New Tow Vehicle Gas vs Diesel & 4x2 vs 4x4

[Jay2504]

crl thanks a lot for the input. We pull around 63 mph also. I’ve run the numbers for your combination (assuming stock tires and full torque converter lock up), 63 mph should be about 2050 Rpm In 5th gear and in 6th gear about 1600 rpm. We are on a trip right now through the hills of Pennsylvania and Maryland. Right now we are at 10.8 mpg for this trip.
67L48, the stock golf cart tires are 18.5 inches! Lol.
To the OP, only you can really determine the “right” truck for you. Jay

[Chamdaddy]

Originally Posted by Scott&Leslie

I live in Conroe TX and Work in Houston.. My 17 Tacoma TRD Sport has to be Replaced. My MIL bought a Larger Travel Trailer when All was said & Done.
I will be looking at New 3/4 Ton Crew Cab Trucks. Looking at Ram 2500 & Ford F250. Will be Towing a 7,000 lb 2015 Jay Flight SLX 267BHSW 6-7 times a year, only about 4 hour drives in East TX. It will be my Daily Driver, about 40 miles one way to work.
It seems like it's better to stay with a Gas Engine over Diesel, due to Maint Costs, EPA issues, etc.
Should I get a 4x2 OR 4x4?

Thank You In Advance for Your Guidance & Experience!!

Scott&Leslie
I live in central TX and drive some of the same roads you do. My first pickup(1998) was 2WD and my last two pickups have been 4x4's. I will never have another 2WD ever. You only need to use the 4x4 one time to confirm you made the right choice. Within the first couple months of owning the 2WD I made an unexpected trip to Red River NM pulling a small 5x8 cargo trailer for a ski vacation. All was fine for the first 748 miles, but I got stuck on the road 2 miles from my destination. Of course I had snow chains that I had to install on the side of the road in a snow flurry, cars flying by and 2 kids bouncing off the walls while my wife tried to slowly move the truck forward to get the chains on. These days just a click of a button into 4WD and we would have been safely to our destination. Honestly, I use the 4x4 every time I pull my TT up my drive from my shop.

Also, I highly recommend the F-250 with the 7.3 Gasser as a Tow Vehicle, this is what I have and love it. However I don't use it as a daily driver because it gets upwards of 16mpg empty but my Sonata Hybrid gets me 43mpg.

[jghflys]

Originally Posted by Scott&Leslie

Will be Towing a 7,000 lb 2015 Jay Flight SLX 267BHSW 6-7 times a year, only about 4 hour drives in East TX. It will be my Daily Driver, about 40 miles one way to work.
It seems like it's better to stay with a Gas Engine over Diesel, due to Maint Costs, EPA issues, etc.
Should I get a 4x2 OR 4x4?

Thank You In Advance for Your Guidance & Experience!!

Buy a gasser and avoid the high maintenance problems of diesels. It will get better mileage and save you lots of money. For infrequent towing under 10,000 pounds, even a 3/4 ton is a little overkill. There are several options out there for 1/2 tons that could do the job. 4WD is Ok if you need it and provides better resale now days, but recognize there is increased maintenance costs associated with the drive train. Anyway you go check on line for known problems for the particular trucks you are interested in. Be an informed buyer.

[videoarizona]

I tow 6500lbs with a 1500 Sierra 4x4 with 6.2, 8 speed Denali. I've no problems going up or down 6 to 8% grades here in Arizona. I rarely use brakes going down, just shift down and can hold most grades without issue.

I would recommend the gmc 2500 with the similar motor/trannie. Or the F250 with same motor. (Co-developed by gmc and ford). And definitely go 4x4!

PS. I get 22mpg hiway, 10-12mpg towing.

[daveswanson]

A properly sprung 250 or 2500 will be very light over the rear axle when not loaded or not towing. Get the 4x4 to avoid many annoying moments. If you like rock-solid motors, the Ford 6.2 is a proven workhouse that often hits 400k miles with reasonable care. The new 7.3 appears to be wonderful: a huge upgrade in torque, while the 10 speed generates really great mpg. Not as proven as the 6.2, and at extra cost. My TT is 7k lbs and my 6.2 doesn't know it's there. I bet there will be sweet deals on 6.2s as the popularity of the 7.3 soars.

[67L48]

Originally Posted by jghflys

Buy a gasser and avoid the high maintenance problems of diesels. It will get better mileage and save you lots of money. [...]

Maintenance problems of diesels? Oil and fuel filters? How are those problems? There are plenty of good reasons to opt for gas over diesel. This isn't one of them.

Within the same platform, diesel will get a little bit better fuel economy than gas, not the other way around. There are plenty of good reasons to opt for diesel over gas. This isn't one of them.

