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Fmcnair · 10-04-2012, 01:12 PM

Fairly new to this Airstreaming thing and have not really towed far. Just sold our 92 and heading to Oregon next week to pick up much newer 28' Classic. Currently have a Chevy 1500 4x4 with Heavy Duty tow package. Have opportunity to buy a new (2011) Chevy 2500 diesel at a very good price. Can my 1500 adequately handle the 28' Classic or should I really look at the 2500 diesel? My 1500 has the 5.3 gas engine and pulled 29' Excella okay but never went to mountains or any long trips. Fuel mileage was a billfold breaking 9.6 MPG even at a reasonable speed on Interstate. Would diesel give me much better mileage to justify spending extra $$ and upgrading to diesel even with diesel at higher cost than gas?
My wife says it is up to me!! But we all know how that goes

dznf0g · 10-04-2012, 01:15 PM

You will be pushing the 1500 hard...if not overloading it possibly.
With my 30' Classic and the 2500HD Duramax I have right now, I average 12.5 mpg towing. All of that has been "between the mountains". I have seen a low as 11 mpg and as high as 13.5, but 12.5 is a good number to expect overall. I tow at 60 mph on 2 lanes and 63 - 65 on interstates.

HOWEVER, set aside mileage and cost, I have never had a more pleasing tow. it is effortless, with all kinds of reserve power.

Safari-Rick · 10-04-2012, 03:04 PM

Ditto on dznf0g's response. As a previous gas pwr owner and now a diesel owner, there really is no comparison! It truly is a "pleasing tow". Infact, I keep looking in my mirror to make sure I'm towing my Astream!

Oh, I get on the average 14 on streets and 19-20 on freeways.

Bill M. · 10-04-2012, 04:06 PM

Really look hard at the diesel. You will get 14-16 mpg pulling, it will handle the trailer better, brake better, and you will have enough payload to carry some stuff too. You will really like it better in the mountains and at altitude also. It might or might not be cheaper depending upon how much you use it, but it is a much more pleasurable towing experience.

crisen · 10-04-2012, 05:06 PM

Put me in the diesel camp also, they handle whatever you throw at them and the 3/4 ton trucks are generally built much heavier duty with bigger axles, transmissions, frames etc. As for cost there are lots of threads on this issue you can search to get an idea of mileage then just figure out the cents per mile at those mileage figures with the prices of fuel in your area. If you trade vehicles often you probably won't pay the difference but if you keep it for lots of miles it will pay off. Cost aside I concure with the view that it is a much less stressful experience to tow with a vehicle that can easiely handle the trailer you have.

Be prepared to hear from the folks that advocate towing with smaller lighter vehicles also including many negative comments about diesels. However, in reading those it is my opionion that most of the negative comments about diesels come from folks who never owned one.

While we own a brand "D:" it gets something over 11 pulling a 9000lb toy hauler at 60-62 and I am hoping for much better when we pick up our 25 Eddie Bauer. I will know in a few weeks. Around town I get 16 on summer fuel and just about 19 on the highway (haven't quite hit 20 yet). All are calculated mileages, the computer displays of mileage on most brands are not very accurate, at least that is the feedback I get.

dkottum · 10-04-2012, 05:35 PM

I wonder what they were pulling Airstreams with when that 1992 Excella was new?

doug k

dznf0g · 10-04-2012, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dkottum

I wonder what they were pulling Airstreams with when that 1992 Excella was new?

doug k

454 big block Suburban or a 6.5 L turbo diesel.

blkmagikca · 10-04-2012, 05:43 PM

I recall towing a 19.5 foot SOB trailer with a Chev Sportsvan 350 gas engine and getting about 8 mpg. When I picked up my current setup ('87 32-ft Excella & Dodge 2500HD Diesel) I got 16 mpg on the trip from Jackson Center back home at 55 mph.

JimGolden · 10-04-2012, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by dkottum

I wonder what they were pulling Airstreams with when that 1992 Excella was new?

doug k

A Dodge Ram with a Cummins turbodiesel, as they've made them since 1989

SSChanger · 10-04-2012, 06:21 PM

Diesel has served us well, but also recommend the following:

Longest possible wheelbase
Four wheel drive
Top-of-the-line cab appointments

That said, if I had it to do over again, I'd go with what was recommended as "The best towing combination ever" for your new rig: The Mercedes R series diesel with all-wheel drive. For the same price or less than you're paying for the 2011 2500HD (a very good choice too!) you could get a used Mercedes R series diesel, have a wonderful traveling/towing combination, and classy ride too. Better diesel miles-per-gallon when you're not towing, too, and decent when you are.

