Can I combine the wood hauler & car into 1 vehicle?

[cnice_37]

My situation:
2003 Accord 2.4L
1986 F250 351W 4x4

I drive 70miles a day to work. On the weekends we usually use the wife's Outback as the family car. 1 kid and 1 dog.

The F250 is the wood hauler/ weekend work machine that gets driven probably 1k miles/yr.

I would like to be able to find 1 vehicle that suits my needs of being able to haul some wood (let's same 1/2 cord) and provide 4 doors/ 5 seats+. Fuel economy is a premium, have to be above 20mpg hwy for sure. I don't sell wood so the hauling would be minimal.

If I were to sell both I might net $10k. So let's say I want to pay cash and keep the price under $18k. Now this is in my pipe dream - so wake me up and tell me the new Explorers get way better mpg and fork over the money you cheap SOB.



If I go the SUV route I'd just buy a trailer to haul the wood. Not sure if a standard passenger car can tow a trailer loaded with green wood.

Right now I can't find anything that suits my needs. Am I missing something, or is the dedicated wood hauler the way to go? I just would prefer to maintain one vehicle, insure one vehicle, etc.

Now if we could just get light duty turbo diesels, I think my problem would be solved.

 

[sunfish]

Sounds like you just want a new rig

I personally would rather drive my truck all the time and I do, but I don't drive
70 miles to work every day.

Your Honda is hard to beat as a commuter and the F250 is hard to beat as a
wood hauler. Save your money

 

[tooold]

cnice 37...Here is the ultimate wood and people hauler AND it gets GREAT fuel mileage too!
http://www.lilligren.com/Redneck/redneck_firewood_car.htm

 

[KMB]

Your Honda is hard to beat as a commuter and the F250 is hard to beat as a wood hauler. Save your money

:agree2:

Kevin

 

[DHIBBS75]

Jeep Liberty Diesel.. 4 drs can pull trailer.. 4x4...great milage for road trips...

 

[DHIBBS75]

OR Jeep grand cherokee Diesell..... hard to find but well worth it...

 

[branchbuzzer]

Your Subaru is hard to beat as a commuter and the F250 is hard to beat as a
wood hauler. Save your money

Anytime you sell a vehicle and buy a new one, you usually lose out in the exchange. It's hard to get what your own vehicle is worth when you sell, and hard to find something priced right when you buy. If it was me I would also just keep your current vehicles.

$8000 ( 18k new - 10k old ) buys an awful lot of gas, maintenance and insurance.

 

[wdchuck]

Keep it the way you have it.

Having homeowners insurance and two vehicles with the same company may save you a few annual dollars.

If you use the truck that seldom, then put it on storage insurance for cheap money and just call it in when you know you'll use to get wood. You can save hundreds of dollars per year that way.

 

[KMB]

Anytime you sell a vehicle and buy a new one, you usually lose out in the exchange. It's hard to get what your own vehicle is worth when you sell, and hard to find something priced right when you buy.

Good point.

Kevin

 

[audible fart]

Another vote for keep it like it is.

 

[cnice_37]

Sounds like you just want a new rig

I personally would rather drive my truck all the time and I do, but I don't drive
70 miles to work every day.

Your Honda is hard to beat as a commuter and the F250 is hard to beat as a
wood hauler. Save your money

This basically sums up the situation perfectly.

 

[Big_Al]

Keep what ya got. You'll be hard pressed to find one rig that will do both jobs well, plus you will have payments or a lot of out of pocket money.

 

[banshee67]

20+mpg and able to haul 1/2 cord of wood (2500+lbs) , doesnt leave you many options , thats for sure

 

[wvlogger]

Keep it the way it is. you would miss that ol Ford to much :biggrinbounce2:

 

[Captain Crunch]

I have hard time arguing against those suggesting the status quo. I will offer a possible alternative, but my case may not be for everyone.

You did not state if your wood cutting requires 4x4. I don't know if you will be hauling in hilly, winding roads. I live in SE Wisconsin (straight and flat) and don't go off road and don't haul long highway distances so, here goes:

A late model mini van will get 22 to 23 MPG highway, seat 6 to 7 easily, has four doors AND can tow. they are rated to 3.5K typically. I have towed 2,500 pounds on the highway, but remember I don't have any hills to speak of. I would only go to the full 3.5K with trailer brakes, sway control AND probably no more that 55 MPH. Hills, I would do no more than 2.5K.

A 5x8 trailer with 3.5K GVW will require less upkeep/insurance than the F250 when sitting most of the year.

Our '02 Sienna rides great, corners better than most trucks and SUVS, tows ok, and does 23-24 MPG. Bonus: it wall hold 4 people AND all your wood cutting gear is dry and locked up inside (gas cans ride on the trailer!)

Not the most "manly" vehicle and certainly limited in capacity, but it works for me. It's actually the wife's car, here is a pic my car, the mighty Ford Focus, doing wood hauling duty.......

 

[rhunt13]

my dad cuts and hauls around 6 cord a year. has always done it with either a mazda mini van, or a honda pilot either one towing a trailer with brakes. i was always trying to get him to buy a truck, but he's right, keep the gear and saws inside out of the weather, and locked up. good mileage and comfortable ride the rest of the time. i personally love driving a truck. just my $.02

 

[buildmyown]

Maybe a Honda Ridgeline
or if you can sacerfice some miles per gallon a Toyota Tundra 03-06ish body style its in your price range nice ride plenty of room for 5 people. A guy I work with has one and claims in the real world he gets 16 city and 20 highway if he drives normal.

Im kinda in the same boat I have a 1993 saab that i run around in everyday and just picked up a 97 F250 as a hauler but I also needed something to plow with and towing duties so it will see a little more use then yours does. Full coverage on both for the year is $1200. So if you sell both and can pick something up for cash that fits your needs the loss in miles per gallon would be made up by a lower insurance cost or just about brake even.

To answer your other question yes a car can pull a load of wood my old 2000 accord 5 speed 4 cyl used to pull loads like this. It did it but didnt like it and it was only across town. Thats a mixed load of cherry and mapple.

 

[Kingsley]

Front wheel drive vehicles towing is just a maintenance item waiting to happen.

Jeep Liberty Diesel.. 4 drs can pull trailer.. 4x4...great milage for road trips...

The Liberty Diesel is actually the vehicle I was thinking of during his description, but save your money. You will miss your F150. I did the same thing awhile back, wish I would of left it alone.

Just my $0.02
Marty

 

[nvrs]

hate to say it but other countries are thinking about stealing whats left of our car industry and will do so if they keep coming up with things like this...

http://www.mahindrana.com/indian-cars-and-trucks.html

30 mpg clean diesel, has similar room inside to a focus, hauls 1.32 tons and will tow a trailer...

but its a lil ugly...

 

[banshee67]

hate to say it but other countries are thinking about stealing whats left of our car industry and will do so if they keep coming up with things like this...

http://www.mahindrana.com/indian-cars-and-trucks.html

30 mpg clean diesel, has similar room inside to a focus, hauls 1.32 tons and will tow a trailer...

but its a lil ugly...

http://www.mahindrana.com/indian-cars-and-trucks.html
thats too funny.. are we supposed to believe them about that thing being able to haul 2600 lbs in the bed? lol