Community Forums

Sbad0cko · 03-03-2023, 08:53 AM

OP.........I would skip the 3/4 ton and buy a 1 ton crew cab, long bed, diesel, DRW. Just got a price today for a factory-ordered 2023 F350 (500 hp and 1200 lb-ft) for a very favorable price. You will be set for any trailer you tow for a long time.

Dave Pelletier · 03-03-2023, 09:13 AM

Well, first off I applaud your decision to stick with a HD truck. Many will say to go straight to an F350 and though functionally they are almost identical, you do get more legal payload for very little extra cash.....'course with gas you will have a decent payload regardless There is no comparison to a HD pickup vs. ANY half ton, even with the unicorn HDPP.. The ProPride is a great hitch IMO, though it's probably overkill with a HD truck and a moderate sized trailer.

As far as the rest goes; I'm not particularly brand loyal and have a small fleet of ten trucks....mostly Rams but I just purchased a new F350 and am considering ordering a 2023 F350 7.3 next week. I will preface this by saying I think all three manufacturers make a good truck and it's a bit of personal preference.

I went with Ford because; I like the solid front axle (that nixes GM), I like the aluminum body, I think it has the best visability and towing mirrors and I think it looks the best. I was buying a diesel and the Ford has the strongest powerplant and a 10spd tranny (GM does now too, with the diesel)

With gas trucks, the Ford has a compelling performance advantage....and not a small one. The 7.3 is the most powerful of the three gassers and the 10spd makes a big difference too. The GM6.6 is decent if a bit less powerful but the 6spd really hampers it and gear selection is limited. The Ram 6.4 has the least gasser torque but it mated to a pretty decent ZF8 speed tranny....not a fan of the MDS system. If you haven't watched the TFL truck towing test of the 2020 F250 with the 7.3, you might want to; https://tfltruck.com/2020/02/2020-fo...-it-did-video/ No changes from 2020 - 2022 as far as drivelines go though the 2023 recieved a 10 ft lb boost.

Good luck with your search. An idea about the size/weight of trailer would help refine the suggestions for options, etc.

Cheers,
Dave

Sbad0cko · 03-03-2023, 09:42 AM

Good point about the trailer selection. I'm staying under 30', probably more comfortable in the 26'-28' length. Figure, 7k-8.5k GVWR on the trailers I'd consider.

Dave Pelletier · 03-03-2023, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sbad0cko

Good point about the trailer selection. I'm staying under 30', probably more comfortable in the 26'-28' length. Figure, 7k-8.5k GVWR on the trailers I'd consider.

Nice. I'd stay with the recommendation of a HD truck over a 1/2 ton though the lower limit of what you mention is do-able with the right half ton.

I wanted to buy a new F150 EB when I bought my ORV 21RBS which is 8250 GVWR, 24'10" and had a "dry hitch rating" of 650lbs......but it quickly became clear that this trailer was better towed with a HD truck and the real, scaled, loaded tongue weight was 1,180 lbs. I've since traded that trailer for an ORV 25RDS which is 9,995 lbs GVWR with a 31' 2" OAL and a measured tongue weight of 1,275 lbs. It's definitely a 3/4 ton or better trailer. I'm currently towing it with a 2022 F350 CC DRW 6.7PSD which is a bit overkill but it's what I had.....but better too much truck than not enough.

For what you describe, ANY 3/4 ton truck should be just fine with the load.

Cheers,
Dave

Sbad0cko · 03-03-2023, 11:21 AM

I was asking more from a reliability standpoint; I pretty much figured any 3/4 ton would handle what I want to to - I'm wondering if for instance Ram's have bad transmissions, or if any of the HD engines have known issues like the 3.5 EB limp mode (since resolved).

I just don't want to get my heart set on a brand/truck, purchase it, have a problem that I post about, and have a chorus of "Oh that's a known issue lots of people run into that" type thing.

If that makes any sense to anybody.

Dave Pelletier · 03-03-2023, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sbad0cko

I was asking more from a reliability standpoint; I pretty much figured any 3/4 ton would handle what I want to to - I'm wondering if for instance Ram's have bad transmissions, or if any of the HD engines have known issues like the 3.5 EB limp mode (since resolved).

I just don't want to get my heart set on a brand/truck, purchase it, have a problem that I post about, and have a chorus of "Oh that's a known issue lots of people run into that" type thing.

If that makes any sense to anybody.

Sure. I would point out that on all the forums I participate on, one thing is clear: everything made by man can and will have issues and anything has some common weaknesses. I think all three are fairly reliable these days. Diving down into specifics;

- 6.4 Hemi; lifters/ticking noises, exhaust leaks/manifolds/broken exhaust studs. MDS system/solenoid. Reliable. The ZF8 speed has a great reputation and is used in dozens of other applications (I've had them in my Jaguar, Audi and BMW), big improvement over the old 68RFE.

- 6.6 GMC: knocking noises, lifters/valve springs. Reliable. the 6 spd seems reliable enough though it's definitely showing it's age and hampering towing performance compared to more modern 8 and 10spd offerings IMO. GM should have used their in house 10L1000 10spd that they use with their Duramax diesel IMO - rumor is that's coming in 2024.

