What Truck to Purchase?

[CWSWine]

People complain that the HD truck has too harsh of a ride for a daily driver just shows how soft we have gotten compare to our forefathers that crossed the US in a covered wagon. I'm not excluding myself from the statement since I oped for Ram 2500 with coil springs and probably the best ride of all the HD truck.

[Rocinante]

Originally Posted by CWSWine

People complain that the HD truck has too harsh of a ride for a daily driver just shows how soft we have gotten compare to our forefathers that crossed the US in a covered wagon. I'm not excluding myself from the statement since I oped for Ram 2500 with coil springs and probably the best ride of all the HD truck.

Well, that's a big improvement for the RAM 2500, as the suspension used to be so tough it was known as a brick on wheels - at least by my brother, who had one for a while, haha.


Oh, and just to keep things flowing along, "Don't drive like my brother!" - Click & Clack, the Tapit Brothers

[Mr. Merk]

Originally Posted by out of sight

The problem is it goes 177 mph but my Airstream tires are only good for 87 mph.

Haha, Great quote!

it's a very comfortable 87mph though!

[thewarden]

Originally Posted by out of sight

Pound for pound the Cayenne is one of the best tow vehicles out there. The trouble is it doesn't have the pounds, nor the axle ratings, to tow a larger Airstream. Its rated for only about 600 lbs tongue load.

I have towed our 27FB many thousands of trouble free miles with the Cayenne. It weighs upwards of 6000 lbs, so it has a bit of heft. The hitch is actually rated for 770 lbs. For what its worth, it is exactly the same hitch that has a 614lbs sticker on it but they actually updated the rating and if you have one of the hitches with the lower rating sticker, Porsche will provide an updated sticker. It is the exact same hitch as the Touareg and Audi.

With WD, my rear axle is under max, as is the overall GVW. And with its 26gal tank I have a range of about 275 miles.

[out of sight]

Originally Posted by thewarden

I have towed our 27FB many thousands of trouble free miles with the Cayenne. It weighs upwards of 6000 lbs, so it has a bit of heft. The hitch is actually rated for 770 lbs. For what its worth, it is exactly the same hitch that has a 614lbs sticker on it but they actually updated the rating and if you have one of the hitches with the lower rating sticker, Porsche will provide an updated sticker. It is the exact same hitch as the Touareg and Audi.

With WD, my rear axle is under max, as is the overall GVW. And with its 26gal tank I have a range of about 275 miles.

I'm sure it tows very well, but you still need the w/d hitch which is a major pain in the butt and can ruin your camping experience if you have to hitch and unhitch a lot. I towed a lot with an ML 350 which towed very well but the happiest day of my life came when I decided to lose the hitch and get a HD truck.

[Mr. Merk]

Originally Posted by out of sight

I'm sure it tows very well, but you still need the w/d hitch which is a major pain in the butt and can ruin your camping experience if you have to hitch and unhitch a lot. I towed a lot with an ML 350 which towed very well but the happiest day of my life came when I decided to lose the hitch and get a HD truck.

One of the things I like about the Andersen, unhooking just involves loosening two nuts with the supplied socket to relieve chain tension and then simply removing a hitch pin before lifting the coupler off the ball.

To hook back up you just set the trailer on the ball. Reinstall the hitch pin and then tighten the nuts back up to tighten the chains. Adds less than a minute.

[gypsydad]

Amazing thread again...went from the What Truck question to Porsche TV's and now an Anderson hitch discussion....the sports suv crowd trying to convince "newbies" their suv's are safer to tow even with bigger AS's then a 3/4T TV says a lot about their experiences towing up/down/around the Rockies. One unplanned event having to hit the brakes at 65mph going around a curve with 7% grade where the tail wags the dog, should convince anyone that in this case, "bigger is better". But, as we all know you can't convince someone who refuses to understand why the larger TV is a better, safer choice for handling a larger AS... No reason to waste more time on this one for me.

[brick1]

I had a 1/2 ton. It was overwhelmed by my 2018 Serenity 28. I don’t understand why anyone would want to tow with an under-rated TV.

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by brick1

I had a 1/2 ton. It was overwhelmed by my 2018 Serenity 28. I don’t understand why anyone would want to tow with an under-rated TV.

Not all half tons are created equally. Mine is below gvwr, gcwr and axle ratings fully loaded (truck and trailer) 30' classic.
And 420 horse/460 torque is way more that enough.

[bono]

No one wants to tow with an underrated TV. Therefore, some chose proper SUVs.

