yote'
South Dakota
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Family of 6 living in flat territory. Youngest will start driving within a year and I'll need a new vehicle. I know I'm going to get a truck, but what capabilities? I currently pull 23' hybrid travel trailer (estimate 7k loaded) with 2001 half ton Yukon XL denali. We take one 1,000 or more mile trip per year otherwise most camping is within 2 hours. We will NOT upgrade trailer as I already compromised by purchasing hybrid. I got to keep tent ends. Wife got bigger trailer. We don't pull anything else significant.
First question - Is 1/2 ton feasible? I'm sure with 6 people in cab we already take up much of payload but I would like a 1/2 ton since most miles are around town and this will be a daily driver. 50 miles per day or so.
Second question - If I were to go 3/4 route would today's gas engines have significantly better tow experience than the 2001 Denali I'm driving now (320 HP/365 torque)? I am happy now with power until I achieve highway speeds of 65 - 75 (rarely do I go 75 but that is the speed limit).
Third question - I love the thought of diesel but think neither I nor my pocket book probably need it unless the tow experience would make it feel worthwhile. I don't think I'd recover costs on fuel savings, etc. unless I'd potentially make my recovery on higher resale? Should I pursue diesel?
Third question - Fortunately we get along on long trips. Which crew cab offers best comfort knowing the cab will be full? I am NOT brand loyal.
Thanks in advance! I'm always lurking this web site but rarely post. Lots of good info here.
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camping man
Central Fla.
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Joined: 09/01/2001
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If your going 3/4, get a diesel truck, and you won't believe the difference. I'd do it over again without even thinking about it, I'd never have a heavy truck with a gas motor again, but that's just me. The extra premium you spend up front is just basically in escrow , you'll get it back when you trade in, or sell it, without a doubt.
05 Dodge 2500 2WD Quadcab,6cyl. Diesel
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skipnchar
Google Kansas USA
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Joined: 12/17/2003
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The first 40,000 miles I towed my Rockwood was with an F-150 and it did a fantastic job but lacked power at high altitude (we love mountains). It always got us where we wanted to go but would see some time in 2nd gear when grades got steep and altitude was high. Last spring I added a diesel to the line up just before leaving for a two month Alaska trip. There really aren't that many steep grades on the way to Alaska and the few areas that WERE steep were pretty short so the F-150 would certainly have been up to that task as well but the extra power WAS nice. Other than the power, the two trucks do a pretty equal job in towing the trailer. Both are rock solid and they have almost identical payloads (both just over 3,000 lb.) but the Net payload of the F-150 is actually higher (due to the weight of the diesel engine).
With a family of 6 then it's not going to make much difference if you get a half ton crew cab or a 3/4 ton crew cab, the room will be very similar. The big problem comes from the fact that the big payload option (on the Ford) isn't available with the crew cab so you'd be in the range of 2400 lb. instead of 3,050.
You might be able to do as well or better with one of the large SUVs like Suburban or Expedition to get the cab room and they both will come with plenty of power to do the job.
Good luck with your decision / Skip
2004 F-250 SCREW Long Bed (new)
OR 2004 F-150 HD (85,000 towing miles)
Rockwood 8314SS 34' travel trailer
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dodgebob08
Mississippi
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you'd like the preformance of a diesel but you'll have to decide about the money. with 6 people traveling, have you looked at a dodge ram megacab? i ended up with on by accident but man, the cab is huge, might be worth looking at.
2008 Dodge 2500 MegaCab CTD
2006 Copper Canyon 295RLS
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Yahooligan
Temecula, CA
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Hmmm...
Family of 6 and a 7000lb HTT. Do you use the truck as a truck, actually using the bed or do you have it simply for towing? If only for towing then I would look long and hard at a 3/4-ton SUV (Excursion, Yukon/Suburban) or even a 3/4- or 1-ton van (E-250/E-350). That 3rd-row seat makes the long trips much more bearable instead of having everyone cramped together.
If you need the truck, then I would go with a 3/4-ton diesel. My personal preference would be a 2006-2007 (5.9) Ram 2500 Mega Cab. Great fuel mileage, longevity, and resale. A non-6.0 PSD Ford F-250 Crew Cab or Chevy/GMC Crew Cab with the Duramax and Allison trans would also serve you well.
Could you do it with a 1/2-ton? I think you'd be pushing the GVWR of the truck with 6 people, gear and the tongue weight of the trailer, especially since you need the crew cab which will generally have the lowest payload capacity of all the models.
In short, yes 3/4- or 1-ton truck, van or SUV. Which one is really up to you, go sit in and drive them all and go with the one you like the best. My only word of caution is to beware of the Ford 6.0 PSD. I would take the gas V10 over that engine any day due to reliability issues the 6.0 has.
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Hogan & Clan
2005 Nissan Titan CC SE 4x4
2010 Keystone Hideout 31BHSWE
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ib516
Up here!
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I second the Megacab. It comes in gas or diesel, 1500, 2500, and 3500.