Someone on these forums said "Choosing to go diesel is like choosing to get married--it's a commitment and a special relationship". I think they we're right. I'm both a diesel owner and married for 42 years. Like 'em both a lot!

Big C · 10-04-2012, 06:56 PM

Diesel all the way.
As said:
Longest wheel base possible
4x4
Once you have committed you will never want to go back. Haul one time up an 8+ grade and pass an over loaded struggling gas engine with a "lightweight" white box you will breath a lot easier...

ASIcons · 10-04-2012, 07:08 PM

Having towed everything from race cars to horses to Airstreams to flatbeds loaded with all kinds of crazy stuff I can tell you diesel is the way to go with something that size. I now tow with a Dakota, V-8 gas, just pulled my Tradewind through the Blue Ridge yesterday and it is a very delicate balance to handle that kind of weight. My truck is a champ but it is definitely not the ideal vehicle. I will be looking for a diesel to tow my new Excella with, no question. Safety first!

nautiqueman · 10-04-2012, 08:12 PM

I think the best question to ask is "what is the safety of your family worth?" My Duramax 2500 is more than I need to pull the 34' AS, I choose to have more than enough truck to pull my trailer. I used my Suburban (1500 4x4) to pull my 32' AS and almost lost it once, and that was enough.

Wingeezer · 10-04-2012, 08:13 PM

Another happy diesel owner. When we bought our AS in Ohio, I towed it home with out GMC Sierra 1500. it was Ok - sort of - but since we travel a lot through the SW US, and since you only live once (I think) I decided to spring for the GMC 2500HD.

No regrets whatsoever when towing our Classic 30 - extremely relaxing to drive and nothing seems to phase it.

I can't say that it is necessarily cost effective considering the price premium, in a pinch i suspect we could have gotten by with the half ton gas - but the diesel
sure is a pleasure!

Brian

elolson · 10-04-2012, 08:25 PM

Diesel baby, any brand. They are all good. I have towed with two diesel brands of the big three and a gas burb. You can get the job done with any of them but it is soooooo much more enjoyable with a diesel.

Fmcnair · 10-04-2012, 09:12 PM

From the great advice of all of you, it seems to be the general consensus that diesel is the way to go. We do plan on going to Colorado next summer so we would be in the mountains. We were out there this summer in just a car and the brakes on the car got hot on some of the long down grades and had to really push on the gas on many of the steep grades going up. Found that a vehicle runs a lot differently in the high altitude of the mountains than it does here in Missouri of about 600 feet of elevation. I welcome all of your experienced advice and the same for anyone else that wishes to ad to what has already been said. Since we head to Oregon in about 4 days, guess I will have to do something pretty quickly.

Road Geezer · 10-07-2012, 09:26 PM

We're currently on a couple week tour of the National Parks in Southern Utah towing out 2011 27' FC that I'd guess weighs in at about 6800 #. Our TV is a 2001 Sub 1500 5.3 ltr with close to 130k on the odometer. Since buying our AS in Feb 2011, I've been looking for excuses to spend the big bucks for a "real TV" like a diesel truck. So far, the Sub keeps doing fine. This trip, we've crested three passes on Hwy 70 over 7k, the highest was just short of 7900 ft. Traveling east the grades seem a bit less steep than on the west bound side; I don't know. I'd guess they're in the 3 to 4% range. We crested the highest pass at 50 mph in third gear. I don't run the engine much over 3k rpm, so on the steeper grades, that means we come over at around 45. So far, with almost 1700 miles traveled we've been averaging just short of 11 mpg. We've been passed by more powerful RVs and more powerful TVs, but, heck, we're on vacation. So, all this is to say that I wouldn't rule out a gas engine TV.

Road Geezer · 10-07-2012, 09:29 PM

I forgot ... I installed vented disks on the front of the Sub. Haven't had any problems with brake fade, even on extended 6+ % down grades.

mefly2 · 10-10-2012, 11:28 PM

Since we bought the Ram Diesel, the AS has disappeared from behind ... no effort to pull the FC at all! Mileage around town is down, but road mileage pulling is better than with the f150 triton. Just smoothe controllable power from the diesel at about 13-14 mpg / gas F150 got 10-12 mpg.

SSChanger · 10-11-2012, 06:40 AM

Diesel ownership is a bit more complicated in some ways, but well worth the extra effort. We always carry spare diesel fuel filters, and I've gotten proficient at doing the change over anywhere. Just takes one clogged fuel filter from a Mom & Pop diesel vendor to leave you on the side of the road or in "limp-home" mode to make you a believer.

That said, it's well worth the extra effort. Plenty of online resources in addition to this one to help you through the details.