Truck/SUV Review & Resource Center

Pickup Truck Comparisons, Reviews and Shootouts

I know how much time it takes to research the web. Since I'm already doing it, I thought I would share the best sites I found. This should help answer questions, save time and prevent some of that good ole multiple computer monitor radiation. Pickup truck reviews towing trailers.
2013 Ram 1500 Big Changes, now we'll see what Fiat's management improvements to the Ram will be– improved fuel economy fuel-saving systems including a more fuel efficient and more powerful 3.6-liter V-6 engine and first-in-segment technologies: eight-speed automatic transmission, stop-start system, thermal management system, pulse-width modulation and active aerodynamics, including grille shutters and air suspension. A Hemi with air ride and 8 speed
Ford Super Duty 2013: You wouldn't know there's a recession going on with truck sales this year. And for 2013, Ford ups the ante with their most luxurious model Super Duty yet, the Platinum. I always thought King Ranch was as high as a truck could get and my favorite. Platinum, like the F150 is about the chrome, chrome on mirrors, door handles, tailgate and a chrome perforated mesh in the horizontal bars in the grill. Bigger nav. screen and more.....
 
 

Ram Outdoorsman 1500, Hemi and a Gun Rack towing a Logan Coach; Outdoorsman model 1500 Ram, crew cab a loaded model. This truck is ready for elk season. This media truck had a gun rack in the bedrail weather poof RamBox storage for two rifles with scopes. A better option over guns in scabbards on the truck floor. More...

The Outdoorsman model has a complete trailer option package with mirrors, brake controller, heavy duty engine and transmission cooling , the Hemi 5.7L MDS, 3.92 axle ratio, 6.5 screen GPS, and backup camera. My favorite option, double folding center console storage that folds up for the middle seat for six. More...

   GMC Sierra 3500HD Wins Best Overall HD Truck; 2011-08-15 DETROIT – The GMC Sierra 3500HD won PickupTrucks.com’s “Heavy Duty Hurt Locker” comparison test, a grueling showdown among industry heavyweights that included towing 19,400-pound fifth-wheel trailers up and over some of the most demanding grades in the United States. 2012 HD Upgrades announced....

2011 Heavy- Duty Hurt Locker Ultimate Truck Towing Comparison

PickupTrucks.com and MrTruck.com present the 2011 HD Pickup Truck "Hurt Locker" Towing Test. Towing at the trucks max capacity, we travel, deserts, mountains, extreme grades, and trailer brake test.

  Part one...    Part two...

2011 GM HD 2500 LT singe cab. Such big improvement to the GM HD line for 2011, from diesel engine, frame, suspension, steering,  braking etc. This model of the GMT900 platform is the most significant truck improvement for GM since the Duramax diesel came about in 2001.

2011 Chevy HD 2500 LT single cab with big gauges, a nice layout, you can see them at a glance while driving. You need to know at a glance if engine temp in the normal range, oil pressure, transmission temp, battery charge all in operating range. A change in gauge readings will give you early warnings  Read more...

Towing with 2011 Toyota's, Cimarron and Titan Trailers Tundra full size 1/2 ton is a top towing truck in it's class. Towing ability is the hidden equation with most trucks. Marketing departments keep the public confused on how much trucks can tow by bragging about a trailer towing weight and then in the fine print explaining that weight is only for a 4x2 regular cab.

Finally there's hope comparing truck models towing ability. SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) has established towing standards that go into affect 2013. Toyota takes the lead with tow ratings, being SAE J2807 standard compliant on all 2011 models already. With the price of fuel you may need an oil well above or a load of hay to ride your horse to Starbucks. We tow Cimarron and Titan trailers with 2011 Tundra and Tacoma More...

2011 Heavy Duty GM's, More Power, More Frame and More Suspension: For 2011 GM went massive truck improvement, as in frame, suspension, payload, brakes and towing ability puts Chevy and GMC HD trucks at the top of their segment. It's improvements we all want and of course the power and fuel mileage have also improved. The new suspension keeps the power under control and tires planted on the pavement.  Read MrTruck review....   Read GM Press Release ....

2011 FORD F-150 SVT RAPTOR ADDS SUPERCREW, TOWING, 6.2-LITER ENGINE: “We spent a lot of time getting the ride and suspension characteristics of the SuperCrew similar to that of the SuperCab.” A larger 36-gallon fuel tank and increased towing capability – rated at 8,000 pounds – keep F-150 SVT Raptor SuperCrew a mainstay in the desert environment, with capabilities as a chase or tow truck. More...

