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Old 03-02-2016, 05:25 PM   #1
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Confused and bewildered - Trying to find a truck

Okay, trying to find a truck to tow a 377rlbh. Trying to find something used, hopefully under 30k and have 3-6 months to find it. I guess I thought finding a truck would be the easy part. Figured if it was a 350/3500 with 6.7L diesel, dually etc.....I'd be fine.

Well, now that I start looking at the towing guides it seems to not be so simple. Guess the towing capacity depends upon year model, engine, transmission, gear ratio, etc., etc. And to make things worse, the ones I find for sale online, typically do not list transmission or gear ratio. Do you just have to contact each seller/dealer and get the info?

It seems as if I see on different forums and websites, individuals listing or in their signature.....a truck towing a 16,000 lb 5th wheel, but when I look it up in the towing guide, I can't even find any model of that year listed for that much weight. Am I over-looking something?

I know a little about a lot......but I know nothing about trucks. Any one able to point me in the right direction of how to go about finding a used truck to tow 16k? Thanks!
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Old 03-02-2016, 06:41 PM   #2
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well there are a lot of variables. To start the motor is the least of them. All of the big three with diesels have the power,and duallys are most of the time capable depending on the year, but with srw the axle ratio is most of the time in the 3 range which makes it have to grunt more probably to keep pulling too heavy to a minimum. The newer dodge duallys have a ton of towing capability, but you need to look at gvwr and add your trailer weight and what all you will have in truck including occupants and see how it aligns with the gcvw. You can look up the tow rarings on any truck if you have enough info and I would look at the ones you like then look up what the ratings are and go from there. My F250 2011 will tow a max of 14500 on bumper and 15700 in a fifth wheel but I have to add the 8000 pounds the truck weighs and then my family and stuff, say 800 lbs then the weight of the camper 10500 lbs and if I am under the 22500 gcvw I am good ... hope this helps
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Old 03-02-2016, 06:43 PM   #3
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OH and it also depends on trim level and double cab or crew cab, 8 ft bed or 6.5 foot bed. All of these change the weight of the truck which changes the amount it can haul
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Old 03-02-2016, 07:51 PM   #4
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I tow my 377 with an 06 f350 drw. I can tell you I paid way less than 30k for my truck a year ago. You could pull it with a single rear wheel 1 ton (heck even a 3/4 ton) but you'll be much happier and safer with a dually.
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Old 03-02-2016, 09:10 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by kmergen View Post
Okay, trying to find a truck to tow a 377rlbh. Trying to find something used, hopefully under 30k and have 3-6 months to find it. I guess I thought finding a truck would be the easy part. Figured if it was a 350/3500 with 6.7L diesel, dually etc.....I'd be fine.

Well, now that I start looking at the towing guides it seems to not be so simple. Guess the towing capacity depends upon year model, engine, transmission, gear ratio, etc., etc. And to make things worse, the ones I find for sale online, typically do not list transmission or gear ratio. Do you just have to contact each seller/dealer and get the info?

It seems as if I see on different forums and websites, individuals listing or in their signature.....a truck towing a 16,000 lb 5th wheel, but when I look it up in the towing guide, I can't even find any model of that year listed for that much weight. Am I over-looking something?

