Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Keystone RV Forums > Keystone Tech Forums > Tow Vehicles
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 06-19-2015, 05:13 AM   #1
deltadude
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Folsom CA
Posts: 37
Had the horse, bought a cart.

Prior to buying our new to us 2010 Springdale 25 rks, my tow vehicle was and still is a 2010 Chevy Silverado 1500. My wife told me, as we were looking at trailers, that we were going to keep within the range of the truck so we wouldn't have to buy a different one to tow our trailer. The sticker in my door jam shows a max tow rate of 6900 lbs. We have only taken the trailer out once since the purchase and it tows OK but struggles up any significant grades.
I've been looking at used 3/4 ton trucks around the value as my truck and have come across a 2006 Ford F250 powerstroke and a 2007 GMC duramax that are within $5K of each other. I've also found a few gas powered trucks a little newer. All have less than 90K miles. I think any of them would be an improvement over my current vehicle. Getting the wife on board is going to be the hard part.
deltadude is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-19-2015, 05:57 AM   #2
1jeep
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: ma
Posts: 147
NOOOOoooooo...Just say No to any ford 6.0 diesel unless you are prepared to put some money into it. Even though 06 was the best year for the 6.0 they have many issues. 08-10 ford used a 6.4 much better, but had emissions that caused poor fuel mileage. 2011 up 6.7 was he first in house diesel for ford and has had very little trouble.

With that said 07 was one of the best years for the Dmax, pre emission, im a ford guy and I would choose that over the ford.

Now, are you certain your truck wont tow that 25' trailer? Also another option would be a 3/4 ton gasser, most definitely most of them are more than capable of towing such size trailer.
__________________
2016 F350 Dually Crew diesel
2015 carbon 327
1jeep is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-19-2015, 06:02 AM   #3
cblong
Member
 
cblong's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Green Bay, WI
Posts: 75
I would go with the GMC if I had to pick between the two. The 6.0 is a good motor after you drop some money into it and fix all the problems. the 07 duramax is a great motor I think its the LMM very few problems and tons of power. no emissions if you are into cutting that stuff out.
__________________

Cougar High country 330 RBK
2014 F350 6.7 CC DRW
2008 GMC Sierra 2500HD Duramax CCSB SOLD
cblong is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-19-2015, 07:04 AM   #4
Desert185
Senior Member
 
Desert185's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Nevada
Posts: 2,695
And then there is the Cummins. Supposedly half the moving parts and twice the bearing surface area of the Powerstroke (and probably the Duramax). Whatever you get, don't gamble on the Ford 6.0.

With reference to negotiating with the wife, you're on your own.
__________________
Desert185 🇺🇸 (Retired Chemtrail vendor)
-Ram 2500 QC, LB, 4x4, Cummins HO/exhaust brake, 6-speed stick.
-Andersen Ultimate 24K 5er Hitch.
-2014 Cougar 326SRX, Maxxis tires w/TPMS, wet bolts, two 6v batts.
-Four Wheel 8' Popup Camper.
Desert185 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-19-2015, 09:24 AM   #5
1jeep
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: ma
Posts: 147
yes, there is the cummins, great engine, but it has its own issues also.

The newer model trucks are all good vehicles I think it really comes down to personal preference and your wallet.
__________________
2016 F350 Dually Crew diesel
2015 carbon 327
1jeep is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-19-2015, 12:21 PM   #6
deltadude
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Folsom CA
Posts: 37
For not a whole lot of money I can get the rear gear changed to a 4:11. I've already added airbags and brake controller. The truck only has 42k miles. We are planning another trip soon that will be a good test. I'll change the gear and see how it goes. No sense having to duke it out with the wife if I don't have to.
deltadude is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-19-2015, 09:42 PM   #7
Tonkatoy77
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: North Plains
Posts: 45
If you can get that 07' Duramax for about the same as you can get out of your 10', I would do that in a heartbeat! Is the 07' the Classic body style? If it is, then it has the LBZ engine, which doesn't have a DPF. If it's the newer body style 07', then it will have a DPF. That may cause some problems for you, but you can delete it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Tonkatoy77 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-21-2015, 05:03 AM   #8
jsm180
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Lakeland, FL
Posts: 41
If you need help deciding on a 6.0, start here. http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forum107/ Plenty of happy and friendly 6.0 owners willing to answer any questions. I would not hesitate to buy another, best bang for the buck if you find one that has been maintained.

Regardless of what brand you buy, 10 year old trucks will require maintenance, if you can't do it yourself the dollars can add up pretty quick.
__________________
2000 Sprinter 275BH 5th
2003 F-250 6.0 SB CC 4X4 Lariat
jsm180 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-21-2015, 05:27 AM   #9
deltadude
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Folsom CA
Posts: 37
I appreciate everyone's input. I keep going back and forth. I know what I have in my truck but no matter what I do to it, it's still a half ton. My wife doesn't like the noise the diesel trucks make. There are a few newer gasser 3/4 tons available also in my price range. I like not making payments, that's why we bought the used Springdale. I'm pretty handy and do my own repairs. On the newer vehicles, other than oil and filter changes, there isn't too much the average guy can do anymore.
deltadude is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-29-2015, 02:30 PM   #10
joepremier26'
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: SW Florida
Posts: 5
Tundra, Tundra, Tundra ! all the truck you need for towing under 10,000 lbs.
joepremier26' is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-29-2015, 03:22 PM   #11
JRTJH
Site Team
 
JRTJH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,846
Quote:
Originally Posted by joepremier26' View Post
Tundra, Tundra, Tundra ! all the truck you need for towing under 10,000 lbs.
Unless you prefer Chevrolet, GMC, Ford or Ram, then you'd have a problem with a Toyota no matter how much the trailer weighs.