- 7.3 Ford: 2020 spark plug wire failure ($30 fix), a very small number of bad lifters, mostly in motorhomes for some reason. Overall very reliable. 10R140 10spd tranny seems to be fairly reliable though there were some failures, particularly in 2020 when they were first introduced. The 10spd is a noticeable step up in performance towing IMO.

I don't know if that helps but that's what my research told me. There doesn't seem to be any big red flags like the Diesel's CP4 failures, etc.

Dave

Sbad0cko · 03-03-2023, 12:47 PM

Thanks for that - my research still has me leaning Ford and you're not sharing anything to push me away from that. Pursuing some SD forums I see the ordering snafus are still going strong; good thing I'm not in a rush to order. Hopefully they've figured it out again in 2024.

Dave Pelletier · 03-03-2023, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sbad0cko

Thanks for that - my research still has me leaning Ford and you're not sharing anything to push me away from that. Pursuing some SD forums I see the ordering snafus are still going strong; good thing I'm not in a rush to order. Hopefully they've figured it out again in 2024.

Yeah; can't be in a rush for a new Super Duty, that's for sure. My dealer is telling me late spring if I order now but I have my doubts...

Cheers and good luck,

Dave

Flyer15015 · 03-03-2023, 02:10 PM

Were this me, I would forget about todays "toy" truck offerings from all 4 major manufacturers.
Go get yourself an '07 Kodiak !!!
That sucker will pull any kind of trailer you can imagine.
The LBZ Duramax is bulletproof, and it's pre DEF.

IMHO
Mike in Colorado

Dave Pelletier · 03-03-2023, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flyer15015

Were this me, I would forget about todays "toy" truck offerings from all 4 major manufacturers.
Go get yourself an '07 Kodiak !!!
That sucker will pull any kind of trailer you can imagine.
The LBZ Duramax is bulletproof, and it's pre DEF.

IMHO
Mike in Colorado

first off, four? ....are you considering GMC and Chevy different companies or is there something else I'm missing?

Secondly; his desired trailer is 26 - 28' and 7,000 - 8,500 lbs GVWR......don't you think a MDT is a bit overkill? I thought my dually was overkill for my 31', 9,995 lb GVWR trailer!

I get it but if I was going with a pre-DEF diesel, I'd go all the way back to 2003 and get pre-everything; my 2003 Ram CTD 6 spd has about the same power as that Duramax and has zero pollution control at all.....but even 2007 is 16 years ago and time marches on. I have to say that the 475hp and 1,050 ft lbs + the 10spd tranny in my F350 doesn't suck.

Cheers,
Dave

tuffr2 · 03-03-2023, 04:25 PM

RAM use to have the best interior. Now it is personal taste as Ford also has a classier new interior, they keep the 12" screen Horizontal which I like better than the vertical RAM 12" screen.

Ford has the 7.3 Godzilla gas engine and now the 6.8 mini Godzilla gas engine. I think either engine would be a great engine for a 8,500lb travel trailer.

But for reliability the older 6.2 Boss engine is difficult to beat.

Also a nice truck is the Nissan Titan XD. 9 speed transmission with a new interior.

Sbad0cko · 03-03-2023, 06:50 PM

I keep reading how reliable that 6.2L boss is. It's a shame they are dropping it and moving on. As to the baby zilla engine, I think that is only available in the XL trim (as of now).

My timing dictates I wait; otherwise I'd be hunting for a 6.2 for the reliability.

tuffr2 · 03-04-2023, 03:14 AM

They just stopped building the 6.2 Boss so if you get lucky there may be a few new trucks sitting on dealers lots. If not you might need a late model used Ford. Even my small local Ford dealer gets a very nice used truck now and then. Nice to me is the Lariat and up trim. Ford improved the the hitch in 2019 I think. My 2017 has a 1,500 lb. weight carrying hitch but I saw a 2019 F-250 with a slightly higher capacity of 1,750 lbs. weight carrying.

I would even consider the 6.6 litre gas engine in the GM 2500 trucks. In my two test drives I really liked that truck. GM really upped their game with the redesigned truck. Their hitch is a 2,000 lb weight carrying capacity. Maybe the new Fords also have the same capacity. GM improved the cooling on that engine also.

If you consider a diesel you would be surprised at how quiet and powerful they are. The downside of the diesel is not only the emissions system but now the cost of diesel fuel. But, wow the power.

Dieselguy4 · 03-04-2023, 05:57 AM

LI would go drive all three. I started out to buy a Ram 3500 and ended up with a F350 after test driving all 3. I liked the gas like driveability of the Ford diesel. Skip the 3/4 ton and get a 1 ton. Payload capacity is the biggest point. They are not the same truck. That way when you decide to buy a bigger camper your ready. I have a Ram 3500 Mega Cab and a F350 CCLB dually. Both are great trucks. My 06 Mega Cab is my daily driver. Take the DW. Mine made the final decision on a truck. Small thinks like the foot well on the passenger side is bigger since Ford's downpipe on the diesel doesn't take up more room. We pull our fifth wheel with the F350. Heated and cooled seats make a big difference on a long trip. Have fun researching ��