Tow Vehicle

[Kharrelson]

We just ordered a 30 ft bunkhouse. We have an SUV we have used to tow a smaller trailer but it will not be able to tow this beast. What are people loving? We currently have our eye on a Truck-I’m leaning Chevy. Is a 1500 enough?

[JayOhBee]

Welcome and congratulations! There are many threads discussing this exact question and in fact one that is currently active right now here: https://www.airforums.com/forums/f23...on-218037.html take a look and chime in.

[Hans627]

Originally Posted by Kharrelson

We just ordered a 30 ft bunkhouse. We have an SUV we have used to tow a smaller trailer but it will not be able to tow this beast. What are people loving? We currently have our eye on a Truck-I’m leaning Chevy. Is a 1500 enough?

FIrst of all, welcome to the forum. It's great to have you with us. And I think you will love the bunkhouse. How long till you have it?

Based on my experience with a 1/2 ton gas truck and a 3/4 ton diesel truck, towing a 25' and a 27' AS with both, I would get a 3/4 ton diesel. Some like gas better than diesel.

When I decided to buy a 3/4 ton I test drove them all and found the RAM with Cummins diesel to be our choice. But they are all good!

[Kharrelson]

Originally Posted by Hans627

FIrst of all, welcome to the forum. It's great to have you with us. And I think you will love the bunkhouse. How long till you have it?

Based on my experience with a 1/2 ton gas truck and a 3/4 ton diesel truck, towing a 25' and a 27' AS with both, I would get a 3/4 ton diesel. Some like gas better than diesel.

When I decided to buy a 3/4 ton I test drove them all and found the RAM with Cummins diesel to be our choice. But they are all good!

We are supposed to get it June/July-hoping sooner!

[Daquenzer]

Search the threads. You will find lots of opinions. This is a constant source of “contention” on this forum.

[JohnandDonna]

We have a 30' International (just under 9k lbs) and use a 2020 Ram 2500 MegaCab with the 6.4 Hemi and 4.10 limited slip rear end with air suspension. We looked at 1/2 ton trucks and while you can tow with them, you are in the upper range of capacity. The 3/4 ton gives excess capacity and much more confidence going down the road. Test drive both and you will feel how much stiffer the 3/4 ton is. Also, if you tow 12k or less, gas is a good alternative. Diesels are great for towing heavy but they cost about 10 grand more, higher maintenance costs, not to mention you need to use that damn diesel emissions fluid. The big Hemi tows great both grades and flats. In addition you will want to consider cab comfort, for your and passengers. The MegaCab gives us much more room in the back. Also the Ram interior was light years nicer than any other truck on the market. Remember, you're going to be spending a lot of time in there so you want to be comfortable.

[mefly2]

Ask yourself if this will be a dedicated tow vehicle or if you will also use it as a DD.
If cost is no object and maximum safety and comfort is what you want, the 3/4 T in either gas or diesel was our choice. If you will use the TV for other purposes, consider the 1/2.
We have gone from F150 to Ram 3/4 to GM 3/4 and now back to a 1/2 GM ... but we tow a MUCH shorter trailer ...YMMV.

[Dennis C]

I'd buy a GM HD truck (2500 or 3500) for a 30-footer.

[jaybauman]

The 30Bunk is a front-heavy trailer. My tongue weight was 1200lbs when loaded up for a camping trip. This means that a lot of your payload bandwidth is already taken, before you add wife, kids, dog, firewood, etc. to your tow vehicle.

You'll get a whole plethora of opinionated responses to your question. I towed mine with a GMC Duramax, which did a phenomenal job. When towing an RV, it's a good idea to have a tow vehicle that weights more than the trailer.

[Bobbo]

For a 23', a 1500 is fine
For a 25', a 1500 is pushing the limits
For a 27', at least a 2500 is needed.

[Daquenzer]

All I will say that if you choose a 1/2 ton I would get a Propride Hitch for sure. I don’t know what your tongue weight would be with the hitch. Front bedrooms tend to be tongue heavy which could be problematic. I have a rear bedroom so I can keep my tongue at around 950lbs. I tow with an F150 (2020) with Ecoboost Max Tow Haul. Tows great. The difference between a 25’ and a 28’ is maybe 300lbs. I think if you have a heavy tongue with a 30’ trailer you may need a 3/4 ton due to payload issues. It’s not because a 1/2 ton can’t pull the weight of a 30’. It can. But if your tongue weight with hitch hits 1400lbs that’s 3/4 ton territory.