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dznf0g · 09-05-2012, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by REDNAX

Except that the downhill portion is the only one that counts.

I believe Chevy outperformed Ford on the downhill exhaust brake performance as well. At least at the Eisenhower test it did.

ElCamino Man · 09-05-2012, 07:22 AM

I have read quite a few articles on the new diesels and Chevy does seem to be the best. But Ill never own one lol. You cant get a Chevy with a King Ranch interior! Lol

colberjs · 09-05-2012, 07:30 AM

I realize I am biased toward Ford. But.....GM bought all three vehicles that participated in the competition. Therefore they chose the location and other specifics of the face off. I think they had to know that the Ford would not perform as well at elevation (when making runs closer to sea level the Ford actually won). The Ford engine braking also performed better at other speeds.

I really don't think it's a coincidence that Chevy wins the events when they are the ones that put the money out there to host it.

Just my opinion.....

whitefawn · 09-05-2012, 07:36 AM

Since we have owned our 2002 F250 4WD gasser the engine has blown 2 spark plugs. The second time we were fully loaded with our truck camper on our way to VA Beach. After the first event, we learned that it is a very common problem on certain years of engines. The way Ford has dealt with this problem is shameful

in terms of the consumer in general and me personally (Google Ford blown spark plugs!). We ended up purchasing a $500 tool for the second repair and Joe fixed it himself after the dealer refused to give any reassurance or warranty on the first repair installation of a helicoil for $400. Other than THAT, we love our Ford.... The moral of the story is NEVER buy a Ford with an engine that is not backed by the test of time. Ford will not protect or respect the customer in any way.

K

ElCamino Man · 09-05-2012, 07:45 AM

If its under warranty they will lol. But Ford, like all other manufacturers, have had there bad desgins... blowing out spark plugs, the 6.0L, heck even their new trannys are actin up! But Dodge and Chevy have both had problems too. Moral? Trade it in before warranties up lol

rp709 · 09-05-2012, 08:20 AM

Chevy vs. Ford in Heavy-Duty Rumble in the Rockies - PickupTrucks.com News
Airstreams might want to check this test out. The Chevy diesel clearly out performs the Ford in both towing power and exhaust braking. Another thing to consider is how the exhaust brake works. Chevy let's you turn it off and on. When on, the Allison transmission has a program to do downshifting when you tap the brake to increase exhaust brake performance. It is a great program that is gentle and well matched to Airstream weights. The two haul mode isn't recommended until trailer weight is 75% of the 13,300 maximum because downshifts are really aggressive. Ford only allows the exhaust brake when in tow haul mode. So, you will have aggressive transmission action going downhill that isn't as smooth or pleasant as the Chevy or as effective per this test. Combined with independent front suspension that yields much better steering and tracking than the solid axles of the Ford and Ram (see early 1960's development of independent front suspension). The Chevy rides smoother over rough pavement too. (Trailer life test last year). The new Ford diesel is very quiet, however--clearly the leader of the pack. The Ram 4x2 uses independent front suspension and has a great ride and much, much lower ride height for those concerned about that. It is great to have trucks like these isn't it?

**moosetags** · 09-05-2012, 08:39 AM

We have had the new Silverado 3500 Dmax (we call him Fred) for a thirteen months today. Fred turned 33,000 miles on the way over to Maine from New Hampshire yesterday. I guess that trading before the warranty is up would mean trading trucks every year. That would be way too much trouble. It looks like we will run out of the warranty on this trip before we get back home.

We have had only one issue with Fred, thus far. One of the 12 volt power outlets was bad from new and was replaced under warranty by one of the dealers that Fred has been to for servicing. All else has functioned perfectly. We are staying on top of regular servicing. So far, Fred has been serviced at Chevrolet dealers in Colorado, Georgia, Oregon, and Vermont. All that we have done so far is changed the oil and filter at each servicing. We changed Fred's fuel filter in Oregon, and had both differentials serviced in Vermont.

Each of the Chevrolet dealers that we have taken Fred to has taken him in for service right away because we were traveling. All but one was able to service Fred with the truck camper on board. The dealer in Vermont did not have their heavy duty lift available, so we had to take the truck camper off. We refer to this operation as "separating the saucer section" (a la Star Trek).

We are quite happy with Fred. We are hopeful that he continues to perform well now that we are coming out of warranty.

