Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hi,
We are new to USA from UK and need to buy a truck that can also seat 4 passengers (3 are kids). We would also need it to pull a camping trailer, perhaps a 30ft one or similar.
My husband will also use it for his construction work so perhaps a longer bed on truck to fit all equipment.
Budget is below $10,000.
What would you recommend?
Thanks
(we are in Asheville, NC)
I bought a 1978 F-350 Ford 1-ton that would do what you want done, not shiny and beautiful, will need tires soon - but for $350 I got a truck that runs and drives, actually runs quite well.
Keep in mind that the crew cab and the towing are 2 separate things - you could order a truck with one, the other, or both, when they were new.
Keep in mind that in NC you don't have near the problems with rust that I am guessing you have in Blighty.
I'm assuming this is going to be an occasional use vehicle, gas is cheaper on our side of the pond, but such a truck is not going to get better than about 15-17 MPG, (US gallon) and can be costly to use as a daily driver.
I have read that you can pick up 3/4 ton VANS cheaper than trucks. In your price range I would not consider a diesel. Too expensive if something goes wrong. Expect around 6-9mpg towing with a gasser.
There is a subforum on RV.net for tow vehicles - I'd ask those guys, they could recommend something specific.
Have fun! America is THE place for rvn'. Cheap horse power and fuel (compared to everywhere else). Lots of infrastructure to support those giant road maggots and the trucks needed to tow em'.
I really don't get where everyone is coming off saying a 30ft trailer is overkill for a 1/2 ton. It really depends on the trailer configuration. We towed a 30' Innsbruck travel trailer with a 91 F150 (5.8L), then a 93 K1500 Suburban (5.7L), then a '00 Expedition (5.4L), then a '01 F-350 (V-10). Yeah, each newer vehicle made it progressively easier to tow (the F-350 making it absolute child's play), but they all did fine. The only one that really had issues was the Expedition, but that had more to do with the soft rear end more than the power. But the Innsbruck had no slideouts, so the weight was significantly less.
I agree with the notion of finding the trailer first (or at least shopping enough to know what kind of weight you're looking at), then buying a vehicle suited to that specific application.
I really don't get where everyone is coming off saying a 30ft trailer is overkill for a 1/2 ton. It really depends on the trailer configuration. We towed a 30' Innsbruck travel trailer with a 91 F150 (5.8L), then a 93 K1500 Suburban (5.7L), then a '00 Expedition (5.4L), then a '01 F-350 (V-10). Yeah, each newer vehicle made it progressively easier to tow (the F-350 making it absolute child's play), but they all did fine. The only one that really had issues was the Expedition, but that had more to do with the soft rear end more than the power. But the Innsbruck had no slideouts, so the weight was significantly less.
I agree with the notion of finding the trailer first (or at least shopping enough to know what kind of weight you're looking at), then buying a vehicle suited to that specific application.
Mike
Moving a heavy load from a dead stop requires torque, something diesels have in abundance. Unfortunately the same can't be said for gas engines except for the bigger cube engines which get terrible gas mileage.
The OP said they were moving to Asheville which is in the mountains. I don't think a 350 ci gas engine is going to last very long in that environment.
Anything less than a 3/4 ton diesel would be a waste of money.
Determine Towing Capacity
If you'll be carrying close to the maximum GVWR while towing near the maximum towing weight, you should forget about that particular vehicle and go to something with more load and towing capacity.
Vehicle type: For comfortable, no-nonsense hauling, heavy duty trucks with towing packages and big diesel engines cannot be beat for towing the big 5th wheel. But for towing a smaller travel trailer or a pop-up camping trailer on the weekends, you don't necessarily need a truck. You might be able to get by with a passenger vehicle, like an SUV or large sedan but the op wants to pull a 30ft TT so a truck is in order.
Check the vehicle's manual for tow ratings. Be aware though, that seemingly similar vehicles (in power, size, and weight) can have quite different towing capacities, and some vehicles don't allow towing at all.
The final step is to subtract the actual weights from the ratings, leaving the remainder as the towing capacity. It is important to consider all calculations below and use the smallest, or most restrictive, for determining the maximum trailer weight the vehicle should tow. GCWR - GVW = Maximum Trailer Weight
The absolute maximum that the trailer should weigh is the difference between GVW and GCWR. If the manufacturer-specified Maximum Trailer Weight is lower, then it takes precedence. RGAWR - RGAW = Maximum Tongue or King Ping Weight
Because almost all of the tongue weight or king pin weight is supported by the rear axle, the difference between RGAW and RGAWR is the most tongue or king pin weight the vehicle can support.
If the RGAWR - RGAW formula produced a larger result than the hitch rating, we must use the more restrictive hitch rating instead, as the maximum tongue or king pin weight.