2010 Cougar 322QBS 5er
2007 Dodge 3500 Megacab, 4x4, 5.9L Cummins Turbo Diesel, 3.73, 48RE auto
Hypertech Max Energy 
PICTURES
Prev Trucks:
2002 Dodge 2500, 4x4, Cummins Turbo Diesel, 3.55, 47RE auto
2001 Dodge 2500, 4x4, 360 gasser, 4.10, 46RE auto
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djgarcia
Northern, Ca. , USA
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Joined: 07/26/2002
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A few questions:
1. Is RVing/camping an activity you see you and the family doing 10 years from now?
2. As the kids grow up and move out on their own, do you and the wife see yourself traveling more often and further distances or not?
If your answer is yes to 1 & 2, then I would suggest you look at a 3/4 ton 4 door cab, diesel.
If your answer is no to 1 & 2, then I would buy on the conservative side but I would still buy a diesel for longevity and resale value. IMHO.
As to what brand? Call me the 3500 Dodge, Diesel, 6spd boy:-).
yote' wrote:Family of 6 living in flat territory. Youngest will start driving within a year and I'll need a new vehicle. I know I'm going to get a truck, but what capabilities? I currently pull 23' hybrid travel trailer (estimate 7k loaded) with 2001 half ton Yukon XL denali. We take one 1,000 or more mile trip per year otherwise most camping is within 2 hours. We will NOT upgrade trailer as I already compromised by purchasing hybrid. I got to keep tent ends. Wife got bigger trailer. We don't pull anything else significant.
First question - Is 1/2 ton feasible? I'm sure with 6 people in cab we already take up much of payload but I would like a 1/2 ton since most miles are around town and this will be a daily driver. 50 miles per day or so.
Second question - If I were to go 3/4 route would today's gas engines have significantly better tow experience than the 2001 Denali I'm driving now (320 HP/365 torque)? I am happy now with power until I achieve highway speeds of 65 - 75 (rarely do I go 75 but that is the speed limit).
Third question - I love the thought of diesel but think neither I nor my pocket book probably need it unless the tow experience would make it feel worthwhile. I don't think I'd recover costs on fuel savings, etc. unless I'd potentially make my recovery on higher resale? Should I pursue diesel?
Third question - Fortunately we get along on long trips. Which crew cab offers best comfort knowing the cab will be full? I am NOT brand loyal.
Thanks in advance! I'm always lurking this web site but rarely post. Lots of good info here.
Dick
djgarcia@earthlink.net
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blt2ski
Kirkland, Wa
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My family of 6 would ave your Tahoe at GVWR before hooking up a trailer, ie we weigh 1200-1300 lbs! the approx payload of a Tahoe!
A 2500 burb with the 6.0 will do fine. Especially if you can get a newer one with the 6 sp auto and 3.73 or 4.10 gears, and you will get reasonable mileage too.
Or I am positive, a 2500HD with a shortbox in crewcab mode will net you the 6.0/6sp auto. Not sure about a 2500 or 3500 van, but that would also work with a 6.0. UNLESS you plan on going up to 10K feet in the rockies, but ask yourself, how often you will do that! otherwise up to 6-7000' a gas motor will do fine, and a diesel at 6K extra will take some 120-150K miles to payoff! if you can not do that in 3-5 yrs, then it is not worth spending the money $$ wise for a diesel.
Also with large families, there is NO such thing as too little payload, or too small a rig. The tahoe is nothign more than a get the family to the store grandma;s, church or equal, it IS overloaded with you and trailer attached! Power wise, as you say, you are fine, payload/chassis wise, your overloaded!
marty
05 Chev CC D/A LS Dooley
92 Navistar dump truck, 7.3L 7 sp, 4.33 gears with a Detroit no spin
00 Chev C2500, V5700, 4L80E, 4.10, base truck, no options!
92 Red-e-haul 12K equipment trailer
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Ace!
So Oregon
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Joined: 05/23/2005
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Are you buying new or used? What are the winters like there? Would you have the truck garaged, or outside?
It certainly doesn't sound like you "need" the power of a new diesel with that trailer. Based on that I'd get a gas truck, or van. I like my Ford F250 V10 crew cab. It has enough room for six (although that's a lot of people in any crew cab). The gas engine has more than enough power for that trailer, or a fifth wheel at twice that weight. They are easier to maintain, especially in colder climates. If you're buying new you can still get the V10 in 2010. In many areas the V10 gas engine is fetching a premium in private sales (it is only a $600 option over the base engine, so you'll always get your money back). In 2011 a new gas engine is available with more horsepower but less torque. I've just read the Ford diesel in 2011 will be a $9000 option over the cost of the 6.2L gas engine. That's not likely to be re-couped very fast.
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yote'
South Dakota
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Thanks for all the responses. It sounds like 3/4 ton is the way to go because of the weight issue. We do love the mountains and that is where we go on the longer trips. I'll have to weigh the cost/benefit of extra power of diesel vs upfront $$ of diesel. One thing I forgot to mention is that I do have access to borrow a 99 Ford PSD crew cab for longer trips if I really want to. We've done that before and the Ford had plenty of room for us to be comfortable.
I don't want another large SUV/van and I will use the truck bed for a variety of reasons.
Other than the obvious (warranty, mileage, etc) is there a compelling reason to buy a newer gas model vs a truck 3-5 years old? For diesel's I'm aware of the 6.0 PSD nightmares, etc.
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