Pls Help, lost selecting a tow vehicle

[wvstreamer]

The older Ford 7.3 was a great engine but hard to find with lower mileage. Mine is a 6 speed manual as the auto was not so good till later. The older Dodge 5.9 Cummins was great but needs some steering issues corrected and the auto trans not great. Duramax fine but some lad fewer issues as stated in earlier post. Check powerstrokehelp.com on the 6.0. Some have had good luck with the right changes. If you get used to diesel it's a bit hard to go gas but that's what I would do if it fit the budget better. I'm just hoping to keep my 02 7.3 for a long time. 3/4 ton probably should be a priority for your plans. I'm envious ...enjoy!

[larryglarson]

I pull a 30' Classic about 1000 lb. heavier than your trailer with a Silverado 1500 with a 5.3 engine and it works great. I just looked in Kelly Blue Book and there was one at a dealer for $25,000. It was a 2013 with 12,000 miles and double cab. It was a 2 wheel drive a 4 wheel would be nice. This would be a good truck.

[PaulnGina]

Originally Posted by ClimbingCple

Thank you everyone with all the awesome advice!



What do you guys and gals think about a 2005 or 2007 F250 that has had the 6.0 powerstroke diesel engine bullet proofed? It would be 4x4 with a crewcab to fit up to 4 people comfortably. I've been able to find some for around $20k and under with under 175k miles.

That would be a very wise choice, and it would be worth your time and effort to include Bill Hewitt's PowerStroke Specialty in Buford, GA as a source. It would be a road trip, but you'd get a good truck if he happens to have what you are looking for. Their phone number is 770-904-0733.


PaulnGina
1987 Avion 34W
1995 Ford F250 7.3L PowerStroke

[Tater]

You'll get more opinions than you will ever be able to sort out. I had a Silverado 1500 gasser 2wd and pulled our 30' Classic with it. Stopping was my biggest concern. We traded for a 15 Silverado Duramax 2500 and would never go back. I have no idea what people are referring to about the high cost of driving a diesel. My oil changes are $45 at the dealer so I let them change it. I change the other vehicles we drive. Most modern vehicles are laden with electronics whether gas or diesel so working on them for other than routine maintenance is difficult unless you have the computer equipment that reads more than codes. I would suggest a vehicle that will keep your family safe driving and braking.

[JCWDCW]

Small point...... Quote: "of course diesel is flammable, gasoline is explosive... "
Diesel is combustible, not flammable.
You can't light diesel with a match unless it is on a wick that allows it to get hot and exceed the flash point from the heat of the match. However diesel becomes flammable if and when it exceeds its flash point which is about 104 F, so on a hot day in the desert....smoking near a diesel Jerry can could be problematic.

Gasoline is flammable right down to sub zero temps and the post is "graphically right" it is so flammable as to be explosive.

I tend to agree that you need a heavy duty Gas powered truck for your circumstance. You need to consider as noted several times in this post, all the "stuff" you will want to carry and choose a vehicle capable of that load
JCW

[dkottum]

Noting that this vehicle will apparently be your daily driver, and that accounts for most of your driving, try driving some of the vehicles recommended here about town, every day.

We travel away from home 6-7 months a year so try to balance towing performance and everyday driving needs and comfort accordingly.

[Gneiss Guy]

I use an old (2002) F250 V10 (gasoline) to pull my 2011 AS 30 Flying Cloud and it performed well in the Colorado Rockies last summer. Unless you know you will need the 4x4, they just add cost and and reduce towing capacity and mileage. I went for the extended cab rather than the crew cab, so I could get the long bed (more storage capacity) without having a rig too long to take into an indoor garage. Just some things to consider ....

[rodsterinfl]

Wow, lots of ideas. Weigh your family and yourself and consider what you might be putting in the tow vehicle bed or inside the cab. Add it up. Then add 1000# to it. That is your payload figure per se and will determine if you can select a half-ton or not. Many can tow 8800# but will not meet the payload requirement unless configured specially. I know your advertised tongue weight is around 880 but mine is listed as 860 and it is actually 980 or so so I made it 1000#.

