Minimum motor for towing

REELDOC

REELDOC

The creek won't clear up til you get the pigs out.
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I have this stoopid idea to maybe buy a camper. I haven't got enough truck to tow it now. What is the optimum truck setup to haul this up and down hills without having to get out and push it?

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rv.campingworld.com rv.campingworld.com
 
6300 lbs dry, so you are looking at around 10500 loaded, (water, food, clothes, black and grey water, etc)... I would look at a f250 minimum with a diesel. Find a 00-early 03 with a 7.3. Can't go wrong
 
6300 lbs + the weight of what you put in it + all the weight of stuff and people you’ll carry in the tow vehicle =

The GVWR you need to have the Tow vehicle rated for.
 
heavydoc said:
6300 lbs dry, so you are looking at around 10500 loaded, (water, food, clothes, black and grey water, etc)... I would look at a f250 minimum with a diesel. Find a 00-early 03 with a 7.3. Can't go wrong
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Are ya' eatin' lead? that's a lot of weight over the dry.
 
REELDOC said:
I have this stoopid idea to maybe buy a camper. I haven't got enough truck to tow it now. What is the optimum truck setup to haul this up and down hills without having to get out and push it?

Stock Number Not Found

rv.campingworld.com rv.campingworld.com
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Choose the highlighted option.

Whatever pulls up in your yard, buy one just like that.

Screenshot_20210618-163701_DuckDuckGo.jpg
 
Remember, water is 8.3 lbs per gallon. I agree. I would go with F 250 , diesel. I've pulled tractors all over, and had F250 with V10, did nothing but scream up and down hills. F350 with 6.0 (wouldn't recommend the 6.0) when running well, would pull it fine.

So, I'm in the F250 with diesel camp.
 
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Always keep in mind that's it's not the "go" it's the "stop and control" when it comes to towing.

My Dooge 1500 is "rated" to tow that 10k pound trailer like heavydoc said. It has pulled an 8k trailer and I was impressed by the power it posessed.

But it's the kind of thing where can and should aren't the same. Buy it and tow it to a spot at the lake and leave it? Sure. The modern 1/2 ton will be fine.

But towing it all around for trips. The suspension and brakes are near the limit. Makes CONTROL an issue.

At least go 3/4 ton from your favorite maker. Gas or diesel. The extra weight of the bigger truck plus the better brakes, make a world of difference.

For that size load, I'd prolly go 1 ton if it was going to basically only be run to tow that camper.

The diesel vs gas thing is very dependent on use as well imo. A gas engine will tow just fine and cost less in maintenance over it's life in general. But if you are going to be going on constant long journeys with that camper loaded down. The diesel is the way to go.
 
GoWolfpack said:
And bite the pillow, because they're going in dry.
Enjoy paying 5 figures for a 20 year old truck.
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I paid 9500 for my 02 CCLB DRW 4x4. But they started out at 14,500. Agreed they are still pricey but not near as pricey a new one.
 
Trevillian said:
Always keep in mind that's it's not the "go" it's the "stop and control" when it comes to towing.
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This. I can get a Dodge Neon to get that camper rolling but it sure as hell won't stop it when Betty Lou pulls out in front of you.
And they always tell the officer "I never saw him" (because texts are important!) after you're dead.
Sneakymedic said:
I'm getting rid of that 6.0 next weekend for this. 2021 6.7 HO Cummins with Aisin transmission. Tired of being stranded by buying people's worn out crap they didn't take care of. View attachment 345716
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I'm with Sneaky. Enough of the gambles and when Dad finally sells his heavy duty truck it's because it's about worn out and/or looking at 8K to fix it.
My bff is a 40 year diesel mechanic and hardcore Chevy guy, and even he freely admits the Cummins is the one to have.
 
If you had tried really hard you might have found a worse time to buy a truck, but not much.

I was literally just at the dealership trying to order brand new. GM is not accepting orders for 2021 vehicles anymore and they aren't ready to take orders for 2022 yet.

As for towing:
Are you comfortable operating at the limit of what your vehicle can do? An F150 with max tow and the 3.5 eco boost will tow 11,500 lbs. But it will not be easy.

Any HD pickup will tow that camper. As long as these guys are spending your money, they'll say you need a diesel. You don't, and if you open your wallet you'll see 10,000 reasons why. It is better, but is it $10,000 better?


If you trade vehicles often a diesel will have significantly better resale value. If you were actually exploring the outer reaches of what trucks are capable of you might "need" that diesel. If you have tons of cash burning a hole in your pocket and have always loved the noise then maybe you want a diesel. But you do not need one to tow that camper.


Cowboy said:
Just remember it's not about pulling but about stopping.
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That's what the brakes on the trailer are for. If they fail you're in for a rough ride no matter what truck you're in.

If you are too scared to tow, stay home and camp in the yard. Elsewise grow a pair and get out there.
 
Lots of good advice above. My 2 cents

3/4 ton minimum with a towing package. The tow package has heavier brakes, suspension and trailer wiring already installed. 4WD is a very wise option to have too because a 2WD pickup pulling a camper out of a grassy area can get stuck in a heart beat.

Diesel is preferable. I also prefer either a mini-5th wheel or gooseneck for towing. It is much more maneuverable, better towing, and safer braking due to the positioning of the tongue weight slightly in front of, and over the rear axle instead of cantilevered behind it on a receiver hitch.

10K lbs behind a 6.0 Ford is totally doable. If you go with a used 6.0, there are a couple of things to do to bulletproof them; namely removing the EGR coolers and not tuning them up to high HP. Head studs are a good insurance policy too.

