best towing set up, Diesel/gas, dually?

[postal]

Me and my wife are thinking about getting a new truck. It seams that when you look at used trucks you can find some good deals on the big heavy duty ones. I'm looking at 3/4 and 1 ton 4x4's. Infact we are even considering 1 ton dualys. What kind of mileage are you guys getting normally and while towing? Plus any other feed back any one has on "how she pulls" would be appriciated.


TIA: Jason

 

[TurboDave]

You're only going to get about 80 totally different opinions here

But for me, I tow with my Power Stroke diesel Excursion.
Anything in the 3/4 to 1ton range should do you fine for most towing applications (car/trailer towing). I can't imagine why you would need a 4x4 for towing. You plan on towing off road??
4x4 mileage is also not as good as 4x2.

Mine pretty easilly gets 20-21 mpg on the highway by its self. Towing, it pulls down a consistent 14.5mpg.

Unless you're independently wealthy, forget about a gas motor for a towing application.

You wont need a dually either unless your plans call for an extremely heavy goose neck/5th wheel pull.

I personally prefer TAG (non 5th wheel/goose neck) towing, but that's just me. It's what I've done for the past 20 years.

Good luck!

 

[TurboJunky]

Definitely go diesel, you can't lose.

The pros for a dually are better stability with very heavy loads plus it'll take a heavier load ON THE BED. The cons are difficulty parking in lots, inability to go through car washes, more tires to buy and that's not to mention changing an inner tire.

Personally, I bought an '03 Chevy Silverado Crew cab 4x4 with the Duramax/Allison. Great engine and it's just now loosening up at 17,000 miles. My mileage has steadily increased and is now up to 23-24 mpg on the hwy. I'm towing my '04 38' fifth wheel this week on a long trip for the 1st time so I can report back with towing mpg. I opted for the 4x4 for several reasons. I have towed in some pretty foul weather (snow, sleet, snow covered roads etc.) and I live in Michigan. If you live in an area without snow and ice and don't think you'll be off-roading then go with the 4x2.

Go with what you feel comfortable with if you're buying new. I heard Ford had trouble with their new Powerstroke but worked out the problems. The big three make excellent diesel packages.

Just my $.02.

 

[bruce]

Originally posted by postal
Me and my wife are thinking about getting a new truck. It seams that when you look at used trucks you can find some good deals on the big heavy duty ones. I'm looking at 3/4 and 1 ton 4x4's. Infact we are even considering 1 ton dualys. What kind of mileage are you guys getting normally and while towing? Plus any other feed back any one has on "how she pulls" would be appriciated.

I'll stick to an old gas 3/4 ton. 13 empty, 11 towing. But the gassers won't take a second mortage when they need work.
Mine's a dynosour, 91 454, with the heavy duty brakes, electric tranny, easy to edit PCM, 75 with a full load isn't even working.
And being a Utility bed, I can pack everything I need, and still have an empty bed. Ugly and practical.

4x4s are just, IMO, a waste. If things are that bad outside, stay in. They also instill a false sense of security, and if you crash it gets real expensive. A 3/4 2 Whl drive will get you any where, other then in the absolute worse of conditions, unless your going mudding, or need it for snow plowing you pay a big penalty for just having it.

2nd of 80.......

 

[Raven]

Diesel

Go diesel if you're serious about towing and do it a lot. More torque at lower rpm and the fuel mileage is waaaaaay better.

At the cost of today's gasoline (dependent upon the miles you're driving) it's not hard to justifiy a diesel at all.

I just bought a Chevy 3/4 ton '04 Duramax/Allison with the LLY motor - 310 HP and 590 lb/ft of torque. It's a beast and has more power than any truck I've owned before. It gets ~16 in town and ~18 with a mix of city/highway driving.

I've put about 2400 miles on the truck so it's got a lot of breaking in to do. It should get 20+ mpg once broken in so that's not bad at all for a big ol' 2500HD, 4x4 Crew Cab Short Bed.

Good luck with your choice.

 

[myclone]

I bought the truck in my sig for towing/cause Ive always wanted one and its a gas motor (454) which as other have said will kill you at the pump depending on gearing/driving style.