Originally Posted by brick1

I had a 1/2 ton. It was overwhelmed by my 2018 Serenity 28. I don’t understand why anyone would want to tow with an under-rated TV.

[jcl]

Originally Posted by gypsydad

Amazing thread again...went from the What Truck question to Porsche TV's and now an Anderson hitch discussion....the sports suv crowd trying to convince "newbies" their suv's are safer to tow even with bigger AS's then a 3/4T TV says a lot about their experiences towing up/down/around the Rockies. One unplanned event having to hit the brakes at 65mph going around a curve with 7% grade where the tail wags the dog, should convince anyone that in this case, "bigger is better". But, as we all know you can't convince someone who refuses to understand why the larger TV is a better, safer choice for handling a larger AS... No reason to waste more time on this one for me.

You must be aware that some of us who prefer performance oriented SUVs for towing have experience with larger trucks, right? And that some of us have commercial trucking backgrounds (what you would call a CDL) with far heavier trucks than pickups? And that some of us live in or near the Rockies and that most trips involve several passes?

Why so dismissive? We get that you are personally invested in your heavy duty pickup, but that is about personal preference, not facts.

[thewarden]

Originally Posted by gypsydad

Amazing thread again...went from the What Truck question to Porsche TV's and now an Anderson hitch discussion....the sports suv crowd trying to convince "newbies" their suv's are safer to tow even with bigger AS's then a 3/4T TV says a lot about their experiences towing up/down/around the Rockies. One unplanned event having to hit the brakes at 65mph going around a curve with 7% grade where the tail wags the dog, should convince anyone that in this case, "bigger is better". But, as we all know you can't convince someone who refuses to understand why the larger TV is a better, safer choice for handling a larger AS... No reason to waste more time on this one for me.

It is indeed funny how these threads tend to morph into something that has little to do with the OPs original post.

I don't think the Sport SUV crowd is trying to convince anyone their SUV's are safer, although a properly set up Sport ute that is within all of its weight capacities is indeed a very safe towing vehicle. I speak from personal experience. In addition to a Cayenne, I also own a 1 ton SWD GMC Duramax. I can tell you that the Cayenne handles and brakes considerable better than the 1 ton, by a good margin. In short, the 1 ton handles and brakes like a pig. It is heavy, and top heavy, so that is expected. Hooking up a 6500 lb trailer to the 1 ton does not, by some miracle, make it handle or brake better.

The Cayenne, on the other hand, handles and brakes considerably better and relatively speaking also does so a lot better than the 1 ton when the trailer is attached. It has much bigger brakes and a far better suspension than the 1 ton, so it is no surprise. I have towed with both TVs and strictly from a handling and braking perspective the Cayenne is far superior.

The big downside with the Cayenne is the cargo capacity. You have to travel light to make sure you stay within it's weight restrictions, which is a huge pain if you want to bring along anything more than the bare essentials. Extra gear, like bikes, generator, extra propane, etc, all stay behind. The other is power. There is no substitution for the power of an HD diesel. Even the power of a twin turbo V8, while impressive, does not hold a candle.

Again, it is worth mentioning, all this depends on a proper WD and trailer brake setup. Without this, all bets are off and the 1 ton wins out every time.

And by the way, 90% of the many thousands of TT towing miles I have experienced is in the Rockies and the West coasts Highway 101. I have also logged many miles in a Kenworth, so I have some sense of what towing is about.

[J. Morgan]

Originally Posted by thewarden

It is indeed funny how these threads tend to morph into something that has little to do with the OPs original post.

I don't think the Sport SUV crowd is trying to convince anyone their SUV's are safer, although a properly set up Sport ute that is within all of its weight capacities is indeed a very safe towing vehicle. I speak from personal experience. In addition to a Cayenne, I also own a 1 ton SWD GMC Duramax. I can tell you that the Cayenne handles and brakes considerable better than the 1 ton, by a good margin. In short, the 1 ton handles and brakes like a pig. It is heavy, and top heavy, so that is expected. Hooking up a 6500 lb trailer to the 1 ton does not, by some miracle, make it handle or brake better.

The Cayenne, on the other hand, handles and brakes considerably better and relatively speaking also does so a lot better than the 1 ton when the trailer is attached. It has much bigger brakes and a far better suspension than the 1 ton, so it is no surprise. I have towed with both TVs and strictly from a handling and braking perspective the Cayenne is far superior.