I know a little about a lot......but I know nothing about trucks. Any one able to point me in the right direction of how to go about finding a used truck to tow 16k? Thanks!
I hear ya brother!
I originally started out looking for a 2007 Tundra to pull a little bit bigger trailer. Then found that the price of 3/4 ton pickups were about the same. That meant I could get a bigger trailer!
Finally decided I wanted a 3/4 or 1 ton diesel, used, say 3 years old with 35K-40K miles. These all ended up being in the $30K range. Here in the northwest these large truck hold their value very well!
Then I had to ask myself, "Do I want a truck that someone has towed a 37ft 5ver up mountain grades with the cruise set to 75mph (Yes, you see this all the time) for its whole life."
Oh, and lets not even "think" about the cost to repair one of these monsters, if you end up with someone else's lemon.
I finally just ordered a new one, it ended up being about 15K more than a used one, has full warranty, and I know its history. Plus, since these things hold their value pretty good, I won't lose all that much money, if I sell it later.
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Old 03-02-2016, 09:23 PM   #6
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Here is a link to the Trailer Life Towing Guides. This should give you the information you need.
Trailer Towing Guides | Trailer Life Magazine
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Old 03-02-2016, 09:54 PM   #7
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We tow a 351 RSTS loaded at 16,500lbs with a SRW 2013 Ram 3500 Longhorn crew cab. 6.7 Cummins with the Ausin tranny. I'm legal at 16.5k both gcwr and pin weight. I can't help on truck prices but you should be able to find something.
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Old 03-02-2016, 10:01 PM   #8
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I tow a 16500 th with 3100-3300 on the pin (depending if rzr is in garage) with 2014 ram 3500 srw. I'm at max combined, truck gvwr and rear axle. 16500 is way upper limit of 3500 srw imo. Fwiw my payload is 4074 per the door sticker and cat scaled several times. Dually is a better fit imo
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Old 03-03-2016, 06:22 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by kmergen View Post
... Figured if it was a 350/3500 with 6.7L diesel, dually etc.....I'd be fine.
...
Any one able to point me in the right direction of how to go about finding a used truck to tow 16k? Thanks!
What you stated your looking for (i.e., 1 Ton w/ Diesel, DRW), you would be fine with any truck (GM, Ford, or Dodge). All would have sufficient capacity and specifications to handle your 377rlbh.
A SRW would even be sufficient, but the DRW would give you more capacity and towing stability.

Spec's may vary from year to year, but not to the level that it would impact the capacity for what you need.

Since you're looking for used, you may want to do some research to see what years to avoid for each type of truck. Each make has their own forums that you can view for info. Do a Google search for "Truck Forms", "Ford Truck Forums", etc. You may find individuals advising to avoid certain years do to issues with engines or other components. I can't help you here, but I'm sure others here on the forum can.

The link Silverado2500HD provided for the Trailer Life Towing Guides is a good one. Make sure you're looking at the 5vr tow ratings and not the conventional tow ratings.

Also, the trucks GCWR, GCWR, and GAWR of the rear axle are important specs to look at. But I can't imagine any 1 Ton Diesel, DRW not providing more then sufficient capacities then you need.

Hope this helps.
Good luck.
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Old 03-03-2016, 08:36 AM   #10
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If you can get the vin number from the trucks you are looking at, there are websites that list the specs of that unit.
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Old 03-03-2016, 09:15 AM   #11
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Finding a used truck is difficult as you are seeing. Used duallys are pretty common but used SRW's are few and far between I guess people just hang on to them.

You are looking for a diesel 1 ton, 350 or 3500 truck, IMO. long bed or short bed can be properly hitched to do the job. Mine has 3.73 rear end. That and 4.10 are the most common Ford ratios. Dodge is 3.42 or 4.10.

It is an educating time! Read and compare.
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Old 03-03-2016, 12:51 PM   #12
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I was just messing around on auto trader. There are 50 trucks under $30K, diesel, less than 75,000 miles listed on Auto trader in your area.
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Old 03-03-2016, 06:39 PM   #13
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Thanks everyone for the input and thank you Silverado for the link as well.

Yep, guess I need to dive into this in much greater detail to figure out what will work and what won't. It just threw me when I saw two F350 DW listed and one could tow 15k and the other could tow 18k and the only difference I could see was that one had a 3.7 gear ratio and the other had a 4.1.
A little bit of my confusion has cleared away, a little anyway....now that I know the difference between a supercab and a crewcab as it appears in certain years each came in particular gear ratios so it's easier to tell what they're capable of towing.

It seems though as most don't really get above the 16k towing mark until the 2010 - 2012 year model depending upon if it's a Ford, Ram, etc.