Ive used it to tow a bunch of diff cars/trucks on my tilt bed open trailer in the Appalachian mtns with not a single prob that I can think of other than the crappy milage. The milage suffers IMO due to the 4:11 rear gears which is pretty much the standard ratio that Ive found on most trucks and my heavy right foot. Unloaded it knocks down ~14mpg around town and the same mpg if youre below 65mph on the freeway in OD....but get the mph up to make good time (75mph+) at which Im turning right at 3k rpm in OD and the ol gas rat motor gets quite thirsty.

As was mentioned parking and turning are a pain and all but the widest drive throughs ar off limits in that truck (I caused a major traffic jam at my banks drive through when I first got it to prove that). Nothing is cheap for these trucks as when you get into one tons/duallys a LOT of components arent sold by your local chain store. Case in point I did a plugs/wires/cap/rotor tune up on it just last week and it was 234.00 with my discount (cost+10%) at the local GM dealer. OUCH!!! Then again the ignition stuff is good for close to 100k miles so it'll have almost 200k on it when I would need to do the ign again.

Tires arent really that bad IMO.. Yeah, I have to buy two extra at times but if you keep them rotated and you buy QUALITY tires not the cheapest junk on the shelf they seem to last quite a while even for me. Changing/checking pressure in the inside rear is a PIA as was mentioned though.

I didnt need a 4x4 one ton since I have an old chevy 4x4 beater but I did drive my dually all last winter and really didnt have any problems as long as I used common sense. I got stuck once but that was my fault for showing off/being stupid. If the winters are fairly mild like they are here in southern VA then you shouldnt really have a prob with getting a 2wd. If you live where the winters provide deep snow then Id prolly do a 4x4 to be safe. Theres a HUGE difference in how much trouble it is to get a big truck unstuck vs the family sedan...trust me on that.

Lastly, if fuel costs are an issue for you then deff look into the diesel trucks. I got a gas truck due to having every single spare part for the drive line on hand cept for a bare block in case the engine lets go and I just like the ol rat motor. I dont have any turbo diesel stuff laying around so if I own one and it grenades I'll have to start from scratch collecting parts to repair it.

 

[myclone]

Re: Re: best towing set up, Diesel/gas, dually?

Originally posted by bruce
I'll stick to an old gas 3/4 ton. 13 empty, 11 towing. But the gassers won't take a second mortage when they need work.
Mine's a dynosour, 91 454, with the heavy duty brakes, electric tranny, easy to edit PCM, 75 with a full load isn't even working.
And being a Utility bed, I can pack everything I need, and still have an empty bed. Ugly and practical.

4x4s are just, IMO, a waste. If things are that bad outside, stay in. They also instill a false sense of security, and if you crash it gets real expensive. A 3/4 2 Whl drive will get you any where, other then in the absolute worse of conditions, unless your going mudding, or need it for snow plowing you pay a big penalty for just having it.

2nd of 80.......

Not to hijack the thread but Id have to disagree in some cases about a 4x4 being a waste unless youre talking about a 4x4 dually being a waste just for towing. I dont know what type work you do or how much land you take care of etc but without a 4x4 of some type in my area youre screwed if youre a DIYer. I get into projects anywhere from moving a stuck backhoe to moving buildings/material from one location to the other in any weather which at times requires two or more 4wd one tons chained togeather to get the job done. Also, I have to take care of some acrage no matter the weather/conditions which makes having 4wd a must. Nothing is more of a PIA to have to pay for a wrecker to drive into BFE to rescue a 2wd truck that is stuck in minorly rough/slick terrain. The price of a wrecker gets REAL expensive when they have to get even one tire off the paved road surface here.

When I first bought my house/property it took me getting stuck a couple of times within a few feet of the driveway while doing land scaping to figure out that not having a 4wd wasnt going to cut it for me. I could have put chains on and prolly been alright but chains are a huge PIA to put on and remove all the time.

Your 3/4 ton having a utility bed helps out a LOT. Have you ever weighed that truck? I bet it weighs quite a bit more than you think if youve never weighed it and that extra weight helps a 2wd out a huge amount when traction is at a minimum.

Back to your regularly scheduled thread

 

[Reggie West]

Gas vs Diesel

Here are some points to consider between gas and diesel.

