Need advice on choosing another Tow Vehicle?

Golden_HVAC wrote:

jungleexplorer wrote:

jerem0621 wrote:
Hmm....

I pulled a 7000 lb 32 ft TT with my old 97 F150 with NO problems. I upgraded to a dually and pretty well hated it.

What's the issue here? Does the rig not pull well? Is your friend just wanting to help you spend your $$$?

Upgrade if you want, but I'm not sure it's needed...

Well, my particular truck is probably the most fuel efficient stock model of gasoline Chevy made in the 2000s. To achieve great gas mileage, they had to gear it up really high in the rear end. This means that it was not intended for pulling. Can it pull? Yes. The engine certainly would have no problem, it has the power. Like a chain that is only as strong as the weakest link, a truck is only as strong as it's weakest component. The weakest component in my truck is a thing called an "Automatic Transmission".

Basically, I want a TV that I don't have to worry about. I want a TV that I could jump in tomorrow and drive to the Arctic ocean pulling my TT and not have to worry about it putting too much stress on it.

My Dad has a 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 with the 5.9 diesel. He gets 23MPG on the highway empty and 16 towing a TT. I am probably gonna go with something like his truck, but I thought I would ask around and see what else out there that can do the same, because the 2005 Ram 2500 with the 5.9 diesel are a hot item around my area because of the oilfield and hard to come by at a decent price.

Your automatic transmission is much better than the ones they used in the 70's and 80's. Add a transmission cooler, and it should be fine.

Can you plant your right foot on every hill and expect it to last with the engine running 5,000 RPM? No, but if you take the hills at a reasonable pace, and drive up them at 40- 45 MPH, the transmission will last a long time.

Good luck - and have fun camping!

Fred.

I agree with Fred, add a second trans cooler, and a trans temp gauge, so you can keep an eye on the heat. It's heat that kills A/Ts, if you can keep your tans heat down in the 170 area it will be fine. If you see the temps getting to much above 170, just back it down some to bring the temp back down.

I wouldn't recommend going to a diesel purely due to the added maintenance costs, twice as much oil, oil filters x2 a gasser filter, fuel filters x2a gasser and on it goes.

If you think a diesel if what would make you happy, I would suggest a pre-mid '07 Ram with the 5.9L Cummins. I made the mistake of buying the '07 6.7L Cummins and it is a pig on fuel. More power than I need, the 5.9 would still given me more power than I need and better mileage running empty.

I can't complain about the 11.8MPG I get towing, it's the 15-16 running empty that sucks.