There's a HECK OF A LOT more to determining an appropriate tow vehicle that goes along with trailer weight (under 10,000 lbs). Consider payload of truck and trailer, passenger weight, cargo weight, actual trailer tongue weight, front and rear axle ratings, tires, hitch rating, just to name a few.

ADDED: Oh, I also forgot to mention availability of service. In some places, the nearest Toyota dealership is 100+ miles away while Chevrolet, GMC, Ford and Ram dealerships are local. There's a lot more than the emblem to consider !!!!!
__________________
John



2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
JRTJH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-29-2015, 03:27 PM   #12
eddarde
Junior Member
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: wi
Posts: 25
Iam very happy with my f150 ecoboost max tow pulling our 30 fter, max weight 7700.
eddarde is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-30-2015, 04:55 AM   #13
deltadude
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Folsom CA
Posts: 37
I have found a couple '05 duramax's with less than 80k miles that I plan to look at in the next few days. I know I could get by with the 1/2 ton but we do plan to do some long distance traveling in the near future and I will feel a lot better knowing I have more tow vehicle than I need.
deltadude is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-30-2015, 09:52 AM   #14
GMcKenzie
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Okanagan, BC
Posts: 916
Quote:
Originally Posted by deltadude View Post
I have found a couple '05 duramax's with less than 80k miles that I plan to look at in the next few days. I know I could get by with the 1/2 ton but we do plan to do some long distance traveling in the near future and I will feel a lot better knowing I have more tow vehicle than I need.
The 05's MAY have an overheating problem. Not all did and if you are under 10K it should be fine. Otherwise, good choice. Much easier to do injectors than on my 01.

If you come across one, the 06 and 07 (LBZ) are the best of the bunch.
__________________
2010 Cougar 30RKS
2015 GMC Sierra Max Trailer

"Drinks for 6, Dinner for 4, Sleeps 2"
GMcKenzie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2015, 05:36 AM   #15
deltadude
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Folsom CA
Posts: 37
I'll be picking up an '07 Chevy crewcab Duramax this Monday. It has 86000 miles. The current owner put 70k of those miles on it. He didn't tow with it. He has all the service records. We will be going on a couple hundred mile trip next Thursday. I'll be curious how much better the towing experience will be.
deltadude is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-09-2015, 08:46 AM   #16
binfordtools
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Clarkston, MI
Posts: 47
Here is a tidbit I can offer from firsthand experience.

Note: this is NOT a Ford vs. GM vs. Dodge battle! Just passing along information.

I worked for Chrysler years back. We lent a fleet of Ram, 3500 Cummins diesels to a rodeo outfit who put a ton of miles on their trucks. The stipulation was that the trucks were maintained by the book, with proof of each item. They used these trucks for a few years and logged over 1 million miles on at least two of the trucks that I can recall, close to on the rest. We got the trucks back for evaluation. The body and interior were pretty beat up. The engines ran to near perfection. We took each motor out and tore them all down for evaluation. All of the surfaces that can wear (engine rotating assembly parts) were meticulously measured and recorded. In every Cummins motor, there was minimal wear and all of the surfaces were within acceptable tolerances.

Keep in mind, these were not used lightly. We are talking 10 to 15,000lbs. of horse trailers here. Through the west in dry, high heat, through mountains.

I am sure that people who work at GM or Ford have similar stories. Like I said, this is NOT a argument on what manufacture is the best. I can say however from personal experience that the Cummins motors are pretty darn reliable.
__________________
2015 Cougar 29RBK
2015 Ram 1500 Outdoorsman
2015 Jeep Wrangler Freedom Edition
binfordtools is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-09-2015, 08:49 AM   #17
GMcKenzie
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Okanagan, BC
Posts: 916
Quote:
Originally Posted by deltadude View Post
I'll be picking up an '07 Chevy crewcab Duramax this Monday. It has 86000 miles. The current owner put 70k of those miles on it. He didn't tow with it. He has all the service records. We will be going on a couple hundred mile trip next Thursday. I'll be curious how much better the towing experience will be.
Congrats. The best of the bunch and I'm sure it will serve you well.
__________________
2010 Cougar 30RKS
2015 GMC Sierra Max Trailer

"Drinks for 6, Dinner for 4, Sleeps 2"
GMcKenzie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-09-2015, 09:42 AM   #18
Face Down
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: RDU Carolina
Posts: 129
Minus studding, a 6.0 is relatively cheap to get the bad stuff deleted/replaced and dependable (you can get the parts for an EGR Delete kit including a new oil cooler for $150 these days). Love, love, love my 2006, it is like driving a 8800# 6 wheel sports car!

Edit...didn't read the second page...congrats on the new truck!
__________________
2016 Keystone Carbon 357
2006 F350 4WD CC LB DRW (aka Big Sexy)
Reese 20K Goose Box/Draw-Tite Remove-a-Ball
Face Down is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-09-2015, 08:07 PM   #19
puresilver66
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Jackson, Alabama
Posts: 9
Great choice, once you tow with a Duramax you'll never look back. It'll also run quitter than gas. Congratulations!!
__________________
2013 3500hd Duramax Dually 4X4
2015 Keystone Raptor 415ts
puresilver66 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-13-2015, 05:08 AM   #20
deltadude
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Folsom CA
Posts: 37
What a nice truck. Even my wife commented on how easily it towed our trailer. I was really impressed with the transmission. I rarely used the brakes on the downhills. Some of the hills had a truck mph of 35 so it was a fairly steep grade. Although I didn't calculate my mileage, using the cruise control set at 60, I showed 14 mpg.
deltadude is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Keystone RV Company or any of its affiliates in any way. Keystone RV® is a registered trademark of the Keystone RV Company.


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 06:31 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.