I have a 2500 HD GMC with a 6.0 gas motor. I get 15 mpg empty and 11 towing with it. Motor makes 320 hp and 380 ft/lbs torque. This is a 2WD truck. I am very happy with the truck and I pull a bunch of stuff ranging from trailers full of rock and cars. Gas costs 2.19 a gallon out here right now. Oil changes are $30.00 at Wal Mart that is with a synthetic oil too.

Dad has a F 250 with a Powerstroke diesel in it. He can tow whatever he wants with no problem. Stock it makes 300 hp and 525 ft/lbs torque. He has re flashed the ECM since and it makes more now. His is a 2WD truck also. He gets 20 mpg empty ( if he keeps his foot out of it) and 15 towing the GN on a trailer. Needless to say he likes his truck too. He can now keep the rice burners from cutting in front of him. Diesel fuel is 2.45 a gallon out here. ( Yeah it sucks ) You have to replace the fuel filter every 5000 miles ( $25 each) and an oil change is $55 at Wal Mart. That is using 15 quarts of oil.

So bottom line the diesel costs more in upkeep and fuel prices and the sticker price. If you will use it for what it is intended I do believe it is worth it. The gas trucks are just as nice and they are $5000 less on the sticker.

So as usual it comes down to your preference. Neither one of them are bad choices .

 

[turbov6joe]

I've owned a few gas powered HD trucks and will NEVER go back to one having now owned 3 diesel powered rigs. The diesel motor will last 500,000 miles if taken care of, get's a lot better MPG both unloaded and loaded, has a much better resale value, has significantly less motor parts to go bad, and can yank around about any trailer you can hook to a class IV hitch, 5th wheel, or a gooseneck. For towing the diesel can't be beat....nothing like making almost 700 lb/ft of torque @ 2000 RPM! That brings me to my next point in that it's REAL easy to crank the power up on a diesel for far less $$$ than that of a gas motor . Example, on my new 2003 Cummins HO I spent $325 for a fueling box that gave me an additional 80hp and 225 lb-ft at the tire....do that with a gas motor and make it driveable, get good fuel economy, and have longevity.....I think NOT. Spend the $$$ now or spend it later....good luck!

 

[TurboDave]

Re: Gas vs Diesel

Originally posted by Reggie West
Here are some points to consider between gas and diesel.

I have a 2500 HD GMC with a 6.0 gas motor. I get 15 mpg empty and 11 towing with it. Motor makes 320 hp and 380 ft/lbs torque. This is a 2WD truck. I am very happy with the truck and I pull a bunch of stuff ranging from trailers full of rock and cars. Gas costs 2.19 a gallon out here right now. Oil changes are $30.00 at Wal Mart that is with a synthetic oil too.

Dad has a F 250 with a Powerstroke diesel in it. He can tow whatever he wants with no problem. Stock it makes 300 hp and 525 ft/lbs torque. He has re flashed the ECM since and it makes more now. His is a 2WD truck also. He gets 20 mpg empty ( if he keeps his foot out of it) and 15 towing the GN on a trailer. Needless to say he likes his truck too. He can now keep the rice burners from cutting in front of him. Diesel fuel is 2.45 a gallon out here. ( Yeah it sucks ) You have to replace the fuel filter every 5000 miles ( $25 each) and an oil change is $55 at Wal Mart. That is using 15 quarts of oil.

So bottom line the diesel costs more in upkeep and fuel prices and the sticker price. If you will use it for what it is intended I do believe it is worth it. The gas trucks are just as nice and they are $5000 less on the sticker.

So as usual it comes down to your preference. Neither one of them are bad choices .

Your diesel fuel cost arguement is probably only valid in Kalifornia. I do a lot of driving all thoughout the midwest, and now down into KY, TN, GA, FL, and everywhere I've been (here at home included) diesel fuel is SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than gas.

 

[SouthernCal GN]

Just sold my 94 Suburban K2500 4x4. 454ci, heavy duty everything from the factory. I used it to tow a 9000lb offshore fishing boat to San Diego and Ensenada on a regular basis, as well as haul the family around.

