5th wheel tow vehicle?

[aspeyrer]

hey guys, just got back from phoenix arizona, towed my 35ft toy hauler with my ford f 250 cc 4by4 6.0 turbo diesel srw. man the mountains in new mexico were a Bitch ! going up 8% grade, my truck would downshift twice and we would be going 45mph at the top of the mountain. and the best is, i was getting 5mpg while towing in the mountains! go 10 to 12mpg on flat ground in arizona. Would a 1 ton f 350 with 4:10 rear gear with the smae 6.0 turbo diesel two this fifth wheel trailer any better?
would i feel less " Motion Sick" towing with a dually? After towing for 12hrs, when we got to our arizona destination, i flet like i was still moving.
thanks alan

[shortlance]

We have a 39ft fifthwheel that weighs in around 15000 lbs when loaded and pull it with a 1 ton GMC dually with a 6.6 liter diesel and a 6 speed allison trans and havent found a hill that it couldn,t handle. The dually's do give a more stable ride and places the truck as a class 5 instead of a class 4 with single rear wheels. Being it has duallys the pin weight is rated higher also. We also have a Moride suspension and a 5th airborn pin on the 5er which helps the ride too.
That's my 2 cents worth of information---I hope it helps.

[RustyJC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aspeyrer Would a 1 ton f 350 with 4:10 rear gear with the same 6.0 turbo diesel tow this fifth wheel trailer any better?

Does Ford give the 4.10-equipped F-350 a higher GCWR than your F-250? I suspect they do - generally speaking, the lower (higher numerical) rear axle ratio improves towing capability and capacity.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aspeyrer Would i feel less " Motion Sick" towing with a dually?

Most individuals who have towed with both SRW and dually trucks feel that the dually provides a more stable platform that is not as vulnerable to sway, body roll, etc. - not to mention the additional GVWR capability and the inherent safety of the additional rear tires.

Rusty

[Lued]

I have had four ford diesel truck my 2005 1 ton single wheel 6.0 turbo diesel was the last Ford diesel I will ever own. The dealer would not stand behind it, at the time I was pulling a 26 ft 5r I sold that truck I had the same problem no power. If I buy again it will be Dodge Or Chevy. .

[Automobilist]

We've towed a Weekend Warrior 33' fifth-wheel for years with a 2005 Chevy 2500HD Duramax/Allison LT 4X4 Crew Cab, single rear wheel. We've been very happy with it; rock solid and now has 76k miles. The Allison transmission is unbeatable, and really makes the power usable. Recently gave the truck to our daughter & son in law, and they're towing their own toyhauler with it.

I would not hesitate to buy another GM turbodiesel truck.

[lynn boyd]

the gm and dodge guys jumped all over that huh?? lol!
but lets find out some more info here.
you have a 35ft toyhauler, was it loaded with atv's? water? fuel? what is the gvwr on that unit?
8% is a pretty good grade. and all of us pulling 5ers know a headwind will kill your fuel milage.. but 5mpg? you have something wrong with your truck or trailer. could be something as simple as an air filter problem, or as serious as a dusted turbo. a 6.0 DRW f-350 will not pull the hill any faster than the outfit you got. comfortwise and stopping power no doubt a 1-ton DRW has an advantage.
as far as the emblem on the grill, they all have problems.

[RustyJC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lynn boyd the gm and dodge guys jumped all over that huh?? lol!

If you're referring to post #3, I attempted to respond directly to the OP's questions. I don't believe I disparaged Ford or even mentioned that I have a Dodge. I don't mind being taken behind the woodshed if I did something to deserve it, but in this case I haven't.

Rusty

[hooverbill]

Changeing the drive train (350/250) will not help...all diesel pickups have the same drive train. The dually will handle the heavy pin weight of the fifth wheel where the 3/4 ton was out of it's league. As for the 5 mpg...something's wrong with your truck, no diesel pickup should get that low mpg.

[RustyJC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hooverbill Changeing the drive train (350/250) will not help...all diesel pickups have the same drive train.

