Diesel vs gas......................

In fact, I think Ford gives higher tow ratings (by 500 lbs) in the Super Duty pickups (F250/350) to thier V10 over the PSD despite lower peak torque AND peak horsepower.

Ok, it's time to cut the BS. The 2005 Ford 325HP 6.0 PSD has up to a 7,000 lb higher GCWR than the new 355HP V10 in the same truck with the same trans and with the same axle ratio or even when the V10 has a higher axle ratio because of much more torque.

The 2005 320HP 8.1 Suburban has a 3,000 lb higher tow capacity than the 335HP 6.0 Suburban because of much more torque.

This forum needs a bs protector big time.

Good Lord, Joe, don't you ever tire of being a jerk?

What I said is absolutely true. On the Ford website, comparable 2004 F250/350 trucks with automatic transmissions have equal maximum GCWRs and the diesel has 500 lbs less tow ratings probably due to the extra wieght of the diesel. And the V10 only has 310 hp. And less torque than the PSD.

So what that they have different rear ends? That's the point. If you've got horsepower, you can gear for torque. Duh.

Looking further, this holds true through F550 with one exception that requires some special differential.

And as near as I can tell (I haven't made Ford specifications my obsession like you appear to have since I worked there 6 years ago and I've never cared about GM specs), the V10 and the PSD have different transmissions, 4-speed vs. 5-speed automatics and 5-speed vs. 6-speed manuals.

Now manual transmissions are another story, where the diesel has significantly more maximum GCWR than the gasser. That difference isn't really about engine torque (although I suspect it is at the root of it), it's about a manual vs. automatic transmission. And before you read something stupid into the above statement, I suspect that an automatic's relative inability to handle torque is at the root of this apparent anamoly. A manual transimission lets the vehicle take advantage of the horsepower and torque of the diesel. Basically, they have to derate the vehicle to keep the automatic transmission alive.

And in the end, so what? The point is that it is a system. Anyone who buys a tow vehicle based on either maximum torque or maximum horsepower is stupid. My example simply shows that it is possible to buy a vehicle (and a wildly popular RV TV) with better tow capacity and lower hp AND lower torque.

For someone who needs help understanding tow capacity and the differences in vehicle capabilities, that's an important point to make. I certainly don't need to prove anything to you.

So, what Ford Superduty pickup will tow best? It all depends.