Gas tow vehicle

[ddozier234]

Hi All,

I am in the market for a new tow vehicle. I have a F-350 gasser with a 3.73 axle ratio. I thought about going diesel, but do no like what I hear about the added cost of maintenance. I will be using it to pull my fifth wheel from job site location to job site location. Once on site I will drive the truck to commute to and from the job, hardware, daily driver. I will only be towing every 3, 4 or 5 months. Is there a gas engine that will pull 14,000/16,000lbs? I’m not brand loyal.

[Itchytoe]

There isn't a gas engine that will pull 16,000 pounds of fifth wheel well. There are some that can get the job done, but you're firmly in diesel territory with that kind of weight.

[Newmar2856]

You could consider a F350 DRW with the 6.2 gas motor. I’m not sure how happy you’d be towing those 4 or 5 trips a year, but it would do it at the weight you’re considering towing.

This is from the 2019 Ford towing guide.



I’ve pulled heavy 5th wheels with a diesel and really enjoyed the power. I now have a gas motorhome and while I miss the diesel on the hills it does just fine getting us where we want to go.

[Cumminsfan]

Fords new F350 with the new 7.3 gas is rated for 18,000-19,000 lbs with the 4.30 gears.
https://www.ford.com/cmslibs/content...tyPU_Oct15.pdf

[tuffr2]

There are gas engines that can tow 14,000lbs. But not 16,000lbs unless you want the 2020 Ford F-350 with the 7.3 litre Godzilla engine. And even that will not be as pleasant as a much more powerful diesel.

Just earlier today I saw a 12,000lb GVWR Rockwood 3 slide trailer that would be perfect for the new 2020 GM and Ford gas engines.

The new GM 6.6 gas engine is a huge improvement over their 6.0 gas engine. The 2020 GM trucks drive a little bit nicer than the very nice driving 2020 Fords.

[Old-Biscuit]

What 'added cost of maintenance' do you speak of?????


In 2007 I ordered/bought a diesel to tow my 14K 5th wheel



I have NOT found it to be more expensive to own/operate then the gas engines in all the trucks I owned prior.


first 7yrs truck was towing the 5th wheel weekly as we were FTrs
Since 2014 it has been a daily driver.....


Buy the diesel and forget about trying to tow a 14K-16K 5th wheel with a gas powered truck.

[kdauto]

Originally Posted by ddozier234

Hi All,

I am in the market for a new tow vehicle. I have a F-350 gasser with a 3.73 axle ratio. I thought about going diesel, but do no like what I hear about the added cost of maintenance. I will be using it to pull my fifth wheel from job site location to job site location. Once on site I will drive the truck to commute to and from the job, hardware, daily driver. I will only be towing every 3, 4 or 5 months. Is there a gas engine that will pull 14,000/16,000lbs? I’m not brand loyal.

1st off, I see you are relatively new here so welcome the the forums.

Are you looking at new trucks or used and what is your budget?

The newer large gassers will get the job done but not as fast as a newer diesel will. An F350 dually with 7.3 gas and 10 speed seems quite up to those weights as does the newer GM 3500HD with 6.6 gas engine. The GM is a bit behind the curve with its reliable but now outdated 6 speed transmission. I am sure GM is testing the demand for the gas setup in these before mating to 10 speeds and more R+D expense.

There are videos out there showing them with those weights doing all they are supposed to do, except they're not winning the race against a comparable diesel.

I was in the same boat as you and went with gas 7 years ago, no regrets. My next truck may be a diesel as I plan on LOTS of long trips in hilly terrain, but if a gas engine with 10 speeds is anywhere within 60-70% efficiency and capability of a diesel IO may opt for another gas engine setup.

[ddozier234]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

What 'added cost of maintenance' do you speak of?????


In 2007 I ordered/bought a diesel to tow my 14K 5th wheel



I have NOT found it to be more expensive to own/operate then the gas engines in all the trucks I owned prior.


first 7yrs truck was towing the 5th wheel weekly as we were FTrs
Since 2014 it has been a daily driver.....


Buy the diesel and forget about trying to tow a 14K-16K 5th wheel with a gas powered truck.

