What to Buy, What to Buy

[robert987654]

Hi kids:

I am getting ready to purchase an Airstream 30' Classic.

Assuming money is no option, what would you recommend as the best towing vehicle??

And yes, we are considering Boondocking sometimes if that helps.

Thanks,

Bob

[cwf]

Welcome.

I use a 2500 HD, Silverado, Duramax, 4x4 for my 34'. I could tow with a 1500 gas model... but, this is my personal choice NOT to. Match your loaded weight to your TV.

Good luck!

[handn]

Any of the 3/4th ton trucks will work depending on your preference and who has the best deal.
I have an old Ford diesel Excursion which works fine. Were I buying new, I would go with a gasser for reasons of cost and fuel price differential.
I like a short bed. The long beds are huge and a pain to troll around the city.
I like 4x4 as I occasionally drive in snow and like to boondock off road. 4x4 will give you a little worse fuel economy and increased cost of maintenance.
Some tow a big trailer like the one you are acquiring with a half ton truck which may even have a tow rating close to the weight of your trailer. Once you factor in the tongue weight of your trailer, you will have very little capacity for loading other things like, you your wife and fuel, not including stuff which I always carry camping.
Since you are starting with a clean piece of paper, why not go with a 3/4 ton?

[TheDuke]

Even though I have owned GMC's since 2004, when I decided to look at a new tow vehicle last year, I had to go with Ford! Some of the main reasons were, Gen2 6.7 PowerStroke, longest list of options, best towing mirrors, largest interior, two tone paint, only one ton with 20" wheels just to name a few. So I ordered a 2015 F-350 4x4 King Ranch PowerStroke Crew Cab with every option and then added even more! I have not regretted the decision for one second! In my opinion, Tow Vehicles are much like a gun, "Always Bring Enough!"

[moosetags]

Originally Posted by bob f

Hi kids:

I am getting ready to purchase an Airstream 30' Classic.

Assuming money is no option, what would you recommend as the best towing vehicle??

And yes, we are considering Boondocking sometimes if that helps.

Thanks,

Bob

First off, welcome to the Forums. We're glad to have you with us.

As to your question, I would go with a 3/4 ton diesel. Research the brands and select you favorite. I would do a crew cab short bed with four wheel drive. I would put a nice matching topper on it for lots of carrying capacity.

Brian

[FishinHatteras]

I'm sorry Bob. Welcome to the forum. You're gonna hear an earful with a question like yours. Tons of choices out there, but with the size of your TT, you need a 3/4 ton truck.
I am with Brian, but I'm not a fan of the diesel just because of the cost of the fuel.
A good camper top will serve your needs well.
Good luck in your purchase, and remember it's the ADVENTURE that makes the memories!
Kiind regards,
Gavin

[dkottum]

How much traveling do you plan to do, full-time, part-time, weekends? What do you drive now? What year Airstream Classic? How many travelers with you when towing the Airstream? Pets? What other uses do you have for the tow vehicle when not towing the Airstream?

[dbj216]

I like my F-350 Super Duty diesel for towing our 34 Limited. I pull it with a new fangled no sway hitch. I average 13 mpg + /- 1 while towing. I haul way too much junk on our trips. My Super Duty weighs about 9000 loaded, and the trailer weighs about 9000 loaded. I have no disappointments with the Super Duty, it's doing everything I expected. It is a highly engineered vehicle. I live in a small town and have room at the grocery store parking lot. I would not enjoy this vehicle in a crowded city as a daily driver.

David

[Foiled Again]

Welcome, there are a plethora of good tow vehicles, and for a 30 foot Classic you can't go wrong with a 3/4 ton from any of the big three. I'll add one more question: How tall are you? If you're vertically challenged, seriously consider getting a bed slide as well as the topper. Having the ability to BRING the cargo to you rather than climbing up and down after it? Priceless. If you decide to carry a generator you can also bolt it to the slider, drop the tailgate, pull out the slider enough to let the exhaust escape and run it. Hiding it and bolting it down are both good ways to avoid theft, plus you can use it even when you don't have the Airstream.