Once the maximum tongue or king pin weight has been determined, we can work backwards to determine the trailer weight. For travel trailers, the maximum recommended tongue weight is between 10 and 15% of the trailer weight. For fifth wheels, it is 15 to 25%. Knowing this, we calculate the maximum trailer weight as follows:
Max. Trailer Weight = (max. tongue or king pin) ÷ percentage
For example, if we calculated the maximum tongue weight as 1,200 lbs, and assume a 15% ratio, the formula will look like this:
Max. Trailer Weight = 1200 ÷ 0.15 = 8,000 lbs
And at a 10% ratio:
Max. Trailer Weight = 1200 ÷ 0.10 = 12,000 lbs GVW + Maximum Tongue or King Pin Weight ≤ GVWR
Even though it would be an unusual setup to cause GVWR to be exceeded before RGAWR, we make sure that the maximum tongue or king pin weight does not push the vehicle over the GVWR. We do this by adding the maximum tongue or king pin weight calculated in the previous section to the GVW. Other Considerations
Weight is the paramount concern when sizing a tow vehicle, but certainly not the only consideration. The heavier the trailer, the more useful the following features become:
Weight-Distributing Hitch: A ball hitch system that distributes some of the tongue weight to all axles of the tow vehicle and trailer. This provides more weight on the front axle for better steering control, and less weight on the rear axle to allow towing a heavier trailer.
Dually: Provides greater lateral stability. Helps reduce sway and distributes RGAW to four wheels, allowing truck to carry more tongue or king pin weight. Available on one ton and larger trucks from Chevy, Dodge, Ford, GMC, and others.
Engine type: Think torque rather than horsepower for towing. If the terrain permits, see how confident the vehicle can accelerate from a stop up a steep hill. Torque is what gets the load moving so in general, the more you have the better.
Modern turbo-diesels really excel in towing, and they're a great choice when available due to their better mileage and long-term durability. They also maintain their power at higher altitudes where gas engines tend to lose power, as much as 3% power per 1000 feet of altitude. This assumes the gas engine is not turbo or supercharged.
Be aware that if you choose a smaller engine for economy, it might be so strained that it actually uses more fuel than the larger engine, not to mention all the extra engine wear.
Last edited by snofarmer; 03-13-2012 at 07:38 AM..
^^ Everyone I know (family Included) that have pulled trailers with a 1/2 ton have been very disappointed after taking it on camping trips. Everything form tire wear, suspension problems, transmission problems and rear and issues. They safety factor is another issue altogether.
This.
The main reason to upgrade to a 1-ton is not the engine/frame, its the brakes. The -350 brakes are significantly better than the -250 brakes, and with a 30-ft trailer you will need all the brake you can get.
I would get a 1-ton for a trailer that size, no question. You can do it with a 3/4 ton, but your margins will be less, esp in braking.
A 1/2T with that load is pure folly. Forget that. Brakes will be inadequate, it will take you an half-hour to get to speed from rest, your fuel economy will be very poor, and it will be unstable on the road. Forget that.
Moving a heavy load from a dead stop requires torque, something diesels have in abundance. Unfortunately the same can't be said for gas engines except for the bigger cube engines which get terrible gas mileage.
The OP said they were moving to Asheville which is in the mountains. I don't think a 350 ci gas engine is going to last very long in that environment.
Anything less than a 3/4 ton diesel would be a waste of money.
This is totally correct.
If a person was buying a $40,000 truck to keep for three years, a V10 gasser or maybe even a 6.0 Vortec would be fine for a 30' camper. But on a $10,000 budget, meaning a 10 year old truck at least, it is irresponsible to choose anything other than a 3/4 diesel.
The main reason to upgrade to a 1-ton is not the engine/frame, its the brakes. The -350 brakes are significantly better than the -250 brakes, and with a 30-ft trailer you will need all the brake you can get.
The trailer will have breaks also so the trucks breaks are not such a big concern.
A 3/4 and 1 ton diesel trucks share the same frame/axles and brakes, there is no difference.
The only difference between my 3/4 ton and a 1 ton are the rear springs. when both are singel rear wheels and of course dullies are a diffrence but other wise the only diff is the springs. The dullie uses the same differential as the single rear wheel (if it's a diesel)
A gas powered truck will have smaller axles and brakes than a diesel and they will differ between the models of 3/4 and 1 ton.
Quote:
I would get a 1-ton for a trailer that size, no question. You can do it with a 3/4 ton, but your margins will be less, esp in braking.
I tow a 24ft TT, slide out, etc with my 3/4 diesel and fully loaded im well with in any margins. The trucks brakes are not taxed at all as the trailer has brakes also.
You see many 3/4 tons pulling travel trailers of this size.
IF the op wanted a 5thwheel then a 1ton would be a better choice with duel wheels.
Quote:
A 1/2T with that load is pure folly. Forget that. Brakes will be inadequate, it will take you an half-hour to get to speed from rest, your fuel economy will be very poor, and it will be unstable on the road. Forget that.
I agree.
Last edited by snofarmer; 03-13-2012 at 08:11 AM..
The OP said they were moving to Asheville which is in the mountains. I don't think a 350 ci gas engine is going to last very long in that environment.
Anything less than a 3/4 ton diesel would be a waste of money.
Without knowing the actual weight of the trailer, it's kinda hard to make those sort of generalizations. We've towed with gassers for years, small blocks at that. Lack of power was never the issue with the old 30 footer I mentioned in my last post, even towing up and over the Rockies and Appalachians quite a few times (similar terrain to the area surrounding Asheville).
I'm not saying a 3/4 or 1 ton (diesel or gas) wouldn't be a better choice. I agree, actually. I just chuckle at the general notion throughout this thread that anything less than a F-9,000,050 with a diesel making eleventy billion ft-lbs of torque is going to start rolling backwards at the first incline. Come on. As long as the truck is rated to tow the load, it can do it just fine.
Mike
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
