HD trucks

[bigfink]

Opinion, I am looking to buy a new truck, it will be used most of the time for daily driving, however I do pull a 8, 000 lb 5th wheel about once every 2 months. I would like the torque of the diesel for hill climbing, don't want to be the last one up the hill. Which is the better truck, Ford, Chevy or dodge? Or is there a gas engine out there that will give me the torque I desire, thanks for your feedback.

Mark F.

[Cummins12V98]

goducks10 wrote:
Just color match one to your 5th wheel and go for it.

This close enough?

[jalichty]

My diesel, 2003 GMC D/A combo, got four mpg better towing than did my old Vortex 454 which is no longer manufactured. The 454 got about 8 mpg towing my FW and boats while the diesel got around 12. That's a 50% benefit. Around town it was also about four mpg better, but coming from 10 mpg around town to 14 mpg around town was a 40% increase, still not too shabby. The gas engine will probably pull your load, but don't look to get the same mph as a diesel, especially pulling a load.

[x96mnn]

Think gas or diesel will get you up any hill to your satisfaction. Actually when comparing new the gas may even beat the diesel up the hill in the RAM line. I had a 5.7 Hemi and that thing pulled as long as you did not mind the sound of a screaming engine. My diesel with the tms pulls different, you never feel underpowered but you never feel over powered. The power just always seems the same if it is a flat or 7% grade.

I don't agree that your not at least in 3/4 ton area, those who say they tow just fine in that kind of weight are tring to convince themself that what they are doing is fun. They are doing it cause they do not have the option to upgrade and are too far in to say their wrong now. I have driven and sat on the passenger side of many of these "just fine" towing rigs and they will get the job done, I will not argue that, but you have both hands firmly planted on the wheel the whole way, if you don't mind that a 1500 May be an option. I camp to relax and needing to worry about the drive there and back or long trips, not signing up for that.

I don't agree that you will spend more fuel on a bigger truck. My dually diesel (2014) gets me between 3 and 4 mpg better then my 1500 did, (2011) not towing and towing, only 8 mpg better. Love it!

[therink]

Whichever brand truck you choose (they are all good), if choosing a gasser, make sure you get a 4:10 or 4:30 axle for optimal towing torque. 3:73 is standard axle on most trucks (what you will see on dealer lots). The 4:10 is a factory option.

[rhagfo]

Is the 8,000# dry or wet?
If wet, this give some thought to the F150 EB Max/Max, 8,000# is well within it's towing capacity, 5er might be close on Payload, but the turbo's create low speed torque.
Towing an 8,000# trailer with today's diesel is nothing, even with 3.73 gears.
I pull 11,000# with 3.55's and a lot less HP and torque and do great.

[ScottG]

Find someone with a Patriot Blue 2003 Ram 3500 4X4 6 speed Cummins and offer them a blank check for it.
Don't for get the Blue part, that's important. Oh and the blank check too.

[Sandia_Man]

Properly geared there are gasser options from the big three that will effectively tow a 8K# 5er up most any mountain, but none will do it to the degree a diesel will if that is what you truly want.

The newer Hemi 6.4 Ram gasser is a beast and is being used by current forum members to tow heavier 5ers than what you are planning to tow. Mileage reports when not towing is pretty good compared to HD gassers of the past and is not a bad option as a daily driver.

We use a Chevy 3/4 ton gasser with 4.10s to tow our 10K TT toyhauler around the mountain west and it has taken us up every mountain thus far, but I wouldn't and don't use it as a daily driver as it does consume quite a bit of fuel even when not towing. It's a dedicated TV and just sits in the garage until called to duty.

If you want the torque of a diesel than you have to go diesel, I know a few that use them as daily drivers and they seem not to have much problems doing so. Yeah they are a bit more expensive to purchase and maintain but they have better resale and of course more torque if you do a lot of heavy towing.

Ultimately, it's your call. Need to figure out where and how often you plan to actually tow, and if you are planning to go heavier than your 8000# 5er in the future. Diesel would be the better choice if going significantly heavier somewhere down the road, but for a 5er weighing 8K# and just towing 6 times a year or every 2 months, a newer gasser would fit the bill nicely as well.

[bigfink]

Thanks wintersun I forgot about the rear end ratio for gas engines, I will look into that

[bigfink]

Thanks everyone for the insite & links. I have driven them all and each one has their plus & minuses. I have also researched the gas engines available, my concern is mountain climbing or even hill climbing. I just don't see the available torque in the gas engines to accomplish the minor task of going up a 2000' hill. I was just looking for an opinion on what was perferred.

