Which truck would be better for my TT

[Joseph4200]

I have a keystone outback 312BH its 35.5 feet long.

Here are the specs

Shipping weight = 7304
Carrying capacity = 1696

Im trying to decide the best truck to pull this with. Im thinking either the Tundra "I love Toyota" or the Ford F150. Here are some comparisons between the two trucks.

Been researching and this is what I came up with.


F150 vs Tundra

Towing capacity
F150 = 11,800
Tundra = 10,200
------------------
GCWR
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_combined_weight_rating

F150 = 17000
Tundra = 16000
------------------
GVWR
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_vehicle_weight_rating

F150 = 7000
Tundra = 7000
------------------
GAWR
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_axle_weight_rating

F150
Front = 3525
Rear = 3800

Tundra
Front = 3900
Rear = 4150
-------------------
Load Capacity "from sticker inside driver door"

F150 = 1810
Tundra = 1202
-------------------
Horse Power/ Torque
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/towing/towing-capacity/information/horsepower-versus-torque.htm

F150
HP = 365 @ 5000 rpm
Torque = 420 @ 2500 rpm

Tundra
HP = 381 @ 5600 rpm
Torque = 401 @ 3600 rpm
---------------------
Gas milage "under normal driving"
F150
City = 16
Highway = 22
Average = 18

Tundra
City = 13
Highway = 18
Average = 15

What would you guys suggest?

[DKM_Fam]

A little late for this discussion but I have a very similar setup and can offer some real world advice.
I own a 2017 Outback 323BH. Please do not flog me to death here as I know well enough the mistake I made in purchasing my tow vehicle. I tow it with a 2016 Ford-F150 Screw EB 3.5 with the Max Tow package (11,800 lbs). The truck has the XLT package. My truck is the 4x4 and the yellow sticker on the door says my cargo capacity is 1892 lbs.
I have a family of 5 (3 smaller kids). I was miss informed by the dealer (go figure) and purchased the Keystone Outback thinking all was well within the limits. I purchased a Husky WDH with the TT and had it all set up at the dealer.
Real world tow was very uncomfortable. The F-150 EB is a STRONG STRONG engine. It has more than enough power to pull the load and the RPM range is quite impressive. It has no problem with the tow. The issue comes in with the handling and the sway of such a large TT.
The truck pulls and stops the TT fine. The handling of the long TT is horrendous. To help with the problem I took the truck to Tampa Spring Co. and had an extra leaf added to the spring pack. (4 vrs the standard 3 the truck comes with). This made a huge improvement. Next I upgraded the tires to LT’s. This also helped the ride considerably. This is ~$2,000 in cost that I would not have incurred if I hade chosen a 250 from the start.
So now my setup pulls OK, but please understand this is not the setup you should strive for. If I had it to do all over again, I would get a lighter, shorter TT or an 250.
Real world numbers, my F-150 EB gets 19.5 mpg not towing. I get 9 mpg pulling my camper. I love the F150 for my daily drive and the truck is an outstanding product with lots of capacity. But when you hook it to a 35+ foot TT you definitely know it is back there.

R,
Dennis

[AJR]

Go diesel and smile till the bills come in. Been there, done that...

[DinTulsa]

Do you already own the trailer you want to tow, or was that the trailer you were wanting to buy?

Sounds like you had your mind made up on a 150 from the start. Good luck, you will NOT have a pleasant towing experience.

[mikakuja]

I am in agreement with everyone else.... Too much trailer for a 150. Diesel is nice but not necessary, but definitely a 250/2500 series truck.

[B_Guyon]

We have a Sprinter 316BIK (36 Feet) and I have had 2 GMC 2500 Crew Cab Diesels (2008 and 2011 which i have now) Before that We had a Dodge Ram 2500 crew cab 5.7 V8 gasser. I will never drive another gas truck again. I work 2 miles from my house.... its not miles per gallon.... Its smiles per gallon.

The Diesel tows better than the gas truck did, and its better when im out all night plowing (uses less fuel).

[Hannibal]

50mph? I go faster than that through the car wash! We run 60-65mph. As I get older, it's easier to run 60mph without feeling anxious to go faster.

