Chevy or ford tow vehicle ?

[James R Williams]

Hi, I by no means was trying to upset anybody it's just sometimes when you look at a situation and 2+2 doesn't=4 you kind of wonder if they forgot to mention other upgrades or different gearing, four-wheel drive, stick shift or anything else that might change the outcome,
when I was researching the subject and looking at some information on the Casita club forum for example there was one guy that said he did well pulling his Casita with his little V-6 truck but he did mention that he lived in Kansas where they don't have mountains only hills, just that one fact alone would change the outcome that's all I'm saying even my little truck does okay when I stay down in the flatlands like going to Tucson or to the rally in quartzsite but it's a whole different story when I have to climb Mountains,
Or perhaps my Toyota Tacoma is just a piece junk
(Although our mechanic tells me it's in good shape) who knows. Thanks. Jim

[Defenestrator]

No matter how good of shape it's in, it's going to be underpowered compared to newer vehicles. Sometime around 2006 manufacturers really started to figure out how to get more power out of engines even while keeping emissions down and on unleaded gas. The horsepower wars reignited a bit, and now minivans are pushing 300HP.

[John in Santa Cruz]

if you got the right gears, you can get over any hill with any motor, maybe not as fast as you want.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by Defenestrator

No matter how good of shape it's in, it's going to be underpowered compared to newer vehicles. Sometime around 2006 manufacturers really started to figure out how to get more power out of engines even while keeping emissions down and on unleaded gas. The horsepower wars reignited a bit, and now minivans are pushing 300HP.

those engines also got a lot more complicated to make all that happen.

our 2016 Mercedes 3.5L V6 is insanely more complicated than the 1994 3.2L I6 it replaced.

[Raz]

I watched the Scotty Kilmer video linked in post 18 in which he rates full size pick ups. If you haven't seen his videos they're rather entertaining. Numbers 2 and 3 were the Tundra and the Titan, very seldom mentioned here. His top pick was the F150 with the V8. He expects it to be more reliable than the Ecoboost engines. Also he praises the 10 speed automatic which I've heard alot of bad things about.

With GM announcing all electric by 2035, and others to follow, I wonder what we'll talk about then. And where I will buy my gas.

[Alex Adams]

Originally Posted by Raz

With GM announcing all electric by 2035, and others to follow, I wonder what we'll talk about then. And where I will buy my gas.

That's when all the solar panels you put on the roof of the trailer will come in handy!

[Bruce H]

I have purchased 11 new vehicles in my lifetime. Three were Chevrolet pickups, one was a Toyota pickup, one was a Jeep CJ-7 and six were Fords. Since '03 the last six were five Fords and one Chevy. In '03 I bought a Ford F-250 4WD with a 6.0 diesel. After that was an '06 Chevy 1500 4WD with a gas V8 and a four speed automatic. Then an '07 Ford F-350 V8 gas with a six speed manual shift. Then a '10 model Ford F-150 2WD with automatic transmission and max tow and payload packages. Then a '13 Ford F-150 ECO-BOOST automatic with max tow and payload packages. Finally a '17 Ford F-350 with a 6.2 gas V8 and six speed automatic.


The '03 was the nicest (King Ranch package) and the diesel towed great. Superb power and never a mechanical problem.

The '06 Chevy was a super nice little truck to use as a car but you couldn't tow a trailer at highway speed (65 mph) with it. The engine had plenty of power but the transmission could not hold a gear. If you tried to run cruise control or apply more than 25% throttle it would downshift to 2nd gear and shoot the RPMs up to over 5,000. This was pulling a 21' Bigfoot.



At 29,000 miles I went back to the dealer and tried to trade the little Chevy for an 07 Chevy 3/4 ton gas with a manual transmission. My trade in was pristine and immaculate but THEY DID NOT WANT TO TRADE FOR IT. I left it on their parking lot and walked across the street to a Ford dealer and had them walk back over and look at my trade in. They said "we want your trade in". I then ordered the new F-350 with a six speed manual shift. (that way I knew I could throttle it to the floor board and it wouldn't downshift on me unless I wanted it to). That all took a little more than an hour. I have not looked back at a Chevy since.