2011 Super Duty, Fuel Efficient Fords; Finally better fuel mileage, no diesel engine price increase, all new 6-speed automatic, standard exhaust brake and telescoping steering wheel, oh my!  You may think this is Ford's first diesel, in a truck in the USA, you're right. But Ford has diesels around the world. My New Holland swather in the eighties had a Ford industrial diesel, and Ford tractors had diesels built in England. Building the diesel engine and new 6-speed transmission in-house, is part of the answer to holding price down. Turbo lag is gone, we've been promised this before, and now smooth acceleration all the way to redline. The rest of the report....

2010 Heavy Duty Shootout Comparison

Overall-denali-1Overall-silverado-1Overall-f250-1

1ton-diesel-ram-1-560It's time again for our truck shootout. Every couple of years, we have enough all new trucks in a category to compare. Of course it's with trailers, towing up 16 % grades, drag racing, testing brakes, exhaust brakes, grade shifting and fuel mileage. With graphs, charts and butt dyno. Score a truck to tow your trailer, here is the guide. The whole story....

2010 Toyota Sequoia Tows Featherlite,  4Runner Tows Safr and Hat Catcher Review: Sequoia full size SUV, is a luxury ride and can tow trailers. Car like ride, firm in response to bumps, but not harsh and not a boat float ride like the old wagons. The transmission has... 4Runner came with Hill Start and Down Hill Decent, equipped well for off-road fun. The seats are comfortable. The V-6 towed well, staying closer to 3000 RPM's, but shifted often. 4Runner is...  Hat Catcher, small and easy to take along. Good hats aren't cheap, you can't leave them on the truck seat. Newer cars, SUV's and trucks headrest...  More....

2010 Toyota Tundra 4.6L  I towed the Titan dump trailer back from Kansas with the Toyota Tundra and the new 4.6L V-8. Also towed some Titan horse and stock trailers when I toured the factory in Waterville Kansas. The power of the 5.7L V-8 is awesome and a great towing combination with the 6-speed auto and 4.30 axle ratio, but with fuel prices uncertain.... more...

Ford Direct

2010 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty, 2500-5500

Now a full size Crew  Cab and an eight ft. bed. 2010 Dodge Ram 3500 Mega Cab still only in a short bed (6' 4"), new sexy more aerodynamic fenders are all metal now. Styling cues inside and out are from the 2009 Ram 1500 for a quieter, tighter cab.  No Urea (diesel exhaust fluid) like Ford and GM diesels for 2010 new emission laws. Dodge will be the only truck offering a manual and automatic transmission.  The review...

2009 Dodge 1/2 ton, the theme of the new Ram with rear coil springs, handling, cornering, stability and storage. I've been a fan of rear leaf springs for decades and considered coil springs that most SUV's have now, as less desirable for towing. But if you put a truck on a lift with rear leafs and move the axle, it's surprising how much play is back there with the axle hanging.  I towed a horse trailer and a travel trailer, was impressed with the handling. Click for story....

I know it's hard to find trucks equipped to tow the big trailers. We've found them. Click to see the inventory. Light Duty, Class 2-3 Medium Duty,Class 4-5 and Heavy Duty Class 6-7-8  or call 1-800-909-7071. Larger trucks for your  larger Trailers .

2009 Silverado Crew Cab, new 6-speed auto tranny tows a Logan Coach well in Rockies. Crew cabs are the new "mini" van with folding rear seats for hauling cargo inside and cup holders galore.  Factory option trailer brake controller, new for GM 1/2 tons.  More.....

Sterling Bullet makes a great hauler truck. The 6-speed heavy duty Aisin auto, grade shifted a couple of times, using the built in exhaust brake, kept my foot off the brake coming down Loveland pass towing a Cimarron LQ horse trailer. The variable turbo sleeve controls air flow to the engine and closes making the exhaust brake. A unique efficient design. You can add a bed from 8' to 16' to the different wheel bases available. 7000 lb. front axle, 13,500 lb. rear axle on a 50,000 psi frame with 34" frame railing to accommodate More...

At the All American Quarter Horse Congress in Ohio,  I was doing circle contests with the Freightliner M2 and the GMC Denali Quadrasteer. Of course the Quadrasteer won. But when I shut off the 4-Wheel Steer, the Freightliner M2 won. When means the M2 can turn tighter than just about any truck.

