# Which truck/which engine?



## mueller1 (Sep 2, 2011)

Am looking into buying a larger fifth wheel, 40 foot with a GVWR of 14,3000. Which truck? I prefer Ford, so would I be OK with the F350, Crew cab, DRW, long bed, or should I be looking at an F450 with the same basic stuff? Which engine? Are the V-8 or V-10 good for towing, or should I go strictly with a diesel? If so, which one has proven itself, the 7.3, 6.0, or the 6.4? Also, most trucks I,ve looked at so far are 4x4, I imagine fuel mileage would suffer somewhat, but are there any other concerns I may come up against using a 4x4 (not using 4WD while towing of course) as opposed to a regular 2WD unit? Any insight at all would be greatly appreciated. Thanks


----------



## artmart (Sep 21, 2010)

On my 4x4 Ford with the 6.0 diesel, I don't use it unless I need it since I've bought it new. So I get very good mileage in 4x2 mode. I can confirm for me that as the truck gets more miles the mpgs improved... highway was 17-20 and now it's 19-22 and higher! Towing it's gone from 10-12 to 11-14.

In the race to keep ahead of the pack, Ford has gone through several engines - 7.3L up to 2003, 6.0 from '02 to '07, 6.4L from '07 to '10 and starting this year the very capable 6.7L.

If you buy a gasser, it can probably tow the trailer but you'll hate the mpgs and you may find yourself spending more on fuel because of it even if diesel is more expensive. The diesel version of any trucks will perform far better when towing or working hard, but some stick with gassers, since towing is rare. 

An F-350 dually will suit this load just fine, but watch the tow ratings, and weigh the truck to ensure the weights are good (gross, combined gross and all axles).


----------



## PhilnJill (Aug 3, 2011)

personally I would go 1 ton dually with a diesel engine. diesels have a lot more torque over a gasser and when pulling uphill nothing beats a diesel.


----------



## mueller1 (Sep 2, 2011)

*Thanks*

Hey Guys, Thanks so much for your input, really need the feedback. Have been camping all my life, and at one time had a 20 foot Skamper that I pulled with a car, but this ain't no Skamper and ain't pulling it with a car. I just want too make sure I'm not buying too little truck for too much camper. Thanks again, any other input is, again, greatly appreciated.


----------



## artmart (Sep 21, 2010)

Actually PhilnJill brings up a good point about preference of a diesel over a gas engine. A gas engine may not provide the tow rating you need for that toy trailer even on a dually. Diesels have hundreds of lbs more torque at low RPMs compared to gas engine, so a gas engine will scream louder and struggle more when you try and get it to tow that big trailer.

There is a good chance a modern truck that's a dually will have the tow ratings you need and the SRW is taking a chance. Older SRW trucks many not even be able to meet the need.


----------



## mueller1 (Sep 2, 2011)

*Great sound advice*

I think I've got the perfect vehicle in mind. 2008 F350, 6.0, Automatic, DRW, crew cab, long bed, 4WD. Lariat package(King Ranch) and according to the write up, it has the towing package. (with that new co-ordinated braking system, between vehicle abs and trailer brakes). I think this should be more than enough truck for my purpose. But I am going to check into Fords towing site just to make absolutely sure, for like I said before, I want more truck/towing ability than I need. Rudy P.S. Yes, I am going strictly diesel.


----------



## artmart (Sep 21, 2010)

That truck should fit the bill and have quite a few pounds left over, all around for lots of margin. I love the IBC (Integrated Brake Controller). It is provided to Ford by Prodigy who is one of the biggest names in brake controllers and has a couple of nice features.

4WD is highly recommended with a dually for those unexpected muddy, snowy or icy conditions. No sense having all that truck if you can't get it going. Like all 4WD owners will say, there are two types of 4x4 trucks. Those that get stuck and those that will get stuck. So far, I'm in the latter group. Until I get a winch I'll have to be careful. A 2WD truck remains stuck and needs someone else's 4WD to save them.


----------



## mueller1 (Sep 2, 2011)

Hey Artmart, I made a mistake when describing the truck, I said it was a 6.0, it's a 6.4. The 6.0 was in a 2007 that I was also looking at. :smack-head:


----------



## artmart (Sep 21, 2010)

I knew but didn't see any point in bringing it up since a truck with either engine and everything else being the same would meet your needs. The only disadvantage to that truck is that the 6.4 mpgs are less than the 6.0 since the engine is not just larger, it also has twin turbos. There's a good chance the differential has higher ratios too and this would also lessen mpgs as well. In the world of towing I believe that you get as much truck as you can tow with (which includes a diesel motor), then get lucky with the other stuff (differential, SRW vs DRW) if you can. You'll be quite happy with your truck as I am with mine. For heavy duty work I will never use gas again. If you are concerned about mpgs, then you might want to revisit the '07 if it's a dually and has all the trimmings like that '08. If it were me, I'd also get a warranty, too.


