Hi, we are a young couple with 2 small children, 2 large dogs and a new 24' travel trailer. We purchased a Jeep Grand Cherokee (against Dad's advice) and have had nothing but trouble without even towing. Needless to say the Jeep is gone and we are searching for the ideal tow vehicle and daily driver for our family. The decision is definitely a GMC pickup truck with cap, 4 doors for 2 car seats and it must be a 4x4. My wife will be driving it 20 miles per day with children.I have always wanted a diesel but my Dad says the cost of ownership is way more then a gasser for the amount of towing we will be doing. If we go with a gasser, what rear end do you recommend for a 6000# trailer and at most 10,000#? I will be taking a yearly trip thru mountains to visit inlaws but most less then 100 miles. I believe a 2500 is in order because years ago I had a 1500 that just didn't have what I felt I needed to tow my 5000# "toy jeep". We also want the longest bed available.I guess my biggest questions that I have is do I go gas or diesel and why? Do I go with a big rear end or smaller for daily driving?My Dad has always had a 454 in his trucks to tow with and the 4;10 rear end and is telling me I need to go big from the start but stay away from diesel. Please give me your advice or tell me of your experiences.THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Go with the diesel; you won't regret it. And yes, your dad is wrong; cost of ownership is a bit more but not substantially more. I'll never tow with a gasser again. No reason to stay away from the diesel.

If your going used, look and drive a Ram MegaCab. The interior room will blow you away. GM has one of the most dated interiors until you get the the last couple of years. Ram has one of the nicest. Fords are simply overpriced. A gas motor is fine for your smaller TT. So unless your going much bigger in the next couple years get a gaser. Diesels can be a bit more expensive for oil changes, but get better fuel economy. So its a wash in my book. Besides diesels tow way more and better than a gas motor.BTW your dad is way behind the times. Big block gassers were the only game in town 20 years ago. A lot has changed since then. Modern diesels are great motors with lots of pulling power and great fuel economy.

"The decision is definitely a GMC pickup truck with cap, 4 doors for 2 car seats and it must be a 4x4. My wife will be driving it 20 miles per day with children."Why limit yourself to one choice? The GMC Duramax diesel is a great way to go but so is the Ram Cummins. Especially the Mega Cab as mentioned above.BTW, the 454 has gone the way of the dodo bird. Today's smaller gas engines have more horsepower, more torque, and get double the gas mileage. Heck, my old Tudra Crew Max (same cab as the Dodge Mega Cab) had 381 hp and 401 ft lbs of torque. Got around 14-15 mpg daily driving. Fantastic tow vehicle too in its class.

For such a lite trailer. A diesel is just over kill. Yes it has higher main cost. But it also has much higher cost up front. Plus your diesel comes in a 2500, or 3500 truck. both are larger, and less manageable than a 1500. Meaning harder to park, and maneuver. You want a GMC./ Foe me a much better choice than it twin Chevy. Same truck, GMC just looks better. You ask about the rear gear. Get a 3.73, and the largest V8 GM offers, and you will be fine. A 24' 6000lb TT, is perfect for a 1500 GMC with the 5.3, and 3.73 rear gear. Also look at the GVWR. Nothing under 7000lbs

You don't need a diesel to pull 6000 lbs. Yes, it will make for a better towing experience when you hit the mountains but the newer gas engines (6.4 Hemi, 6.0 GMs and 6.2 Ford) will be more that adequate for pulling 6000 lbs.Diesel engine maintenance is more expensive. Expect to pay about $100 to have the oil changed ($25 filter, 3 plus gallons of oil (based on my work F550). Not sure how easy the Duramax motors are easy to work on, but the Powerstrokes are wedged in the Fords. Last year, my work truck (6.4 diesel) blew an injector pump to the tune of $4200 and last month blew a power steering hose at $600. She's an older truck with 63k miles but I'm just trying to give you an idea of the labor cost of some of these repairs when things go south.

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34 Replies

Terryallan
Explorer II
Jan 18, 2018
For such a lite trailer. A diesel is just over kill. Yes it has higher main cost. But it also has much higher cost up front. Plus your diesel comes in a 2500, or 3500 truck. both are larger, and less manageable than a 1500. Meaning harder to park, and maneuver.

You want a GMC./ Foe me a much better choice than it twin Chevy. Same truck, GMC just looks better.

You ask about the rear gear. Get a 3.73, and the largest V8 GM offers, and you will be fine. A 24' 6000lb TT, is perfect for a 1500 GMC with the 5.3, and 3.73 rear gear. Also look at the GVWR. Nothing under 7000lbs
Ron3rd
Explorer III
Jan 18, 2018
"The decision is definitely a GMC pickup truck with cap, 4 doors for 2 car seats and it must be a 4x4. My wife will be driving it 20 miles per day with children."

Why limit yourself to one choice? The GMC Duramax diesel is a great way to go but so is the Ram Cummins. Especially the Mega Cab as mentioned above.

BTW, the 454 has gone the way of the dodo bird. Today's smaller gas engines have more horsepower, more torque, and get double the gas mileage.

Heck, my old Tudra Crew Max (same cab as the Dodge Mega Cab) had 381 hp and 401 ft lbs of torque. Got around 14-15 mpg daily driving. Fantastic tow vehicle too in its class.
donn0128
Explorer II
Jan 18, 2018
If your going used, look and drive a Ram MegaCab. The interior room will blow you away. GM has one of the most dated interiors until you get the the last couple of years. Ram has one of the nicest. Fords are simply overpriced. A gas motor is fine for your smaller TT. So unless your going much bigger in the next couple years get a gaser. Diesels can be a bit more expensive for oil changes, but get better fuel economy. So its a wash in my book. Besides diesels tow way more and better than a gas motor.
BTW your dad is way behind the times. Big block gassers were the only game in town 20 years ago. A lot has changed since then. Modern diesels are great motors with lots of pulling power and great fuel economy.
Ron3rd
Explorer III
Jan 18, 2018
Go with the diesel; you won't regret it. And yes, your dad is wrong; cost of ownership is a bit more but not substantially more.

I'll never tow with a gasser again. No reason to stay away from the diesel.

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Help us decide on tow vehicle and daily driver

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