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Ford announces 2009 F150 with more towing features. Trailer sway control  can determine from the yaw motion of the truck if the trailer is swaying and....Integrated Trailer Brake Controller is factory-installed and allows direct  More...The new 2009 Ford F-150 offers customers the most choice with more configurations than any other full-size pickup on the market. With three cab styles, four box options and seven unique trim levels, the F-150 comes in 35 different configurations to.... More...

2009 Ford F150 with new 6-speed, diesel and turbo gas engines coming in 2010. The striking F-150 Platinum features   More...

Update: 2009 Ford F150, King of Towing, You may not need a F250! Ford King Ranch, gorgeous brown paint, thick full grain leather seats, big towing mirrors, 6-speed automatic, bold chrome grill, 20 inch wheels, just makes you drool ! At least if you're into towing trailers. Tops the 1/2 ton class at 11,300 lbs trailer capacity for all three cab configurations, not just a single cab. That makes it easy to match your trailer. Growing segment of folks downsizing and still towing. Ford is leading the pack for 1/2 ton trailer capacity and payload. SuperCrew has the only 1/2 ton truck with a 6.5" bed option. This helps with gooseneck and 5th wheel trailers. No V-6 or manual transmission More...

ShootOut 2008 for 2009 1/2 ton trucks: At PickupTrucks.com and MrTruck.com, You want all the truck details so that you can make the best decision possible. That’s why we created Light-Duty and Heavy-Duty Shootouts that put these ever-changing trucks to the ultimate tests.

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Ford 2009 F150, most popular vehicle fighting for position. The new 2009 Ford F150 is part of the trend to 1/2 trailering with trailer brake controller, similar to the option with Super Duty, first time extendable trailer mirrors and trailer sway control. Higher towing weight rating, higher payload, stronger frame, a new 6-speed auto tranny with grade shifting like big brother F250, make the F150 on the border of 3/4 ton capacity. The Roll Stability Control detects when your trailer is swaying and controls the truck to counter act the trailer sway. Or Max Trailer Tow Package option, will also apply the trailer brakes automatically in a trailer sway.... More...
First time I herded Buffalo, I mean Bison and my first trip to Yellowstone, was a kick driving the all new 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser 200 series. The Land Cruiser was Toyota's first vehicle to the US back in 1957. he Cruiser, makes a great tow vehicle. The ride and handling is smooth, you're in a solid vehicle with very little outside influence like wind making no difference with a heavy 5690 lb curb weight. The Land Cruiser has the tightest steering I can remember. This makes driving fatigue go away. Rest of the review....
2009 Dodge Ram, new coil spring rear suspension, finally a normal crew cab called Ram Crew, bed storage under the rail and cab floor storage, plus more. More....
Longer 2008 Nissan Titan. Longer beds, more payloads, the Titan reaches for more customers. Last year I drove across the bridge that collapsed in Minnesota across the mighty Mississippi twice, once going to the Minnesota Horse Expo and to the 2008 Nissan Titan press preview traveling from Minnesota to Wisconsin. Off-roading at Apple Valley Farms near Sand Creek, Wisconsin, the new e-locker rear differential lock that you turn off and on. did well in the muddy trail. More....
2008 Ford F450, will be here soon. Factory bed, factory step and had rail built into the tailgate, power folding trailer mirrors, quite exhaust & yes, the 6.4L twin turbo diesel. More
GM Hybrids, 40% improvement in city fuel mileage gets your attention. That's the story of hybrids, incredible mileage tooling around town. Part of that is to regenerative braking, which charges the batteries when you brake. With Active Fuel Management, the truck can run on half of it's cylinders. GM hybrids can tow up to 6,100 pounds. More...

MrTruck.com joins PickupTruck.com for their 2007 Heavy Duty Shootout with trailers. This is one intense truck comparison.  Part One  Part Two  Part Three

New 2007 Tundra, the Limo that Tows Trailers Fast, 2007 Tundra introduced at the National Western Stock Show & Detroit Auto Show.  Nice for Toyota's 50 anniversary to introduce a true full size truck. Known as dependable, Toyota trucks may now set benchmarks for how full size trucks are designed. I'm impressed. read the review...

Old Guard 2007 GM trucks and Sundowner, New Kids on the Block Toyota Tundra and Lakota.

GM has the trucks that have towed horse trailers for close to a century back before the Apache model and Toyota has towed horse trailers since the T100, 7 years ago. For the trailer team we have the new Lakota aluminum trailer, that I first saw at last years All American Quarter Horse Congress in Ohio, with their HUT bumper pull LQ. Then there's Sundowner's most popular trailer, the SunLite 727,  with a proven track record. More....
First look at the 2007 Silverado and Sierra. Still waiting to drive the new truck, but I am excited that the seat belt is back in the ceiling, adjustable and the end of side terminal batteries. The new GMT900 platform from which the 2007 GM SUV's... Click....

