Most Efficient & Capable 3/4 for Towing

[BW1]

Time to get a new truck... have been using my F150 for 3 years now and after many trips through steep grades, the truck is way overworked. Now before you jump all over me, I had the TRUCK FIRST, then the Airstream .

Looking at all 3 makers in the 3/4 ton, I don't really want a diesel since we only pull for about 5 weeks a year, then it is just a truck for regular stuff.

Any comments about V8 power as well as favourable gas mileage from the big three based on your experiences would be helpful.

Towing a '91 Excella 29ft.

Can't wait to weigh out the outcome

[Bill M.]

I think Ford, GMC/Chev, and Dodge are all good trucks and very capable of towing your Airstream. We went from a Ford 150 to a Dodge diesel 8 years ago and the difference was astounding. 155000 miles later we are still towing with the "new" truck. I am a "diesel head". If buying new I think you ought to at least look at the possibility of the diesel. My wife drives ours daily and likes it.

[PaulnGina]

I, too, am a "diesel head" and would highly recommend one. I like Fords and would look at them first, but that's just my preference. If you go with a gasoline engine, you'll do fine with any of the 3/4-ton trucks. When I was a kid and after I left home, my dad did a lot of cross-country trailering with 3/4-ton trucks with gas engines. I would be happy if I could get 12-15 mpg with the gas engine while towing. The difference between the 3/4-ton drive train and your current F150 will be quite noticeable.

Good luck with your search.

[dkottum]

I saw a new F-150 at the dealership with a 3.5 Ecoboost and 2070 lbs of payload capacity. You could say that makes it a 1 ton truck with pretty decent fuel economy, and the boosted engine makes it's torque at a low rpm and keeps it at altitude. And without the extra 2,000 lbs of a heavy duty truck in structure, components, and ride stiffness you most probably don't need for towing an Airstream.

If you drop the 1/2, 3/4. and 1 ton arbitrary designations, and size according to needs there's some interesting choices.

[Tater]

I towed with a 1500 Chevy 5.3 for 10 years and loved the truck. Since you tow infrequently I would look at 1500s again. We looked at our 10 year plan and went with a 2500 Chevy diesel(personal preference). Unless you plan to bump the load capacity of the truck stay with a 1500. If more travel is in your future I would very seriously look at a diesel. We average almost 2,000 miles per month mostly towing.

[AnnArborBob]

If you do not want the diesel then I would stick with the F-150 with the 3.5 liter Eco-boost engine. It's plenty of truck for your rig and is a friendlier daily driver than any 3/4 ton. Lots of people I know pull their AS' with that truck/engine and they love it. Unless you plan to carry your rock collection or full wood-shop in the bed, the 3/4 ton is more chassis than you need for your purposes. In my opinion, the only reason to get the 3/4 is to get the diesel.

[HowieE]

A major factor that all too many overlook when buying a TV is the rear axle ratio. The manufacture try and sell the lowest rear they can to get the government MPG approval rating as high as possible. If you are going to tow in any hilly areas consider this carefully or be prepared to lose speed on the hills

[BW1]

Wow...I feel confused! We really load up the truck with 2 people 2 big dogs, extra water, bag of dog food, mats, bikes, chairs etc. The trailer has all it's regular everyday stuff in it, as well as sometimes, a full fresh water tank.

I really thought going 3/4 ton would solve it all. My current F150 is a 2010 crew cab 4x4 with the 5.4L Engine, tow haul package trailer brakes, 20" tires, and the upgraded rear differential, can't remember what.

Anyway, it really feels overworked going up hills, and there have been some mechanical issues, that may or may not have been contributed from towing.

I get what you mean about the actual use of the truck for towing compared to other stuff with the truck.

[HiJoeSilver]

I think a f-150 should be plenty. I think that unless you buy something way oversized you'll find they all work hard going up a hill.

