Shopping the best truck to tow a 5th wheel

Peg Leg wrote:
My 5er has the same GVWR as what your considering. I'm right at the towing limit but nowhere near the weight limit. Any gas engine for this size will need a low gear ratio (higher number) I ordered mine with the 4.10 gears as they are hard to find on a lot. I've drove SRW's with a 5er but the dually is the way to go for stability especially in the mountains. With 5,000 lb payload, I don't need to worry about over loading it.

I haven't had mine out west but Appalachians haven't presented me any problems. I wouldn't tow it up Pike's Peak either, been there with 11,000 lbs & truck camper. No problems just would not try it with a trailer.

I don't use the tow/haul mode very often. The shift points are to high for my driving style. I do use it for descents for the braking assist. I have almost 50,000 mi on the truck with over 30% of that towing. I really wanted a big block motor, but have been pleased with the 6.0 and 6 speed combo.

Good luck on finding the right rig for you and many happy miles to you.

Don't know about the most modern engines, but most gassers will actually get =better= mileage (yes, it's relative when towing, but noticeable) if you do run the RPM up higher, or let it =stay= high when climbing a grade; just slow down to match the RPM. The engine will work =less= hard at a higher RPM because you'll be in the power band rather than trying to use the torque at a lower RPM. I've seen it first-hand, though it was quite a few years ago with an old 3/4 ton TBI gasser I had when still farming. My dad and I towed a big trailer to our property in CA and he'd run one gear lower (Turbo 400 with GearVendor OD) than me and consistently got 1-1.5 mpg better than I did over the trip.

Lyle