As for the diesel vs. gas question. IMHO, Chevy has an awesome diesel truck, but I've chosen to go with gas because (a) easier to find fuel especially in a small town (b) truck is less expensive to buy (c) the break even point for price .. seems to be about 300,000 miles on the engine. A diesel can easily run that many miles... the body, and interior can require a major redo long before... and I get the itch for something newer every so often.

I've got a buddy in the answering service business who has a small generator to keep his business systems running in the event of a power outage. His RV generator runs the heat or air conditioning, and keeps the refrigerator operating.

[paiceman]

We now tow with a one ton F350 6.7 Diesel. We have towed with a 3/4 Ton F250 Diesel and a half ton Ecoboost F150. By far we prefer the F350. We use an equalizer hitch have little to no sway with the hitch and weight/suspension of the truck and like the diesel despite the added expense and work of a diesel.

Good luck, everyone on here has an opinion on which TV is the right one, take the info here, do some internet research and enjoy.

[AnnArborBob]

For casual "nearby" trips, you can safely tow an Airstream with a large SUV or 1/2 ton pickup, some "casual towers" even use mini vans and full size passenger vehicles.

But if you are planning extended trips (i.e., not just weekends and a couple of week long trips here and there) I would recommend a 3/4 ton diesel pickup truck with a cap so you can store a lot of your gear in the truck itself rather than the Airstream. We travel six to nine months of the year and go all over the place, and we have a F-250 diesel with a crew cab (i.e., 4 real doors) and an extended 8 foot bed. That's about the longest rig you can get @ 22 feet plus the hitch. We carry four bicycles and needed the room. If we didn't have the bikes I would likely have opted for a shorter bed, probably the 4 foot one.

Diesel vs. gas is not a money saving issue (operating a diesel is more expensive, especially with the current relative price of the two fuels) it's a performance issue. You can certainly can tow any Airstream with a gas vehicle, but towing with diesel is so much more comfortable in conditions other than flat roads. Don't let the diesel haters scare you with comments about DEF (diesel exhaust fluid.) DEF is available just about everywhere, is easier to add than window washer fluid and costs about $30.00 every 10,000 miles.

My dream vehicle (assuming no bikes) would be a diesel Range Rover. Unfortunately, the diesel is not available in the U.S. at the moment.

[Msmoto]

@AnnArborBob

Golly, I could not agree more...but maybe the new diesel Cayenne will be sorting to think about...

[FishinHatteras]

Maybe on 2nd thought... I just Google mapped Alamo, CA. I didn't realize you were that far N in the state of CA. I think Brian/Moosetags is correct in his diesel choice given your environment.
How much towing will you be doing in the mountainous regions of CA? There is no doubt that a diesel engine will serve you much better if you are constantly climbing or descending.
Sure, the cost to own a diesel is increased over a gas engine, but if you are up & down mountain ranges a majority of the time, a diesel engine should be your choice.
Good luck in whatever you choose.
Gavin

[m.hony]

I'm out-voted with my 30' Classic half ton pullin' self, bu I live in the Mississippi Delta-
See my avatar and my signature.

[Franswa]

There are many opinions on the suitability of certain German midsized suv's ability to serve as capable tow vehicles, unfortunitely a 30 foot airstream exceedes the tow rating, cargo capacity and gvw of a Cayenne. If you remove the airstream mistique and "German engineering" from many of these tow vehicle arguments the weight alone that is being towed unfortunitely often requires a full size pickup (German pickup if you prefer) or above.

[macofpei]

I have a '03 30 ft and I have a 2010 Toyota Crew Max. I have 75000 klms ( 46,000 miles) most are from towing. I have towed 30', 32 ' and 34' ASs and not a problem. Hills or valleys or trans versing between both. When I hook up, there isn't any discernible drop in the bumper height and both units sit straight. Starting and stopping are a breeze, even panic stops at highway speeds. As long as the brakes are set correctly, no worries.
As the old saying--" come big or stay home" applies to what you drive or tow and what you want to drive or tow. Options are like---- (another thread)

[mefly2]

Originally Posted by cwf

Welcome.