I can say that my half-ton is well-equipped but I do not think would meet your requirement. Rounding off people weight, including the occasional mother, it is around 500#- allotting 100# for a small but growing child and 150 for each female- 200 for you + 1000 tongue is 1500 with nothing else in the truck. If everyone is skinny you've got it made! There are half tons that exceed 1500# payload. Add about 60# or so for WD hitch (1560) and we move on to your stuff in the truck. My guess is that you will need about 2000# payload capacity or close to it for now and in the future. Ford has some XLT models with max tow that meet that requirement in new but used will be a hard find. Then there are the 3/4 ton trucks. Half tons are better daily drivers though. Shop for that high payload model and you will be fine. Fords have the payload rating inside the driver door on the tire sticker. Knowing what payload rating you need, you should be able to hunt for a good used vehicle.

[switz]

All of the Airstream published tongue weights are low. As an example, the 2013 25FB International has a published tongue weight of 833 pounds. When I picked it up with the Hensley hitch head installed along with the street side and rear awnings, a 155 watt solar panel and full water and propane tanks, the real number was 1,150 pounds. Loaded for camping, the tongue weight crept up to 1,175 pounds.

Be realistic and do not low ball the weights of the passengers and their stuff, the generator, the grill, the gas for the grill, cases of adult beverages etc. You will want more than a 2,000 pound payload when a camper shell is installed, running boards, larger fuel tank etc.

You will be much happier with extra load capacity than being maxed out and still wanting to be able to take more stuff. The GCVW (gross combination vehicle weight) number states the limit of the total allowed fully loaded tow vehicle and fully loaded trailer weigh when connected.

Part of the thoughts process needs to include some 'what if' scenarios such as the loss of the trailer brakes. Does the tow vehicle have the stopping power going down grade for the entire rig?

Your trailer will most likely scale around 7,500 to 8,000 pounds camping ready plus the weight of the tow vehicle. It is very possible that the combination could approach 15,000 pounds going down the road.

Our 2014 Classic has a GVW of 10,000 pounds and scales around 9,200 pounds camping ready plus the ¾ ton truck and we see about 19,000 pounds to stop.

For us, it is more important to be able to safely stop the rig in an emergency than how quickly we get it going. Engine power is very nice, but comes at a price in lower mpg. You will find that towing a heavier trailer will generate a range of 12 to 14 mpg with some of the diesels and single digits to maybe 11 for gasoline engines.

Good luck in your research for 'your' tow vehicle.

[wvstreamer]

Ability to carry auxiliary tank of diesel fuel can be a good benefit of a diesel truck. The ability to shop and fill at a better price along with better fuel mileage can more than offset any additional maintenance costs. Towing a 30' classic my mileage is 14+-. Empty 18-19. When full I have 75 gallons. Do the math for available range. Can be handy. As for stopping safety, the 3/4 ton saved the day once in a trailer brake failure. I had about a foot to spare when the rig stopped behind a small car. After changing pants I repaired the trailer plug and have always had 3/4 or 1 ton as TV and daily driver. More to ponder.

[ijustlee]

How about a one ton passenger van? I would avoid the extended models but rear air conditioning would be nice to have if you spend a lot of time in the South. I wouldn't pay much more for a diesel all things considered. I would consider 4 wheel drive as something I'd rather have than a diesel so you might want to look at a Suburban or Excursion. Leland

[demijac]

..... and constrained by budget, you might want to consider a used Toyota Tundra with the big V8.

Not an expert on this subject but can speak to our personal experience pulling a 2014 Classic 27FB (which is about 9,000 lbs fully loaded) with our 2007 Toyota Tundra. We've had no issues pulling the trailer over 40,000 miles the last 2 1/2 years. We make it a point to never push the truck to its upper limits - we usually drive about 60 mph in the flats and in the mountains, we just let the truck find its own comfortable speed.

From a budgeting viewpoint, this might work for you. From a performance viewpoint, I'm assuming a 3/4 ton truck would be better but that doesn't mean that like for us, a 1/2 ton Toyota Tundra wouldn't work just fine for you.

P.S. We're looking forward to learning more about the upcoming 2016 Nissan truck which is supposedly positioned between the 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton alternatives currently on the market.

Good luck!

[handn]

3/4th ton truck absolutely. Yours is a big trailer. Final decision should depend on condition and price. Second consideration is brand.
You will find that 25k doesn't take you too far in the 3/4 th ton used truck market.
I would be looking at lightly used work type trucks where you get the most bang for your buck and the vehicle has been fleet maintained.
I have a 2000 Power Stroke Excursion. It has more than enough room for your extended family. A good condition example of a vehicle of this vintage would sell for half of your budget but everything but the engine and transmission wears out and you should budget for repairs. Example, my turn signal switch stopped working yesterday. The good news is the vehicle is rather simple and basic and most parts are fairly cheap.
Take your time searching. It might take a while to find what you want at a reasonable price.

