Need help deciding on purchasing tow pick-up

[bbruntil]

I currently pull our 2016 23FB max weight 6000 pounds with a 2017 Audi Q7. Recently I decided I could spend less and get better gas mileage with a new 150/1500 Pickup. Lots of decisions and feelings around this decision including giving up my Q7. First I liked the idea of Ram 1500 diesel because of the great gas mileage, but now I'm thinking the extra cost of the diesel at the pump may not be worth it. Overall I like the Ford 150, the Navigation responds really well and other features I like are blind side BLISS which I'm told you can program your trailer into its system. 36 gallon gas tank, tow package, front spotlights. Seems like extension mirrors are hard to find, but would be helpful. The 2.7L V6 EcoBoost® Payload Package I was told gives you 400 pounds of torque and just under 8000 pounds of towing. Like there 10 speed transmission. Not sure if I've priced myself too high.
Could use some direction in terms of must have features/ engines or anything else from your experience.

Bruce

[CRH]

I believe I would opt for the 3.5 Ecoboost if I wanted a Ford and possible a truck with the Heavy Duty Payload Package.

[TexAirS]

Looks like you have a favorite. One thing to consider. Carrying capacity. 600 lbs on tongue
300 lbs humans. Adds up fast.

Diesel around here has a 25% premium with 50% better mileage. At 60k miles, the added engine cost will be paid off.

John

[JMynes]

In my opinion, diesel has just one advantage, that being power.
Economy is not an advantage. Aside from the initial upcharge, the maintenance costs are higher. $30 fuel filters, 10 qt oil changes, anti-gel additives, DEF and the unhappy emissions sensors. I’ve had two Duramax and a diesel Jetta. Seems like I always had a wrench in my hand.
It takes a lot of miles for diesel fuel cost vs. mpg to make sense economically. If you’re driving a lot of miles, go for it.

[jim6090]

We tow a 17 30 ft Flying cloud.

Could not be happier with the Eco Diesel. Keep in mind that a diesel will run in the 2-3K RPMs all day every day. No screaming motor going up long grades. I consistently get 14-16 MPG towing. I tow on the highway 10 MPG over speed limit up to 70. So 70 most of the time. Please don't judge me.

Selling points.
MPG
Optional air suspension
Ram boxes for storage

Negatives:

soft air suspension required me to step up to a ProPride hitch.

Once I got things set it is a joy to drive. nearly 15K miles during our first year.

All 1500 trucks will tow a trailer your size.

[brick1]

Get the 3.5 EcoBoost. The 2.7 is a great engine, but for towing you will be better served with the 3.5.
Check your payload. That’s where most vehicles, including your Q7, tend to come up short. Everything in the tow vehicle, including fuel, counts against payload.
brick

[majorairhead]

I towed our flying cloud 25 with a '15 Ford 3.5 ecoboost. That truck was really nice. I think around 11 mpg towing, but 21/22 mpg otherwise.

I traded it for a '17 F250. I wanted more truck. My lovely wife, the 'Navigator', keeps talking about a Classic 30 footer

I think if you're going to keep the 23 foot, or if you plan some day to up your trailer to a 25 foot airstream, the F150 3.5 ecoboost would be a good choice if you want a a pickup truck.

[slowmover]

Where’s the requirement for a pickup? (Items that can’t be carried in the TT or TV passenger compartment; solo & towing).

Going from best of type to worst needs more examination. A wide range of potential TVs is possible.

Most duty is solo. That is what drives smart vehicle spec.

Call Andy Thomson at Can Am RV (a contributor here). Off the top of his head after a few questions he can steer you towards sane choices.

Get the full array.

Were pickups necessary, this trailer type would never have succeeded. They weren’t necessary — or even a good choice — then or now.

The compromise needs to be quantified. Slower, less capable and unsteady by comparison.

Take your time.

[ALANSD]

I have a 2013 5.0 v8 f150, ansd wish I had the 3.5 ecoboost. better milage, great power, and the lighter aluminum body make it a great choice.

[TexAirS]

Originally Posted by JMynes

In my opinion, diesel has just one advantage, that being power.
Economy is not an advantage. Aside from the initial upcharge, the maintenance costs are higher. $30 fuel filters, 10 qt oil changes, anti-gel additives, DEF and the unhappy emissions sensors. I’ve had two Duramax and a diesel Jetta. Seems like I always had a wrench in my hand.
It takes a lot of miles for diesel fuel cost vs. mpg to make sense economically. If you’re driving a lot of miles, go for it.

So a $30 fuel filter lasts 15000 miles, $12 def lasts for 2000 miles and extra $40 at each 7500 miles for oil. That's around a penny a mile. Other than major repairs, where is the extra cost?


And getting 50% better mileage than my next door neighbor who talked me into a diesel.

