honest advice on a truck for towing 10000lbs

goducks10 wrote:
You couldn't pay me to tow 10,000+lbs with a gasser where I live. Everywhere I go with the exception of one stretch of I5 in the mid part of the state is hills and mountains. BTDT with a gasser and 7300lb TT. Too much revving up and down along with lousy mpg. 8.5 vs 11.5. I now tow 9000lbs. The CTD out tows the gasser easily. If I lived in TX or FL then no biggie.
Between the better mpgs, exhaust brake and low rev pulling power it's hard to beat a diesel. Do I need a diesel for 9000lbs? No. But I don't need a 5th wheel either. I bought both cause I wanted them.

This whole idea of, 'is a diesel worth it' is sorta ironic in a way. After all we are all buying one of the fastest depreciating items out there. Talk about throwing money down the drain.

X3 Go Ducks!!

We tow the same roads, I tow an 11,000# 5er with my 01 Ram 5.9 CTD, and don't see the south side of 55 99% of the time and then maybe as low as 50 if I get stuck behind a real dog.
Yes we have passing lanes on most Oregon Coast two lane highways, but there isn't one on every climb, even those a mile or two long.

So 11,000# 5er, 3.55 rear gears, 5 speed manual, lowest I need to drop is to fourth to pull the steeper hills at 55 to 60, this is with less than 270 hp.

Out on the freeway big wide curves and better speed limits, traveling at 65 on OD, very seldom need fourth.

Would not tow 10,000# without the diesel.