What truck to buy next for towing Travel Trailer

If your travel trailer is less than 10K lbs GVWR, any late model 3/4 ton gasser from the big three would be a good match. Yes, a diesel truck will get you up a mountain quicker; but really, who's racing?

I own a Ram 2500 6.4L Megacab. It does the job well, even in the mountains, with my 35' travel trailer. I don't have to worry about def fluid, expensive oil changes, fuel filter changes, or any of the emission system failures. I put 87 octane regular fuel in it and go. No worries about shutting down a hot turbo or starting up a frozen engine block. The Hemi platform has been around forever and has proven it's reliability. I'd say the same about the GM 6.0 Vortec too. The 6.2 Ford would be my 3rd option as I have no experience with their trucks.

Remember, a diesel is not necessarily a requirement for a travel trailer. If you do have plans to go heavier with a 5th wheel (over 10K GVWR), a diesel would be the right option, but you'd want to look at 1 ton trucks to begin with.

Good luck.

We will definitely be looking at the Dodge Rams. Thank you everyone!

I would stay with a diesel since you are in California and there are major mountains to enjoy with the trailer. A 35 foot trailer climbing mountain grades can be a workout for a gasser. Add me to the Ram/Cummins side of the ledger. 160,000 miles; still smiling. You might make sure that the emissions stuff is under a warranty at least to 100,000 miles as some components can be pricy.

Hi Poohper,

First of all, your name and signature just kills me!

I'm on my third Dodge/Ram truck, the first was a 2001 1500, the second a 2008 2500 CTD, and now this 2017 3500 CTD. I've been very happy with each one, and didn't look at the other two main brands when I picked up this one. I got it about six weeks ago, and saved some money by buying last year's model with only a few miles on it.

It depends on where you tow, but 35 feet is probably a heavy trailer, so I'd give strong consideration to diesel. Personally, I prefer to tow with a diesel.

thanks!

Kevin

No need to post again one minute later.

I have always been a "Ford guy" and probably went thru everything you have and more, as I had an '06 F350 with the infamous 6.0 Powerstroke. That truck could do no wrong in my eyes, and one year spent up to $12,000 in repairs. I finally opened my eyes and bought a new Ram 3500 with a Cummins diesel and never looked back. As previously mentioned, go drive them all and see which you like best. You probably can't go wrong with any of the big three. For me, like yourself, Ford left a bad taste in my mouth for the time being. Honestly, I still like the look of the Ford over the others, but I prefer the reliability so far of the Ram with the Cummins. Good luck with whichever you choose.

Ford has made lots of improvements since 2007. I understand your frustration but I have bought a lot of Fords in the last 25 years (started getting A/Z plan then) and have been really happy. You can get a bad one from anyone. I like the Ford and the Chevy. Used to drive Chrysler's at work all the time...still not impressed by them, but they have some nice looking vehicles.

Brand seems to really be regional. Go drive all of them in the trim level you want. Then pick the one your DW likes best. None of them will disapoint. But I think you will find GM the most dated, Ford the most expensive.