like new. 3000 mile oil changes was the key as well as transmission fluid changes and coolant replacement. Tow your trailer home invest in a brake controller and take your time finding a well maintained used truck or frame based suv. Fun awaits.
 
BigPapa said:
Thabks. Love that darn flex. What did you get as your tv?
Click to expand...

F150 2.7 EcoBoost. As others note fuel economy a really strong suit and the trailer doesn't bother it at all. The 2,7 is in its second gen and is supposedly quite reliable . We also tow trailers for Scouts (Medical Venturers) and a War of 1812 reenactment group as well as our F150:will seat 6.
As this thread points out almost any mid sized or above vehicle with a 5000 lb tow rating will work, but if your Flex is EcoBoost and you like it that will work too.
 
BigPapa said:
people have been so helpful on this forum. thanks so much.

so figuring out my ford flex prob wont cut it with the new escape 19 for california and the mountains. looking for a good tv for <30k and have a few main options:
Nissan Titan SV can pull like 9k
Nissan frontier can pull 6300
Nissan pathfinder like 6000
Dodge durango like 6000
toyota tacoma but with more miles cause they expensive also like 6000
toyota saquoia but has 100,000 miles on it

the mileage in a titan kinda is low but i like the buffer. anyone have any feelings about these specific trucks?
thanks tons,
matt
Click to expand...

Wait for the new Toyota 4 Runner Trailerhunter Hybrid!

Toyota also fitted the Trailhunter with a 2400-watt AC inverter that sends electricity to ports in the cabin and the rear cargo area. Three auxiliary switches that are prewired allow owners to easily personalize their SUVs even further, and the i-Force Max powertrain allows for a 6000-pound tow rating. Inside there's trim-specific elements that separate the Trailhunter from its more pedestrian brethren.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a60432602/2025-toyota-4runner-trailhunter-details/
 
 
 
Phlip said:
Tacoma, Tundra, Ridgeline, Titan are assembled in US factories, there's little if any "Japanese" componentry in these vehicles, they are about as apple pie & ice cream as you get. The term vehicle manufacturers is a misnomer, "just in time" assemblers using 3rd party mechanical & electrical components is more like it, often shared or fitted into other brands. People can talk about Toyota's "legendary" build quality & while that might be true for Toyota's direct from Japan, otherwise they have recalls, failures and problems like any other. Worst vehicle we ever owned was a 2010 Rav4 - engine, seat belt, gas pedal/floor mat - multiple recalls & peeling paint (denied by Toyota as a problem, the threat of a class action law suit to get affected vehicles repainted). And the Tacoma, probably the worst gas guzzling, antiquated V6 engine out there - yep, keep drinking that pink Sake.
Click to expand...

It is true many "Japanese" vehicles are assembled in the U.S, Canada or Mexico, but the engineering involved in designing these vehicles is from Japan. I am not saying any vehicle is better than another, but you have to look beyond
the place they are assembled and look at the engineering side of things as well
 
My 2021 Ford Ranger was designed in Australia. It was modified by Detroit for the North American market. It was assembled in the US using parts from all over the world. I don’t know where the robots were made that assembled most of it. Probably the same populous Asian country that supplies many of the parts.
 
I tow an E19 with a 2003 4Runner, V8 (5 speed auto) with a Curt Hitch for WDH.

I chose the V8 for the torque and when we towed a Casitas 17 ft trailer we had no problems on the flats or mountains.

Granted, the '03 4Runner is a bit long in the tooth, like me (187xxx miles) but it's still ticking and it lopes along on the flats and most mountain runs are done in 4th or 3rd (Virgin Cyn, Utah, Needles, CA grade).

The Toyota V6s may have more horsepower than the V8 but they don't have the torque.

DOWNSIDE: 4Runner gas tank is small, 23 gal., so we do 125 - 150 mile stretches, which allow for some rest periods.

Waiting for the hybrid 4Runner, but, in the meantime the 4Runner keeps on ticking.

My personal preference is for the V8 over a V6, because you have that extra "umph" when you need it.

Hopet this helps..
 
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