Which truck do I buy for my Travel Trailer?

[Tony2238]

Hi, I have purchased a new Coachmen Catalina 35' travel trailer that has a empty weight of 7300lbs. Keep in mind that I will never haul water because of the extra weight aND I don't see overy 1000lbs wOrth of cArgo either, so my guess is a total weight of around 8500lbs???? I'm considering a Ford F250 diesel. Just now starting my research and would like some experienced replies. Thank you so much.

Tony

[gmckenzie]

The diesel/gas question probably comes down to how much you expect to tow, and what you do with the truck the rest of the time. And personal preference. I like diesel but just traded mine in for a 1/2 ton gas as I didn't use it enough. I actually parked mine in the winter instead of abusing it with my short commute. So back to gas for me, based on what I do when I'm not towing.

You will add more than 1,000 lbs once you consider the propane tanks, batteries, water and hitch all become part of that total. Best to consider the gross weight rating of the trailer when thinking about towing. But an F250 diesel will be fine with that size of trailer.

[dryhorn2]

Ram 2500 6.4 Hemi

[aclay]

I think you'll be in good shape with a 3/4 ton. Some people try those weights with 1/2 ton. I prefer diesel, but depending on where you are towing (mountains, grades, etc), a gasser might be ok too. Like other folks have said, pay close attention to the specs of the truck you build/buy.

[noteven]

A tow vehicle with a trailer weight rating of around 2x what you actually want to tow makes for a nice setup.

[SouthpawHD]

mdamerell wrote:
.....

Good luck and just verify the spec's of that individual truck before you buy, as not all F250's are created equal.

Ford Tow Guides

Not all 3/4 tons are created equal too. I built a 3/4 ton Ram on the web and the payload was around 2,200, not much more than some 1/2 tons with max tow/payloads.

So be sure to check that payload sticker.

But honestly, I think a diesel is overkill for your uses. A gasser would work just fine.

[old_guy]

I tow that weight with a chev 6.0 gasser so you should not have any problems with a ford diesel.

[mdamerell]

First off empty weight is useless and you will probably end up 500-1000# more than the empty weight. Also cargo includes passengers as well the dog and anything else you throw in the bed. Bottom line is you'll probably end up closer to 8,000# TT plus what you add to the truck. The tongue weight will be around 1,200# so you'll need probably 2,000# of truck cargo capacity. If you have a 10,000# GVWR on the F250 the diesel version will weigh around 7,500# so you'll have about a 2,500# cargo capacity.

Good luck and just verify the spec's of that individual truck before you buy, as not all F250's are created equal.

Ford Tow Guides

[fla-gypsy]

Should be a good match