Brian

Kingfish52 · 09-05-2012, 09:44 AM

This has been a very interesting discussion onTV's but the one aspect of choosing a TV that no one has mentioned is the transmission. The allison transmission in the GM (chevy) trucks is by far the strongest and longest lasting tranny on the market. Rated for 28,000 lbs it gives you that extra sense of comfort when towing.
I'll admit that I am a Chevy man from way back but was actually looking at a Dodge for the cummins when GM started putting the allison in their diesel trucks and I was sold.
I work in the timber industry and have seen many a Ford and Dodge truck loose their transmissions. The trannies can't take the constant power and torgue of the diesel engines

colberjs · 09-05-2012, 10:03 AM

I agree the Allison is not a bad transmission in stock form. But I think you are underestimating the Ford Torqshift. I have read a lot of forums focusing on increasing engine performance on all three of the motors in this discussion. And one thing that always seems to come up on the Duramax forums is the need to modify the transmission when adding power to the Duramax. They don't hold up well to increases in engine power. The Fords on the other hand handle power gains up to 500 horsepower or better quite well. While I realize most of you are not increasing your HP levels, I think this says a lot about the toughness and longevity of the transmissions.

I'm not calling you out or questioning your statements but you also have to consider the industry. In forestry you are asking a lot of your transmission. More than likely hauling loads in excess of the manufacturers recommended weight limits up and down steep and uneven terrain. Our of curiosity, do you see as many GM trucks being out through the torture that the Fords and Dodges are in that industry?

ElCamino Man · 09-05-2012, 02:52 PM

You guys must not read diesel power magazines lol. They say once you go past an air intake and exhaust upgrade, you gotta ditch or upgrade the Allison. Kinda takes away from the point of having it...

Kingfish52 · 09-05-2012, 05:49 PM

The torture you mention is real. All makes of trucks are used and it seems to almost regional as to what make most loggers use. I have seen a marked increase of Chevy's in the past years. All the diesel trucks on the market are good. I just think that a tranny that is put into a 50+ foot diesel pusher motor home is what I want in my TV.
As to power boost, we have 2 diesel performance shops in my area and talking to the guys who do the work and repairs on the vehicles, they all say that nothing has to be done to the allison for normal hp increase. I chipped my truck at 60k and have never had an issue when pulling both horse trailer or tt and i'm pushing 500 hp and have 250k on the truck now and get 23 mph empty on the highway.
This discussion, as we know, can go on forever. Bottom line...buy what you like the best and if it doesn't work for you, try something different.

ElCamino Man · 09-05-2012, 08:11 PM

Honestly, all 3 vehicles are excellent choices. They will all pull anything you could ever dream of, handle them just fine, and stop them well also. If they didnt do all 3 well, they wouldnt be on the market. The one difference is one truck does all 3 SLIGHTLY better than the rest.

urnmor · 09-06-2012, 06:24 AM

"WE HAVE a 2011 F150 Ecoboost Platinum with all the towing stuff you could order. It tows our 25 Flying Cloud just fine. However, we traded the 25' for a new 30' and in so doing are going to a F250 Lariet Diesel. Reasons, payload. Even with the 25' we were right on the line with payload on the Ecoboost. There was not a package to increase the payload and with the rated towing of 11,300 we were not concerned nor was the dealer. "

I have a question about the above statement which I copied from an earlier post in the thread. I thought the ecoboost had a rated towing capacity of 11000 pounds and that it would be more then sufficient to pull a 25' FC fully loaded over any terrain to include very steep grades. Am I correct or did I misread the specs of the ecoboost.

Thanks

John

dznf0g · 09-06-2012, 06:52 AM

John, This is a common issue with all the 1/2 tons with a high tow capacity (like Max Tow package for GM). They have a high tow rating, but it is very easy to overload the rear axle with the tongue weight, occupants, and any toys in the bed. It is a function of the suspension and axle components relative to vertical loads, not the powertrain or braking systems.

GinMame · 09-06-2012, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by urnmor

"WE HAVE a 2011 F150 Ecoboost Platinum with all the towing stuff you could order. It tows our 25 Flying Cloud just fine. However, we traded the 25' for a new 30' and in so doing are going to a F250 Lariet Diesel. Reasons, payload. Even with the 25' we were right on the line with payload on the Ecoboost. There was not a package to increase the payload and with the rated towing of 11,300 we were not concerned nor was the dealer. "

I have a question about the above statement which I copied from an earlier post in the thread. I thought the ecoboost had a rated towing capacity of 11000 pounds and that it would be more then sufficient to pull a 25' FC fully loaded over any terrain to include very steep grades. Am I correct or did I misread the specs of the ecoboost.

Thanks

John

John,

Properly configured, the EcoBoost has a max rated towing capacity of 11,300 pounds and when you tell the dealer that the trailer weighs in at say 7,300 pounds or so for a 25', then on the surface there is no problem.