The big downside with the Cayenne is the cargo capacity. You have to travel light to make sure you stay within it's weight restrictions, which is a huge pain if you want to bring along anything more than the bare essentials. Extra gear, like bikes, generator, extra propane, etc, all stay behind. The other is power. There is no substitution for the power of an HD diesel. Even the power of a twin turbo V8, while impressive, does not hold a candle.

Again, it is worth mentioning, all this depends on a proper WD and trailer brake setup. Without this, all bets are off and the 1 ton wins out every time.

And by the way, 90% of the many thousands of TT towing miles I have experienced is in the Rockies and the West coasts Highway 101. I have also logged many miles in a Kenworth, so I have some sense of what towing is about.

I've observed that many of us who have driven very large vehicles a lot, don't feel the need for a "bigger is better" approach to our tow vehicles, while many people who are kinda newer to towing kinda wan't the biggest tow vehicle as is practical.

There isn't anything wrong with either approach, it's just that different people want different things for different reasons.

(And oh, my 1/2 ton kicks a$$.... )

[Mr. Merk]

Originally Posted by thewarden

It is indeed funny how these threads tend to morph into something that has little to do with the OPs original post.

I don't think the Sport SUV crowd is trying to convince anyone their SUV's are safer, although a properly set up Sport ute that is within all of its weight capacities is indeed a very safe towing vehicle. I speak from personal experience. In addition to a Cayenne, I also own a 1 ton SWD GMC Duramax. I can tell you that the Cayenne handles and brakes considerable better than the 1 ton, by a good margin. In short, the 1 ton handles and brakes like a pig. It is heavy, and top heavy, so that is expected. Hooking up a 6500 lb trailer to the 1 ton does not, by some miracle, make it handle or brake better.

The Cayenne, on the other hand, handles and brakes considerably better and relatively speaking also does so a lot better than the 1 ton when the trailer is attached. It has much bigger brakes and a far better suspension than the 1 ton, so it is no surprise. I have towed with both TVs and strictly from a handling and braking perspective the Cayenne is far superior.

The big downside with the Cayenne is the cargo capacity. You have to travel light to make sure you stay within it's weight restrictions, which is a huge pain if you want to bring along anything more than the bare essentials. Extra gear, like bikes, generator, extra propane, etc, all stay behind. The other is power. There is no substitution for the power of an HD diesel. Even the power of a twin turbo V8, while impressive, does not hold a candle.

Again, it is worth mentioning, all this depends on a proper WD and trailer brake setup. Without this, all bets are off and the 1 ton wins out every time.

And by the way, 90% of the many thousands of TT towing miles I have experienced is in the Rockies and the West coasts Highway 101. I have also logged many miles in a Kenworth, so I have some sense of what towing is about.

Very accurate post! I still feel like we're on topic. Looking at the Flying Cloud spec sheet you can go up to a 28' fully loaded and still be within the towing capacity of the VW/Audi/Porsche SUVs and for someone who hasn't ever towed or owned a truck, I think could be a good fit.

I hadn't ever towed before and quickly realized I didn't feel comfortable towing with my pickup. The Cayenne, in my opinion and from my experience was the perfect fit, do-it-all tow vehicle.

For whatever it's worth, my experience with the Cayenne was towing a 6000lb 24' to Banff, down through Glacier, Yellowstone and Colorado, so lots and lots of Rockies.

[crispyboy]

Originally Posted by thewarden

You have to travel light to make sure you stay within it's weight restrictions, which is a huge pain if you want to bring along anything more than the bare essentials. Extra gear, like bikes, generator, extra propane, etc, all stay behind.

I have no doubts that many SUV's can be set up to tow pretty good. It can work for those who don't want to purchase another vehicle and travel light.

But the quoted statement above immediately stops me from ever considering an SUV. When I take the pickup I have room to bring most of the things I intend on using during a trip. I am not one to sit around a campsite with my thumb stuck in my ear or other orifice, I like to be active. There is just too much utilitarian value in a pickup truck when used either camping, home/work/farm projects, off-roading or just a nice commuting vehicle. Trucks are nice enough these days to accomplish all the tasks without wanting something else. Sales figures seem to reflect this value even with prices equal to luxury SUV's.
I do find the tow vehicle topics interesting and the justification each brings to using a particular type of tow vehicle. It is interesting from the point of view in how different vehicles are set up with brakes, suspension, power and transmission options. As a bit of a gearhead this is all cool to me.

