Chevy or ford tow vehicle ?

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by James R Williams

Hi I'm wondering which one makes the best one for pulling a 17' Casita travel trailer up overt the mountain passes ( from the desert (1086') To the pines (5000'-7000') The Chevy 1500 or the Ford 150, What have you experienced and how is your truck equipped (motor, rear end gear ratio, other
Thanks Jim

We've towed our 17' Casita fully loaded with water, propane, etc with a Chev Blazer, Trail Blazer, GMC Yukon XL and now a Tahoe 4.2, 4.3, 5.7 all of them 4WD SUV's. All have done well going over the mountains in Colorado. We just like Chev and wanted an SUV. We get about 16MPG with all of them. A lot of people like Ford trucks but we don't so it is a choice in brands. I wouldn't buy diesel unless you use them a lot because of cost of upkeep and the fact that diesel gels. Our freinds with a big diesel truck just had gelling problems from the cold.

[AlanKilian]

Ford.


The. End. Of. This. Thread.


:-)

[Steve Outlaw]

Originally Posted by AlanKilian

Ford.


The. End. Of. This. Thread.


:-)

One can only hope....

[Defenestrator]

Payload is your biggest potential problem, but even then you'd have to load the truck up with people and gear and pick a configuration that's on the lower end of available payloads. So, either steer clear of the top trims or leave the lead brick collection at home and you're probably good.

In terms of power at altitude, I'd say you want at least 225HP for a turbo or 285HP for normally aspirated. That eliminates the pre-2008 4.2L Ford V6, the pre-2011 2-valve 4.6L Ford V8, and the pre-2014 4.3L V6 Chevy. Anything else will do fine, including newer V6s and the Chevy turbo I4. If you're buying a 2014 or newer, every single available engine has enough power.

Other than that it's just a matter of whichever one you find a better deal on, or the one with the interior trim and gadgets you like more. You'd have to go out of your way to get one without enough power or payload.

As a point for comparison, I bought a 2016 Silverado with the 6.2L V8 and Max Trailering package in anticipation of getting a Bigfoot 25RQ, and briefly towed my Escape 19 with it. I'd qualify it as "hilarious overkill". I could squeal the tires towing on an uphill entrance ramp, had enough mass and brakes that I'm not sure I'd have noticed if the trailer brakes weren't hooked up, and definitely didn't need a weight distribution hitch to stay level. In some ways it made me nervous because I'm not sure I would have even noticed a tire blowout or seized axle or something.

[John in Santa Cruz]

WE had no issues hauling our fully loaded Casita 16SD up and down the western US mountains with a Tacoma V6 4x4 .... I added firestone riderite airbags to the truck, 5psi for empty, 30-40 PSI for a full load. truck rode 10X better when heavy, towing or not.

[John in Santa Cruz]

but the escape 21 was a bit much for that truck..... it drove fine, but the gas mileage and tank range and payload were awful.



so the tacoma became an ford diesel longbed.

[C&G in FL]

I am very happy with my 2020 F-150 3.5L EcoBoost. With heavy duty towing package it has a payload of 1937 pounds. Pulling my Escape 5.0TA weighing @ 4,400 pounds loaded with its above the cab wind resistance the F-150 will accelerate from 60 mph to 75 mph almost in a heartbeat, pushing me back in the driver’s seat, and that is going uphill. Best of all, the 2020 sits in front of my garage and through WiFi connectivity, updates it’s own software when Ford makes changes, elimination the cumbersome job of checking if it is current, downloading it to a thumb drive, and then installing it in the truck. And it has Car Play, so I can play my choice of audio from my phone while simultaneously using Google maps for navigation, rather than a stand-alone GPS which has, in the past, gotten me into some sticky situations because it’s not-so-good navigation database needs to be updated to a more current not-so-good database. The 2020 is my third F-150, and by far the best. I have no problem with GM, but while they may be good, and many “love” them, I would never purchase a Ram. I have owned three Chrysler products in my lifetime, and they occupy the top three spots on the list of the worst vehicles I have owned. And I have a friend with an Ram 1500 ExoDiesel which seemingly gives him continuing engine fault codes. For that reason, I will not even consider a Ram.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by AC0GV

.....not brand. Which dealer has treated you right in the past? Location is important, will they loan you a vehicle when yours is worked on? My local ford dealer has even helped me out when I was broken down out of state. They called a South Dakota ford dealer and set up everything to get me back on the road.