But in retrospect I should have gone ahead and ordered a Chevy 3/4 ton with the LBZ duramax engine they were putting in them that year. That was the best pickup engine ever (in any model) but they just installed it in their trucks for a little over a year around 2007. I would have had to overcome their low trade in offer for the '06 though. Used trucks in decent shape with the LBZ engine still command a PREMIUM price in 2021. The back fenders will most likely be rusted out above the wheel wells though. That rusted fender feature has been built into all Chevrolet pickups for over 30 years.


The '07 F-350 gas engine had the engine horsepower "de-rated" and it was low on power.

The '10 model F-150 had the same size engine and an automatic transmission. It had plenty of power and the transmission would hold high gear.


The '13 model F-150 with the little turbocharged ECO-BOOST engine was hands down the best tow vehicle of the lot. It had unbelievable towing power which it developed easily at a quiet less than 2,800 rpm engine speed. By then I was towing a heavier 25' Bigfoot. No problems with the transmission at all. It would take that trailer up long western mountain upgrades at 60 mph at a low 2750 rpm. Traded it off with 97,000 miles. Used it hard and ever a mechanical problem.



All of that being said my favorite truck of the bunch is my current F-350 with the gas V8. It has plenty of power and a surprising, superb smooth ride. The extra sturdy suspension gives it what I would call "road command", a feeling of safety and control while towing. I am between RVs now but I have some farm trailers that I tow. One of those is a gooseneck flatbed with a 26' bed that tilts hydraulically. I can load the trailer to a total of 22,000 lbs for a combined vehicle weight of 29,000 lbs + and the truck handles it fine, slow going up hills when loaded heavy though.


I have considered ordering a new '21 model with the larger more powerful 7.3 gas V8. Trade in values on late model used trucks are very high right now. My son bought a new top of the line GMC 3500 one ton pickup with the Duramax diesel engine in 2019. He seldom drives it and it has less than 15,000 miles. KBB and NADA list it's value at $10,000 more than he gave for it new. I could get within $5,000 trade in of what I gave for my Ford new. BUT the thing that makes me hesitate is the gas prices. They have gone up 80 cents per gallon since the (unfavorable) election outcome. And I am afraid they will go above $5.00 per gallon within two years, and continue on up after that. If that happens that will put an end to pulling any kind of camper trailer no matter what you are pulling it with. Were it not for the risk of extremely high fuel prices I would buy a new truck and a new RV trailer and plan on being on the road three or four months a year until they (and I) were worn out.



The tow vehicle you want for 17' Casita is the F-150 with the Eco-boost engine.

[Mike_L]

Gasoline engines can't compete with diesel for power, durability or fuel cost although the initial purchase price is often higher. I've seen some newer trucks with tiny little turbo charged engines. While they do produce a reasonable amount of power they work quite hard and I wonder how long they will be able to perform like this. Also the tranny shifts and shifts and shifts. I wonder how this will work long term. An occasional week end trip may not be an issue but for frequent/long distance use it will be interesting to see how things turn out.

[AlanKilian]

https://www.idrivesafely.com/defensi...last-100-years

[Alex Adams]

Originally Posted by Bruce H

BUT the thing that makes me hesitate is the gas prices. They have gone up 80 cents per gallon since the (unfavorable) election outcome. And I am afraid they will go above $5.00 per gallon within two years, [I]and continue on up after that.

If you believe the price of gas has gone up due to the election, think about this. People are driving way less due to the pandemic hence they are buying less gasoline. That, if you believe in free markets, should drop the price down significantly. But then there is the problem of profits, so the companies actually raise the price so they can preserve the profits. As a matter of fact, due to the election, policies that will cause a reduction is gasoline usage should cause the price to drop even more. But that assumes a free market again. Did we learn nothing from Enron?

[AlanKilian]

Originally Posted by Mike_L

Gasoline engines can't compete with diesel for power, durability or fuel cost although the initial purchase price is often higher.

