I have been trolling the internet (Cars.com, Autotrader.com, Ebay) for some time to keep a finger on what's available in the way of tow vehicles. I'm specifically looking for a 2011-13 Silverado, diesel, DRW, CC, 4x2.
One odd thing I've found is that the huge majority of these vehicles are located in Texas and they all have either a gooseneck hitch or leftover rails from a fifth wheel hitch. Now, I realize that one-ton diesels are made for towing and hauling, but why are they mostly in Texas? Am I reading too much into this? The term 'hot-shot' comes to mind...and 'rode hard and put away wet'. However, they all look like new in the pictures.
So, my question to my Texas RV Dreamer friends is this: what dealers would you recommend and which ones would you stay away from? I've found a '13 with 15k miles in Tyler that fits the bill at the right price that I'm about to pull the trigger on. But I wanted to check the dealer out before I put down a deposit and drive 500 miles to pick it up. I checked the dealer out on the internet and, as one might suspect, there are the good and the bad.
Any help would be appreciated.
Vance
Alie and Jims Carrilite said
09:28 PM Jan 15, 2014
We're working as gate guards down here in the oil patch this winter. You wouldn't believe the number of trucks sporting the temp tags. It looks like everybody went and traded trucks at the end of the year.
el Rojo and Pam said
06:10 AM Jan 16, 2014
Hi Vance,
In Texas a pick up is considered a Cadillac. LOL Here is a dealer in Addison TX (north side of Dallas) who has a very good reputation. www.texasmotorcars.com/. Ask for Brian Spagnola, owners son, he runs it now. They only have one dually now a Ford 6.0, I wouldn't buy that. Call him and tell him what you need, I'm sure he will try to find it. Tell him el Rojo referred you, he knows me through the Texasfishingforum.com, go to the off topic section and check out the comments about him. If you would like, I'll can drive over there and do a "pre-look" for you.
Red
VanMar said
08:08 PM Jan 16, 2014
Jim,
I guess they're anticipating the tax refund.
Red,
Wow! Thanks for the offer. I couldn't ask that of you unless you agreed to take gas money and lunch for you and the missus. Is that offer good for any dealer in Texas? Still waiting for the one dealer to answer a couple of questions.
Vance
Terry and Jo said
08:40 PM Jan 16, 2014
I could recommend a good dealership in Oklahoma, but they are a Ford dealer. However, they might have some used GM's.
We've been dealing with this dealership for a lot of years.
Terry
el Rojo and Pam said
06:07 AM Jan 17, 2014
VanMar wrote:
Jim,
I guess they're anticipating the tax refwouldn't
Red,
Wow! Thanks for the offer. I couldn't issk that of you unless you agreed to take gas money and lunch for you and the missus. Is that offer good for any dealer in Texas? Still waiting for the one dealer to answer a couple of questions.
Vance
Vance I would be happy to help out in the dfw metroplex, I wouldn't need gas money but lunch sound good.
NWescapee said
10:37 PM Jan 20, 2014
Why Texas? Because everyone has a truck there!!! What else would you drive?? Former TX resident here with a husband raised in TX, we always felt out of place in our small cars, but at the time what we had was practical and fit in our budget. We've been gone from TX for 12 years, flown back numerous times for family visits and driving a rental car around DFW when surrounded by trucks and huge SUVs is definitely intimidating, especially at the speeds DFW drivers go.
LOL, when we return to DFW in March, this will be the first time in 12 years we've driven there after moving away, this time we'll have a TRUCK!! Whoo hoo! We will not look at all out of place, in fact, we'll fit right in.
So many dealerships to choose from and unfortunately I can't give you any recommendations as our last 2 purchases were Saturn and Toyota, but hopefully you can gain some insight into the mentality of TX drivers, everything has to be bigger in Texas
VanMar said
07:49 AM Jan 21, 2014
Ruth,
Yeah, but all the late model, low mileage units have gooseneck hitches in them. Not unusual for a one-ton diesel. But, I asked the dealer for contact information on the original owner(they sold it new) and have hit a brick wall. They won't tell me. I'm just going to assume, rightly or wrongly, that this one was an overloaded 'hotshot' and let it go.
Will be in the Houston area in late March. Maybe I can find something then.
Vance
Alie and Jims Carrilite said
11:32 AM Jan 21, 2014
Don't assume it was a Hot Shot truck. Just about every truck I see come in our gate has a ball in the bed, and the big Armour bumpers. Easily over half of them are sales reps, the other 1/3 are service tech's talking care of equipment. I have only seen 2 Hot Shot companies here, and their rigs are immaculate. Check the mileage and see if its within an appropriate range. Just remember Texas is a big state, and these guys don't think twice about 3-400 miles a day.
If the dealer knows the truck then its definitely worth looking into.
Lucky Mike said
12:00 PM Jan 21, 2014
horse Trailers, hay flatbeds , alot of texas farms use gooseneck equipment..........take the VIN and do a car-fax also request a copy of the title for search reasons........if the dealer is going to hide the past of the vehicle I would worry what else he is hiding!!
VanMar said
06:51 PM Jan 21, 2014
The mileage is good, 15k on a 2013. The Carfax stops at 21 miles! Salesman said the latest records haven't made it to Carfax yet. OK. They still won't tell me who the original owner was. Right, Mike, I think they're hiding something.
Vance
el Rojo and Pam said
07:20 PM Jan 21, 2014
One quick thought Vance.