We live in a small rural county . The county has NO car dealerships
The neighboring counties have dealerships , one has a Ford dealer , one a GMC / Chevy dealer and one with a Chrysler/ Ram dealership .
Being able to get warranty / recall work performed is important to me
The second issue is getting repairs done . Getting parts for Ford , Chevy and Ram is not an issue but getting parts for foreign vehicles is
When we’re traveling I don’t want to break down where the closest dealer is 500. miles away and the closest parts are a week away or still sitting in Asia

[Eddie Longest]

Steve brings up a good point about parts. My 2015 Ram 1500 Eco Diesel quit on the road 400 miles from home while towing a trailer. I was prepared for this type of incident and had done my homework. I went next door to the Ford dealer and bought a new XLT F-150 5.0. My payload increased by about 1000 lbs. and the 5.0 get's about the same mileage towing. I got a recall letter on the Ram's defective part about a week after the incident and it took the Ram dealer 5 months to get the part to repair the truck. For me trucks are trucks the Ram rode better but at the cost of payload. FWIW I had not had any issues with the Ram for 90 K mi. until the incident.
Eddie

[Jon in AZ]

We currently have two Hondas with a combined 23 years and 400K miles, and the nearest Honda dealer is 150 miles away. My local independent mechanic does just fine with routine maintenance and the occasional repair- brakes, timing belts, tune-ups- and has not had problems getting parts, usually overnight.

I've had both of them at the dealer for minor recalls and a warranted fix of a front suspension component. None rendered the vehicles undriveable, so I combined the appointments with other errands to the city.

I haven't found the lack of a local dealer to be a problem, assuming you have a common gasoline drivetrain. A Ram Ecodiesel is another story. It's neither gasoline nor common.

[steve dunham]

Our local mechanic is located in the next town over (Pop 87)
He does normal maintenance on our 2 vehicles - oil changes , tire rotation, tires , brakes , filters , cooling system , belts , hoses , batteries , etc
I have seen Toyotas and Hondas parked in his lot for over a week waiting for parts to be shipped . The cost to tow the vehicles to the closest dealerships is prohibitive due to the distance ( A tow of over a 100 miles is expensive)
Living in a rural area where the closest town
( Groceries - Hardware - Pharmacy , gas station) is over 10 miles away requires some form of transportation.
Going without a vehicle for over a week makes life difficult and a PITA
I am taking my truck in for a recall on Friday , a 20 minute drive , if it was a different make the drive would / could be over 100 mile
I can think of much better ways to spend my time and convenience has its place

PS : The recall is for a defective floor mat

[James R Williams]

Thank you for all your helpful posts! Jim

[James R Williams]

Hi, may be I should tell some of the back story:
We have a little 13' Scamp travel trailer that is pulled by our 2002 Toyota Tacoma (v6, auto trans) and it dose not do well on the mountains (barley getting over the mountains) some times having to drop in to 2nd, this summer the transmission gave out, that is why I'm a little skeptical when I read some one say they are pulling a 17' Casita around with a small truck or a SUV, (must be in a state that is kinda flat, and Arizona is any thing but flat). we like going to the cool pines to get out the desert heat, (so up over the mountains we go)
We would like to move up to a 16'-17' Casita travel trailer with a much new used truck to pull it (sorry no SUV, van, or stick) that has power to climb mountains with some power to spare but will not gulp gas when I'm just driving to & from work, running errand, and the like. Thanks Jim

[Defenestrator]

I'm a bit surprised you have so much trouble on hills with such a light trailer. That old V6 only makes 190HP and automatics were pretty terrible about efficiency until the last 5-15 years depending on brand/model, but that's still something like 28-38lbs per HP at 7000ft. I guess if it's a higher-trim 4WD with some extra cargo it could be pushing 40lbs per HP.

If you're looking at new or near-new trucks, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised regardless. Even the V6 Tacoma is 278HP vs your 190, paired with a transmission that has lower losses, more gears, and faster/smarter shifts.

If you're narrowing it down to Ford and Chevy half-tons, the highest MPG is probably the 3L turbodiesel Silverado, with the F150 hybrid in second. The F150 2.7 EcoBoost isn't all that far behind them though, and is probably a lot cheaper up-front as well as easier to find. At 7000ft of altitude, it'll make right around twice the power of your old Tacoma.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Our local mechanic is located in the next town over (Pop 87)
He does normal maintenance on our 2 vehicles - oil changes , tire rotation, tires , brakes , filters , cooling system , belts , hoses , batteries , etc
I have seen Toyotas and Hondas parked in his lot for over a week waiting for parts to be shipped . The cost to tow the vehicles to the closest dealerships is prohibitive due to the distance ( A tow of over a 100 miles is expensive)
Living in a rural area where the closest town
( Groceries - Hardware - Pharmacy , gas station) is over 10 miles away requires some form of transportation.
Going without a vehicle for over a week makes life difficult and a PITA
I am taking my truck in for a recall on Friday , a 20 minute drive , if it was a different make the drive would / could be over 100 mile
I can think of much better ways to spend my time and convenience has its place

