Am I Crazy or Just Overthinking

[Pappy3393]

This is decision week on an AS and TV. We have our eyes on a FC28 RB but willing to go with a FC25 if it means a more safe and enjoyable towing experience. My instincts are to go with a GM Sahara 1500 with a large V8 and the max towing package. I considered the 2500 Sahara but I just can’t get myself to believe that it will be a good vehicle for everyday driving, especially for my wife. We would also have to park the 2500 outside and here in central Texas we are prone to severe weather and hail storms. BUT, I do not want to compromise on safety. I have read a lot of comments about TV’s on this forum and frankly I come away more confused after reading them. Our travels will be mostly within Texas but our plan is to take 2 longer trips per year to Colorado, New Mexico, or even western NY state where some of our family resides. I anticipate that most of our trips will be 3-5 days in Texas maybe 1-2 times per month at the most. I appreciate any thoughts or suggestions that may help me make the final decision and be able to sleep at night. Thank you.

[BigSxyWhtGuy]

Yes, there are a ton of threads on here for Tow Vehicles and it can be extremely confusing and subjective. Just wait until you start bringing up weight distribution setups... can of worms.

Basically, you want to be aware of capability of your tow vehicle getting up and down hills especially since you’re looking at Colorado. You will be mostly okay in TX with any of your choices.

If your Tow Vehicle struggles to make it up the hill, you’ll also likely struggle to come down safely. We enjoy our 2500 diesel for our 30ft classic and wouldn’t do it differently, this is definitely subjective and my own opinion. The engine break is great and we rarely engage the breaks while towing as a result, even heading down hill.

Remember, good enough seldom is when it comes to the extremes in tow examples. You’ll want to go off of comfort and safety when it comes to towing and make the daily driving something you adjust to vs pairing the truck and trailer with daily driving in mind and having a good enough thought with towing.

Hope this helps and doesn’t muddy the water too much.

[PeterH-350LE]

Originally Posted by Pappy3393

This is decision week on an AS and TV. We have our eyes on a FC28 RB but willing to go with a FC25 if it means a more safe and enjoyable towing experience. My instincts are to go with a GM Sahara 1500 with a large V8 and the max towing package. I considered the 2500 Sahara but I just can’t get myself to believe that it will be a good vehicle for everyday driving, especially for my wife. We would also have to park the 2500 outside and here in central Texas we are prone to severe weather and hail storms. BUT, I do not want to compromise on safety. I have read a lot of comments about TV’s on this forum and frankly I come away more confused after reading them. Our travels will be mostly within Texas but our plan is to take 2 longer trips per year to Colorado, New Mexico, or even western NY state where some of our family resides. I anticipate that most of our trips will be 3-5 days in Texas maybe 1-2 times per month at the most. I appreciate any thoughts or suggestions that may help me make the final decision and be able to sleep at night. Thank you.

confused about the Sahara, did you mean the Sierra pickup or Savana van?
I have been pulling 34' and 30' Airstreams with a 3500 extended Chevy Van with a 6.2 gas engine for many years. I have been up and down many 10k mountain passes pulling the 8k 30' . No issues, just have to go into Manual and keep your foot of the brakes when doing the mountains, up and down.

If you can't or don't want to go with a diesel, go with the 2500 with the new 6.6l engine. Everything is beefier and you have more payload. Just remember, the heavier the tow vehicle the "softer" the tow bars have to be!! Don't let anyone talk you into 1200 or 1400 pound tow bars, it will tear your trailer up.

[Pappy3393]

I did mean Sierra - GMC 1500

[Dennis C]

My tow vehicle is a GMC Denali 1500 crew cab, 4x4. It has the 5.3 V8 and an 8-speed transmission. I find that it does very well in Colorado with my 23 FB, even on steep grades. The engine provides maximum torque around 4,100 RPM, so manually shifting and keeping the engine in the optimal power band makes a big difference on steep grades. Coming down a steep grade, a gasoline engine will certainly help with engine braking, but nothing like a diesel engine. It’s important to use a combination of downshifting and brakes to keep speed under control. Fortunately, the new 1500 series trucks are now available with a smaller version of the Duramax diesel (smaller compared to the HD trucks) that seems like a nice option.

Based on my experience in the mountains, I would personally opt for an HD truck for a 25-foot or bigger trailer. I think you can make a 1500 series truck work with a 25-footer, but it’s not something I’d enjoy based on how I like to tow/camp. For a trailer that size or bigger, I’d buy a 2500 series truck with a Duramax diesel.

That’s my advice based on my personal experience. Remember, the advice you get on web forums is worth exactly what you pay for it. It’s up to you to decide what rig and what truck work for you.