Changing rear axle ratios certainly does make a difference. That's why lower (higher numerical) axle ratios have higher GCWR ratings. For a given rear wheel torque, the drivetrain stresses will be lessened with a lower axle ratio. Conversely, for a given transmission output torque, wheel torque will be higher as it's multiplied through the lower rear axle (same principle as a longer lever arm).

Rusty

[aspeyrer]

35 ft toy hauler, was loaded with a 125cc Superkart and gear and tools. no water. my whole family went, thats myself and wife and two daughters, so yeah, lots of crap in the toy area. listed dry weight of this trailer is 9200lbs, i bet its 11k loaded. truck has 65k miles, normally get 12 to 13mpg in town, 18 to 19mpg hwy, but towing in the mountains we got 5mpg, no joke, i calculated it myself !
anybody own a 2008 to 2010 ford f 350 with the 6.4 twin turbo DRW. i have heard that the 6.4 gets fuel mileage like what i got in the mountains.
next trip planned for June to the Austin Texas area, so i need to find a 1 ton dually

Quote:

Originally Posted by lynn boyd the gm and dodge guys jumped all over that huh?? lol! but lets find out some more info here. you have a 35ft toyhauler, was it loaded with atv's? water? fuel? what is the gvwr on that unit? 8% is a pretty good grade. and all of us pulling 5ers know a headwind will kill your fuel milage.. but 5mpg? you have something wrong with your truck or trailer. could be something as simple as an air filter problem, or as serious as a dusted turbo. a 6.0 DRW f-350 will not pull the hill any faster than the outfit you got. comfortwise and stopping power no doubt a 1-ton DRW has an advantage. as far as the emblem on the grill, they all have problems.

[JIMNLIN]

Was the 5 mpg in the mountains actual pencil figures over several tanks or the overhead 'puter or on one single tank ?

As others say a one ton dually has the same engine tranny however the dually is heavier which negetivly affects pulling performance in the flats or in the mountains. The 4.10 axle over the 3.73 would be a benefit for both trucks in the mountains.

Motion sick after a 12 hr run is typical for some operatrs especially pulling a heavy trailer in the mountains or even in the flatlands with a DRW or a SRW. We made a pull from Pueblo, CO to NE OK fighting a 35 mph sidewind in a 11 hour run. After arriving home I still had motion feeling for several hours. Same feeling I had when I operated my DRW trucks pulling commercially when making a particular long hard run.

I would say the DRW would be much more stable/higher load capacity than a SRW or a F250. But IMO don't expect better mpgs or better engine performance.

[aspeyrer]

the 5mpg was hand calculated for one tank of diesel from Carlsbad New Mexico to the 375 loop around El Paso Texas. i am looking at a 2010 dodge ram 3500 dually, 24k miles, slt package, dealer wants 42k. i will try to get there today for a test drive. I really want a stronger truck, but have yet to find one with a interior like my King Ranch Edition F 250

[RustyJC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aspeyrer i am looking at a 2010 dodge ram 3500 dually, 24k miles, slt package, dealer wants 42k. i will try to get there today for a test drive. I really want a stronger truck, but have yet to find one with a interior like my King Ranch Edition F 250

You'd need to move to the Laramie or Laramie Longhorn to get an interior comparable to the King Ranch.

$42K seems high with the incentives now available on new trucks. I only paid $48K + TTL for mine when I ordered it, and there were no incentives available last August/September. Our truck has every option available except for a sunroof (lots of need for that in Texas) and rear seat entertainment (the Shelties get bored watching Lassie and Rin Tin Tin reruns). You should have some negotiating room on that price.


Rusty

[pa0gri]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aspeyrer the 5mpg was hand calculated for one tank of diesel from Carlsbad New Mexico to the 375 loop around El Paso Texas.

Was the previous fill-up a true full tank???
I was happy with my first (gasser) milage of around 18, the next fill-up made it 5mpg.
Must have been a half filled tank the first time (I could not get more in it, so it must have been "full".)

And for your stretch, I like that there, drove it in 1993, ran on vapor entering Ell Paso...