A little help from the PU crowd please

[ford_up]

After 8 great years and 210K miles its time to retire the 2003 Yukon XL 8.1/4:10. I just acquired a 38' bumper tow that weighs about 9500 empty, with a hitch weight of they say 1100 lbs, but it feels a little heavier. The three vehicles I am looking at are a 2018 Sierra 3500 srw gasser for $66k CDN, a 2017 Sierra 3500 DRW gasser for 56k and a 2015 drw diesel for 61K-both used trucks have about 20k miles on them. I've never towed with a pu. Any recommendations?
Thanks

[ford_up]

Nice! IIdon’t usually get attached to vehicles but will definetly miss the Yukon. Would by another one immeadiately if GM hadn’t toasted the 8.1 and pummeled the tow rating in 2006.

[BurbMan]

ford up wrote:
After 8 great years and 210K miles its time to retire the 2003 Yukon XL 8.1/4:10.

You don't mention if there will be services or where to send flowers.....

[ford_up]

Ended up buying a 2016 Sierra 3500 Denali sew with 26k km. Will be a few weeks until I can connect the Trailer but Way happy with the Truck. Thanks again to all for the advice.

[tinner12002]

ppine wrote:
Diesel trucks for towing.
DRW are a PITA except for hauling large campers or big trailers.
If you think long bed is hard to park, try a long bed truck with four rear wheels. They are always for sale for a reason.

Well at least you had one, the first one, as a correct statement there!
Most of us learn to drive what we have, others maybe not so much.
Never had any issue parking my dually where I wanted to. I agree though the OP doesn't need a dually but after towing with one vs the SRW I'd go dually all day long.

[ford_up]

After driving both the gas and diesels, albeit without the Trailer connected, I am leaning heavily towards the diesel motor. I was pleasantly surprised just how quite they have become. Wasn’t really impressed with the acceleration of the 6 litre. Thanks to all for the great advice.

[SouthpawHD]

PopBeavers wrote:
My son is towing a similar sized trailer. Maybe a bit smaller/lighter.

He started out towing with a Toyota Highlander. It worked, but struggled on long steep grades.

Last year I gave him my 2oo8 GMC crew cab, long bed, 4x4 gasser. It does much better, but he is jealous of my diesel.

This is not to say that I recommend the diesel. There is a lot of extra cost to step up from gas to diesel. Only you can justify that incremental cost of purchase and maintenance.

I assume you meant a Tundra as there's NO way he was pulling a TT anywhere near that size with Highlander. The hitch weight alone could not be supported by a vehicle that small.

And OP, FWIW, I pull a 34' TT with a 3/4 ton gasser. But it would appear you are about 1,500 pounds heavier than me, but I still wouldn't hesitate pulling it with a gasser.

[ford_up]

I’m a big fan of back roads and Off road. Moab area especially. I can see the dusky being a bit problematic especially on the Jeep trails , but as long as one back tire is on...

[campigloo]

Don't know what you like for sightseeing, but we enjoy small roads and gravel roads as well as small towns. Many of these are kinda narrow and parking can be a pain even without the dually. One of my favorite options on my truck is the 4wd.
Love those mountain backroads
That diesel likes the 10,000# load of my trailer.

[JESTER7406]

The diesel will tow much better. As you mentioned the def... That is the most negligible cost. The extra 2 tires of the drw will cost you much more.

[ppine]

Diesel trucks for towing.
DRW are a PITA except for hauling large campers or big trailers.
If you think long bed is hard to park, try a long bed truck with four rear wheels. They are always for sale for a reason.

[ford_up]

Correct-it would be my daily driver as well. Looks like DEF is about $12.00 US for 2 gallons. It looks like the fuel tanks are larger on the diesels so it would make it worth while to Gil both fluids over the line.

[IdaD]

DEF only costs about $2.75/gal US at the pump so it's an insignificant expense. Any newer HD diesel would pull that trailer great and I don't think you'd regret going with an oil burner over gas.

[sayoung]

ford up wrote:
Thanks. I’m just trying to rap my head around DEF fluid and there doesn’t seem to be anything cheap about it!

Is DEF that expensive in thr North Country ? My 2012 D/A I put one carton about each 5000 miles . Tractor Supply has the 5 gal for $19.99 U.S. but I buy the smaller carton (2 gal I think)

[DustyR]

Tom/Barb wrote:

ford up wrote:
After 8 great years and 210K miles its time to retire the 2003 Yukon XL 8.1/4:10. I just acquired a 38' bumper tow that weighs about 9500 empty, with a hitch weight of they say 1100 lbs, but it feels a little heavier. The three vehicles I am looking at are a 2018 Sierra 3500 srw gasser for $66k CDN, a 2017 Sierra 3500 DRW gasser for 56k and a 2015 drw diesel for 61K-both used trucks have about 20k miles on them. I've never towed with a pu. Any recommendations?
Thanks

Go with the dually.

X-2

I would go with the diesel also. The maint every 50,000 mls will be $200-$300 higher than a gasser. Fuel cost mpg will be better than the gasser. I usually get 12+ pulling my sig TT.