I'm new to diesel and love towing the 30' Classic with it.

Help,

John

[petruzzello]

Originally Posted by bbruntil

I currently pull our 2016 23FB max weight 6000 pounds with a 2017 Audi Q7. Recently I decided I could spend less and get better gas mileage with a new 150/1500 Pickup. Lots of decisions and feelings around this decision including giving up my Q7. First I liked the idea of Ram 1500 diesel because of the great gas mileage, but now I'm thinking the extra cost of the diesel at the pump may not be worth it. Overall I like the Ford 150, the Navigation responds really well and other features I like are blind side BLISS which I'm told you can program your trailer into its system. 36 gallon gas tank, tow package, front spotlights. Seems like extension mirrors are hard to find, but would be helpful. The 2.7L V6 EcoBoost® Payload Package I was told gives you 400 pounds of torque and just under 8000 pounds of towing. Like there 10 speed transmission. Not sure if I've priced myself too high.
Could use some direction in terms of must have features/ engines or anything else from your experience.

Bruce

I purchased a 2016 RAM 1500 eco diesel. It has great torque and I use it to pull my Flying Cloud 23FB which weighs 6000 lb. The truck easily pulls this trailer. Around town I get over 27 MPG and pulling my trailer I get 17 MPG. You can't beat these statistics. Prior to purchasing my eco diesel I had a RAM 1500 with a hemi engine. It got 15 MPG around town and 11 MPG pulling my trailer. You should be able to purchase the RAM eco diesel with an $11,000 discount which is what I received.

[Fred L]

Going through the same considerations right now for my 23ft Safari SE (23D basically).
The Ford 3.5 eco boost and Toyota Tundra are the two I am down to.
Am pretty well settled on a Tundra due to the little or no repair costs I have had over the roughly 12 yr life of my 3 past Toyota SUVs. Gas is probably close to the Eco Boost in towing and a few mpg less not towing, but if you keep it for 12 yrs that difference is made up quickly in reduced repair costs. Just under 10,000 lb tow capacity and approx. 1650 payload.
I owned a new F250 in 2003, it lasted a year being too stiff a ride while not towing and uncomfortable around town, plus 3 trips to the shop. I am sure it would have been a good tow vehicle if that is all I wanted it for. I have had several Ford vehicles and all were good vehicles, but the Toyotas were to me, just a step above in quality, both fit/finish and mechanical. I am sure either vehicle would be a good choice.

[Deeno]

Another consideration: GMC 1500 Denali 4wd.
Very comfortable with lots of technology. The engine is the "strongest" gas I could find - did not want to go diesel. It has 460lbs of torque, and handles trailer uphill without gasping. I recently weighed the rig, and trailer is 5900 pounds with a full fresh-water tank, and 1.5 full LPS. The truck has an 8 speed transmission, and with cruise control on, she held speed up and down really well. On our last trip, from AR to Los Angeles and back, total miles were 3875, and the average MPG for the trip was 12.8. I think the average diesel would get about 14-15 towing, so this clearly shows that "gas mileage" is not much of an advantage for the diesels. If you can wait, I'm reading the 2019 GMC will have the 10-speed transmission, and a rear view camera program to replace the typical "dash-mount" aftermarket, and cameras in the side mirrors to replace need for adding bigger mirrors. Furthermore, it's trailering software will have trailer-specific programming to include checklist and diagnostic. It is a pricy truck, but it has features and strength beyond my expectation. I've got 12,000 miles on it, and no failures at this point.

[SilverHouseDreams]

Originally Posted by bbruntil

I currently pull our 2016 23FB max weight 6000 pounds with a 2017 Audi Q7. Recently I decided I could spend less and get better gas mileage with a new 150/1500 Pickup.

As someone that may have a Q7 in their (moderate distant) future, I wanted to get more info as to what makes you want to abandon the Q7. What mileage do you get now, I assume you have the 3.0T? The economics of writing off the "loss" on a very new vehicle to replace it with another more rapidly depreciating vehicle is hard for me to do the math on, but thats up to each person to weigh. I am just curious as to what about the Q7 isn't up to your liking, as its a phenomenal rig.

