Ask TFLtruck: Which Used Truck to Buy under $25,000 to Tow 7,500 Lbs Trailer? Nissan Titan?

2014 nissan titan pro-4x extreme towing ike gauntlet
2014 Nissan Titan on the Ike Gauntlet

We recently received the following question from Adam C. It boils down to: which used truck under $25,000 to buy to tow a 7,500 lbs trailer on a regular basis? Long-term reliability and towing performance are the main requirements for Adam.

I am looking for used trucks that can tow a 7,500lb loaded horse trailer on a weekly basis. I live in Jackson, WY so elevation is around 7,000 ft. I have always had a bad taste toward the big 3 (Chevy, Ford, Dodge) just because I feel like they don’t produce cars/trucks that will last a long time (200k miles plus). But maybe I am wrong. I have had my eye on the Titan (2008-2015 model years) because my budget is $25k and I want something with low mileage (~50k or less), so the Titan seems to be the only truck in my price range that meets my conditions. But I am open to suggestions. I was wondering if there might be another option out there that would meet my needs?

The topic of used trucks is a complicated subject. Choosing a solid used pickup truck requires some skill and diligence. One 50K mile truck can be very different from another 50K mile truck. It depends on how it was used and maintained. Did it originally come from Arizona with light usage, or did it see a couple of Michigan winters carrying maximum load every day?

The first generation Nissan Titan is a solid truck. It has always performed well for us on the extreme Ike Gauntlet towing test. No matter which truck you choose, we would suggest checking the forum pages where owners discuss common problems with their trucks.

Other possibilities include older turbo-diesel 3/4-ton trucks. Yes, many of the older Ford/GM/Ram diesels had a lot of issues, but a well-maintained truck of the right vintage should last 100,000 miles and more. Older gas-powered trucks are also worth a look. Gas trucks are easier and less expensive to maintain and to fix.

Please give us your feedback for Adam in the comments section below.