Here's an informative article that has actual facts and measurements on this issue.


https://www.government-fleet.com/156...ers-know-about

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Mike_L

Gasoline engines can't compete with diesel for power, durability or fuel cost although the initial purchase price is often higher

As are the maintenance costs. Diesel fuel is generally more expensive, though economy is better. And frankly, there isn’t a FG trailer made that requires the power of a diesel to tow. Now if you are towing a 38-foot stickie 5th wheel, or hauling livestock around, that is a different story.

[Mike_L]

I have never been able to get the fuel mileage from gas that I can get with diesel. I know quite a few folks that "tow heavy". They all use diesel, not because the big block gasoline engines can't do the job but because they use so much fuel.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Mike_L

I have never been able to get the fuel mileage from gas that I can get with diesel. I know quite a few folks that "tow heavy". They all use diesel, not because the big block gasoline engines can't do the job but because they use so much fuel.

Well... we are talking here about a 17' Casita. I suppose compared to my 13' Scamp it might be considered "towing heavy," but in the big picture, it's a very light trailer.

These threads tend to chase some rabbits, and I guess this is just another one.

In the the bigger picture, diesel ownership comes down to more than fuel cost. If the load justifies it, certainly. A 17' Casita surely does not. I suppose if you are one of those that just likes the feel of a diesel, the Colorado/Canyon diesel might satisfy that craving for torque without being massive overkill.

[Mike_L]

Jon, I think we may have a disconnect here. I speak from 40 plus years of personal experience. Most of this time I towed with a gasoline engine because that is all I had to use. I couldn't afford a vehicle exclusively to tow my trailer. When that situation changed I bought a truck that could easily tow my trailer and carry two quads.
Before buying I spoke with a lot of fellow campers about their tugs and their performance. These conversations are common around a campfire. The consensus was always that either gasoline or diesel trucks could do the job but diesel fuel mileage was better. I would rather a gasoline engine because I know how to work on them. I'm a diesel newbie, I know nothing about them. I bought a diesel based solely upon fuel mileage and for no other reason. Also, when I chose diesel it was cheaper to buy than gasoline at the time of my purchase.
A buddy of mine tows with exactly the same truck as I do. He has a big block gasoline engine and can never get close to my fuel mileage. We even towed each other's trailers to see if it would make any difference. Same result, better fuel mileage for the diesel.
In my personal opinion, "towing heavy" is 8000lb or more. This would be large trailers, toy haulers, horse trailers etc. The vast majority of these units are towed with a diesel tug. Fuel mileage is among the reasons given for this.
I made no reference to any model of trailer relative to "towing heavy". Personally, I wouldn't consider either of the units you mention "towing heavy" but I have no experience with these models.
I'm not sure what the "feel of a diesel" actually means. My buddy has the same truck as I do but with a big block gasoline engine. It drives the same as mine.
You are right on one point, I do like torque (and horsepower). That's why I own a Corvette.

[fishinjimi]

holy smokes is this a can of worms!!!
my vote is for the Honda ridgeline it's got the nicest ride of any truck out there
(of course this is my bias opinion)
it is at the top of the list for American made
has better reliability and gas mileage than most and will drag a 3500lb camper up any pass in north America wit no issues

[Shaggy]

They are both junk. Get a Honda ridge line or Toyota truck...

[johnlochbuie]

Lived in Colorado and use to pull 16 ft casita with 4 cylinder and 6 cylinder over rabbit ears pass with no problem.

[darlene vogel]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Any current 1/2 ton truck ( Chevy Ford Ram ) V6 or V8 will pull a Casita up and over any mountain in North America .
We have a 2019 Ram 1500 with a V8 engine and 3.92 rearend and made it up and over the Eisenhower Pass without issue
Payload is a far bigger consideration IMHO

I used a chevy colorado it tows up to 7000 pd. And its easy on the gas then the v8’s. Been up mountains and everything else. I have a 17 ft casita freedom

[Roland twodux]

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

They will all do it. Get the one the has the creature comforts you like.