Truck/tow vehicle advice

[Gibson3798]

Originally Posted by toothpull

I towed our 25 ft FC with Ram 1500.. loved the truck and absolutely no issues.. but with all of the mountain towing we do in the West I upgraded to a RAM 2500 Diesel.. and I love it.. 20,000 on it and all is perfect. I’m not sure where the negativity about Ram comes from. I now have the best Diesel engine with the Cummins . Granted the 3/4 ton may be overkill for my trailer but it is so nice descending some of those mountain passes!

Same here with a 1/2 ton Tundra and a 25'FC, my prior trailer, before getting the 28' International.

I could feel the Tundra getting pushed down some Smoky Mountain swithchbacks, so before heading to CO (still owning the FC) I made a trade with a forum member for his RAM 2500 Turbo Diesel. It was the best move I could have made, for all the reasons aforementioned in this thread.

We all make decisions on risk. How much to accept and how to mitigate or ignore. I enjoy reading both sides, but I only participate in the former.

[JayOhBee]

https://docs.google.com/document/u/1...0k/mobilebasic

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by Gibson3798

Same here with a 1/2 ton Tundra and a 25'FC, my prior trailer, before getting the 28' International.

I could feel the Tundra getting pushed down some Smoky Mountain swithchbacks, so before heading to CO (still owning the FC) I made a trade with a forum member for his RAM 2500 Turbo Diesel. It was the best move I could have made, for all the reasons aforementioned in this thread.

We all make decisions on risk. How much to accept and how to mitigate or ignore. I enjoy reading both sides, but I only participate in the former.

Great move! I am sure you appreciate the value of more control, power, braking, and overall payload!

[labans]

Many folks are buying a device that plugs into the OBDII receptacle and turns off the cylinder-killing on the Chevy/GMC 5.3 trucks. I have a customer who installed one on his '09 GMC Sierra 5.3 and it took care of a bunch of issues that were bothersome and unnecessary, including "ticking" noises.
Here is a link:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=range+afm...l_566fss96sz_e

[MichaelS]

My previous tow vehicle was a 5.3 Suburban. Towing a 29' Sovereign, 5300# dry wt., GVWR 6800. It would pull it but if there was any grade at all it worked the truck's and my asses off. I wouldn't want any part of the Rockies with that combo. The 2500HD diesel is a much more enjoyable tv.



jmo.

[RamRider]

I see no issue with the OP repairing his truck and towing on, his half ton is capable of managing his older and lighter AS. Considering new truck prices at this time repairing or replacing the engine with a new crate engine in his current truck is the best option. BTW do not underestimate the newer Rams based on hearsay - some of us would not own any other brand.

[drmox]

I am a big proponent of diesels, my TV is a Dodge 2500 Cummins, my daily driver is a BMW 328D, and my previous car was a VW TDI. Diesels are great, and I highly recommend them. So I can speak to all the positives and negatives associated with them. All the towing advantages have been well documented, but MPGs, power going up steep grades and engine braking coming down, can not be overstated.
Some notes on daily driving:
They take forever to warm up in the winter, don't count on heat/defrost until 10 minutes into your drive.
My BMW is remarkably quiet, but my Dodge needs to be shut down in a drive-thru in order to hear anything.
Resale value is off the charts; look to recoup a good 80% of the original diesel price premium at resale time.
My TDI made it with me until 265k miles and 12 years when I sold it for $2300, and upon last check with the guy who bought it, it's still chugging along. A gas fed Jetta would be dead and buried by now. And my 2003 Dodge is still with me at 320k on the odometer and making cross country trips.
People often bring up the price premium of diesel over gas, but all my vehicles have more than recouped that amount with better MPGs, especially the BMW, TDI, and the Dodge when towing.
Diesel mechanics are hard to find; many shops will say they just "don't do diesels".

[Blomb]

I have a 2019 chevy 1/2 ton with the max towing package, we pull a 25'RB, and have had no problems pulling or stopping. When pulling through mountains, the Rockies, and the Smokey, the trucks transmission will downshift on its own. For me it is one less thing I have to think about while driving.

[JMynes]

My previous truck was a 5.3 1500. When I bought the FC 27FB I towed from Florida to Maine and back. The truck did the job, but it just felt like it was maxed out.
I traded for the current F-250, very happy with it. Now I feel like I need a bigger trailer.