This is for a well known PF'er who's on the fence, who's got a half ton truck that has hit the GVWR limit, but doesn't need a diesel and its accompanying emissions headaches. And...GO!
This is for a well known PF'er who's on the fence, who's got a half ton truck that has hit the GVWR limit, but doesn't need a diesel and its accompanying emissions headaches. And...GO!
#RESIST
#RESIST
Full disclosure: I am a Ram and Ford dealer. Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions about towing with either Ram or Ford. Have *lots* of domain experience here with horse trailers and campers.
In general, buy the one you like the looks of / feels great when you sit in it / have a local dealer you like (much more important the the truck itself). The current crop of gas motored 3/4 and 1 ton trucks are very capable. There are nuance differences between how the Ford And Ram approach rear springs, Ram has more options for specific GVW springs with the coil spring approach, but the leaf springs in the Ford work really, really well when loaded. All these new trucks ride much nicer than you'd expect w/o a load on.
A couple of general "state of the truck" thoughts in no particular order:
The new 7.3 gas motor from Ford is a beast!
The 6.4 motor from Ram and the 6.2 motor from Ford also work great and will actually pull more than anybody generally needs outside of contractors, etc.
Fords interiors are finally catching up with Ram (IMHO)
If using a fifth wheel or GN, the factory GN prep packages are great.
Cab top backup cameras are the bomb for solo hook up of a GN.
Factory spray in bedliners are as good as after-market at this point.
Inventory of new trucks is generally tight - be prepared for sticker shock, rebates are low compared to what they were.
Bruce
I can't ever imagine buying any GM with AFM/DFM technology. That would be a hard disqualifier.
Don't trust Ram in general...
My money would be on the F250. IIRC they just released a new 7.3L gas pushrod engine for the super duties. Seems a little bit backwards but reading a round it seems like a popular option for people looking for a HD truck for towing but not looking for the added expense of maintenance associated with the Powerstroke diesel engine. The 6.2L gas engine has a solid reputation though IIRC, probably what I would go for unless there was going to be a lot of towing involved.
My truck is an F150 with the Heavy Payload Package, but it was almost a SuperDuty. No need for diesel here so I was thinking 6.2L.
Here is Flatbed Ed with 400,042 miles on his 6.2L F350.
Pick whatever model you like. They all have their pros/cons/issues.
As far a diesels go, I wouldn't tow in the mountains without one.
-Seconds Count. Misses Don't-
Undoubtedly this will turn into a caliber war I mean a diesel versus gas pissing match.
The Chevy has a new motor but the 6-speed transmission has been around.
I have heard the Dodge transmission ratios don't match up well with the motor.
The new Ford 73 has the highest output but it has a new 10-speed auto.
The 6.2 Ford has been quite reliable as well as the 6.0 Chevy.
All will tow 10,000 lb no problem. there's some videos of the Ford 73 towing 15K up steep grades and maintaining speed.
Mileage with a gas motor isn't as bad as they say just like with a diesel it's not as good as they say. Check the Fuelly website.
Turbo diesels lose about 1% of power per thousand feet of altitude gas motors about 3%.
Many fleets have gone to gas motors due to their much shorter downtime and much cheaper maintenance.
Gearing matters on gas motors.
A local dealer with a good service department is your huckleberry.
I ran my '16 Ram 2500 with the Cummins for 50K miles over a couple and a bit years extended travel with a 30' Airstream Travel Trailer on a ProPride PPP hitch.
I could never tell if the trailer was hooked up or not, it had that much torque. Up grades, down grades, you name it. The automatic descent speed control/diesel brake worked fantastically well. On the road coming on to Death Valley floor it's -10.5%, which was pretty sporty. Got down with zero drama and back up the other side, over the bottom at 110 feet below sea level (which is really weird.)
I bought mine under cost through the FCA affiliate program, as a qualifying retiree. I went a bit nuts on the options but it was a pretty nice truck, really. Took about 11 weeks to arrive from the Saltillo Mexico plant, IIRC.
Had two issues: One was a faulty/leaking wheel bearing, right side, replaced under warranty. The other was early on (<10K miles) the diesel brake feature would automatically engage in normal non-hilly driving, with loss of power and virtually no acceleration. This "went away" on its own and I never did figure out what caused it. Otherwise it did everything I asked it to for hauling my 7,000# trailer day in and day out.
At the top of a pass somewhere in the Big Horn Mountains, Wyoming. I do miss those days.
Last edited by RJ; 03-01-2021 at 03:28 PM.