For the gas RV Fifth Wheel Hauler's out here.

[Mommytwo6girls]

Hi everyone,

I've been researching for a used 6 sitter truck. That can tow a fifth wheel GVWR 17K. Boy, it is truly a mind blowing experience!
I started with diesel. But, from my research. Diesel would use a lot of unwanted gas consumption using it as my everyday vehicle. We live in New England and the hard starting at 6:30am 5 days week to get my girls to school. That would be a challenge I think.
my girls and I only RV 2 months in the summer. Then a few weekends in the Spring/Fall. Then it goes into hibernation for the New England winter.
Right now I'm towing our Jayco Flight 32 TSBH GVWR 10,900LBS with a Ford F-250 Super Duty Crew Cab gas/FlexFuel.. GVWR12,200LBS/10,000LBS!

I have talked with my mechanic and he told me, nope do not get diesel... Just put adds on your F250 gasser and it'll do just fine.... Umm, after researching, reading tons of stuff... He could be putting my children and my life in harms way with 17K LBS behind us going 60 on a freeway in our F250.

Can anyone who pulls a fifth wheel with a gas truck help me in determining if that's impossible to do or if there is a used truck floating out there for sale. That can pull it safely and not prematurely damage the gas engine.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Mommytwo6girls]

See, so many have wonderful opinions!
But, every opinion comes from personal experience.
Which I have completely none, as a gas driver her whole life!
I truly have no idea at this moment which brand of truck I'm going with.
I've always drove a Ford since I could reach the gas pedal.
Everything said in a post to me. It's being researched, taken to heart.
This isn't something to run out and buy blindly....
I did that with my F250....
I want to not only buy as a tow vehicle. But, this will be a vehicle to last myself and my girls a very long time.
Thank you everyone for the wonderful opinions!

[jus2shy]

Well, with that budget, you can certainly get a new rig. Especially if you bide your time and wait for a decent sale. Rule of thumb is that without a sale, you should be able to knock of 10k from the sticker price on a diesel. Fords may be a little tougher to deal on for the time being because the current truck is new from the ground up. However, if any dealers have a left-over previous model truck, you can probably get it for a deep discount. RAM's trucks are currently the bargain king. You could probably deal a bit for GM's since the current truck has been out for a couple years now as well.

Also, be aware of other buying options. If you have a USAA membership, they have a purchase program. Same with Costco membership. Thats an alternative route you can go for buying if you don't like bargaining.

Keep us posted!

[Ron3rd]

The diesel exhust brake is worth its weight in gold for heavy rigs. I'd never go back to gas for that very reason

[Grit_dog]

And I'd skip the 2011-2014 powerstrokes if I had my choice. All the benefit of a diesel and none of the benefit of an exhaust brake.

[Grit_dog]

carringb wrote:
Funny that everybody here is screaming for diesels.

By far and large, most motorhomes on the road come with the V10. The larger F53s are good for 30,000 combined.The 450 V10 is rated for over 20,000 pounds towing.

I just hauled back another one of our broken diesel trucks (an '08 F550 with only 124,000 miles), from the Bay Area to Portland, using my trusty V10 with 445,000 miles which has never left me stranded.

#1 reason to go with a diesel: *OMG downshifts!!!!*

Granted, towing 17k at elevation frequently would be a good reason to need forced induction. Occasional towing in New England? A gas engine will pull every grade and still keep up with traffic...

To each their own. Btw that many miles on a gas engine is an anomoly not the norm. It's pretty much an anomoly on any passenger vehicle gas or diesel.
But we're not talking about how they fare 400k from now, OP basically asked what was the best tow rig for her setup and toting around a 5ver that could tip the scales at almost 9 tons is a diesels job and if you don think a 6.2 gasser Ford would struggle big time with that, you're just turning a blind eye to it. Plus the exhaust brake is a big bonus towing in the hills (New England).
I've had 2 6.2s in my company trucks and they're great engines IMO, but I've hooked 14-15k flat beds with no wind resistance and that's a lot for that engine. I only had 3.73s but still. I was at sea level, no head winds.
Additionally, used Cc 4x4 newer dually gassers are almost non existent and new is pretty much a special order. So not Much to choose from.

[Shifty_85]

Mommytwo6girls wrote:
Carringb,
I'm a Gas 6.8l V10 Ford Excursion girl here. I had that for 8yrs and miss it! That is what I pulled our Jayco with. Then the fuse board went on it. My mechanic and I called/searching junk yards from here to down south for one... Couldn't find one. Buying my F250 was my first experience in car buying. It taught me a lot "afterwards"...
I feel this "newer" V8 engine uses way more gas then my V10 ever did.
I think I'm getting the jiffy of what to look for.
The girls and I went test driving today.
We test drove a new F350, a Ram 3500.
Both new trucks drove freaking sweet!!!
Then test drove a used 2015 GMC 3500 HD Dually.... With 65K miles on it.
The GMC had a digital dash board. When I was at a dead stop and begin a take off. The digital oil gauge would move from 55 to 70 and then back to 55. Didn't see this on the other trucks. But, I did the walk around of the GMC and found body damage on it... It was a beautiful truck. Just very shady dealership...

My budget is $50K.

Tried posting the front end damage of GMC...
By the time I get new truck.. Will figure out how to post the pictures lmao!

Love excursions. sounds like the GEM module went out **you can send them out to be rebuilt we had to do this a few times at the dealership**

GM is normally good about having gauges that read things. i know older fords they are dummy gauges *my F150 i put an after market temp gauge on and from 0-140* the factory gauge moved then from 140-220* it just said normal. The oil pressure as long as it has 10psi it will read in the normal area.

for 50K you could get a nice F350 crew cab 6.7L 2010 or newer **im ford bias NO 6.0L or 6.4L 2010 or newer 6.7L only!!!