Cinch plus GM plus Monroe equals Cool Crew Cab 2007. The Cinch package from Monroe, has awesome leather seats, 15.3 inch overhead DVD, center console, backup cameras on both hitches and tow mirrors. When you use the blinker, the camera shows what that outside mirror sees in your GPS screen in the dash. You can get air ride cab, rear axle and seats. The Duramax 6.6L LMM diesel and the 8.1L gas engine both come with the 6-speed Allison Automatic. It's rated to tow 16.500 lbs. This is conservative and I expect it to go up. More...
New Active Fuel Management Cylinder Deactivation shows in the dash  when switching from V8 to V4, all seamless you wouldn't know it if you didn't look at the indicator in the dash. This is part of reason this new Tahoe gets 21 highway mpg EPA rating on the 4x4.. Even with a bolder bigger nose, the Tahoe has 8% less drag as wind resistance. The dash has more digital info with a tire pressure read out and tranny...More...
2007 Ford Expedition EL, longer, stronger and a 6-speed. I  took the new Expedition through the winding Washington hills as fast the tires would hold me. It handled superbly, with no resemblance of the old leaning SUV's we drove a few years back. More....
I took the 07 Sport Trac off road near Camp Pendleton. With front & rear traction control, it climbed like a rock crawler. Having traction control instead of limited slip or locking differential, allowed me to turn corners in 4WD, have traction and no wheel hop. Roll Stability Control, standard on the Sport Trac, great for a truck with an empty bed as well as stability in bad road conditions. I think all trucks need it. More...

I’m reviewing a 2006 GMC Sierra SLT HD 2500 now with the Duramax with 360 horsepower and 650 torque right from the factory is addicting. I towed a new 6 horse Cimarron trailer through Eisenhower tunnel in January out the west side in a snow storm and had complete control with the manual switch on the new 6-Speed Allison that let me down shift by pushing a button making the torque converter lockup in each gear as.....More...
2006 Explorer, new 6-speed auto, 3-valve 4.6L V-8 and it's quieter and of tows more. I flew to New York to drive it. 15 years of the #1 SUV, read my review... also SUV's and towing revisited.

Ford lowers 2006 prices. Rebate weaning ahead, more...
2006 Lincoln Mark LT Truck Towing a Hart Thoroughbred. The luxury truck market is a fickle one. Maybe it's the 4x4 option or the fact that it's great looking F150 or maybe the hip hop stars haven't bought as many Lincolns as the Cadillac Escalade. But it's a sharp looking truck! The waterfall grill, chrome, chrome and more chrome does say Bling More...

2005 Ford F350's TowCommand trailer brake controller, Towing Featherlite, and reviewing TireStep. Plus Elk Herding at Estes Park. The first manufacture to offer a "built in" trailer brake controller, Ford introduced the TowCommand last fall in the 05 SD. I tried it at the Ford proving grounds. This is an update towing in the Rockies. Read...

All new from the frame up, the 05 Frontier & Xterra are over engineered, using the Titan 5-speed auto transmission, Dana 44 rear axle & frame rails. With the most horsepower in the midsize class, the Frontier sits low with great off-road capability. I like the folding passenger seat for my laptop. If you think driving using cell phones are dangerous, wait till you see me driving & reading email. More
2004 Infinity QX56 SUV & Hart aluminum horse trailers are both upper scale and make a good looking couple. The new 2004 QX56 is the first Infiniti model assembled in North America. Hart Medallion aluminum horse trailer reminds me of the beautiful sheet metal on Audi's and Porshe. Also in this review are Tow-N-See extended mirrors Much more..
#17) I drove the 05 Ford Escape Hybrid in Denver. With $2 gas, the Escape is the first SUV to go Hybrid. And a true hybrid, developing it's own energy to charge it's batteries from applying the brakes and run on an eclectic motor alone. Something we did a lot of in downtown Denver. More...

Quadrasteer GMC towing a Zeppelin travel trailer to Estes Park at the Spruce Lake RV Park. The Denali is on the move again showing off it's backing skills in the picturesque Rocky Mountains. It makes me want to move to the hills near the Big Thompson River. Read more...