PS : The recall is for a defective floor mat

While I understand your concern, and while I tow with a Ford F-150, I personally find your comments a bit exaggerated. I have owned two Toyotas and two Hondas. Neither one of them required very many repair parts. For that matter, my first Toyota only needed replacement tires, brake pads, and a battery in a 7-year, 150,000 mile time of ownership. It was replaced because we needed a larger vehicle for a growing family. The second Toyota was a pickup truck which I had for 12 years and 180,000 miles. In addition to tires, brake pads, and batteries, it had a slave cylinder go bad, replaced with one I bought from Autozone. Neither of my Hondas have needed parts other than tires, batteries, and brake pads. I wish I could say that about all of the “domestically” manufactured vehicles I have owned. Other than two Saturns, one of which needed a water pump at 125,000 miles, most have had expensive and time-consuming breakdowns. And GM, in its corporate brilliance, dismantled Saturn. My 2020 F-150 already has on recall, which arrived in the mail less than 3 months after delivery. The trailer brake module on my 2015 F-150 died when I was in Durango, CO, in early July. 650 of them backordered nationwide with an estimated delivery in late July and we all know about estimated delivery dates. And my “local” Ford dealer had to order a starter relay when my F-150 wouldn’t start and had to be towed in. Come on, a simple relay and it wasn’t stocked. And while being without a vehicle for an extended period of time is a PITA, but waiting for parts??? Both Toyota and Honda have a US based supply chains, and most auto parts stores carry replacement parts for the popular “foreign” brands. There is also this service that UPS and FedEx offer that is called Overnight or Second Day Delivery! Most repair parts for Toyota, Honda, and Nissan as well as some others are as readily accessible as are most parts from the Domestic manufacturers, unless one lives in an area where shipping is done with horse drawn wagons.

[Raz]

I have a 2015 Honda CRV and a 2017 Nissan Frontier. Both were bought new. The Honda was made in Ohio, the Nissan in Mississippi. Neither has been back to the dealership for anything.

Filters and wiper blades are easily found at Walmart. When the Honda needed brakes, Napa stocked several choices. In 2015 Honda sold just under 350,000 CRVs. Should the need arise, there's a bone yard just over the hill. Foreign vehicle? How do you tell? Isn't Ram owned by Fiat?

[Jon in AZ]

Right. The whole distinction of domestic versus foreign has changed. Now it’s not measured by where the headquarters is located but by the percentage of domestic content. The annual list of “most American” vehicles typically includes a mix of Big Three and “foreign” makes. And even then the “most American” vehicles typically have 20-30% imported parts content, with the potential for supply chain disruptions. Wasn’t Ford the first to announce production cuts due to the shortage of imported chips?

Back to regular programming...
Performance in mountains is very subjective. I have pulled our Scamp 13 with our V6 Pilot on all the grades mentioned by the OP and considered the performance adequate. On the steepest sections I top out at around 45mph. I could certainly push the vehicle harder, but I prefer to find a comfortable gear, wind it up to around 3500 rpm, and hold it at around 2/3 throttle. Most have a passing lane so I’m not impeding faster traffic, and the real-world difference in time is negligible compared to maintaining the speed limit.

If you consider adequate performance as being able to maintain the speed limit on the steepest grades, I’m thinking the 5.0L V8 or 3.5L Ecoboost might make you happier if you decide to go with Ford. The latter is overkill for a Casita, but if you ever decide to upgrade your trailer again, you’ll be ready. You’ll pay a fuel penalty tooling around the valley in daily use versus the 2.7L Ecoboost (which I’d consider the better all-around choice). I haven’t kept up with what drivetrains are available in the Chevy.

I live on the Ft.Apache reservation and never get tired of driving the Salt River route!

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by CPW

While I understand your concern, and while I tow with a Ford F-150, I personally find your comments a bit exaggerated. I have owned two Toyotas and two Hondas. Neither one of them required very many repair parts. For that matter, my first Toyota only needed replacement tires, brake pads, and a battery in a 7-year, 150,000 mile time of ownership. It was replaced because we needed a lager vehicle for a growing family. The second Toyota was a pickup truck which I had for 12 years and 180,000 miles. In addition to tires, brake pads, and batteries, it had a slave cylinder go bad, replaced with one I bought from Autozone. Neither of my Hondas have needed parts other than tires, batteries, and brake pads. I wish I could say that about all of the “domestically” manufactured vehicles I have owned. Other than two Saturns, one of which needed a water pump at 125,000 miles, most have had expensive and time-consuming breakdowns. And GM, in its corporate brilliance, dismantled Saturn. My 2020 F-150 already has on recall, which arrived in the mail less than 3 months after delivery. The trailer brake module on my 2015 F-150 died when I was in Durango, CO, in early July. 650 of them backordered nationwide with an estimated delivery in late July and we all know about estimated delivery dates. And my “local” Ford dealer had to order a starter relay when my F-150 wouldn’t start and had to be towed in. Come on, a simple relay and it wasn’t stocked. And while being without a vehicle for an extended period of time is a PITA, but waiting for parts??? Both Toyota and Honda have a US based supply chains, and most auto parts stores carry replacement parts for the popular “foreign” brands. There is also this service that UPS and FedEx offer that is called Overnight or Second Day Delivery! Most repair parts for Toyota, Honda, and Nissan as well as some others are as readily accessible as are most parts from the Domestic manufacturers, unless one lives in an area where shipping is done with horse drawn wagons.