IMO, Dodge has the best engine (Cummins), Ford has the best chassis, and GM has the best transmission (Allison) if you're into the automatics. All of the various brand standard transmissions are ok too.

A larger gas engine will tow the weight just fine too, as long as you don't have too tall of an axle ratio, but it won't pull as easy as a diesel. Re axle ratio, 3:73 is probably the best compromise between towing power and fuel economy in the older vehicles. With the new ones with an 8 speed transmission, other options work well too.

When I sold my F450 I moved up to this (but it might be overkill for your needs!)

Virginia TripC.jpg
 
F250. Diesel if you can swing it. Gasser would do the job though.
 
Minimum’s not what you want when towing. 6.7 powerstroke (2015+ you don’t want the 2011-2014 6.7’s) the f250’s and f350’s can’t be beat. Those trucks are tough as nails.

Avoid a cummins unless it’s a 5.9 with a 48re (the only “decent” auto trans they ever put behind one, but still failure prone) The 6.7 Cummins is a good motor (with a failure prone turbo) but the 68rfe and asin transmissions are garbage. Expect plenty of electrical gremlins as with anything Dodge/Chrysler/Ram puts out.

Duramaxs are decent but a nightmare to repair because of the labor times involved with literally anything motor related. Allison’s are proven transmissions even if they shift slower than grandpa. Chevy interior build quality as of late is as disappointing and cheap as the Mitsubishi’s of the 90’s. It’s embarrassing.

just a mechanics .02
 
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Id agree with a diesel. Def need a 3/4 or 1 ton truck to be comfortable and not fry a transmission from pulling near the limits or your brakes in an emergency stop. Any of the brands will do you well just dont turn them up too much. They all have their own demons as far as whats good and whats bad.

I agree with @Pogue above.

Biggest thing on any truck is maintenance and a schedule of when its done coupled with good fluids and parts so it lasts.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
 
REELDOC said:
thanks folks, gave me a lot to think about if I decide to do this
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How did you decide on that particular camper?

I originally bought a pop up camper that I could tow with my 1995 V6 Tacoma. My wife wanted her own toilet, so I sold the pop up and bought a small, single axle camper. The Tacoma struggled to pull it up grades and had trouble stopping it similarly. This was on the trip home from buying it. So, my wife ran out and bought a half ton Chevy with a 5.3L. Unfortunately, the camper became too small when she brought home her Doberman. So, now we have a 25ft dual axle camper.

I think we're as close to the limit as we can get, but we also limit our trips to three hours or less. And I really don't see us taking this rig into the mountains because of it.
 
I've got a 38' 5th wheel Montana. It is pulled with my 02 CCLB DRW 4x4 truck. And actually my 96 RC DRW 2x4 truck pulled it better but stopping in a hurry was a little scary. The camper would push it even with a braking system. I am now looking at a slide in camper for my 02 truck. Lance makes a nice one. But still gots lots of shopping around to do
 
I 100% agree with all of the recommendations to stay with a 3/4 ton or 1 ton truck. It will be much safer in an emergency and because the trailer won’t be pushing the truck around as much you you should actually enjoy the travel parts of your trips. Plus you’ll have more available weight capacity for putting stuff in the bed that doesn’t ride in the camper. There is always more crap to bring.

I am not convinced a diesel is really needed for something that size. I’m sure it would be nice, but it is a significant cost increase compared to one of the big gassers, and today’s gas trucks pull very well. You still have the heavy frame and big brakes, so little meaningful difference there.

FWIW - I pull an Embrace el310 with a 6.2 gas F250. The truck is planted going down the road and has zero issue pulling the weight, including a few trips up and over the Appalachians. Haven’t made it to the Rockies yet, that is next summer.

I think the trailer you are looking at is a little lighter and shorter. Don’t get me wrong - I know I’d enjoy the diesel and I looked at them when I was buying the truck, but my personal opinion is the big gassers are fine if you are staying under about 10k trailer weight.

If you were looking at a 12-15k+ fifth wheel I would say you need to make the move up to the diesel.

Just my .02.
 
I’ve never been in a situation where I said I wish I’ve had less truck. Buy the biggest you can afford.
 
Trevillian said:
Always keep in mind that's it's not the "go" it's the "stop and control" when it comes to towing.

My Dooge 1500 is "rated" to tow that 10k pound trailer like heavydoc said. It has pulled an 8k trailer and I was impressed by the power it posessed.

But it's the kind of thing where can and should aren't the same. Buy it and tow it to a spot at the lake and leave it? Sure. The modern 1/2 ton will be fine.

But towing it all around for trips. The suspension and brakes are near the limit. Makes CONTROL an issue.

At least go 3/4 ton from your favorite maker. Gas or diesel. The extra weight of the bigger truck plus the better brakes, make a world of difference.

For that size load, I'd prolly go 1 ton if it was going to basically only be run to tow that camper.

The diesel vs gas thing is very dependent on use as well imo. A gas engine will tow just fine and cost less in maintenance over it's life in general. But if you are going to be going on constant long journeys with that camper loaded down. The diesel is the way to go.
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Ditto, you hit the nail on the head....plenty can “pull” trailers like that but stability, handling and STOPPING them safely requires a heavy truck such as 1 ton and up. (Just in my experience and everyone has their own)
 
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Ammoholic said:
Ditto, you hit the nail on the head....plenty can “pull” trailers like that but stability, handling and STOPPING them safely requires a heavy truck such as 1 ton and up. (Just in my experience and everyone has their own)
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The half ton trucks of today are more capable than the 1 tons of 30 years ago. Don't sell them so short.
 
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