Towing With F150 or Ram 1500 - Which One?

[tjdonahoe]

My 07 dodge with 6.7 and 6 speed auto don't care what kind of load it has, it just goes... Like my 500 hp cat ....to the west coast in 9 days...

[BW1]

Wow, I never thought I would receive so much info on helping me decide which truck to purchase... which is why I posted the question to people who actually use these trucks with their Airstream.

I am almost certain after looking at both trucks,and I currently have a 2010 F150 Lariat 4x4 with 5.4L, I really liked the Ram Laramie level with 5.7L Hemi.

Looks like both trucks will do the job, and I certainly learned lots about payload of the vehicle. I can see F150 has a little more, so I will have to watch some options, such as a sunroof for example on the Ram.

Remember I only go out for about 6 weeks of the year, and the rest of the time it is an occasional driver ��.

Now one of the most important things I was not thinking about was color!

Currently have Tuxedo Black, and love that color, but an awesome silver, maroon, pearl blue or even black.... will do!

Cannot wait to get a new truck.... and thanks for all your help ��

[BoldAdventure]

I always ask how will you use the vehicle first, and then which one feels the most comfortable to you. I originally narrowed it down to the Ford & Ram both the Lariat & Laramie. I liked the Ram interior personally how it felt and made my decision.

The other things were factors, but at the end of the day you end up with what you like best. I recall the Ford we were considering had some more payload, and the wife liked the seats, but I just liked our first Ram.

Good luck with your decision.

[Siegmann]

Originally Posted by BW1

Wow, I never thought I would receive so much info on helping me decide which truck to purchase... which is why I posted the question to people who actually use these trucks with their Airstream.

I am almost certain after looking at both trucks,and I currently have a 2010 F150 Lariat 4x4 with 5.4L, I really liked the Ram Laramie level with 5.7L Hemi.

Looks like both trucks will do the job, and I certainly learned lots about payload of the vehicle. I can see F150 has a little more, so I will have to watch some options, such as a sunroof for example on the Ram.

Remember I only go out for about 6 weeks of the year, and the rest of the time it is an occasional driver ��.

Now one of the most important things I was not thinking about was color!

Currently have Tuxedo Black, and love that color, but an awesome silver, maroon, pearl blue or even black.... will do!

Cannot wait to get a new truck.... and thanks for all your help ��

One more factor, although probably a minor one. Dealer service. Most new trucks are very reliable, but every so often folks end up with a vehicle that needs more than just routine service. If you decide that the Ford vs Ram decision is a toss-up, you might consider reading all the on-line reviews of the two different dealers you would probably go to for service and see if there is a great disparity in client satisfaction. You're not likely to need much service, so this suggestion is really on the margin.

[GettinAway]

One other thing to consider, is resale value. I have not seen that mentioned in this thread. In the old days (70s) I do not think the Dodge had the resale value of a Ford, I imagine that has changed, as these days I sure see a lot more Dodge trucks around.
I'm curious as to why you didn't consider GM? I borrowed one the other day (1500) and was impressed with how it drove.

[crispyboy]

Originally Posted by GettinAway

One other thing to consider, is resale value. I have not seen that mentioned in this thread. In the old days (70s) I do not think the Dodge had the resale value of a Ford, I imagine that has changed, as these days I sure see a lot more Dodge trucks around.

Well - The 70's were 40 years ago, things change, my Brady Bunch plaid pants aren't worth as much and time does slip by...............

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by GettinAway

One other thing to consider, is resale value. I have not seen that mentioned in this thread. In the old days (70s) I do not think the Dodge had the resale value of a Ford, I imagine that has changed, as these days I sure see a lot more Dodge trucks around.
I'm curious as to why you didn't consider GM? I borrowed one the other day (1500) and was impressed with how it drove.

Our 2012 (Dodge) Ram Hemi Reg Cab at 50k miles was two weeks ago allowed within $4500 of what we paid for it new, on trade-in. The dealer then certified it and priced it at $1000 less we paid for it new, and sold it in a few days.