Another question though....
The F450/4500 seems to come in fewer transmissions and gear ratios and it would make the determination a bit easier as to if it could tow 16k. Any input on these? Same as the 350 just bigger? Any issues to be aware of with a 450?
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Old 03-03-2016, 07:05 PM   #14
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It's my understanding that 9 out of ten guys who transport trailers for a living use the dodge with the Cummings engine... That tells me something about the engine.
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Old 03-03-2016, 10:17 PM   #15
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Not sure what year you are looking for or if you prefer Ford over Chevy.

I am a Ford guy and have been for years. We have a 7.3 chipped a 92 351 that we are dropping a cummins into. I had the 6.4 and now the 6.7. Skipped the 6.0 since International just went brain dead on that motor. At 120k to 130k the heads go and the egr goes and 5k to 8k later you are left shaking your head asking what just happened.

The 6.7 is a pulling machine. When I went fro 6.4 to 6.7 it and pulling the same camper was night and day and the motor can take anything you through at it.

My 2012 F350 has the 11500 GVWR and a payload of 4000 and 5th wheel of 15700 and a combined 23500 with 3.55 gears.

If you find a 2013 F350 with the 11500 you get a payload of 3970 and 5th wheel of 15900 and a combined 23500 with the 3.55 gears. This info is for the short bed trucks. The long bed you loss about 200 lbs of payload and the 5th wheel is the same.

In these years they offer the 3.31 and you do not loss the tow capacity. This is straight from Ford and the info they publish not from the after market tow guides.

The Cummings motor are very strong but the tow capacity's are not as high as the Ford.

What ever you do stay away from the 05 to 07 6.0 diesels and out of them the 05 is the worst since it was the first year of the 6.0

This is my two cents and like I said I am a Ford guy and me and my boys are huge Diesel nuts.

Good luck on finding a truck.
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Old 03-03-2016, 11:28 PM   #16
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Thanks Troy.

I'd read a lot of positive things about Ram, but at this point it seems to be much easier to find a Ford.
The Ram 3500 seems to have the same engine in several models and the towing capacity seems to differ by transmission and axel ratio. In looking at the used 3500s online, I'm having a difficult time telling what the axel ratio is as it typically doesn't list it. I run the vin number but it isn't specific and just gives me a range of what the model offers.
Ford on the other hand is easier to figure out. Their towing guides for each year are quite clear (at least they seem to be)....and it looks like if I go 2010 with the 6.4L, I have to be careful about the axel ratio, but starting in 2011 I just have to find an F350 6.7 crewcab DRW and it seems like I won't have an issue with towing the 16k.
So at this point may end up with a Ford as I'm not bright enough to figure the darn Rams out :-)

Found a few used F350s with the 6.7L turbo 4wd DRW in the 28-33k range and they have 70 to 110k miles on them. Since you mention needing some work possibly at around 120 or 130, I'll spend a bit extra and try to get one with around 75k miles if possible. I have several months to find one so hopefully if I look around enough I'll come across a decent deal.

Thanks again!
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Old 03-04-2016, 12:28 AM   #17
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To the question of the 450/4500's, it seems that Chevy/Ram cater their 4500/5500 to the Commercial Crowd. Ford is the only one that I recall routinely uses it's 450 to compare for the sake of the Consumer.

WRT the Ford, it only comes in Crew Cab, Long Bed, Dually. It also comes standard with 4.33 and optional 4.88 gears. It's meant specifically for towing. You would want to choose either an 08-10 6.4L or the 13+ as those are the years where you get the 19.5" wheels, bigger brakes and the wider front axle that cuts down the turning radius. And if you go that route, you don't need to worry about your numbers with the 377. One thing to note is that some insurance companies will only classify it as a commerical vehicle. USAA does NOT, but that's my only first hand knowledge.

To the 6.0's referenced above(MY 03.5-07 btw), they do have a bad reputation due to some shortcomings with both the engine and the owners. Lack of maintenance, and the inability for certain stock components to not handle the many aftermarket upgrades caused many issues. These CAN actually be a plus, as you can use the reputation to get a very good price. But I would recommend against it in the OPs case, since he is newer to the diesel world.