I don’t know for sure, but I was told that the oil changes, fuel filters an any parts that have to be replaced along with the increase in gas price could make it more expensive to operate. Cost of parts an repairs are a lot more. Is that not the case?

[Cumminsfan]

I wouldn't by a diesel to only tow every 3-4 months and then have that truck as my daily driver. I could easily live with my 2018 Ram 6.4, 4.10 gears towing 15,000 lbs once very 3-4 months. Living with a gasser as a DD is much easier especially if you're doing short drives.

[ddozier234]

Originally Posted by kdauto

1st off, I see you are relatively new here so welcome the the forums.



Are you looking at new trucks or used and what is your budget?



The newer large gassers will get the job done but not as fast as a newer diesel will. An F350 dually with 7.3 gas and 10 speed seems quite up to those weights as does the newer GM 3500HD with 6.6 gas engine. The GM is a bit behind the curve with its reliable but now outdated 6 speed transmission. I am sure GM is testing the demand for the gas setup in these before mating to 10 speeds and more R+D expense.



There are videos out there showing them with those weights doing all they are supposed to do, except they're not winning the race against a comparable diesel.



I was in the same boat as you and went with gas 7 years ago, no regrets. My next truck may be a diesel as I plan on LOTS of long trips in hilly terrain, but if a gas engine with 10 speeds is anywhere within 60-70% efficiency and capability of a diesel IO may opt for another gas engine setup.

I am very new to the RV and large tow vehicle world. I will be towing just a part of the time, but when I’m towing, I do not want to be rolling down hill backward underpowered. I’m probably looking to buy used. I have three other passenger vehicles to drive when I’m at home and not working. Problem is I work 90% of the time away from home. I purchased the RV to get away from hotels and other places to rent.

[ddozier234]

Originally Posted by ddozier234

I am very new to the RV and large tow vehicle world. I will be towing just a part of the time, but when I’m towing, I do not want to be rolling down hill backward underpowered. I’m probably looking to buy used. I have three other passenger vehicles to drive when I’m at home and not working. Problem is I work 90% of the time away from home. I purchased the RV to get away from hotels and other places to rent.

I’m trying to stay under 50K

[Jstamm2001]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

What 'added cost of maintenance' do you speak of?????


In 2007 I ordered/bought a diesel to tow my 14K 5th wheel



I have NOT found it to be more expensive to own/operate then the gas engines in all the trucks I owned prior.


first 7yrs truck was towing the 5th wheel weekly as we were FTrs
Since 2014 it has been a daily driver.....


Buy the diesel and forget about trying to tow a 14K-16K 5th wheel with a gas powered truck.

Completely agree. I went from a gas engine to a diesel (after my wife yelled at me and said get the dam diesel) and I am thankful that I did. Pulling my camper is a much
more enjoyable ride.

[consolenut]

Gassers can and do the job well. Properly equipped right gearing there fine. Who is in a race with the RV anyway. I haul a 5ver heavier then 95% of the 5vers out there. Give me a big gasser and a ton of rear gear anyday. Im 35k combined weight according to the scales. 23k 5ver and 12k of truck. Owners of gassers have to drive them correctly. Stay in the RPM range peak torque. Let it rev and do its job. Stay out of overdrive. Most that dis the gasser dont let it rev. For me tow haul and 3k RPM. Let the big block roar and ride.

[kdauto]

Originally Posted by ddozier234

I’m trying to stay under 50K

50k likely won't buy you a new 2020 Ford or GM gas 1 ton. Your best bet is a setup like mine, a 3500HD dually with a 6.0 gas and 6 speed auto. They are quite rare though, almost all GM Duallies in the past 15 years are diesel. I shopped for over 6 months and drove 3500km to get it.

If you do opt for a used 1 ton gasser, I'd recommend tryingto stay at 14 000 lb GVWR for a trailer. If you stay in the 12-13k range you can go SRW, but I like the stability of a DRW.

I cannot comment on any -2019 Ford or RAM 1 tons with gas engines and their availability. I can't even remember seeing one around here.