Towing With F150 or Ram 1500 - Which One?

[switz]

Our 2013 25FB International Serenity had the Airstream literature tongue weight of 833 pounds. When I picked the unit up at the dealership, it had a full water tank, full propane tanks, dealer added street and rear awnings, dealer installed 155 watt solar panel on the roof and a Hensley Arrow hitch installed. The Sherline scale reported the tongue weight as 1,150, pounds.

This would require a pickup with nearly 1,375 pounds of real payload capacity just for me to drive the rig home alone. (I weigh more than the virtually non-existent 150 pound driver often mentioned) Adding my wife to the vehicle and we would need just over 1,500 pounds of real payload.

So one trying to make a tow vehicle purchase decision or can they use their existing vehicle based upon the Airstream literature numbers could acquire or have an underrated tow vehicle for the job.

When I drove the 25FB home from the dealership and crossed the CAT scales, the 2007 Mercedes ML320 CDI diesel axles and load were within specifications. However, after loading the rig for camping, there was an overloaded situation that required a larger capacity tow vehicle. Fortunately, I went large enough with the Ram 2500HD Cummins that it could also tow the 31' Classic which we acquired a few months later.

When camping ready, our existing 2007 Mercedes numbers work out nicely with the heavily modified 2015 23D with Hensley Arrow hitch, all our stuff in both the car and the trailer and food. We also have a Hensley stinger for the Ram left over from towing the 25FB that would also work to tow the 23D.

[pappy19]

Yes, and the Ford is a proven performer as is evident by the F-150 still after all these many years, the number one vehicle purchased in North America. When you drive around town, look at the ratio of business and commercial enterprises that are using the F-150. If the F-150 wasn't the consistent performer that it is, then the numbers would change. Plus Ford doesn't owe the public money from the bail out.

[Lance M]

Pappy,
Ford may not have taken bailout money, but they sure are fond of investing heavily in Mexico.
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/bus...ment/80010228/

[Rocinante]

BTW, the Feds made a tidy little profit with their bailout of GM.

Making more popcorn.

[gandttimes]

Originally Posted by pappy19

Yes, and the Ford is a proven performer as is evident by the F-150 still after all these many years, the number one vehicle purchased in North America. When you drive around town, look at the ratio of business and commercial enterprises that are using the F-150. If the F-150 wasn't the consistent performer that it is, then the numbers would change. Plus Ford doesn't owe the public money from the bail out.

Time to put that old tired song to rest.


George

[m.hony]

Will upload pictures of our truck yard-
99% GM-
One Ford for sale-
One Ford out of commission-


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[BoldAdventure]

Originally Posted by pappy19

Plus Ford doesn't owe the public money from the bail out.

Second time you made this untrue statement in this thread. And I corrected you once before:

Originally Posted by BoldAdventure

TARP money has been repaid all. Ford did use government money too.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-me...all-loans-it-/

http://www.chevyhardcore.com/news/ed...-yes-they-did/

None of this is relevant to the OP's post anyhow. Now we are all off in the weeds.

[m.hony]

True dat!
He's choosing between an F150 and a Ram 1500 for s tow vehicle.
I said it before.
I'll say it again.
Whichever has the best price and interest rate-


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[pappy19]

They repaid the loan but still owe the interest look it up.

[m.hony]

Government Motors?


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[jcl]

Originally Posted by BoldAdventure

Second time you made this untrue statement in this thread. And I corrected you once before:



None of this is relevant to the OP's post anyhow. Now we are all off in the weeds.

I don't have a dog in this fight, but your own link disproves your point. It rates the repayment claim as being "mostly false".

What is interesting to me is that there is a debate about which automaker received subsidies, being argued by people who all consume subsidized fuel and drive on subsidized roads.

In the interests of not taking a political side, and returning now to the debate of F150 vs Ram 1500, I like both engines (Ecoboost and Ecodiesel over gasoline V8s), the current Ram transmission, and the Ford platform. I'd give an edge to the Ford dealer network. But given sufficient payload capacity, either can work just fine.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by Rocinante

BTW, the Feds made a tidy little profit with their bailout of GM.

Making more popcorn.

Hi, and Obama spent all of those profits having a fleet of custom Cadillac Escalades built on medium duty truck chassis' with all of the special amour plating.


Popcorn finished.

[Rocinante]

I hope you're not suggesting the Feds profitable investment in GM was the result of government spending money to buy GM products. <huff huff, outrage, grimace, etc.>.

Making a fresh batch of popcorn. Hey, this is fun!

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by Rocinante

I hope you're not suggesting the Feds profitable investment in GM was the result of government spending money to buy GM products. <huff huff, outrage, grimace, etc.>.

Making a fresh batch of popcorn. Hey, this is fun!

Hi, Buttered popcorn this time please!

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by Top

Pappy,
Ford may not have taken bailout money, but they sure are fond of investing heavily in Mexico.
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/bus...ment/80010228/

Hi, WOW Top; Did you read the last paragraph, of the link you posted, stating that besides Ford there is also GM, Toyota, BMW, Volkswagon, Audi, Nissan, Kia, and Fiat / Chrysler spending big bucks in Mexico?

[Lance M]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, WOW Top; Did you read the last paragraph, of the link you posted, stating that besides Ford there is also GM, Toyota, BMW, Volkswagon, Audi, Nissan, Kia, and Fiat / Chrysler spending big bucks in Mexico?

WOW
Yes, Bob, I read it. My point is that Ford fans should not profess that Ford is a the great All American auto maker. The lone hero of the American worker. No auto maker has any loyalty to any country or its workers. They compete on the global market. I understand their business decisions. It doesn't mean that I'll support them with the purchase of their automobile.

Last summer we searched for a small car for my daughter to take to college. She, like me, would only consider a car assembled in the USA. It was not an easy endeavor. We settled on a nice little Ford Focus. As long as I have the choice, I will buy cars and trucks built with mostly American labor. It is getting more and more difficult to find cars made (assembled) in the USA.

If RAM moves its assembly of the Crew Cab 1500 to Mexico along with the regular cab 1500 and 2500/3500 I won't buy another RAM. I will not buy any car or truck made in Mexico.

[switz]

My grandfather, an immigrant who arrived in the US in 1907, in the 60s always said buy American. With a sly smile on her face, my mother asked where his Swiss watch was made.

[GettinAway]

Fun thread.. I've got no dog in the fight either. And I'm pulling a 23FC FB with a pretty low tongue weight. There is a sticker in the door frame that states 1,378 payload, but it looks like it's basically a tire sticker. Is this the sticker you guys are all referring to about payload? I even dug up the original price sticker from the window. (The previous owner had saved it in the glove box) there was no reference to payload on the sticker.. Maybe these rice burners don't have the same stickers..
It does say made in the USA, at Toyota of Texas on it.

[switz]

There was a yellow maximum payload sticked on the screen door of both our 2014 Classic and 2015 23D. There was no mention of the tongue weight, just the published GVW less the factory scaled weight of the total trailer.

[pappy19]

Yes, the government is a 61% equity owner of all GM stock. A government that is trillions in debt to the Chinese. Not a good thing.