[Msmoto]

I pull with a diesel, now with 100,000 miles....and it will go up any hill as fast as I like. Pulling at between 60 - 70 mph, as I allow the run downhill to have momentum for the uphill in hilly country, usually about 62- 65 mph on the flat, I get from 12 - 14 mpg. Not towing, in town I get 16+, on the road about 20+ mpg.

If, I were to purchase a gasoline engine, the Toyota Tundra with a V-8 or the Dodge with a big Hemi V-8. Probably poor mpg, but very nice trucks.

Oh, I do drive my 22' long Dodge around town, parking being the biggest issue.

The advantage for towing of the huge torque with diesel is IMO such a comfort, especially if one does long trips (>1000 miles each way)....as I do regularly. And, as I have a 60 gallon auxiliary fuel tank in the bed, I can cruise for a long time, about 1,000 miles, finding the least expensive fuel. With gasoline, no auxiliary tank is possible.

[Mrjkq]

I guess I'm a diesel head also. I've pulled with a GMC duramax, Ford power stroke & now a Ram eco diesel. Any 3/4 ton truck will support your effort, big time, & do it well but you going to miss out on the diesel envy from all your friends

[nrgtrakr]

We like our 99 F250 SuperDuty diesel 4x4 short bed xtra cab 4 wheel antilock disc brakes with a cap on the bed - 17-18 mpg towing our 27' AS, 20+ when not ... it doesn't know the trailer is there on Colorado mountain passes, gusty cross winds, etc.

[perryg114]

Do some math. You won't save money with a diesel with gas as cheap as it is. You could get a used gas hog 3/4 ton and figure out how many miles you can travel on that $40-$50k you will save on a used gasser over a diesel. I paid $7000 for my used V10 Excursion so that leaves me a lot of money to buy gas. Don't know if you can get a pickup that cheap or not. The rednecks have to have trucks here in the south so even a junk one is expensive. Diesels are nice but it is just as easy to gear down. HP is HP.

Perry

[msmcv51]

Bought a 2005 F250 V10 4.10 rear end with 38,000 miles two years ago for $10,000. It gets 9 to 11 mpg towing and 15 mpg not towing This past May I talked with a guy with a new 2015 F150 Eco boost, he paid $55,000, and gets 10 to 12 mpg towing. I figure I will have to tow about 500,000 miles at 2 mpg less to burn $45,000 worth of gas. I am 64 now and hope to tow for another 15 to 20 years. I do not think I will tow that many miles in that length of time.

[BoldAdventure]

Turbo diesel is always going to outperform gas going up hills, period. End of debate. Simple math, 800ft/lbs of torque versus 400ft/lbs. The turbo has a better power band.

Sure, my 5.7L Hemi v8 makes 415ft/lbs of torque at 4000RPM give or take and the 2015 6.7L Cummin's produces 865 lb-ft @ 1,700 rpm with a Asisn transmission. That's a lot of torque for going up a hill at low end.

I'm sure the Ford and GM diesels perform similarly.

I've been debating how bad I want to go faster up hills. Didn't bother me till I got out west.

[rss]

Just traded my 2013 F150 3.5 Ecoboost w/ 7650# chassis / 3.73 rear end, for a 2016 Ram 2500 Diesel because I traded up in trailers. Had a 2014 FC 25B. Now have a 28 International. I needed to upgrade my tow vehicle because the Ford's rear axle load was too often near the 4050# rating with the 25' FC. The rated hitch weight of the 28 is 950#, 115# more than the FC 25B.

Loved the Ecoboost and it was absolutely reliable, quick, comfortable and pulled like a diesel. Got around 11.5 mpg towing at 62 mph. Around town it got 13 mpg. As a negative, I did not like My Synch, which was very glitchy on my vehicle. The Ram is comfortable (rear air suspension option helps significantly), powerful, and feels stable and "in control". Towing the International 28 at 65 - 67 mph I'm getting 14 mpg w/ the Ram. Oh, and Chrysler's newest uConnect is miles ahead of the 2013 My Synch...an important feature for me when I'm spending 8 hrs in the cab. Had I gone with a 27' Airstream (lower hitch weight) I would have kept the Ford and been very happy to have saved a lot of $$$ and still had a very capable tow vehicle.

