I recently took a position with my company on a customers site for over a year. I looked into apartments, houses, roomate possibilities, but ultimately this town knew there was a housing shortage with the industrial work going on, and prices were steep. After taking a 3 month lease, my wife and I started looking at RV's initially something my Frontier 6 cyl would pull (6300#). We then graduated to looking at something that an SUV would pull (because my wife didn't like trucks) so something less than 9200#. By the time the dust settled we have our names on a Jayco 338RETS (travel trailer) which I'll finish the deal on early next month. The company will pull it to my location for 1.60/ mile. Now the next question, which I'm sure is asked and answered many times over on this forum, is what should I look at to pull this behemoth. The stats on the trailer:Dry Hitch wt 1140unloaded vehicle wt 8710gross vehicle wt 10950Obviously my Frontier is and never was an option, and niether is an SUV. I've told my wife a preference of a 3/4 ton truck for these kind of weights, but my experience is the type of asking questions and reading forums (not personal experience). I've got my eye on a 2500HD 6.6L TD, and I'm thinking I'd also like a weight distributing hitch with sway bars (Blue Ox maybe). I am planning to pull it around the west this summer, probably into the Rockies, the canyon lands and southwest. I thought with the trip planned I'd want a diesel, but I also thought I'd ask for personal experience here. Thanks for your experiences in advance.

250/2500 would be just right for that trailer.BUT sometimes a 350/3500 is only few dollars more.At minimum the 250/2500 so that towing is enjoyable and not a chore.

Depending on year, if you go with GM plan on a new hitch platform. GM had issues on them for a long time. A 2500 series gas motor will work fine for this TT, so, dont jump on a diesel just because.

Definitely a 250/2500 minimum for that load. Diesels will pull best at elevations like in the Rockies, but are $$$. You don't mention if you are looking new or used, but a 2500 SUV like this one will pull it anywhere you want to go.

If your concerned about step prices you should look in to the repair costs of diesels. If you have fuel system problems you could buy a new gas motor for what the repairs will cost.This is fact....just do a search.

I have a 2015 338RETS also. I pull it with a 2014 3500 Chevrolet 12 passenger Express van, 138in wheel base. It has a 6.0 gasser with a 6 speed behind it. We leave the forward rear seat in for the grandkids. With all the extra "enclosed" space we can put dogs, bikes or whatever else we want. This past Sept we went to Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Devils Tower and the Black Hills. 2600 miles and averaged 9.6 mpg. We drove between 60-65. Had no problems with the grades through Yellowstone. The long 8% ones I would drop down to 50 mph and that was 4100 rpm. No problems with loss of power, overheating, nothing. Pulls great. Nice having all the extra space that is protected from the weather and thief's. Been pulling with vans for a long time and would not go to a pickup. REALLY, REALLY like the TT. We did replace the king bed with a queen. Extra space around the bed is well worth it.

My RV money is spent ... now what do I pull it with?

bobman
Explorer
Nov 24, 2014
nice clean used 2500 suburban or excursion could be had for reasonable money. Buy one from the south so its not rusty

but new pickups are almost carlike has your wife ever driven one?
ttsr4us
Explorer
Nov 24, 2014
Are you buying new? If so a SUV would not be a good choice. The old "Burb" or "Excursion" were 3/4 ton truck chassis. The newer ones are not.

Personally I went for a GMC Sierra 3500 Diesel. (I just got a great deal on a new 2014). The reasons I went for a 1 ton are as follows,

1 Wanted a good quality truck bed cap. (ARE Z)

2 Wanted a 2000 lbs slide out bed tray. (a real clamber aboard/back saver)

3 My wife likes to pack heavy so the truck bed takes some of the load from the trailer.

These items eat into your payload (rather than just the 'pure' towing weight only number considerations) so a 3500 made more sense to me. Also being a retired engineer, I like to operate within the performance envelope!

I went for a diesel because of the weight considerations but a 4.10 axel on gas would probably be ok but I like the available performance at altitude.

So your choice, just my experience from Trailering and MH use out west over the last 15 years.

Others will have different mileage, this is my own.
texasclarks
Explorer
Nov 24, 2014
coolmom42 wrote:
BurbMan wrote:
Definitely a 250/2500 minimum for that load. Diesels will pull best at elevations like in the Rockies, but are $$$. You don't mention if you are looking new or used, but a 2500 SUV like this one will pull it anywhere you want to go.

Add a correctly set up Equalizer hitch--for the best sway control and weight distribution---to that rig and you will have an awesome setup. And I agree with your wife that a SUV is a much more useful travel vehicle than a truck.

As a believer in the 2500 Suburban the link is a great fit to match with that TT! The 8.1L is thirsty when pulling, but the power is great. I just wish I could get a 6-speed tranny behind mine.
coolmom42
Explorer II
Nov 24, 2014
BurbMan wrote:
Definitely a 250/2500 minimum for that load. Diesels will pull best at elevations like in the Rockies, but are $$$. You don't mention if you are looking new or used, but a 2500 SUV like this one will pull it anywhere you want to go.

Add a correctly set up Equalizer hitch--for the best sway control and weight distribution---to that rig and you will have an awesome setup. And I agree with your wife that a SUV is a much more useful travel vehicle than a truck.
John_Burke
Explorer
Nov 24, 2014
I have a 2015 338RETS also. I pull it with a 2014 3500 Chevrolet 12 passenger Express van, 138in wheel base. It has a 6.0 gasser with a 6 speed behind it. We leave the forward rear seat in for the grandkids. With all the extra "enclosed" space we can put dogs, bikes or whatever else we want.
This past Sept we went to Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Devils Tower and the Black Hills. 2600 miles and averaged 9.6 mpg. We drove between 60-65. Had no problems with the grades through Yellowstone. The long 8% ones I would drop down to 50 mph and that was 4100 rpm. No problems with loss of power, overheating, nothing. Pulls great.
Nice having all the extra space that is protected from the weather and thief's. Been pulling with vans for a long time and would not go to a pickup.
REALLY, REALLY like the TT. We did replace the king bed with a queen. Extra space around the bed is well worth it.
CKNSLS
Explorer
Nov 24, 2014
If your concerned about step prices you should look in to the repair costs of diesels. If you have fuel system problems you could buy a new gas motor for what the repairs will cost.

This is fact....just do a search.
BurbMan
Explorer II
Nov 24, 2014
Definitely a 250/2500 minimum for that load. Diesels will pull best at elevations like in the Rockies, but are $$$. You don't mention if you are looking new or used, but a 2500 SUV like this one will pull it anywhere you want to go.
donn0128
Explorer II
Nov 24, 2014
Depending on year, if you go with GM plan on a new hitch platform. GM had issues on them for a long time. A 2500 series gas motor will work fine for this TT, so, dont jump on a diesel just because.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Nov 24, 2014
250/2500 would be just right for that trailer.

BUT sometimes a 350/3500 is only few dollars more.

At minimum the 250/2500 so that towing is enjoyable and not a chore.

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My RV money is spent ... now what do I pull it with?

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