Need some info on a new truck

therink wrote:
Make sure you get 3:73 rear axle.

With a gas engine powered truck the 4.10 gears provide a 25% increase in tow rating as compared to the 3.73 gears, faster accelleration for merging onto a highway, and more passing capability.

The truck manufacturers with the exception of Toyota use gears that are too tall but help them meet the federal CAFE fleet average - very important when more than half the vehicles they sell as with Ford, are trucks.

GordonThree wrote:
If you lean toward a Chevy (or GMC) look at the "Snow plow prep package" ... it's a cheap option, but it gives you a bunch of useful stuff... bigger alternator or dual alternators, room for an extra battery, bigger air cleaner, bigger trans cooler and some skid plates.

she already bought.....DONE DEAL

If you lean toward a Chevy (or GMC) look at the "Snow plow prep package" ... it's a cheap option, but it gives you a bunch of useful stuff... bigger alternator or dual alternators, room for an extra battery, bigger air cleaner, bigger trans cooler and some skid plates.

NanciL wrote:
the other day I asked about truck pricing, and now I have some decent prices, on A Ford F-150 and Chevy 1500. V-8's
I am pulling a 6000 pound travel trailer.
I am not mechanically inclined - Is there anything special I should look for in the transmission and drive train, etc ?

Jack L

On the forums here - you might be better off posting in the Tow Vehicle forum.

Suggest you also visit any of the *brand specific* forums for each *brand* you are considering.

Several choices for each. (use Google to find them)

Why?
You won't have brand bashing which happens on "generic" forums.
You won't have suggestions to order something only available on
a different brand than the one/s you are considering.

Check what *owners* have to say about their vehicles.

Check for problems ("Help!") sections. How many, trips back to
the dealer for warranty work, down time, etc.

Most of those sites will also have a towing forum.

~

WoodGlue wrote:

mayo30 wrote:

WoodGlue wrote:
A nice long transmission cooler and a good drive train warranty. I'll assume that you'll be buying it with a towing package so the tranny cooler should be standard. Also make sure you have a nice hefty oil cooler.

WoodGlue

Are you saying an engine oil cooler,power steering oil cooler don't quite understand this oil cooler comment.

I'm saying engine oil cooler to keep the oil cool. This will help explain what an engine oil cooler is and how it works and what it does:

Engine Oil Coolers standard equipment on my Land Rover but I'm uncertain at what point in trucks they start adding them for trucks built in the USA.

WoodGlue

That Lance must really be heavy.

dspencer wrote:

therink wrote:
Make sure you get 3:73 rear axle.

Unfortunately the 3.73 rear end is no longer available in the GM 1500 line up. You have to get the 3.42 but with the 6 speed transmission you will not need the 3.73. My 12 Silverado with the 3.42 rear end and 5.3 V8 with the trailering package is great at pulling 6000 lbs anywhere i want to go and i go all over the Ozarks with it.

That was his way to say get the Ford


if you got 8 good years out of the Ford, why change

I have a 2013 Silverado....not towing big weight, but the Tow/Haul Mode is great.....transmission braking on grades, holds the brakes for a couple of seconds while you go for the gas pedal to avoid rolling back, and of course holds it in gear for higher shifts

Vulcaneer wrote:

JackL wrote:
- Is there anything special I should look for in the transmission and drive train, etc ?

Get the "towing option." Should include oil coolers, Trans coolers, Larger Radiator, Maybe heavier springs, make sure the heavy duty hitch receiver is included. Get the lowest Rear Axle ratio highest numerical number) you can. See if you can option in a brake controller. Get the strongest engine you can. If you are towing just weekends and short range vacations this 1500 might be OK.

Jack not to be facetious. But you might want to look for a 250/2500 HD for that load. I know it's more money. It will be better suited for towing that load, so actually may work out to be less than a fully optioned 1500. But it will much easier handle that load, if doing some serious long range towing. And optioned for towing, with brake controller.

I am not interest in a bigger truck.
I have been towing the trailer now with a F-150 with a Triton V-8 for the past eight years and it is doing fine.

An interesting point. When I first bought the F-150. The salesman thought I should get the F-250 with the V-8 and let me try a demo one to pull the trailer. It pulled it, but I got to thinking that
With the same engine in the smaller F-150, it should pull it even better. The next day they let me take the F-150, and I was right. it pulled it good and I have been happy with it ever since.
All the extra weight of the F-250 was eating up the power of the V-8.

It is a shame that my F-150, body is rusting away from the salt water where we winter every year in Florida. the truck only has 118,000 miles on it.
I was thinking of having all the rust fixed, but the body shop said it would be too much and was rusting from the inside of the various panels and their repair job wouldn't last

Jack L

mayo30 wrote:

WoodGlue wrote:
A nice long transmission cooler and a good drive train warranty. I'll assume that you'll be buying it with a towing package so the tranny cooler should be standard. Also make sure you have a nice hefty oil cooler.

WoodGlue

Are you saying an engine oil cooler,power steering oil cooler don't quite understand this oil cooler comment.

I'm saying engine oil cooler to keep the oil cool. This will help explain what an engine oil cooler is and how it works and what it does:

Engine Oil Cooler

It was standard equipment on my Land Rover but I'm uncertain at what point in trucks they start adding them for trucks built in the USA.

WoodGlue

WoodGlue wrote:
A nice long transmission cooler and a good drive train warranty. I'll assume that you'll be buying it with a towing package so the tranny cooler should be standard. Also make sure you have a nice hefty oil cooler.

WoodGlue

Are you saying an engine oil cooler,power steering oil cooler don't quite understand this oil cooler comment.