[thewarden]

Yup, different strokes for different folks. I suppose it all depends on the individuals intended use. For example, if my trip includes nothing but stays in RV parks or resorts and eating out is the order of the day, (glamping), then camp stoves, BBQs, axes, bikes, lawn chairs and the like, are not needed and we use the Cayenne. If we "camping" in Provincial campgrounds and State parks, then we like to bring all the things necessary for that activity and the truck is the only way to go. Of course this all assumes that you want to stay within your vehicles capacities. I have seen some SUVs obviously overloaded that it makes me want to ask what direction they are headed so I can be sure not to be in the vicinity.

We know folks who never "camp" in their TT so their choice of tow vehicle is different than others we know who only "camp" and bring lots of stuff with them and a truck is the only logical choice.

So, there is really no one size fits all. When choosing an appropriate tow vehicle, one needs to consider how they plan on using it and research their options before signing that sales agreement.

[Specsalot]

Interesting thread - Great advice. One size TV (or TT) clearly doesn't fit all. I'll be retiring in a few years. I'm planing to swap out TV's at that time. Will buy a used TV.

Right now I have a 'rare' TV - 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4WD LTD with the 3.0 L Mercedes diesel. Mated to my 2015 FC25'RB its a fair match. Being honest, the Cherokee rear suspension was as marginal as the breaks. The ride was improved when I fitted helper airbags and a remote-controlled compressor system to adjust bag pressures. I average around 14 MPG with this set up. No real difference between towing flats or in the NC mountains.

I want to move to a more substantial TV for more piece of mind. An eco-diesel will probably fill your bill, but be sure the rest of the running gear is up to the task.

Met an AS full timer least year who pulled a FC27FB. He had towed it over 1 million miles. His TV was a GMC Yukon Denali 6.2L gasser. He was just getting ready to trade for another Yukon Denali. He said he trades them at ~ 350k miles because they go that long without issues.

He said he never tows much above 60 MPH. His average mileage has been right around 16 mpg. With the variable displacement technology he has seen 27 MPG in the flats. In the mountains he said he's in the 12's.

One last comment - Diesel fuel quality in the US is a problem. Unless you are going to run bio-diesel (which has its own issues), be sure you run an additive that improves lubricity. In my Jeep, I use Stanadyne Performance Formula. It improves lubricity and also has a cetane booster that improves combustion.

Good Luck - Report back when you've made your decisions/purchases.

[Hibby]

I have owned several tow vehicles over the years, and currently own 2017 F350 Crew Cab Diesel 4x4, and tow a 2018 Classic 33. Our pickup has an A.R.E. Cap over the bed of the truck. This is our 4th Airstream and our 4th tow vehicle...

- we chose the pickup over an SUV because we have two dogs and love to hunt and fish. Dogs go in their kennel in the back of the truck when we travel, for their safety and our noses. A dog that’s been swimming or that got skunked is not fun to have in the tow vehicle with you.

- we chose the 4x4 because we hunt, but would choose this option even if we did not because it has been a huge help several times on soft ground when maneuvering the trailer.

- we chose diesel after having had a gasser before, as we increased the length and weight of our Airstream. It has HUGE amounts of torque and tows at about 1500 rpms at 65 mph. Their is never a problem going up or down hills or mountain passes... I used to break into a sweat with my V8 gasser. The engine brake on the diesel is an amazing and wonderful feature when going down the hill into Scranton, PA (whether you’re hauling an Airstream or bananas).

- we chose the crew cab for two reasons: Extra capacity in the cab for people or gear. Longer wheel base makes for greater stability and less sway when towing.

- we chose the shortbed over the long bed so we could still park without doing a three point turn every time.

- we chose the F350 over the F250 for the cargo capacity. With dogs, hunting gear, and a generator we wanted to know we were safe on weight.

- we put a cap on the truck to protect our dogs and gear from sun, rain, theft, etc.

- we use a Reese dual cam weight distribution hitch and have ZERO sway.

I highly recommend the diesel for your needs. Whether you choose a Ford, GM, or Dodge is mostly your preference. They are all great tow vehicles.

My reasons may or may not match yours, so take them or discard them based on your needs.

Hope this helps!

[Isuzusweet]

Originally Posted by pt.reyesfan

The most powerful diesel you can buy! ( One less issue to worry about.)

Towing power, true; only to be replace by a hundred other issues, like bad EGR, sensors that crap out, poor techs that haven't been trained on your diesel; mid year changes abound, expensive parts and labour.....the list goes on.

Cheers
Sidekick Tony

[ROBERT CROSS]

"Truck"...Pick-up's only need apply? 😂

No thank's....👍

Bob
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