To post pictures use this i had a hard time the first couple i tried to post too!! **EDIT** i tried to post the link it wouldnt let me send the link so i sent it in a private message

[Mommytwo6girls]

FireGuard,

This is the used GMC 3500HD Dually we drove today.
It was gorgeous inside.

http://www.avonautobrokers.com/used/GMC/2015-GMC-Sierra+3500HD-375ff86b0a0e0aea4a9cbb010b873cda.htm

Going new at $50K up here. It won't look like this. 😞

[FireGuard]

If you have $50k to spend, I would only consider a new truck.

[Mommytwo6girls]

Carringb,
I'm a Gas 6.8l V10 Ford Excursion girl here. I had that for 8yrs and miss it! That is what I pulled our Jayco with. Then the fuse board went on it. My mechanic and I called/searching junk yards from here to down south for one... Couldn't find one. Buying my F250 was my first experience in car buying. It taught me a lot "afterwards"...
I feel this "newer" V8 engine uses way more gas then my V10 ever did.
I think I'm getting the jiffy of what to look for.
The girls and I went test driving today.
We test drove a new F350, a Ram 3500.
Both new trucks drove freaking sweet!!!
Then test drove a used 2015 GMC 3500 HD Dually.... With 65K miles on it.
The GMC had a digital dash board. When I was at a dead stop and begin a take off. The digital oil gauge would move from 55 to 70 and then back to 55. Didn't see this on the other trucks. But, I did the walk around of the GMC and found body damage on it... It was a beautiful truck. Just very shady dealership...

My budget is $50K.

Tried posting the front end damage of GMC...
By the time I get new truck.. Will figure out how to post the pictures lmao!

[FireGuard]

What is your budget?
That will help a lot in helping to make your decision.
Used diesel trucks are selling for high prices now and there are some great deals on new trucks.
As someone mentioned, you could buy a brand new Ram DRW crew cab 4x4 Cummins for the mid $40k range. This would be more than adequate for a 17k trailer.
Better financing, full warranty and no worries that someone else abused it.
Good luck.

[carringb]

Funny that everybody here is screaming for diesels.

By far and large, most motorhomes on the road come with the V10. The larger F53s are good for 30,000 combined.The 450 V10 is rated for over 20,000 pounds towing.

I just hauled back another one of our broken diesel trucks (an '08 F550 with only 124,000 miles), from the Bay Area to Portland, using my trusty V10 with 445,000 miles which has never left me stranded.

#1 reason to go with a diesel: *OMG downshifts!!!!*

Granted, towing 17k at elevation frequently would be a good reason to need forced induction. Occasional towing in New England? A gas engine will pull every grade and still keep up with traffic...

[Grit_dog]

Don't even consider pulling that much trailer with a gasser and skip the older trucks unless you want to add/modify etc.
Your goals put you on the big side of towing with a new(er) dually diesel for sure.
I'd only be looking at '11 and newer Duramaxes, ' 15 and newer Powerstrokes or '14 and up Cummins.
And tell your old mechanic he's a dipchit!

[Mommytwo6girls]

Thanks everyone for the advice.
It is a totally different world going to diesel.
I'll post what I purchase in the near future.
I have the winter to educate my self and research exactly what is best.

Just because we're part time rver's.
Whether if it's a tag a long or a fifth wheel.
The GVWR range greatly on either. I could get a tag a long with a GVWR of 17K.
So, to answer your question.
Because I can and want to.

[garyp4951]

My question is why do you need a 17k FW for part time RVing.

[Shifty_85]

Mommytwo6girls wrote:

I'm having a hard time figuring out what each truck is equipped with. Take this one as an example:
350 SuperDuty King Ranch; Power Stroke 6.0L V8 -->(DI 32V OHV)<--. I'm trying to educate my self with each truck companies abbreviations.. By next Spring I have it figured out lmao!

V8 *8 cylinders in a V shape. Dodges you will see I6 inline 6 for 6 in a row

DI *is direct injection meaning the fuel injector is in the head firing at the top of the piston *unlike older cars and earily 90 s diesels that fire fuel at the intake valve.

32v valves means there are 4 per cylinder. A dodge will have 24. **older 5.9 will be 12 and older 7.3s will be 2 valve *16 valves*

OHV * Over Head Valve. Means there is 1 cam shaft in the center of the V with push rods going up to each valve on the head.

I know in cars I don't think diesels do it yet but you will see. SOHC and DOHC *single over head cam and dual over head cam. That means the cam shaft is on top of the head with the valves right under the shaft it self. No push rods.

A big part of the reason Ford's are a little harder to start is the way they fire the fuel injectors not just the fact they have glow plugs. Ford diesels before 2010 used high pressure oil to fire the fuel injectors when oil is cold it gets very thick and it makes it very hard for the injectors to fire properly.

I have a 2000 with a 7.3L I have a cord on a timer. 2 hours before I go to work it comes on to warm up thr block heater. I start my truck about 10 mins before I leave and it fires right up when plugged in and has heat almost right away.

2010+ ford diesels with the 6.7L use a fuel system like the dodges and start much much easier in the cold.

It is definitely a dive into a whole different world going from gas to diesel! Also many mechanics choose either diesel or gas to work on and that's just what they know. Some can do both but better to find a well rounded diesel mechanic who knows what he's doing than someone who knows just a little about diesel and a lot about gas engines.

Best of luck!!