That said I decided that before I went out and spent $50,000 on a fully loaded F150 or other 1/2 ton truck I began to calculate the total load on the receiver, front and rear axles etc including gas, passengers, and cargo. What I quickly realized was that if was just on my wife and I then we would be right at limits of the F150. Since I want a margin of safety, I wasn't comfortable with the figures that I came up with. Next I calculated that when we have our friends join us with there stuff, then we would be most likely over a 1/2 ton's capability. Thus my test drives of the three 3/4 contenders in my review.

I think that your question about payload is an important one. While according to Ford a properly equipped EcoBoost can tow 11,300 pounds, the max payload is only 1,718 pounds. Now, maybe I'm wrong, but this figure includes only the weight of the truck and driver, no gas, no passengers, and no "stuff." Since gas weighs 6.073 pounds per gallon times 26 gallons that's approximately 158 pounds (36 gallons on a 4x4 = 219 pounds) plus 4 adults at say an average of 175 pounds = 700 pounds so now we are at 858 (919) pounds leaving only 860 (799) pounds before adding the weight on the receiver from the AS plus the stuff in the back of the truck. My conclusion is that there just wasn't any room for error. Since I want to enjoy my trips in my Airstream rather than worrying about every ounce when I'm loading, I simply have decided that a 3/4 ton truck would be a better choice from the beginning. Now I haven't yet wrapped my mind around a 1 ton truck yet, but since my wife and I are eyeing a 27' or maybe 30' AS, I don't have to worry about the truck being over loaded and I will repeat the calculations with the 3/4 and the 1 ton and will make my decision on which size of truck at that point.

I guess that at the end of the day the only way that you can determine if your rig is properly balanced and within specs is to visit a local cat scale and see. Good luck and please post your cat scale receipts if you decide to weigh your rig.

Cheers,
Rion

SteveH · 09-06-2012, 12:44 PM

Or, you can just go to CanAm in London, Ontario and they can setup a Smart Car to pull a 34 footer, weights be damned!

sierrafun · 09-06-2012, 02:56 PM

"While according to Ford a properly equipped EcoBoost can tow 11,300 pounds, the max payload is only 1,718 pounds. Now, maybe I'm wrong, but this figure includes only the weight of the truck and driver, no gas, no passengers, and no "stuff."

Hi Rion,

It is my understanding that max payload is the maximum weight you can have in the tow vehicle including fuel.

Another way to look at max payload is to take the curb weight of the vehicle and add the max payload and these two combined figures will give you the GVWR of the tow vehicle. The same is true for the Airstream trailers (subtract unit base weight from GVWR to get the max allowable weight/cargo you can carry).

Just my 2 cents :-)

sierrafun · 09-06-2012, 03:54 PM

Hi Rion,

One more thing I forgot to mention above is don't forget your hitch weight. Some of the hitches out there (Hensley and ProPride 3P) weigh 200 pounds! So, when you're calculating the weights in your tow vehicle (fuel, passengers, stuff) make sure to add the hitch weight as well to ensure you don't go over the recommended GVWR.

Just my 2 cents :-)

lylesgl · 09-06-2012, 03:54 PM

4 weeks ago i bought a new 2012 F250 6.7L Supercab, shortbed. I'm getting ~17MPG mixed driving (not towing). I'm not going by the computer, I'm checking the numbers manually. I have ~1400 miles on the truck. I'm very pleased with it.

GinMame · 09-06-2012, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sierrafun

"While according to Ford a properly equipped EcoBoost can tow 11,300 pounds, the max payload is only 1,718 pounds. Now, maybe I'm wrong, but this figure includes only the weight of the truck and driver, no gas, no passengers, and no "stuff."

Hi Rion,

It is my understanding that max payload is the maximum weight you can have in the tow vehicle including fuel.

Another way to look at max payload is to take the curb weight of the vehicle and add the max payload and these two combined figures will give you the GVWR of the tow vehicle. The same is true for the Airstream trailers (subtract unit base weight from GVWR to get the max allowable weight/cargo you can carry).

Just my 2 cents :-)

Hi,

Thanks for pointing out my mistake. What I meant to say before my brain was sidelined by the heat today, was that it is my understanding that the curb weight includes only the base truck weight and driver, without fuel, passengers, or cargo. Thus my concern that when adding fuel, three extra people, and cargo there is precious little room left over for the weight that the AS will apply hitched to the back of the truck. Thank you though for pointing out about the weight of the hitch itself, I hadn't remembered to include that as a separate item, but had rather included it in the total weight being applied to the receiver of the truck.

Cheers,
Rion