No matter what way you go, research and learn all you can. Diesel trucks aren't vehicles you can set it and forget it. They require care. And they are expensive to fix. Joining a forum specific to the truck you go with is a good way to learn the Ins and Outs.

Good Luck and Congrats! We have the 377 on order as well so I know your excitement.
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Old 03-04-2016, 05:26 AM   #18
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I am a Ford guy and have been for years. We have a 7.3 chipped a 92 351 that we are dropping a cummins into. I had the 6.4 and now the 6.7. Skipped the 6.0 since International just went brain dead on that motor. At 120k to 130k the heads go and the egr goes and 5k to 8k later you are left shaking your head asking what just happened.



The Cummings motor are very strong but the tow capacity's are not as high as the Ford.

What ever you do stay away from the 05 to 07 6.0 diesels and out of them the 05 is the worst since it was the first year of the 6.0
Ahhhh, not exactly.....

We have 3 6.0s at work, one with 430,000, one with 270,000, and one with 215,000 and the heads have never been off any of them. No head or head gasket problems. EGR coolers, yes! Thats easily fixed though.

Tow ratings vary year to year since the power war started. None of the 3 are that far ahead of the other.

2003.5 was the first year of the 6.0 diesel.
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Old 03-04-2016, 10:05 AM   #19
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That is correct on the 6.0 started the second quarter of 03

Yes there are 6.0's out there that have never had any problems with good maintenance and adding no aftermarket items such as the chips or tuners but still more with problems then without problems. At one time there was a rummer of a law suit against Ford with the guys that owned 6.0's.

A major problem with the 6.0's are the head bolts which can lead to a blown head gasket/s and maybe even a cracked cylinder head/s. The 7.3L and 6.7L both have 6 head bolts per cylinder. The 6.0L only has 4 head bolts per cylinder.

Not saying do not purchase a 6.0's but for a person who is just getting into the diesel market and not knowing what was done to the truck before hand such as chips and tuners (can create to much overboost on the motor) which can be removed and a person would never even know they were there and then the problems start and a guy just does not need those kind of problems in my mind.

I would google diesel clubs in your area and maybe see if you can talk to some of them. There are a lot of clubs for diesels out there.

Like I said I am a big ford guy and would purchase a 6.0 but I would fix a lot of the known problems: new head bolts, weld the EGR closed and put an aftermarket turbo on.

Just putting my 2 cents and that along with 2 bits may get you a cup of coffee

Good luck on your truck hunting
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Old 03-04-2016, 03:21 PM   #20
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That is correct on the 6.0 started the second quarter of 03

Yes there are 6.0's out there that have never had any problems with good maintenance and adding no aftermarket items such as the chips or tuners but still more with problems then without problems. At one time there was a rummer of a law suit against Ford with the guys that owned 6.0's.

A major problem with the 6.0's are the head bolts which can lead to a blown head gasket/s and maybe even a cracked cylinder head/s. The 7.3L and 6.7L both have 6 head bolts per cylinder. The 6.0L only has 4 head bolts per cylinder.

Not saying do not purchase a 6.0's but for a person who is just getting into the diesel market and not knowing what was done to the truck before hand such as chips and tuners (can create to much overboost on the motor) which can be removed and a person would never even know they were there and then the problems start and a guy just does not need those kind of problems in my mind.

I would google diesel clubs in your area and maybe see if you can talk to some of them. There are a lot of clubs for diesels out there.

Like I said I am a big ford guy and would purchase a 6.0 but I would fix a lot of the known problems: new head bolts, weld the EGR closed and put an aftermarket turbo on.

Just putting my 2 cents and that along with 2 bits may get you a cup of coffee

Good luck on your truck hunting
Good advise!

I was always a Ford diesel guy, and still partially am....but I love my Cummins Ram so far.
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