My daughter and SIL had a toyota with less than 75, 000 miles that the engine locked up - bought new vehicle
My other daughter has owned Kias and Nissans and had 3 transmission failures CVT - 2 under 60,000 miles
My brother’s Sante Fe had a computer fail twice shutting the down vehicle in the middle of nowhere - Replaced vehicle
My other daughter owned a Honda - transmission failure , suspension / steering failure - Dumped vehicle
The Toyota that failed and was sitting in the repair lot was a prius and no dealer in the state had the parts
Ain’t too many priuses in rural junk yards

** NONE OF THE ABOVE VEHICLES MADE IT TO THE
100,000 mile mark **

What does this mean ABSOLUTELY NOTHING !!
ALL VEHICLES HAVE PROBLEMS - ALL VEHICLES CAN FAIL
I know for a fact that with the Kias , Nissan and Sante Fe the vehicles sat at the dealer waiting for parts for well over a week
The fact is I have a Chevy , Ford and Ram dealership within 30 miles of my home , the closest Toyota dealer is 100 miles away

I own a Ram but I don’t pretend it’s trouble free or the perfect vehicle or better than any other on the road or suggest to others it’s the one to buy or I get 50 MPGs !
Your experiences and mine differ the only thing is I didn’t question your honesty a or call you a liar
I stated my honest experience , if you don’t like it TOUGH !!!

PS : We have a family acquaintance who did hard prison time for manslaughter because Toyota lied about their problems with sudden acceleration
Maybe you know how to get back the 4 years of his life he lost ?

[Mike_L]

Just because a vehicle CAN tow a particular unit doesn't mean that you SHOULD tow that unit. A vehicle that's maxed out all the time will fail earlier than one that works at 60 - 70% capacity.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

My daughter and SIL had a toyota with less than 75, 000 miles that the engine locked up - bought new vehicle
My other daughter has owned Kias and Nissans and had 3 transmission failures CVT - 2 under 60,000 miles
My brother’s Sante Fe had a computer fail twice shutting the down vehicle in the middle of nowhere - Replaced vehicle
My other daughter owned a Honda - transmission failure , suspension / steering failure - Dumped vehicle
The Toyota that failed and was sitting in the repair lot was a prius and no dealer in the state had the parts
Ain’t too many priuses in rural junk yards

** NONE OF THE ABOVE VEHICLES MADE IT TO THE
100,000 mile mark **

What does this mean ABSOLUTELY NOTHING !!
ALL VEHICLES HAVE PROBLEMS - ALL VEHICLES CAN FAIL
I know for a fact that with the Kias , Nissan and Sante Fe the vehicles sat at the dealer waiting for parts for well over a week
The fact is I have a Chevy , Ford and Ram dealership within 30 miles of my home , the closest Toyota dealer is 100 miles away

I own a Ram but I don’t pretend it’s trouble free or the perfect vehicle or better than any other on the road or suggest to others it’s the one to buy or I get 50 MPGs !
Your experiences and mine differ the only thing is I didn’t question your honesty a or call you a liar
I stated my honest experience , if you don’t like it TOUGH !!!

PS : We have a family acquaintance who did hard prison time for manslaughter because Toyota lied about their problems with sudden acceleration
Maybe you know how to get back the 4 years of his life he lost ?

I’m not sure saying that I thought your concerns were a bit over-exaggerated comes even close to calling you a liar, Steve. I do not appreciate you “putting words in my mouth.” And I stated my honest experience when I used the term over-exaggerated and you apparently didn’t like it. But I won’t say TOUGH! You are entitled to your opinion as I am entitled to mine. All I said is what you just said: all vehicles can fail, but neither of my Toyotas or Hondas did.

Perhaps your acquaintance can bring a civil suit against Honda. Maybe he can be financially compensated for his “lost” years. But I really cannot comment on his case as I don’t have the details. I can only speculate if he were found guilty, the jury (of his peers) did not see fit to acquit him, or his attorney failed to show reasonable doubt.