[Asherstanton]

Have I got what I hope is some good info for you!
I have a 2015 f150. I have the 5.0 liter engine and what is sometimes called the small tow package as opposed to the tow/haul package. So I had to add the factory brake controller. Overall rated to tow 9200 lbs. I’m towing quite a bit less according to all available numbers. I haven’t gone to a weigh station but I’m pretty sure I’m towing around 6500-7000 lbs. My major complaint is the transmission. If I could have anything I would have the ten speed transmission. The shift algorithm for this 6 speed transmission is annoying whether on the normal or tow haul setting. Workable, works ok but I hate it going uphill and it shifts into second gear at about 50+ mph and around 5000 rpms. I just don’t like it regardless of how appropriate it might be. So I slow down and manipulate speed vs gear vs rpm. Doable but annoying and the mileage sucks. The worst I’ve seen is 8 mpg and the best with a tail wind is around 13 mpg. But that is rare. Average is 10.5.
Now for the kicker. I have a friend who indirectly works for Ford and during one of my recent long tow he called while driving the new f150 2.8 diesel. He was waxing eloquent about its virtues. He said he was getting 27 mpg at 65 not towing. No info on towing. He really liked the ten speed. (He’s a serious gear head). He said this truck was made for guys who tow like me. If I had the bucks it’s definitely the way I’d go. I love my f150. It gets the job done. The 5.0 is strong and has the guts but this new diesel sounds great and I would seriously look at it if I were you. If I were you I wouldn’t butt up against your tow limits unless you planned to tow only on the flat. I almost never tow above 65 mph. I often see 4th gear which is comfortable but as I said eats the fuel. Even a minor improvement would be helpful and welcome. Would it pay for the diesel. I would say no EXCEPT in the area of comfort and less aggravation in the hills. On the flat mostly 5th gear. Man would I love that ten speed especially with the engine your considering. I know the diesel is more expensive up front and diesel costs more at the pump. But one mans opinion, look closely at all the numbers. And if your f150 shocks are what I call “the soccer mom” variety, get Bilsteins installed. A little harsher ride but greatly improved my confidence towing. Now if I could control the damn wind ... ( yes I have an Equalizer hitch, just saying)

[rwsjms7]

Originally Posted by bbruntil

I currently pull our 2016 23FB max weight 6000 pounds with a 2017 Audi Q7. Recently I decided I could spend less and get better gas mileage with a new 150/1500 Pickup. Lots of decisions and feelings around this decision including giving up my Q7. First I liked the idea of Ram 1500 diesel because of the great gas mileage, but now I'm thinking the extra cost of the diesel at the pump may not be worth it. Overall I like the Ford 150, the Navigation responds really well and other features I like are blind side BLISS which I'm told you can program your trailer into its system. 36 gallon gas tank, tow package, front spotlights. Seems like extension mirrors are hard to find, but would be helpful. The 2.7L V6 EcoBoost® Payload Package I was told gives you 400 pounds of torque and just under 8000 pounds of towing. Like there 10 speed transmission. Not sure if I've priced myself too high.
Could use some direction in terms of must have features/ engines or anything else from your experience.

Bruce

We are taking delivery of our 2018 30' FC tomorrow morning. I had an F150 but just upgraded to a 2018 F250 diesel. It DEFINITELY wasn't the cheaper alternative.

The main reason I bit the bullet (it really hurt because I'm the cheapest man alive) was the increased power to pull up the mountains and more importantly the engine braking coming down the mountain. I've read many harrowing accounts of people losing braking power on the way down - I didn't want to be 'that' guy.

If you aren't planning on going out West (not sure where you live), you may be just fine with the F150 or equivalent. If we weren't planning on 'using' our TT all over God's creation, I would have kept my 150. It was a beautiful truck.

[jnm30327]

I have a 2018 Toyota Tundra with 5.7 Liter V8. I have had no trouble pulling a 27FB Flying Cloud. I get about 10 MPG at 70 MPH.

I think the main reason to buy a Tundra is maintenance costs and resale value. Tundra beats the competition in those areas. Toyota reliability is a real thing.

[bbruntil]

Not sure I want to give it up, main reason is to lower car payments. Also with another tv could get better milage pulling. Like the BLISS system Ford has and larger gas tank 36 gallon on F150. I get 14 mpg at 55 pulling and about 22 combined not pulling. I also have question on how well it will hold up with a large amount of towing. So far so good.

[dmbecke]

We easily tow a 25ft with a 2014 Ram Ecodiesel and are very happy with it

[Phoenix]

FYI, the Consumer Reports Annual Auto Issue is currently on newsstands. (This issue highlights model changes, tech updates, road test results and vehicle reliability data from their annual reader survey.)

The links below contain summaries of the articles in this issue; although, a subscription is required to access some data. However, you can get the same info in the hard copy publication, currently available on most magazine stands.

• Best Cars, SUVs and Trucks for 2018 - Consumer Reports
  
  
• Are Pickup Trucks Becoming the New Family Car? - Consumer Reports
  
  
• Best Pickup Truck Ratings - Consumer Reports

Note: I have no connection with Consumer Reports Magazine, other than being a current subscriber. However, over the years, my personal experience with purchasing several vehicles using information from this organization has been very positive. Recognizing that some do not endorse this magazine, I feel that it is still a good source that at least deserves some consideration alongside other available auto and truck publications.