#16) The Quadrasteer Adventure Tour Part 1, Towing a Horse Trailer at 14,000ft.  Extreme Towing I. Read my first article in the series and see what your missing.  Also Reviewing a Logan Contender Steel Horse Trailer. More....
Quadrasteer Adventure Tour Part 2. Cutting edge Denali QS truck tows the cutting edge loader from Bobcat. My review of the Toolcat 5600 4-Wheel-Steer loader. And more opinions of towing with Quadrasteer by first timer Read More...
Quadrasteer Tour Part 3  Towing a Zeppelin travel trailer to Estes Park at the Spruce Lake RV Park. The Denali is on the move again showing off it's backing skills in the picturesque Rocky Mountains. It makes me want to move to the hills near the Big Thompson River. Read more...
Quadrasteer Tour Part 4 Reviewing Outfitter's Caribou popup camper showing how far into the mountain forest I can get with this truly versatile combination. We tow boats and horse trailers, because we can. There is enough payload capacity left for the tongue weight of a boat or 2-horse trailer. Also Torklift's camper tie down review. Read.
Hummer H2 proved to be a great trailer tower. Equalizer wdh made it a easy pulling a 34' travel trailer from Nevada to Colorado in December threw mountain passes and snow storms. Read the story from Ultimate Hummers Magazine.
SUV's aren't my first choice as a tow vehicle, but I do understand the economics. Not everyone can afford a truck and a car. And the size, weight and height of a SUV gives you the feeling of safety in traffic. You want that same safety towing a horse trailer by making the right choice matching your trailer and SUV. More...

  04 Titan XE King Cab off-roading with the Outfitter Popup Camper. Made for each other, the Titan stays level with the 1500# camper onboard. The tailgate had to come out, but that's simple. It's not hard to find a camper that will fit the Titan. Bed dimensions are very close to a Ford F150 97-03 models. Read the whole story.

2003 Lincoln Aviator and Coyote travel trailer.

1) Desert Test drives starring Ford 6.0L PS

2) The GM Suburban Quadrasteer reviews.

3)  2003 Dodge diesel & Featherlite.

4)  2003 Hummer 2 review

5) 2004 Ford F150

6) 2003 Lincoln Aviator

7)  2004 Nissan Titan

8) 03 Dodge Hemi 2500 &  dump trailer
9) 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee

 
10) 2004 Nissan Pathfinder Armada

11) Hemi Durango review, along with Ice Driving School and Red Rocks. Read More...
12) 2003 SS Silverado by Rick Vorce
13) 2nd look at the all new Ford F150 & sailboats that live in Colorado. click to see the whole story...

Accessory Test Center, Click for more....

 
 

Truck Resources:

MrTruck's Top Picks, Truck, SUV & Trailer Accessory Store, ENTER

SuperSprings Sale Now, our lowest price ever

Accessories & Parts  

CHASSIS SAVER (tm) Rust Prevention- Truck Underbody Rust Repair Coating.

[walt and verns]   [truck parts-specialists]  [fans] 

(Tradervar's on-line Testing Center, gauges, diagnostic tools)

Engine "chip" modules article. 

Auto Accident Guidance:  Accident Claims.

Auto Shop Management Software 

Affordable Auto Shop Management Software  http://www.smartautoshop.com Print Invoices/Estimates/Repair Orders.

Trouble Codes, learn to read them.  OBD-Codes

Dual Kits     www.arrowcraft.com

Extra fuel tanks  Need a bigger fuel tank, inside or out?

Hub Cabs  http://www.hubcaps.org/   Hubcabs

Online truck buying: My favorite  [CarsDirect] 

Sliding fifth wheel for short beds and bumper hitches.

  [hitching guides] 

Tools You can never have too many tools, MyDiscountTools.com

Trailer Repair  Jim's Repair & Parts 1-800-865-0339 Denver, CO

Truck Batteries    [Optima batteries]   

Truck Clubs     www.HemiTruckClub.com    www.DuramaxClub.com  

Truck Oil    [Amsoil Synthetic]

I recommend both of these   

[truck warranties]  [truck loans] 

Truck Campers   [Lance]   [Alaskan]  

Truck Insurance  [Net Quote]

Truck Mechanics   [cheap mechanic]

Trailer News with Andrew Lyons.

Technology is changing the trailer world to keep up with the more powerful trucks that pull them. News on air brakes, disc brakes, independent suspensions, hydraulic brake controls, and pour on flooring. For more click

Andrew Lyons next to a Hart aluminum slant  horse trailer. Horse hauling has come a long way from the "seventies" when I would back my truck into the ditch and jump my Quarter Horse in the back of stock racks.

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