[Bruce B]

I believe that trucks in general have great retained value, especially compared to an average automobile.
Everyone in the business that I've asked says that diesels are even better.
Bruce

[tncbeebe]

Originally Posted by BW1

Well, the time is finally here to get our new truck to pull our 1991 29ft Excella, which I believe has a GVWR of 6900 pounds, dry weight 5500??
The question being…which truck and what engine?

I did so much research my head is spinning and I thought my fellow Airstreamers might have an answer for me.

Looking at 2016 F150 4x4 Crew Cab with 3.5L EcoBoost with 145" WB. The GCWR(Gross Combined Weight Rating), of both the Airstream loaded up as well as the truck loaded up is 16,900 pounds. The towing capacity is 11,500 pounds.
HP on the 3.5L is 365 and torque 420.

I was all over this truck, then I read some very bad reviews of this engine on Ford F150 Forums mind you a few years earlier, but have they fixed the problem?? I am now thinking this is not the engine to go with.

Now looking at the same F150 with the 5.0L TI-VCT, 385HP and 387 pounds of torque. It's GCWR is 16,200 pounds and Towing capacity is 10,900 pounds.

Looked at 2016 Dodge Ram 1500 with 5.7L Hemi 395HP and 410 pounds of torque. It's GCWR is 15950 pounds and towing capacity is 10,160 pounds.

This info is all from the current Ford and Ram brochure, so I hope I have deciphered it correctly.

The real question is will any of these trucks do the tow job with little or no issues, meaning lack of power and actual capability, for my trusty old 29 footer?

Any feedback will be helpful from other owners. I know there are awesome salespeople out there, but some just want a sale.

I just got back to Ocean Shores from Reno pulling my 1972 25' Tradewinds through the high mountains of Shasta National Forest and also through Lassen National Forest, we hit pretty close to 6000 ft ele. My 2014 Dodge hemi didn't miss a beat. Of course it went from and average of 20mpg unloaded to 10mpg with the trailer. The Dodge rides like my ML350, smooth and quite.

[jonnie3]

Originally Posted by BW1

Well, the time is finally here to get our new truck to pull our 1991 29ft Excella, which I believe has a GVWR of 6900 pounds, dry weight 5500??
The question being…which truck and what engine?

I did so much research my head is spinning and I thought my fellow Airstreamers might have an answer for me.

Looking at 2016 F150 4x4 Crew Cab with 3.5L EcoBoost with 145" WB. The GCWR(Gross Combined Weight Rating), of both the Airstream loaded up as well as the truck loaded up is 16,900 pounds. The towing capacity is 11,500 pounds.
HP on the 3.5L is 365 and torque 420.

I was all over this truck, then I read some very bad reviews of this engine on Ford F150 Forums mind you a few years earlier, but have they fixed the problem?? I am now thinking this is not the engine to go with.

Now looking at the same F150 with the 5.0L TI-VCT, 385HP and 387 pounds of torque. It's GCWR is 16,200 pounds and Towing capacity is 10,900 pounds.

Looked at 2016 Dodge Ram 1500 with 5.7L Hemi 395HP and 410 pounds of torque. It's GCWR is 15950 pounds and towing capacity is 10,160 pounds.

This info is all from the current Ford and Ram brochure, so I hope I have deciphered it correctly.

The real question is will any of these trucks do the tow job with little or no issues, meaning lack of power and actual capability, for my trusty old 29 footer?

Any feedback will be helpful from other owners. I know there are awesome salespeople out there, but some just want a sale.

DO NOT RELY SOLEY ON TOWING CAPACITY. I did and bought a new 2015 Tundra Limited Crew Max 4X4. It has approx the same payload as F150 or RAM 1500. The tongue weight on my 25FB is 836, but add in the hitch-work/WD and now Im at 1000 lbs. Add my 200 lb Snugtop shell and two adults sitting in front and I am already over both GVWR by almost 500 lbs and GAWR by over 130 lbs. I can't put anything in the bed of my truck in order to keep the weight down. A RAM 2500 4X4 Mega Cab 6.4 Hemi will give me 2800 lbs of payload (the one I looked at). I hope this helps. I wish my local Airstream dealer had considered more than towing capacity before highly recommending this track to me.