I loved the truck, but the next hauler (and boat, for that matter) will be diesel for a # of reasons:

>I like getting more than 9-12 mpg.
>Diesels are better suited to constant heavy loads
>Couldn't stand having to put the hammer down on long grades just to try and keep at speed.
>No damn ricer will beat me up that same grade

Oil burners are the way to go- hell, I've even heard of some nut that figured a way to collect used oil at McDonalds, and use that for his fuel!!!

 

[ALBERTAN]

The title of the thread is "best towing set up, Diesel/gas, dually?". Notwithstanding the rest of the time when you are not towing, the answer to that question hands down is a diesel powerplant over gas. And the dually is also much, much better than a single rear wheel setup.

I traded my '01 6.0L crew cab 4X4 SRW for an '03 Duramax crew cab 4X4 dually. With anything much above 6-7,000 lbs, the D-Max really shines. And the dually is much more stable than a single rear wheel truck in strong winds or with a large load. Anyone who thinks otherwise needs to drive them both. I wouldn't pull a 38' fifth wheel with single rear wheels, but that's me. I've been pulled backwards into the ditch by a 10,000 lb trailer tht got away before...not fun. With a diesel dually, you just never have to think of what's out back on the highway. With the gasser, I was taking a run at long grades and waiting forever for the opportunity to pass big trucks.

And then there is the fact that a diesel is just infinitely cooler. Once you go black (smoke), you'll never go back.

 

[TurboJunky]

Wanna Haul?

It isn't just coincidince big rigs are diesels....

 

[TurboDave]

Originally posted by ALBERTAN


<snip>

And then there is the fact that a diesel is just infinitely cooler. Once you go black (smoke), you'll never go back.

I almost forgot about that added benefit. Try as I may, You just plain can not overheat a modern day diesel (unless you drain the coolant). Towing my car hauler through the desert in 110°+ heat didn't even phase it, and the A/C kept the occupants plenty cool!!!


I will have to disagree with some of the commenst made about dually rear ends. I've had the misfortune of having had to drive a couple on snowy highways. Unloaded, they are definately NOT what you want to be driving in nasty conditions! Those dual rears LOVE to hydroplane unless you've got 1,000# or so on them.

 

[TurboJunky]

Another added benefit of diesels is the fact they're emissions test exempt.

 

[gn85]

Originally posted by TT/A1233
Another added benefit of diesels is the fact they're emissions test exempt.

The thought crossed my mind to be a TR motor in a Diesel Regal... as long as they don't look, you don't have emissions testing.

One thing that I haven't heard mentioned yet is the ride quality trade-off.

What are the opinions in here of ride quality (unloaded) vs. the hauling ability?? Dually vs. Single.

 

[toofastforyou]

Ford F-350 diesel crew cab dually

I've had two car trailers ( one 26ft. and one 22ft which I have now), but I've always relied on my good old '91 Ford F-350 crew cab dually which I bought brand new, with the 7.3 diesel ( non-powerstroke) engine...It has never let me down except once when I blew the transmission. I never removed a valve cover on the engine!! With very good maintenance, and tender, loving care, these workhorses seem to live forever! It still looks good, and I keep saying to myself that it's not the one with the nicest truck that wins races...What's really important to me is that my truck never fails to get me to the track! I'm still very happy with it and would surely get another Ford anytime!!!
'bye!
Claude

 

[darb]

I will be picking up my Dodge Cummins 3500 in about a week. I test drove the big three to come to my decision. In my opinion, none came close to the power and torque at low rpms that the Cummins put forth. All were very nice trucks, but for me, the Cummins was clearly the best. Of course this is my opinion. Test drive them all and then make your decision.

 

[Cheeseburger]

I test drove all 3 and the duramax seemed to pull the hardest.

 

[postal]

I currently have a '98 Dodge ram 1500 4x4 with the 318 in it. So pretty much any thing I buy should be a nice improvement over what I have. The reason I'm looking into the big trucks is this: '01 half ton extended cabs are asking price of 22k with 50k miles on them. Ive seen Dodge 1 ton ext cab 4x4 duallys with 65k miles for 24k. So the dually was one year older and had 15k more miles but man thats ALOT more truck for an extra $2k. It seams to me the 1/2 tons are in high demand and are over priced used. It also seams to me that the BIG trucks are a little under priced for what they are.

Thanks for all the inputs so far: Jason