[Ric_Flair]

bigfink wrote:
Opinion, I am looking to buy a new truck, it will be used most of the time for daily driving, however I do pull a 8, 000 lb 5th wheel about once every 2 months. I would like the torque of the diesel for hill climbing, don't want to be the last one up the hill. Which is the better truck, Ford, Chevy or dodge? Or is there a gas engine out there that will give me the torque I desire, thanks for your feedback.

Mark F.

Don't forget the best option: GMC diesel doolie

If you have to settle for something less, go with the Chevy.

Otherwise, wait till you come to your senses and go either the GMC or the Chevy.

If you want gas, eat at taco bell. If you want to pull a trailer, get a diesel

[IdaD]

I've settled on a Ram CTD 2500 or 3500, planning to buy later this year or early next year (kind of enjoying no payments now and no immediate need). Your mileage may vary, though.

I didn't really look hard at the GM trucks. I've never been a fan in general and they've obviously had some recall issues as of late. My specific dislikes are the IFS setup, the crazy DEF tank location and the styling (totally subjective). Good drivetrain, though, and very fast.

I thought I'd probably get a Ford but I've read a lot about saggy suspensions and after driving one you can definitely tell the overall platform is dated at this point. It just kind of has that old school jiggly truck feel to it. I'm also a little leery of Ford's diesel motors after all the issues they've had over the years, and they seem to have a drinking problem - I work with a guy with a 2012 that's never gotten decent fuel economy. They're very nice looking trucks, though - my favorite of the three in terms of exterior styling.

So why did I end up settling on the Ram? Stout frame, stout axles (including SFA), and of course the Cummins - which with due respect is the overall best of the three diesel motors (again my opinion). It is slower from a stop than the other trucks but once you're moving it can keep up fine, but even from a stop it isn't what I'd call slow. It still has a diesel sound to it so I like that as well, plus having a DEF gauge instead of a warning light is nice. It seems to get pretty good mileage and the emissions setup finally seems to be dialed in pretty well. The 2500 coils ride really nice, although the payload is a little skimpy which is why I'm still considering a 3500. IMO it has the best interior at all trim levels.

Overall the Ram just checks more of what I consider to be the important boxes than the other two, but I do think you could buy any one of the three and be totally content.

[wintersun]

For your tow load a gas V-8 is more than enough as is a 1/2 ton pickup. The trick is to get the lowest gears offered for the truck. If they offer 4.10 gears go with them. If they only offer 3.73 gears then choose these.

A gas engine will produce peak torque at over 3,000 RPM as compared to a diesel engine that will peak at less than 2,000 RPM's. People wrongly compare a diesel pickup with 3.73 gears to the gas powered version with 3.31 gears and blame the engine.

A 2014 Ford F-150 with the gas 5.0L V8 engine with the 3.31 gears has a maximum trailer weight spec of 7900 lbs. but with the available 3.73 gears it is rated for up to 10,000 lbs., an increase of more than 25%. The same applies with the GM and Ram trucks.

With tall gears the engine is at too low an RPM and the result is slower acceleration getting onto the highway, slower acceleration for passing or for pulling a grade. The difference in MPG with the different gears is going to be trivial and only measurable for the purely freeway portion of your driving with the truck unloaded. Towing the truck can actually get more MPG with the lower gears as the engine is ale to spend more time in its power band and there is less shifting by the transmission with the resulting power losses.

A 3/4 ton truck is going to be heavier and get poorer fuel economy and be a less comfortable truck for daily driving. And for tow loads such as yours it is not needed. Diesel would be even worse for a daily driver as they do not start to provide good fuel economy until they have been driven for at least 20 minutes even in good weather. Diesels also cost 4 times as much to maintain, diesel fuel costs more, and repair bills can be incredible and not necessarily covered under warranty.

I own a 2500HD diesel pickup but I would not dream of using it as my daily vehicle. It is used for hauling heavy loads or towing a heavy trailer. For everything else I use a Prius that gets 45 MPG on average with regular gas and has needed only tire rotations, oil changes, and the CPU battery replaced over the past 7 years and 70,000 plus miles of use.

A Class 8 truck is great if you plan to tow more than 30,00 lbs. on a daily basis and don't mind 6 MPG tops and tires that cost 8x as much.

[goducks10]

Just color match one to your 5th wheel and go for it.

[spoon059]

You are looking for a Class 8... I'd recommend the Freightliner or Volvo.