[nrkmann]

I see some of the towing speeds listed here and wonder if you are exceeding your TTs tire speed. Mine, original from the factory (2008) are 50mph tires. Consequently I don't go over 50mph and average 12 mpg... nrk

[93Cobra2771]

rbpru wrote:
Sorry folks but facts are facts. I just made a trip from South Bend to Kokomo and back. Flat as a table straight as an arrow. I own a 2011 F-150 4x4 E-boost. I got 22 to 23 mpg with the curse set at 60 mph and I get 15 to 18 in town. Towing I average 10 mpg.

My P tires are cheaper than LTs and I only need 5 quarts of oil instead of the 6 or more.

Shocks and other consumable are generally more expensive on larger vehicles.

The initial cost is much less and yes my wife thinks my F-150 rides like a buck board wagon when not towing.

The disadvantages of the F-150 are simple, about 900 lbs less of cargo capacity and a usable tongue weight of only about 700 lbs. Max cargo gets eaten up very quickly.

Everyone would like a bigger truck but they do come at an increased cost, particularly when used for day to day driving rather than towing.

For some, the difference in cost is well worth it. It always comes down to individual choice.

If you are only putting 5 quarts of oil again, you might want to check your owner's manual. It holds six. 🙂

[nrkmann]

I was in the 1/2 ton quandary. Owned a F150 with 30K on it and did not want to take a bath buying a new truck. Here is what it took to be safe IMHO.

LT tires
Class IV hitch
HD Shocks
4.1 differential
Firestone rear air bags.
Anti-sway hitch
Trailer brake controller

That is $5K or so and I still have a 1/2 ton truck. $5K would have gone a long ways in purchasing a good used 3/4 ton truck already equiped with all the above.

[westend]

Might as well give it up. The OP, for whatever reason, is not buying a 3/4 ton.

Everyone has different economic situations with only a handful that are able to just visit the lot and come away with an F250 Lariat or a 2500 Denali.

The OP should consider, though, buying just a towing rig and not having it be a multipurpose vehicle. There are lower insurance rates for occasional use and upkeep isn't going to be a hardship with a truck that is only used for limited mileage during the year. It may be more economically efficient to buy an older, bigger truck and get a used commuter than trying to roll one vehicle into both jobs.

[Deep_Trax]

I agree with the majority of the other posters in that you need a 250/2500 series truck to safely and comfortably tow that trailer. If you already have the trailer and are happy with it, you may regret down sizing the trailer.

What is your budget for a new truck? As 1 poster said you can get a new gas RAM 2500 in med trim for around $33,000. I just priced some new GM 2500 gas crew cab 2WD for $35,000. Can't imagine the 2016 Fords are much more seeing as they really need to get rid of all the 2016's asap.

If you must have top of line trim in 4WD, your going to be close to $50K for gas and $60K for diesel. If you can settle for 2WD mid level trim, you can get much closer to $35K. If you can negotiate and are willing to consider used, you should be able to find a nice clean late model for well under $30,000. Again, what is your target budget?

[IBcarguy]

I've got a 3/4 ton GMC with a Duramax that tows about the same sized rig and I'm now a believer. I'll never go back again. Pulls better, stops better, more stable, rides better, everything is better...I'm definitely spoiled now.

[Huntindog]

You already own the TT right? If so, why take a bath on it to get something smaller? At his point, you may as well just get the bigger truck. Go down in trim level if you must, but a base 2500/3500 will tow the load just as well as a decked out truck.


$$$$ wise, it just doesn't make sense to go with a smaller TT at this point... And it obviously isn't what you want anyway.

[Mudinyeri]

A buddy of mine just went through this. He had a half-ton Dodge (2013 with the Hemi, I think) and bought a 28' TT. He posted a picture of the new camper on his Facebook page (before talking to me) and I sent him a private message betting that he would buy a 3/4 ton truck after one or two trips.

He did.

I have a 2011 Ram 3/4 ton with the 6.7 Cummins and an H&S tuner. My Forest River 28BH compresses the rear springs slightly without a WD hitch but pulls nicely.

Before the 2011 Ram, I had a 2005 with the 5.9 Cummins and a mild tow/haul chip.

After a debate with a friend about the expense of driving my Cummins for a year vs. his Chevy 1/2 ton for a year, we came up with a difference (excluding purchase price) of about $250 for the year - that was back when diesel was much more expensive than gas. We normalized the expenses for each our our annual mileage numbers.

[IdaD]

You can buy a 6.4 Ram 2500 crew cab 4wd with SLT options for about $33,000. Is the F150 less than that?