buying new truck, assistance needed
New to the camping world and I purchased a 2010 34' Flagstaff that weighs around 7000#. I am needing to purchase a new truck. I will be pulling it maybe 6-10 times a year pretty close to home (200 m...
Forum Discussion
Two things that will make a truck a better tow truck: high payload and an engine with lots of low-rpm torque.
More limiting than a truck's tow capacity, is it's payload. You will want at least 12% of a travel trailer's loaded weight on the hitch ball for good, stable towing. So, for example, if your *loaded* trailer weighs 8500# (well within many "half-ton" tow capacity), you will want at least 1000# on the truck's hitch. Can the truck carry that? It also has to carry you, passengers, tools firewood and so on. Check the yellow payload sticker on the door-jamb to find out how much your truck can carry.
The more low-end torque your engine has, the less rpms it needs to tow that heavy trailer. The alternative is high torque at high rpm typical of most gas engines. Cruising at low rpms makes for a much more pleasant and easy tow.
Diesels are excellent for this. Lots of low-end torque and great gas mileage, but high initial cost and ongoing costs. Ford's Ecoboost 3.5L engine also has great low-end torque and fair gas mileage when not towing.
My current favourite tow truck is the Ford F150 with the Ecoboost engine and HD Payload Package. The HD Payload Package puts it somewhere between the base F150 and F250 in payload. You can get over 3000# in the small cab configuration. The Ecoboost has as much or more low end torque than the big gas V-8s and is more economical when not towing.
I would avoid an F250 with the diesel as its payload is pretty pathetic for that powerful an engine. If you're going diesel in the Ford, go to an F350.
Ram 1500 trucks are coming out with a small diesel sometime soon. The first small diesel available in N.A. pickups. But in the past Ram has had low payloads and diesels are heavy. Unless they do something to boost up the payload, it will not be that good a tow truck. If they do boost the payload, it could be excellent.
I'm not that familiar with the GM line. Hope this helps.
More limiting than a truck's tow capacity, is it's payload. You will want at least 12% of a travel trailer's loaded weight on the hitch ball for good, stable towing. So, for example, if your *loaded* trailer weighs 8500# (well within many "half-ton" tow capacity), you will want at least 1000# on the truck's hitch. Can the truck carry that? It also has to carry you, passengers, tools firewood and so on. Check the yellow payload sticker on the door-jamb to find out how much your truck can carry.
The more low-end torque your engine has, the less rpms it needs to tow that heavy trailer. The alternative is high torque at high rpm typical of most gas engines. Cruising at low rpms makes for a much more pleasant and easy tow.
Diesels are excellent for this. Lots of low-end torque and great gas mileage, but high initial cost and ongoing costs. Ford's Ecoboost 3.5L engine also has great low-end torque and fair gas mileage when not towing.
My current favourite tow truck is the Ford F150 with the Ecoboost engine and HD Payload Package. The HD Payload Package puts it somewhere between the base F150 and F250 in payload. You can get over 3000# in the small cab configuration. The Ecoboost has as much or more low end torque than the big gas V-8s and is more economical when not towing.
I would avoid an F250 with the diesel as its payload is pretty pathetic for that powerful an engine. If you're going diesel in the Ford, go to an F350.
Ram 1500 trucks are coming out with a small diesel sometime soon. The first small diesel available in N.A. pickups. But in the past Ram has had low payloads and diesels are heavy. Unless they do something to boost up the payload, it will not be that good a tow truck. If they do boost the payload, it could be excellent.
I'm not that familiar with the GM line. Hope this helps.
