Better Tow vehicle - big SUV or 1/2 Ton Pickup

[bumpdraft]

I used to have an old white (oj) Bronco with a manual tranny and straight 6 and in low 4 wheel drive (granny gear) it would pull my boat up the ramp without having to put foot on gas. It felt like I could pull anything out of the water, but, it pulled lousy down the Interstate. Almost put it in the ditch one time when a semi passing me almost pulled me around.
I saw on the news that Ford was discontinuing several car lines and concentrating on p/u and suv's, since thats what was selling with the low gas prices. If gas prices keep going up, I suspect there to be more trucks on the market if that trend continues.

[jtharmo]

I am currently pulling with a manual transmission 4x4. It’s a long wheelbase Ranger and a Seafari 20 is about as much as I would pull with it. It has F150-sized brakes and 8.8 rear end so it’s stout enough just kind of short and narrow. With 4.10 gears and a super low, low range I also idle up the ramp in 1st and just bump the gas in 2nd.

To answer the original question, I wish I looked for an SUV rather then the pickup. I love my Ranger but as a family man, we often take 2 vehicles to the ramp when everyone is going. For the few times I need a pickup, I found that the Uhaul $20 per day around town for pick up or trailer to be a honest deal. I have done it twice. Speaking of Uhaul, the 15’ box truck got, you guessed it, 11 mpg from Homosassa to Buffalo last year.

[manitunc]

They are supposed to be bringing back the Bronco line, based loosely on the new Ranger pickup chassis.