WBHighwind

I am trying to upgrade my truck for something that will tow a car trailer with no problem. My goal is to overall improve the towing capabilities of my truck, and get better gas mileage while doing it. My other goal is to pay cash so that I don't have two car payments. I don't want to take out a second loan on this vehicle. Currently my truck is a 82 F-150 that gets 11mpg around town and can barely tow a 5x8 cargo trailer that I had for my karting effort. I want somethign that will either tow my C5 around on a car trailer or, when I get into it, my Spec Miata around the country with no problem. I was hoping to get some insight from the masses what with some other good things people have owned.

I am leaning heavily towards a diesel, but since my proposed budget is around 10k, that starts to stretch it for a decent vehicle. Ive maintained that I need a 2500 level truck what ever it is so I don't even look at 1500s unless they have towing pkgs and whatnot. Ive looked at Suburbans with a 2500 chassis that can be had for around 5k. Some possible front runners that I would prefer are: 97 F-250 w/powerstroke, 03-04 Chevy 2500 w/Duramax, any 12/24v Cummins truck. If I go with a truck, I would want it to be either a single cab or extended cab with a short bed. I can live with a quad cab, but no long beds. That makes the vehicle way too long. Thoughts?

Short-Throw

Are you talking about an open trailer or an enclosed?

Falcon

A 3/4 ton diesel is what you want.

You can tow all day and they never break a sweat. They'll even accelerate uphill pulling a 10,000 fully laden trailer.

I have a GMC Duramax crew cab with short bed. I tow a 24' tag and it works great. I tried pulling with a 3/4 ton Yukon with a 6 liter, and it just had to work entirely too hard, so I traded for the Duramax.

Check around and I bet you can get a whale of a deal on a diesel at the Ford, Dodge, or GM dealer. There are bunches on the lots and they ain't moving.

yakisoba

I got a 3/4 ton 91 dodge from a city fleet auction. It's not a diesel, but it will tow the car just fine. Price was $3K a couple of years ago. I would like to move up to a diesel, and run it on bio when I get the chance.

AU N EGL

that bio diesel may not give you much torque.

We have a still or #3 bio distillery / refinery not far away from us. That stuff stinks Its ok in diesel cars, but for tractors or trucks, guys who tried it when back to paying at the pump for dino deisel

The Spark

Enclosed or open trailer will make a huge difference.

I pulled my '72 Vette on an open trailer behind a Chevy 1500 with gas engine and had no problems on the highway. It ran fine.

I pulled my 99 Vette in a 24' enclosed trailer behing my 1500 Avalanche with 5.3L engine (more HP than the truck I used before) and it was having hell driving 70 on the highway. I ended up leaving it in 3rd (instead of OD) and ran about 65mph.

Now I have a F250 with Powerstroke. If you can live with 10mpg city/14mpg highway without pulling a trailer. I get about 7-10mpg pulling the trailer on the highway (depending on headwind or not).

WBHighwind

its an open rollback with a big wind damn on the front of it. The only way I would go diesel is if I found some of the few that get higher teens for mileage. My brother has a 04 Duramax, and he claims he gets good enough mileage to make up for the difference in fuel prices over the same truck with a gasser. Im also considering down the line doing the biodiesel thing but not going strictly bio, just do half and half to subsidize the cost of dino diesel. Thanks for all the input guys, keep it coming.

0Randy@DRM

I maybe the only one that is against the all powerfull diesel. IF you had 50k to go buy a brand new one great. But a 5-10k will get you something that is going to require a lot of BS. It maybe our warm and sunny winters, but every friend, customer, and/or story. Has been 1000 here and a 1000 here. Almost yearly a diesel requires something spending for repairs. They do haul *** and climb in the hills with great power.

We rock a 6.0 Chevy with 4.11 gears. It's a 3/4 suburban with a 1 ton rear spring. I remember heading to Blackhawk for some testing, it was late/early, in the middle of nowhere WI. Doug wakes up and looks at my speed (80mph) "Is that all the faster you have been driving"?? Never had any problems, beside the stupid AC system.

Randy

Rob's 73

My 08 Powerstroke gets 13 around town and 18 on the highway. Towing open trailer, C5 and junk it gets about 14-15 on the highway.
The ford dealers around here are now discounting all trucks 33% off. If you need a truck, there should be some great deals out there.