So, I feel the F150 can be a good choice properly equipped. I would spec a "properly equipped" F-150 as follows: 3.5L Ecoboost, rear axle capacity as 4800# (i.e. HD Payload Pkg option), 3.73 rear end and 36 gal. tank). Based upon my recent search a "properly equipped" F150 is hard to find on a dealer's lot a would likely have to be ordered. MSRP would be around $50k for an XLT. But, if your budget is flexible, you can't go wrong with a 3/4 Diesel. After owning the Ecoboost, I wouldn't recommend a gas 3/4 as a step up as the GM and Ford I tested suffered in comparison to the EcoBoost.

[Jukeboxfun]

Originally Posted by BoldAdventure

Turbo diesel is always going to outperform gas going up hills, period. End of debate. Simple math, 800ft/lbs of torque versus 400ft/lbs. The turbo has a better power band.

Sure, my 5.7L Hemi v8 makes 415ft/lbs of torque at 4000RPM give or take and the 2015 6.7L Cummin's produces 865 lb-ft @ 1,700 rpm with a Asisn transmission. That's a lot of torque for going up a hill at low end.

I'm sure the Ford and GM diesels perform similarly.

I've been debating how bad I want to go faster up hills. Didn't bother me till I got out west.

I was in the exact same boat. Just decided I wanted the 3/4 ton diesel, so I got a 2012 Ford F250. It is overkill for my 25 ft. flying cloud but I don't care. I think reading too many posts on here ragging on the half ton trucks got to me.

[PaulnGina]

Originally Posted by Jukeboxfun

I was in the exact same boat. Just decided I wanted the 3/4 ton diesel, so I got a 2012 Ford F250. It is overkill for my 25 ft. flying cloud but I don't care. I think reading too many posts on here ragging on the half ton trucks got to me.

I hope my input hasn't been "ragging". I've tried to provide some good input based on my experience, likes, and preferences. I'll always suggest a 3/4-ton truck if you're pulling something more than a utility trailer. Gas or diesel is also a personal choice, but my preference and recommendation for towing will always be a diesel. 3/4-ton diesel just works better (1-ton+ if you need it).

[ShinyPete]

I know your trying to decide on a 3/4 ton, but I'll share our 1/2 ton experience.

We recently traded our 2013 F150 5.0 2wd crew for a 2015 3.5 EcoBoost longbed crew 4wd MaxTow. I am very happy with the new ride. We tow a FC 27FB, and the new F150's lighter weight, stiffer frame, more powerful EcoBoost, 157" wheelbase, and MaxTow goodies made our first test tow noticeably "better" than with the '13. Better as in easier acceleration, more stable tow @ 65 on the highway, less downshifting in the Florida mountains and less squat when hitched. More details here:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f463...le-141137.html

I shopped F250 KR or Lariat 6.7 Powerstrokes hard (sorry I'm just a Ford guy) and for less $$, this F150 has 1907 lbs of payload and a bigger cab, taller bed, and much updated everything over the aged F250........ Now when the new '17 F250 comes along............. sigh.......... By the way, some loaded F250s I saw didn't have any more payload than 2k.

Seriously though, we bought an Airstream that can't weigh over 7600 lbs specifically as a 1/2 ton towable coach, and we're doing it handily with our new "Chip".

[BW1]

Sounds like I can't go wrong with any 3/4ton, gas or diesel. I might even consider one 3 or 4 years old to save some money.

After towing with my 2010 F150 crew cab 4x4 with tow package 5.4L and having a brake down off the highway with trailer in tow (was the A/C compressor and serpentine belt), and also a cracked camshaft (another time),
I want to try to eliminate these types of troubles.

Not sure if I should look at another Ford or not.

The search will be on for the next couple of weeks/months!