----------



## hideout (Feb 12, 2011)

this may not be what you want to hear,but the dodge has more tourqe,more pulling power,more comfort,and a diesel engine that is one of the best small truck, and large truck diesel engine ever made,and it will out pull the ford.:thumbup1:


----------



## artmart (Sep 21, 2010)

It ain't about the engine... Besides I'd like to see where Dodge beat either of the others in the numbers game. Year to year, they seem to be at the bottom, not by much, but nevertheless, Dodge has been very slow to be number one in the market.

I think, Dodge is doing a disservice to itself by not following up that engine with a decent frame, suspension, brakes, wheels/tires, etc., etc., etc. Dodge is consistently last on the ratings list for similar classes of truck year to year. Ford is usually at the top, quickly and closely followed by or leapfrogged by GMC/Chevy. Not saying that the Cummings engine provided to Dodge is no slouch but anyone with any familiarity with safety and compliance will tell you it's not just about the engine and Dodge just can't seem to consistently beat the other two on ratings.


----------



## hideout (Feb 12, 2011)

when you want to pull a house off its foundation,the dodge truck.with its cummings diesel is your truck,now about stats,they are taken by some bone head in californina,or washington,or even oregon who has not once in his lifetime ever used a truck for what a truck was designed for,hunting,fishing,pulling a 30 foot trailer up snowquamie pass at 60 miles an hour,or up cabbage at 55 miles an hour,or pulled that same trailer up around mt hood at 60 miles an hour,and to do that kind of pulling,on those steep roads,at those speeds,the ford will not cut it,the dodge will do it with out working up a sweat.
and those are the proving grounds for how a pu needs to work,not driving to the coast,or to a campground in beverlyhills.:10220:


----------



## artmart (Sep 21, 2010)

Ah, spoken like a Dodge owner. I picked my Ford based on the bonehead and accurate ratings and after looking at ALL three very closely (I count Chevy and GMC as the same). The Ford I picked hasn't had any problems doing what you've mentioned and I think the other Ford owners might agree, as well as the Chevy & GMCs.

I believe 50% of this class of trucks are Ford, then GMC/Chevy shares a bigger share of the remaining 50% over Dodge.

That said, drive what you want, but your generalizations and recommendation to ignore the ratings is just asking for legal trouble if an accident occurs and they find you ignored this. I guarantee you, the campers used in Beverly Hills will put any Dodge, (or Ford, Chevy, or GMC) to shame. I've seen some of the campers they own, and since they don't have to pull the house off the foundation, they just put wheels on it and bring it with them with the monstrosities they drive.


----------



## old_guy_camping (Aug 12, 2011)

I have had GMC gas, Chevy gas, Dodge gas, Dodge diesel, Ford gas, and Ford Diesel over the years. Every one of them did what I expected. I prefer diesel when pulling large loads, but the gas ones did what they were rated for, whether 1/2 ton or 3/4.


----------



## hideout (Feb 12, 2011)

well art mart,those of us who hunt in areas that are so rough and rugged that a abrams tank would have trouble getting in there,or those of us who run skidder roads 3 weeks out of a month deer hunting,or those of us who drive our trucks down into canyons,through mud filled streams,down roads that are not fit to take a horse into,most of us drive dodge,chevy or toyota,verry few drive fords,and if they do drive fords,they end up walking half the time because there ford diesel,or there ford gaspowered truck could not do the job ask of it by its owner,and most of the fords i have seen sittting along side the road either broke down or not capable of doing the task ask of them are ford,not dodge,not chevy.
and just for the record i do own a dodge 2500 pu,except it has the v-10 in it,because i could not shell out 45 thousand dollars for what is and will allways be one of the best hunting,fishing,camping,pulling trucks on the market,DODGE CUMMINS DIESEL PU.:thumbup1:


----------



## hideout (Feb 12, 2011)

and as for motorhomes,some of the peole around here in oregon drive motorhomes that are just wrong,some of them are bigger than the homes they live,and i would venture to say,cost more than the homes they live in as well:smack-head:


----------



## hideout (Feb 12, 2011)

well art mart,those of us who hunt in areas that are so rough and rugged that a abrams tank would have trouble getting in there,or those of us who run skidder roads 3 weeks out of a month deer hunting,or those of us who drive our trucks down into canyons,through mud filled streams,down roads that are not fit to take a horse into,most of us drive dodge,chevy or toyota,verry few drive fords,and if they do drive fords,they end up walking half the time because there ford diesel,or there ford gaspowered truck could not do the job ask of it by its owner,and most of the fords i have seen sittting along side the road either broke down or not capable of doing the task ask of them are ford,not dodge,not chevy.
and just for the record i do own a dodge 2500 pu,except it has the v-10 in it,because i could not shell out 45 thousand dollars for what is and will allways be one of the best hunting,fishing,camping,pulling trucks on the market,DODGE CUMMINS DIESEL PU.:thumbup1:


----------