[fth]

I've only had this since July. Bought it for $10K, has about 90K miles on it. Towing a Classic 30.

Just completed a 7,800 mile trip from Virginia to the Southwest Caravan for a total of 83 days.

The good: It managed to pull the AS up and over the Rocky mountains but at only 35 MPH. That was the only time I would have preferred a diesel and I wouldn't buy diesel just because of that. The rest of the time it pulled fine.

The bad: I think the previous owner upgraded the suspension in the rear because it rides very hard. I compared my springs to others on the caravan and mine has more leafs in it. 4-5 compared to 3 on other trucks. I'm going to look into changing that for a softer ride for both us and the AS.

Gas mileage hovered around 10 MPG which is okay considering it only gets 12 by itself.

Supercab: I would get a crew cap so that others could ride with us. The back seat is too small for adults. Otherwise the front is okay. The bed is the 6 1/2 one which is fine, not too long but it probably would be longer if a Crewcab. Longer is better for stability anyway.

In short I'm okay with what I have for 95% of my needs. I would be thrilled if I can get the hard ride improved but otherwise I'm happy.

If one day my budget improves I would rethink the whole thing. Newer trucks have neat features I would like to have but this one is certainly workable and I have no plans on changing it.

Hope this helps.

[fth]

On our recent trip I had just crested a hill, was daydreaming and got going a little fast going down the hill in a right hand curve. Instead of hitting the brakes which would have applied the trailer brakes I instead dropped it down to 2nd. This caused the trailer to push the back of the truck to the left but because of the weight of the truck it didn't go far. I hit the brakes and the trailer brakes straightened us right out. So, sure you could tow with a smaller vehicle but in the situation I just described a smaller lighter vehicle could have been a disaster. So I'll stay with the big 250 and feel safe, even when I am not paying attention like I should have been.

Just saying.

[m.hony]

Originally Posted by demijac

..... and constrained by budget, you might want to consider a used Toyota Tundra with the big V8.



Not an expert on this subject but can speak to our personal experience pulling a 2014 Classic 27FB (which is about 9,000 lbs fully loaded) with our 2007 Toyota Tundra. We've had no issues pulling the trailer over 40,000 miles the last 2 1/2 years. We make it a point to never push the truck to its upper limits - we usually drive about 60 mph in the flats and in the mountains, we just let the truck find its own comfortable speed.



From a budgeting viewpoint, this might work for you. From a performance viewpoint, I'm assuming a 3/4 ton truck would be better but that doesn't mean that like for us, a 1/2 ton Toyota Tundra wouldn't work just fine for you.



P.S. We're looking forward to learning more about the upcoming 2016 Nissan truck which is supposedly positioned between the 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton alternatives currently on the market.



Good luck!

Resembles my post and experience towing with a Tundra 5.7 iForce-
Love my Tundra!


Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

[Msmoto]

I like my diesel, but this may be due to the fact I pull up to 700 miles or more in one day (14 hours with about 3 resting in between). I also pull maybe 15,000 miles per year. And through the mountains....Colorado, New Mexico this year.

But, one night find if the towing is primarily to closer rallies, rarely more than one day of travel, maybe gasoline makes more sense. Clearly diesel is the "high price spread" as both gas and diesel TV's will do the job.

A few other items to mention, previously covered in other threads, when refilling gasoline, for sure, turn off the refrigerator and any open flame to prevent disaster. Gas fumes can ignite in bizarre situations and no open flame should be within 50 or 100 feet....when I am filling gasoline.

As mentioned, the cruising range with diesel and extra tanks can be nice, once again, when going on long journeys. I carry maximum of 90 gallons.

Bottom line.....whatever the budget allows....probably the deciding factor.

[switz]

Some initial numbers being reported on the Nissan with V8 Cummins do not bold well. It has less payload than some 1/2 ton trucks and has a shorter wheel base than some of the 3/4 ton trucks.

I would wait for the second year model to let them get the kinks out.

[m.hony]

I don't think the Nissan Titan will ever be a serious contender.
Even if it is a contender, the price point will be too high.

[jeffryorange]

I have a similar question (sorry for butting in on your forum!!!).
We just purchased a 28' Int'l Signature with gross weight of 7600 lbs and hope to tow it with our 2012 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5 liter eco-boost. Do any of you experts out there see a problem with that?
thanks.