New guy, not sure which tow vehicle to choose
Want to start camping with a travel trailer, looking at anything from 26-31ft. I don't have a tow vehicle yet, trying to research it but it's a bit confusing. I was looking at a dodge ram 5.7 hemi ...
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Take the time to download the trailering guides from the manufacturers' websites. Ford actually has three different one. Reading them is a good starting point.
Trucks do well for towing, much better than an SUV or passenger car. At least with the GM heavy duty trucks you don't need a weight distributing hitch.
I would start with a half-ton 1500 truck with the largest gas V-8 and 4.10 gears as that should be enough to tow at a reasonable pace up mountain grades and to accelerate fast enough for safety onto a freeway. Check the guides for the GCWR which is the gross combined weight of the truck and its load and the trailer and its contents that the engine and drivetrain and frame and brakes are engineered to handle. With a 6,000 lb. 1500 pickup and a GCWR of 14,000 lbs. that would mean a trailer with a dry weight of at most 6,000 lbs. (to allow for food, water, people, gear, etc.)
You will have a much more comfortable ride for you and your passengers with a 1500 class pickup over a 2500/3500 truck. Take some test drives and you will notice the difference. The Ford F-150 truck can tow up to 11,300 lbs. which is more than enough for the trailer mentioned.
Buying more truck than you need is a waste of money. For every person I know who is planning to buy a larger trailer or motorhome I know three that are going in the opposite direction and buying smaller ones.
Trucks do well for towing, much better than an SUV or passenger car. At least with the GM heavy duty trucks you don't need a weight distributing hitch.
I would start with a half-ton 1500 truck with the largest gas V-8 and 4.10 gears as that should be enough to tow at a reasonable pace up mountain grades and to accelerate fast enough for safety onto a freeway. Check the guides for the GCWR which is the gross combined weight of the truck and its load and the trailer and its contents that the engine and drivetrain and frame and brakes are engineered to handle. With a 6,000 lb. 1500 pickup and a GCWR of 14,000 lbs. that would mean a trailer with a dry weight of at most 6,000 lbs. (to allow for food, water, people, gear, etc.)
You will have a much more comfortable ride for you and your passengers with a 1500 class pickup over a 2500/3500 truck. Take some test drives and you will notice the difference. The Ford F-150 truck can tow up to 11,300 lbs. which is more than enough for the trailer mentioned.
Buying more truck than you need is a waste of money. For every person I know who is planning to buy a larger trailer or motorhome I know three that are going in the opposite direction and buying smaller ones.