[m.hony]

How much do you want for the Tundra?


Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

[RFP]

We just returned from our very first outing with our new-to-us 2014 International Serenity 23D. The new 2015 Ford 3.5 EcoBoost with Max Tow package performed fantastically. Even driving through the Texas Hill Country, we could easily accelerate up any hill we encountered. The 145" wheelbase was a great match with the twenty-three footer. The Reese "SC" hitch with 800 pound spring bars seems to be a perfect set-up. Gas mileage was just over 13.5 towing.

While out, we had the [connected] truck and trailer weighed. The truck was 5,680 pounds and the trailer 4,680 pounds. We were well under our "door sticker" GVWR of 6,800 pounds.

Obviously, the F150 works for us.

Rob

[pappy19]

The F-150 is THE most popular vehicle, not just trucks, sold in America. There is a reason for this and it all boils down to personal preference. Another reason for me is that GM and Dodge still owe the Government from the bailout, but that's another story.

[BoldAdventure]

I'm sure Ford's long-standing history of inflating sales numbers to make that claim with fleet sales has nothing to do with it: http://www.fool.com/investing/genera...-inflated.aspx

Also all the TARP money has been repaid. Stop the spin.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-me...all-loans-it-/

http://www.chevyhardcore.com/news/ed...-yes-they-did/

[RamblinManGa]

Hi from AZ. . . remember, opinions are like. . . noses, everybody has one. I know Bold loves his Dodge, Mr Hony loves his Tundra, I'm very happy with my Ford. . . no spin, you're writing the check, you buy what suits you, yes ? Good luck, Craig

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by jonnie3

DO NOT RELY SOLEY ON TOWING CAPACITY. I did and bought a new 2015 Tundra Limited Crew Max 4X4. It has approx the same payload as F150 or RAM 1500. The tongue weight on my 25FB is 836, but add in the hitch-work/WD and now Im at 1000 lbs. Add my 200 lb Snugtop shell and two adults sitting in front and I am already over both GVWR by almost 500 lbs and GAWR by over 130 lbs. I can't put anything in the bed of my truck in order to keep the weight down. A RAM 2500 4X4 Mega Cab 6.4 Hemi will give me 2800 lbs of payload (the one I looked at). I hope this helps. I wish my local Airstream dealer had considered more than towing capacity before highly recommending this track to me.

These numbers would look completely different with a properly set up weight distribution hitch, and actually weighed at a scale. A bed shell is not a good choice if your trying to manage truck weights for towing a mid-size Airstream, a tonneau will do.

Trying to justify a different truck it's not hard to find a reason. But your 1/2 ton Tundra is favorite among hundreds of Airstreamers with larger Airstreams than yours. It will work well out of the box, but a properly set up w.d. hitch, and in some cases adjusting loads in truck and/or Airstream, can make it exceptional.

A larger truck will not ride, handle, or maneuver as well, there are trade-offs. Learn to adjust and manage your loads, and get a quality w.d. hitch set up properly.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by BoldAdventure

I'm sure Ford's long-standing history of inflating sales numbers to make that claim with fleet sales has nothing to do with it: http://www.fool.com/investing/genera...-inflated.aspx

Hi, a sell is a sell; And Ford is not the only one counting fleet sales. And fleet sales are discounted? I didn't pay list for my Ford. Did you pay list for your Dodge?

[jonnie3]

Trading it in

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by jonnie3

Trading it in

I guess we knew that, just trying to help others who might be reading the thread. The half-tons are good matches for Airstream, not always for the people who use them.

Especially good if they already own one and are concerned about budget.

[Bruce B]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, a sell is a sell; And Ford is not the only one counting fleet sales. And fleet sales are discounted? I didn't pay list for my Ford. Did you pay list for your Dodge?

One thing I noticed as I was shopping for trucks these past few months was that in particular, the Ford F-150 had fewer discounts offered. The price of a loaded Platinum F-150 was pretty close to what I paid for my loaded Ram 2500.

I didn't want an F-150 this time but I did shop them... Heck I shopped everything! Ford seems to be getting the dollars for the higher spec'd versions anyway!

Bruce