Which motor should we get.

Like truck ratings, engines have improved immensely over the old tried and proven. Some 1/2 ton trucks now have 3/4 ton ratings and there engines surpass the old power houses in horse power.... My sons 6.0- 2500 HD has the same horse power as my 5.4 1/2 ton and the 5.4 has a little more torque.

We should be happy at all the improvements to engines and tow ratings over the old war dogs of towing and hauling.

I got this off of a 34 foot class A motorhome I was looking at to remind me how far RVing has come.

For towing in Colorado, get a forced induction something. In HD chassis, that means diesel. Ford 7.3L -03 or 6.4L. GM 6.6L Duramax. Ram Cummins 5.9 or 6.7L. OTherwise, you'd also be very happy with a 2011+ F-150 Ecoboost.

A mid 2000's Ford 5.4L 3/4 ton can be bought for a song and would easily serve your needs and is a reliable power plant. 2005 or newer is preferred due engine/trans upgrades.

Almost any of the motors you mentioned would be good. The big thing is gas vs diesel. Diesel, especially the earlier years (2002-2006) will return far better fuel economy towing and non towing and have a longer service life. Some of the gas motors you mentioned do have a history of oil consumption and spark plugs blowing out of the heads. It really is going to depend on year of truck you want to buy, miles already on the ODO, price, condition. If I were looking today for a newer truck, and knowing what I know today it would be a 3500 series 5.9L Cummins of 2006 or 2007 vintage. The Cummins is a true commercial motor and with proper care will go 500K miles without breaking a sweat. But to find one of those is going to cost you more than most of the others. And honestly possible more than a newer 6.7L Cummins.

6.0L in a GM 2500HD pickup works for me. It might use a little more gasoline than others, but it is a big power improvement of my 5.3 Silverado and 5.4 F-150's. Plus, you will be ready if you want a little larger TT or even a small fifth wheel trailer. Get a late model with the 6-speed.

Many of then will do the job just fine. I would look for a 6 speed model which would exclude the 8.1 GM.

The 6.0 GM would probably be my optimal motor. It gives you room to grow if you upgrade the TT and they are reasonably priced right now. The 5.4 Ford is a reliable work horse and will get the job done. It's just not as powerful as some of the other options and is overshadowed by the 6.8 thirsty beast.

Also, if you think the 6.0 failures are bad you should see what happens to a 6.4 PSD when it blows an EGR. Anyway, not trying to fear manger, just thoroughly research.

If you want a diesel, and it kind of sounds like you do, buy the Duramax, Cummins, or the 6.7 Ford.

Thanks,

Jeremiah

I'm not a GM guy, but I haven't heard too many bad things about their gas V8's.

I also have not heard bad things about the Ram 5.7L.

The Ford 5.4 has the spark plug problem. Other then that, any of the V8 1/2 tons should be safe.

My vote goes to the 6L and 3/4 ton GM.

I'd recommend the 3/4 ton, since it gives you more options should you want to move to a fifth wheel or truck camper.

You can't really go wrong with any engines, although if you go with a 3/4 ton, you will end up with the 6.2L on the Ford or the 6.4 TD, similar with the Chevy and RAM pickups. I always go with the biggest engine available in a vehicle, the only exception are the Ford F150s and the EcoBoost (especially come model year 2015 when the EB will be the top tier engine and the normally aspirated 5.0 be the low end motor.) Except for the Ford engines, there is no substitute for cubes, and the MPG difference is negligible for the most part.

From there, it is choosing between gas or diesel. This is an opinion thing here. I have my own thoughts, but everyone has different wants and needs.

JMHO, Were I looking for a tow vehicle, since 3/4 tons and 1 tons are virtually the same price, and almost the same on the Fords, I'd just go for a one ton.

My TT is 5400 lbs dry. With a family of 4 and the gear loaded, I sometimes wish I had something bigger than a 5.3.