I use a 2500 HD, Silverado, Duramax, 4x4 for my 34'. I could tow with a 1500 gas model... but, this is my personal choice NOT to. Match your loaded weight to your TV.

Good luck!

+1 ... and add a cap/topper to the truck bed.
If you don't mind the additional expense of a 3/4 diesel, many would advise that it is better to be "over-trucked than under-trucked". We found that to be particularly true when towing a large displacement sailboat!
Welcome to the forums!

[sheriff1]

Just bought a 2015 F350 crew cab short bed. Averages 15 mpg towing 10k over hill n dale, 17+ empty, more than offsets V10 gas mpg i had prior, $ wise, Mtc. will be more but what a truck! Picking up a 27FB so towed weight will even be less.


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[Wingeezer]

When we bought our used Classic 30, I towed it home from Ohio to our place near Toronto with our 1/2 ton truck that I had used for previous shorter and much lighter non-Airstream trailer.

The 1/2 ton worked great with our previous trailer. In fact before buying the pickup truck, I had towed that previous trailer with a Safari minivan, and while it hd enough power, driving was always a bit of white knuckle affair. I always felt as though the tail was about to "wag the dog" at any minute. Moving up from the minivan to the heavier and longer pickup made for a much more relaxing experience when towing that trailer.

Now, when towing the longer & considerably heavier airstream home on that first trip with our half ton truck, I had that same feeling of being a bit on the edge of things. White knuckle time again! Power seemed ok, but then it as a pretty flat trip between the dealer in Ohio and our home!

I probably could have stuck with the half ton truck. It was rated to tow the weight - but only just - and perhaps if I had bought a Hensley or Propride hitch for it that might have made things better.

At the time however, based on my experience towing the Airstream home on that first trip, I decided that especially since by then I was retired and planned on long trips each year, I was only going around once, so might as well treat myself and do things right (at least my version of right!)

I opted for a 3/4 ton crew cab diesel with Hensley hitch. No more white knuckles and towing is a very enjoyable and relaxed experience and for me it was certainly the right decision - we have used this truck now since 2008 when I bought it new.

You will perhaps hear from some people who tow with much much lighter vehicles - often not rated by the manufacturer to tow such large trailers.

From what I have read from them, they seem to be totally satisfied and I have no reason to disbelieve them nor to criticize. We each have to make our own decisions as to what is right for us!.

I suppose that despite living in Canada, I fall into the group that feels that you cannot have enough tow vehicle. Not only is the journey so relaxed, but I have never felt the tow vehicle to be anywhere near being "challenged" even towing through mountain substantial ranges.

Personally I also feel it is safer. No doubt others might feel this to be an illusion, maybe it is, but that is still the way I feel, and I think with some justification!

Being a bit of a worry wart, I would also feel nervous about liability issues if I were in a mishap when charge of a tow vehicle not rated by its manufacturer to tow the weight of trailer behind me! To be truthful however, I have not heard of anyone getting into legal problems in this regard so perhaps it just does not happen.

You will often read advice on this forum that using 3/4 or 1 ton trucks with their suspension is likely to cause damage to cause trailer.

I cannot state this to be untrue and perhaps in the longer term, it might well be a factor.

I can only comment from my own experience towing over 30,000 miles with the 3/4 ton truck, I have yet to see any evidence of damage yet.

Incidentally, we also use the truck as our daily driver. Granted at times it can be a bit of a pig to park, but not really a big deal - my wife, under five feet, drives it more than I do without problem!

Good luck with whatever you decided upon!

Brian.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, if cost is no object, I would buy a Kenworth or a Freightliner. In reality, you should buy a 250 / 2500 or a 350 / 450 / 3500 truck.