[nynethead]

I ordered a new Chevy 2500hd 4x4 gas truck and awaiting delivery. It has a Much higher gvwr and payload than my 2006 2500 diesel truck. Looking forward to towing my 34 foot fifth wheel

[29BHS ECO]

F150 eco boast, great mileage awsome power for a V6 10-11 TOWING, 17-18 short trips

[Snoogens1977]

Personally, given the low load (for a 3/4 ton), I would not recommend diesel. The complexities of modern diesel engines are extreme. While they are very good and very powerful, when you do have a mechanical fault, it is going to cost significantly more (on average) to repair than a gas engine. Right now, I would highly recommend the new Ford Godzilla 7.3L V8. It is severely overbuilt, and made to be a long lived workhorse. Coupled with the 10-speed transmission, you can usually achieve a good fuel economy while have plenty of hauling power.

Hope this helps.

[djensen9367]

I believe in over kill as if you get a larger trailer later you will not have to upgrade the truck also. I recommend a 3500 srw with the diesel. I disagree that the maintenance cost is so much higher, I have run both gas and diesel and I will say once you tow with a diesel you will never go back to gas. The 3500 is not much more than the 3/4 and is a must if you decide to get a 5th wheel down the road. I had a 3/4 ton and will never do that again as the stability is so much better with the 3500. Save yourself future money and get what you need for the future when you upgrade to a bigger trailer.

[nynethead]

I’ve been towing a 34 foot fifth wheels for 14 years with a Chevy 2500hd with no issues. Towed NY to Disney and most of east coast without any problems. I still use truck now to tow until new one arrives and have 174000 miles. The 2020 Chevy 2500 have a greater towing capacity than a 3500 srw

[deewaltguy]

We tow a 17 267 BHSW and my first TV was a Ram 1500. The 5.7 Hemi was plenty of motor, but the rest of the truck (suspension and braking) was marginal.
I upgraded to a '17 Ram 2500 6.4 Hemi. I would have loved to spring for the diesel, but I couldn't justify it. The 1500 was entirely adequate till we got the TT, and I only tow 6-8 times a year. The 6.4 Hemi 2500 tows it with ease. Most of our tows are <200 mi, but I did tow the 267 to Disney (a 1000 each way mile tow for us) and the Hemi was a dream. It might have been a different story in the mountains. but on the East coast we don't have any.Many have commented on the increased resale value of a diesel, but if you paid 10K more for the diesel and got 8K more for a gasser when you sell it, you're still out.
Also diesel maintenance is more and repairs are more. If I was fuil-timing in the west, I'd have a 3500 diesel, but for what we tow and where/ how we tow it, we are very pleased with the 2500 as a TV.

[Scott&Leslie]

Good Morning Jayco Family,

I Greatly Appreciate ALL of the Input Y'all have Given! I've been a Ford Guy all of my life, and I Really Enjoyed my Tacoma! I'm going to Miss that almost 32 mpg on the way to work in the morning!

My wife was wanting a Ram 2500 and I was working on that with a local Autonation Dealer. But, the Salesman was Awesome, but their Management left a lot to be desired.

I told the Wife it looked like the Ford was going to be the way to go. She finally relented, and told me, ONLY if We get a GREAT Deal!

Last night, we dotted the Is and crossed the Ts on a 2020 Ford F250 Crew Cab Short Bed 4x4 7.3L Gas Truck! Now I won't have to worry about Towing the 267 BHSW!

I'll take pictures after the Sun Rises here in Houston and Post them Later Today!

Y'all have a Blessed Friday Eve!!!

Scott & Leslie

[nynethead]

Nice truck. You will be disappointed with the fuel economy with the 7.3. Power is terrific but mileage is lacking.

[curver900]

Originally Posted by Scott&Leslie

Hi Curver900,
I'm looking at 2020 Gas Models. Seems the EPA Rules are causing More & Expensive Problems for the New Diesels. I drive around 450 miles a week and Need Reliability and Cost Effectiveness!!!

then either the 7.3L or the 6.6L gas new.. but if you can find a used 6.0L GM that is a very solid long term platform... a low mileage used one would be where I would be looking....
I am always leery of new motors and platforms...

[67L48]

Originally Posted by Snoogens1977

[...] I would highly recommend the new Ford Godzilla 7.3L V8. It is severely overbuilt, and made to be a long lived workhorse. Coupled with the 10-speed transmission, you can usually achieve a good fuel economy while have plenty of hauling power. [...]

I'm not sure how you can claim the "long lived" part. Both the 7.3L engine and the 10R140 10-speed transmission are first-year items. We just don't know. The list of first-year engines and first-year transmissions that ended up being rock-solid is short. The 7.3L and 10R140 may make that list ... none of us knows. Typically, however, there are at least some growing pains.

If I were buying gasoline for towing, I'd grab a 7.3L with the 10R140 ... and hope that it is indeed "made to be a long lived workhorse."

I think that combo will get you 12-14 mpg in normal, non-towing driving. Most people I know wouldn't consider that "good fuel economy," but it's a relative term.