John Shiels

115 on my Dodge Cummins and not a dime in the motor except filters and oil. I even had a 1980 diesel from GMC and I had it 110k with an injection pump installed which may have been my fault. It went 250,000 last I could hear about it.

How is the mileage on your gasser with 4.11

John Shiels

what year Ford? I have an Excursion 04 6.0 with way better mileage than your getting. I get near 15 towing to Pocono up some good hills and 23 on cruise at 55-60 not towing. My Dodge is the same. Gasser has no power up hills.

bb69

I have a Dodge 2500 Cummins, and I will never go back to gas. It's not for pure financial reasons, because a diesel won't pay off for most people when you consider it is a $5000-7000 option and the fuel is now more expensive. I like it because it doesn't care what it's hooked to, it just pulls without any problems. I tow a 40' enclosed that probably weighs 12-13k when loaded. I can cruise at 65-70 MPH in overdrive and the engine never shows signs of heating up or struggling. As for mileage, I get 19-20 combined with no load (2500 4x4 with 3.73 gears and auto) and 11-12 towing the trailer.

Based on the original post, I don't know that a diesel is your best bet. Even with these economic times, you will struggle to find a good, clean diesel truck for under $10k. If you do, you will probably be dealing with the older style fuel systems (before common rail injection) and you may run into the issues Randy is referring to. If you really want to stay below $10k, I would go get a gas truck and just be content to pull at 65 MPH. Just make sure it's a 2500 or larger. Everything on these size trucks is meant for higher loads and capacities.

Good luck
Ken

beerkat

I am the odd ball of the group. It was point out to me at NCM/VIR event that I had the smallest tow vehicle there. I tow my '01Z on a 18' open Featherlite trailer. I tow with a Honda Ridgeline and get between 14 and 15 mpg when towing at the speed limit (70 mph). I carry tools and extra set of tires besides cooler and clothes for my wife and I. I doubt that you will find a used one for $10,000 however.

The Spark

2008 F250 6.4L Powerstroke
350 hp 650 lb-ft Runs really good - from one gas station to the next

I think the new emissions has really hurt the Powerstroke though. I did get 18 mpg one way on a trip to Dallas (no trailer). But got 14 mpg on the return trip.

I don't get it. Do all this stuff to reduce emissions so you end up burning more fuel - which probably puts the same amount of emissions in the air as before. Greenies

I've heard the Duramax and others do get better fuel mileage - especially when tuned with aftermarket tuners.

0Randy@DRM

About 8 at 80 mph. But you can buy a lot of gas for a 5000 upgrade.

Randy

redtopz

I used to have a 2001 chevy 2500 6.0 and then a 2003 chevy 2500 8.1 gasser. With 4.11 gears at 80 mph you are really revving that up high, been there. Also the $5k option on diesels is more than recovered in resale, you don't lose the $5k. Now I have a 2006 dodge cummins and I won't ever go back to a gas truck. Tows efficiently and effortlessly at 2,000 rpm. Zero maintenance issues. Even though diesel is about 10% more expensive than gas right now, I get about 50% better mileage (not towing) and about 80% better mileage (towing) so that makes the diesel cheaper to run too.

Also you might want to take advantage of some of the 0% financing available right now, you can't beat free money .

John Shiels

did hear new ones are hurting for mileage.

John Shiels

jwt1603

Yeah, I buy all our fleet vehicles and the 08 and newer have a different emissions set-up on the diesels. Cuts the mileage way back.

With my 08 F-250 diesel, open trailer with full tire rack, C4, two trailer boxes, the truck bed full of crap, er supplies, I get about 12 mpg if I keep it at 70 or less. If I go 75 it drops to 11 and 80 drops it even further.

Unloaded around town combined city / highway I get 16.5.

Still, I went from an 06 Explorer to an 08 Expedition to the 08 F-250 diesel. For towing power and safety the big truck is much easier to drive.

slacker1201

I have the new body style Chevy 2500 HD with the Duramax. I installed the Edge and can get up to 24 mpg on the highway going 70 mph. I pull a 24' enclosed car hauler and can get between 12-15 mpg going about 60-65 mph. I thought I was getting ripped on my mileage while I was towing, but it looks like it's in line with others.