They could have bought it at auction and not know who the owner was. Or maybe they are protecting the original owner from calls like this, he sold the truck and he's out of the loop. I know you wouldn't be offensive or rude but get a load of this. I traded in a car to a dealership and accidentally left an insurance card in the glove box. I got a call from the new buyers wanting to know how solid the car was and then they asked me to fix the cracked windshield.
Now every time I've traded in a MH I always tell the dealer a prospective buyer can call me, I've only had 1 call though.
Just a different point of view.
Red
RURBAN said
04:32 PM Jan 22, 2014
I am wondering about what brand of vehicles everybody uses for towing behind motorhomes?
Lucky Mike said
05:29 PM Jan 22, 2014
Vance ....that truck is new enough you should be able to run the VIN thru the Chevy/GMC Data base and at least get a service history on it.....if you get lucky and pay close attention ,the servicer on the phone might call you by the original owner's name!!! and a little phone and internet work will answer your question!!!
Terry and Jo said
06:49 PM Jan 22, 2014
RURBAN wrote:
I am wondering about what brand of vehicles everybody uses for towing behind motorhomes?
First of all, welcome.
For vehicles to use as dinghy or toads, check out this category here on the RV Dreams forums.
I have been trolling the internet (Cars.com, Autotrader.com, Ebay) for some time to keep a finger on what's available in the way of tow vehicles. I'm specifically looking for a 2011-13 Silverado, diesel, DRW, CC, 4x2.
One odd thing I've found is that the huge majority of these vehicles are located in Texas and they all have either a gooseneck hitch or leftover rails from a fifth wheel hitch. Now, I realize that one-ton diesels are made for towing and hauling, but why are they mostly in Texas? Am I reading too much into this? The term 'hot-shot' comes to mind...and 'rode hard and put away wet'. However, they all look like new in the pictures.
So, my question to my Texas RV Dreamer friends is this: what dealers would you recommend and which ones would you stay away from? I've found a '13 with 15k miles in Tyler that fits the bill at the right price that I'm about to pull the trigger on. But I wanted to check the dealer out before I put down a deposit and drive 500 miles to pick it up. I checked the dealer out on the internet and, as one might suspect, there are the good and the bad.
Any help would be appreciated.
Vance
In Texas a pick up is considered a Cadillac. LOL Here is a dealer in Addison TX (north side of Dallas) who has a very good reputation. www.texasmotorcars.com/. Ask for Brian Spagnola, owners son, he runs it now. They only have one dually now a Ford 6.0, I wouldn't buy that. Call him and tell him what you need, I'm sure he will try to find it. Tell him el Rojo referred you, he knows me through the Texasfishingforum.com, go to the off topic section and check out the comments about him. If you would like, I'll can drive over there and do a "pre-look" for you.
Red
Jim,
I guess they're anticipating the tax refund.
Red,
Wow! Thanks for the offer. I couldn't ask that of you unless you agreed to take gas money and lunch for you and the missus. Is that offer good for any dealer in Texas?
Still waiting for the one dealer to answer a couple of questions.
Vance
I could recommend a good dealership in Oklahoma, but they are a Ford dealer. However, they might have some used GM's.
Diffee Ford
We've been dealing with this dealership for a lot of years.
Terry
Vance I would be happy to help out in the dfw metroplex, I wouldn't need gas money but lunch sound good.
Why Texas? Because everyone has a truck there!!! What else would you drive?? Former TX resident here with a husband raised in TX, we always felt out of place in our small cars, but at the time what we had was practical and fit in our budget. We've been gone from TX for 12 years, flown back numerous times for family visits and driving a rental car around DFW when surrounded by trucks and huge SUVs is definitely intimidating, especially at the speeds DFW drivers go.
LOL, when we return to DFW in March, this will be the first time in 12 years we've driven there after moving away, this time we'll have a TRUCK!! Whoo hoo! We will not look at all out of place, in fact, we'll fit right in.
So many dealerships to choose from and unfortunately I can't give you any recommendations as our last 2 purchases were Saturn and Toyota, but hopefully you can gain some insight into the mentality of TX drivers, everything has to be bigger in Texas
Ruth,
Yeah, but all the late model, low mileage units have gooseneck hitches in them. Not unusual for a one-ton diesel. But, I asked the dealer for contact information on the original owner(they sold it new) and have hit a brick wall. They won't tell me. I'm just going to assume, rightly or wrongly, that this one was an overloaded 'hotshot' and let it go.
Will be in the Houston area in late March. Maybe I can find something then.
Vance
If the dealer knows the truck then its definitely worth looking into.
The mileage is good, 15k on a 2013. The Carfax stops at 21 miles! Salesman said the latest records haven't made it to Carfax yet. OK. They still won't tell me who the original owner was. Right, Mike, I think they're hiding something.
Vance
They could have bought it at auction and not know who the owner was. Or maybe they are protecting the original owner from calls like this, he sold the truck and he's out of the loop. I know you wouldn't be offensive or rude but get a load of this. I traded in a car to a dealership and accidentally left an insurance card in the glove box. I got a call from the new buyers wanting to know how solid the car was and then they asked me to fix the cracked windshield.
Now every time I've traded in a MH I always tell the dealer a prospective buyer can call me, I've only had 1 call though.
Just a different point of view.
Red
First of all, welcome.
For vehicles to use as dinghy or toads, check out this category here on the RV Dreams forums.
Toads
Terry